Composite rotor blade manufacturing method and apparatus

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade comprising:

• providing a first mold defining a first mold surface;
• providing a second mold comprising a rigid core and a heated layer secured thereto, the heated layer defining a second mold surface;
• providing a plurality of pressure sensors embedded in the heated layer;
• the second mold further comprising at least one heating elements embedded therein;
• placing an uncured composite rotor blade between first and second molds, such that the uncured composite rotor blade is positioned between the first and second mold surfaces, the uncured composite rotor blade having non-uniform thickness, the first and second mold surfaces being contoured corresponding to an outer surface of the uncured composite rotor blade;
• activating a plurality of heating elements effective to cure the uncured composite rotor blade;
• and
• controlling activation of the plurality of heating elements according to outputs of the plurality of pressure sensors detecting different pressures corresponding to desired pressures for a plurality of zones of the uncured composite rotor blade in accordance with cure dynamics of the non-uniform wall thickness within the plurality of zones.