Patent ID: 6257858
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B29C,B29L

Abstract:
An apparatus for making large-area components from fiber composites by injecting a resin mixture into a mold with interacting mold elements between which the preformed fiber layer arrangements are inserted, one element being resiliently deformable and the other dimensionally stable, the two elements being joinable in vacuum-tight manner at their edges,wherein the mold is provided with connections for means for injecting the resin mixture and a negative pressure source for lowering the internal pressure of the mold chamber below atmospheric,and wherein an external pressure above atmospheric is applied to the closed mold in a pressure vessel from all sides, and the resin mixture is injected into the mold at a pressure and until cured is kept at a pressure which is lower than the external pressure acting on the mold by a difference determining the volumetric fiber content of the component,further comprising pipe elements lying on the surface of the fiber layer arrangement opposite the dimensionally stable mold member, the pipe elements being fluidly connected to the source of resin and to the negative pressure source, the pipe elements having a length of the same order as the length or width of the large-area components and having a wide-area bearing surface, the pipe elements including a longitudinally extending cavity disposed above the bearing surface the bearing surface including a slot extending longitudinally within the cavity, the width of the slot being narrower than the diameter of the cavity.