Pultrusion method including transverse fibers
AssigneeOmniglass Ltd.
InventorLawrence W. Davies
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Transverse fibers are added to a pultruded part by forming a body of fibers and resin in a first die part which body is dimensioned smaller than that of the die through which the body is to be passed. A fluid including cut fibers is then applied under pressure to the body just upstream of the die so that cut fibers become integrated with the body into the spaces defined in the body. The continuous fibers, the cut fibers, and the resin are then passed through the die and become integrated into a pultruded part with the transverse cut fibers providing a transverse strength.
Claims12
A method of forming a fiber reinforced part comprising providing a die member, collating a plurality of longitudinally continuous fibers to form a body of fibers, applying a resin to the body upstream of the die member, causing the body to pass through the die member in a longitudinal direction so as that the resin is set as it passes through the die member, applying a pulling force to the set resin and fibers downstream of the die member so as to pull the body into the die member, and including the steps of
- a) prior to the body entering the die member, passing the body through a first die part, the shape of which is arranged such that as the body approaches the die member there is defined on the body at least one part of the body shaped different from a shape defined by the die member to leave a space between that part of the body and the die member,
- b) prior to any substantial setting of any resin in the body taking place, applying to the body between the first die part and the die member a fluid comprising a resin settable with the body in the die member and a plurality of cut fibers dispersed within the resin,
- c) attaching the cut fibers to the body in orientations at least some of which have portions transverse to the longitudinal direction and;
- d) causing the body to transport the attached cut fibers with the body through the die member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.