Intrusion molding process for forming composite structures
AssigneeA&M Engineered Composites Corporation
InventorsRalph M. Plumley, Henry H. Renaud, Jr.
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Abstract
The invention is a method of forming a composite structure which begins with the formation of a syntactic foam core having internal communication passages that terminate with a plurality of openings in the outer surface of said core. After being wrapped with a plurality of layers of porous material, the wrapped core is positioned in a cavity of a mold having an inlet communicating with one of the openings. A source of uncured resin mix then is connected to the inlet and the mold is evacuated. After being forced through the inlet and the passages to fill the mold and impregnate said fibrous material, the resin mix is cured to provide with the core and the fibrous material a rigid composite structure.
Claims17
The method of forming a composite structure including the steps:
- forming a syntactic foam core having internal communicating passages that terminate with an inlet opening and a plurality of discharge openings in the outer surface of said core;
- wrapping said syntactic foam core with a plurality of layers of porous preimpregnated laminating material;
- positioning said wrapped core in a cavity of mold having an inlet communicating with one of said openings;
- connecting a source of uncured syntactic foam resin mix to said inlet;
- evacuating said mold;
- forcing said uncured resin mix through said inlet opening, said passages and said discharge openings to fill said mold between said core and said laminating material;
- and
- curing said resin mix and said preimpregnated laminating material to provide with said core a rigid composite structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.