PRESS MOULDING METHOD

摘要

A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a moulded part of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a mould tool having a lower mould part (58) and an upper mould part (60), the upper mould part (60) having a first moulding surface (62) for moulding a first moulded surface of the moulded part and the lower mould part (58) having a second moulding surface (64) for moulding a second moulded surface of the moulded part; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material (66) comprising at least one layer of fibres and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces (68, 70), a surface resin layer of the multilaminar panel being at or adjacent to the first major surface and a dry fibre layer of the multilaminar panel forming the second major surface; iii. locating the moulding material in the mould tool by disposing the second major surface on the second moulding surface of the lower mould part (58), the lower mould part (58) being at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material (66); iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material (66); v. applying pressure to the moulding material (66) in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material (66) in a fully moulded shape, and after the applying pressure step v the resin in the multilaminar panel fully impregnates the dry fibres; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a moulded part (66) from the moulding material.