Patent ID: 11951690
Assignee: ARRIS COMPOSITES INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
placing, in abutting relationship, plural small-diameter fiber bundles, wherein each of the small-diameter fiber bundles abuts at least one other of the small-diameter fiber bundles;
heating the small-diameter fiber bundles to at least a heat deflection temperature of a resin within the small-diameter fiber bundles, but to less than a melting point of the resin;
applying unification pressure to the small-diameter fiber bundles, thereby unifying the plural small-diameter fiber bundles into a single massive fiber bundle while substantially preserving a cross-sectional shape of each of the plural small-diameter fiber bundles;
cooling the massive fiber bundle; and
cutting the massive fiber bundle into a plurality of first portions by:
(a) preheating a segment of one of the first portions of the massive fiber bundle to the heat deflection temperature; and
(b) heating the preheated segment while bending the segment in a bending die, thereby forming a preform with a bend.