Process for manufacturing a composite component capable of flexing and twisting

Process for manufacturing an elongate composite component capable of flexing and twisting, essentially consisting of rods of longitudinal fibres embedded in a resin and encased in at least one cured elastomer, the process comprising the steps consisting in:

• making separately a set of individual plies, each individual ply being obtained by arranging rods of resin-impregnated fibres, preserved in the non-rigidified state, side by side in a manufacturing mould, said rods of fibers having ends arranged between cut pieces consisting of layers of resin-impregnated fibres, which are arranged on each side of the ends of the rods, and which comprise fibres oriented at more or less 45 degrees to longitudinal fibers of the rods, the ply then being rigidified under pressure by heating followed by cooling;
• assembling several individual plies in order to form a bundle of approximately uniformly spaced rods;
• encasing at least the rods of fibres in said at lease one elastomer;
• curing the injected elastomer in order to form the composite component capable of flexing and twisting;
• wherein the ends of the rods have a cross-section of quadrangular shape, the rods having central parts joined to the ends by transition zones having a shape which changes its circular cross-section where it connects to the central part of the rod to its rectangular cross-section where it connects to the corresponding end of the rod so that the surface are of its cross-section is constant, such that the surface area of the cross-section of the rods is constant and the length of the transition zone is very small compared to that of the rods;
• and
• wherein the cut pieces consisting of layers of fibres, are into contact with the transition zones of the rods.