Apparatus and method for manufacturing fiber reinforced plastic structure

A method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced plastic structure, the method comprising:

• preparing a first mold and a second mold, wherein the second mold is configured to form a cavity with the first mold and has a main plastic supplying unit and a sub plastic supplying unit through which a plastic is to be supplied;
• providing a fiber laminate on the first mold;
• providing a plastic flow medium and a plastic flow suppressing member on the fiber laminate, wherein the plastic flow medium has a mesh structure of meshes for increasing a flow volume of the plastic to be impregnated to the fiber laminate, the plastic flow suppressing member is a sponge, and the plastic flow suppressing member is provided on or below the plastic flow medium so that one part of the meshes of the plastic flow medium is blocked;
• covering the plastic flow suppressing member, the plastic flow medium and the fiber laminate on the first mold with the second mold to form the cavity between the first mold and the second mold;
• depressurizing the cavity;
• supplying the plastic from the main plastic supplying unit at a depressurized state, so as to impregnate the plastic to one part of the fiber laminate while suppressing a flow of a flow front of the plastic along a side of the plastic flow medium with the plastic flow suppressing member which is crashed at the depressurized state;
• supplying plastic subsequently from the sub plastic supplying unit after the plastic flow from the main plastic supplying unit is suppressed, so as to impregnate the plastic to a remaining part of the fiber laminate;
• curing the plastic so as to produce a plastic impregnated and cured fiber laminate as the fiber reinforced plastic structure;
• and
• removing the plastic flow suppressing member and the plastic flow medium from the fiber reinforced plastic structure,
• wherein the plastic flow suppressing member and the plastic flow medium are different products.