Method for infusing resin into a composite laminate

A method of infusing a preform with a resin for the formation of a composite laminate, the method comprising:

• wrapping the preform around a mold to prevent the preform from lofting;
• placing a vacuum bag outside of the preform;
• placing an offset tool outside of the vacuum bag so as to permit the vacuum bag to lift away from a surface of the preform a controlled amount;
• injecting a charge of the resin between the vacuum bag and the preform so as to lift the vacuum bag off the surface of the preform and move the vacuum bag toward the offset tool, so that the resin occupies a volume between the vacuum bag and the surface of the preform;
• infusing the preform with the resin by applying a super-atmospheric pressure to an outer surface of the vacuum bag to transport the resin from the volume between the vacuum bag and the surface of the preform into a volume within the preform;
• and
• curing the resin in the preform, thereby forming the composite laminate.

A method of infusing a preform with a resin for the formation of a composite laminate in which the preform is placed between a mold and a vacuum bag, the method comprising:

• placing a flexible offset tool outside of the vacuum bag so as to permit the vacuum bag to lift away from a surface of the preform a controlled amount, the flexible offset tool expandable to a predetermined fixed shape;
• injecting a charge of the resin between the vacuum bag and the preform so as to lift the vacuum bag off the surface of the preform and move the vacuum bag toward the offset tool, so that the resin occupies a volume between the vacuum bag and the surface of the preform;
• infusing the preform with the resin by applying a super-atmospheric pressure to an outer surface of the vacuum bag to transport the resin from the volume between the vacuum bag and the surface of the preform to a volume within the preform;
• and
• curing the resin in the preform, thereby forming the composite laminate.