Kompositmaterialer, fremgangsmåder samt apparat til fremstilling deraf

摘要

A low-stretch, flexible composite, made of one or several sections, particularly useful for making a sail (2), includes first and second polymer films (52, 62) with discontinuous, stretch-resistant segments (16) therebetween. The segments extend generally along the load lines (17) for the sail. The segments have lengths which are substantially shorter than corresponding lengths of the load lines within each section. The ends of the segments are laterally staggered relative to one another. Mats (20) of generally parallel mat elements can be used as the segments. The mat elements typically include discrete multifiber yarns (24, 26) and/or a fiber array (22), typically created by pneumatically laterally spreading apart the fibers of an untwisted multifiber yarn (32). A laminating assembly includes first and second flexible pressure sheets (66, 68), defining a sealable lamination interior (82) containing the material stack (64) to be laminated, housed within an enclosure (90). A partial vacuum is created within the lamination interior and heated fluid is circulated in contact with the pressure sheets to quickly and uniformly heat the pressure sheets and the material stack being laminated.