Fibre-reinforced composite molding and manufacture thereof

A method of manufacturing a fibre-reinforced composite moulding, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) disposing a surfacing layer on a portion of a mould surface, the surfacing layer comprising a first resin material and being in a form of at least one solid sheet, the first resin material of the surfacing layer being supported on a carrier of a sheet material, wherein the surfacing layer comprises a plurality of surfacing layer segments assembled together to form a continuous surfacing layer;
• (b) forming an assembly comprised of the surfacing layer and a structural layer comprised of at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• (c) applying a vacuum to the assembly;
• (d) in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding step, a resin feed infusion system feeds a liquid resinous compound from a source of such resinous compound into the assembly, the liquid resinous compound comprising a second resin material, wherein the second resin material is infused, under the vacuum, into the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• and
• (e) curing the first and second resin materials to form the fibre-reinforced composite moulding which comprises a surface portion formed from the surfacing layer laminated to a structural portion formed from the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material and the second resin material, and wherein each surfacing layer segment has at least one edge thereof that partially overlaps an adjacent surfacing layer segment, wherein the overlap between adjacent surfacing layer segments has a width of from 10 to 75 mm.

A method of manufacturing a fibre-reinforced composite moulding, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) disposing a surfacing layer on a portion of a mould surface, the surfacing layer comprising a first resin material and being in a form of at least one solid sheet, the first resin material of the surfacing layer being supported on a carrier of a sheet material, wherein the surfacing layer comprises a plurality of surfacing layer segments assembled together to form a continuous surfacing layer;
• (b) disposing at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material on the surfacing layer to provide, on the portion of the mould surface, an assembly of the surfacing layer and a structural layer comprising the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• (c) applying a vacuum to the assembly;
• (d) in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding step, a resin feed infusion system feeds a liquid resinous compound from a source of such resinous compound into the assembly, the liquid resinous compound comprising a second resin material, wherein the second resin material is infused, under the vacuum, into the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• and
• (e) curing the first and second resin materials to form the fibre-reinforced composite moulding which comprises a surface portion formed from the surfacing layer laminated to a structural portion formed from the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material and the second resin material, and wherein the first resin material of the surfacing layer has a thickness of from 100 to 300 microns.

A method of manufacturing a fibre-reinforced composite moulding, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) disposing a surfacing layer on a portion of a mould surface, the surfacing layer comprising a first resin material and being in a form of at least one solid sheet, the first resin material of the surfacing layer being supported on a carrier of a sheet material, wherein the surfacing layer comprises a plurality of surfacing layer segments assembled together to form a continuous surfacing layer;
• (b) disposing at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material on the surfacing layer to provide, on the portion of the mould surface, an assembly of the surfacing layer and a structural layer comprising the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• (c) applying a vacuum to the assembly;
• (d) in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding step, a resin feed infusion system feeds a liquid resinous compound from a source of such resinous compound into the assembly, the liquid resinous compound comprising a second resin material, wherein the second resin material is infused, under the vacuum, into the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• and
• (e) curing the first and second resin materials to form the fibre-reinforced composite moulding which comprises a surface portion formed from the surfacing layer laminated to a structural portion formed from the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material and the second resin material, and wherein the sheet material of the surfacing layer has a weight of from 10 to 90 gsm.

A method of manufacturing a fibre-reinforced composite moulding, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) disposing a surfacing layer on a portion of a mould surface, the surfacing layer comprising a first resin material and being in a form of at least one solid sheet, the first resin material of the surfacing layer being supported on a carrier of a sheet material, wherein the surfacing layer comprises a plurality of surfacing layer segments assembled together to form a continuous surfacing layer;
• (b) disposing at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material on the surfacing layer to provide, on the portion of the mould surface, an assembly of the surfacing layer 9 and a structural layer comprising the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• (c) applying a vacuum to the assembly;
• (d) in a vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding step, a resin feed infusion system feeds a liquid resinous compound from a source of such resinous compound into the assembly, the liquid resinous compound comprising a second resin material, wherein the second resin material is infused, under the vacuum, into the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material;
• and
• (e) curing the first and second resin materials to form the fibre-reinforced composite moulding which comprises a surface portion formed from the surfacing layer laminated to a structural portion formed from the at least one layer of dry fibrous reinforcing material and the second resin material, and wherein a ratio of viscosity, measured at 20° C. ambient temperature, of the first resin material and of the second resin material is at least 100/1.