Method and apparatus for forming a curved prepreg strip

An apparatus for forming a curved fibre-reinforced prepreg strip or sheet for use in fabricating a composite component, the apparatus comprising:

• a mechanism for drawing or conveying a strip or sheet of prepreg material in a travel direction,
• wherein the mechanism is configured to draw or convey the strip or sheet of prepreg material in the travel direction at a speed which differs across a width of the strip or sheet transverse to the travel direction,
• wherein the mechanism comprises multiple pairs of conical rollers configured to be driven at substantially the same rotational speed, the multiple pairs of conical rollers arranged serially in the travel direction of the strip or sheet of prepreg material;
• and
• wherein each pair of conical rollers defines a nip, and wherein the strip or sheet of prepreg material is configured to be drawn or conveyed in the nip of the respective pair of conical rollers, whereby one of each pair of rollers is configured to contact an upper surface of the strip or sheet of prepreg material across the width thereof in the nip and the other of each of the rollers is configured to contact a lower surface of the strip or sheet of prepreg material across the width thereof in the respective nip, such that the rollers of each of the pairs of rollers are configured to simultaneously reorient the fibres of the prepreg strip or sheet, wherein the nip of each of the pairs of rollers is arranged in a common plane, and wherein the travel direction of the strip or sheet of prepreg material is configured to follow the common plane.