A method of curing a composite part, comprising: placing the composite part against a tool having at least a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the composite part placed against the first side; drawing a first vacuum and a second vacuum over the composite part in, correspondingly, a first vacuum area in which the composite part is located and a second vacuum area outside the first vacuum area wherein the vacuum j pressure of the second vacuum is slightly above the vacuum pressure of the first vacuum; increasing a temperature of the composite part by heating the tool and the composite part substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate until the tool and the composite part reach a preselected cure temperature; and before the temperature reaches a cure temperature of the composite part, reducing the vacuum pressure of the second vacuum to a level that is materially less than the vacuum pressure of the first vacuum; maintaining the temperature of the composite part substantially at the cure temperature for a preselected period while maintaining the vacuum pressure of the first vacuum substantially constant during the entire process cycle; and reducing the temperature of the composite part after the cure temperature has been maintained for the preselected period; terminating the vacuums in the first and second vacuum chambers; wherein drawing the first vacuum and the second vacuum includes: placing a substantially flexible bag over the composite part to form the first vacuum area, forming a substantially vacuum tight seal between the bag and the tool, drawing air from the bag through a first vacuum port in the tool, placing a substantially rigid shroud over the bag and the composite part to form the second vacuum area, and drawing air from the shroud through a second vacuum port in the shroud; forming a vacuum tight seal between the bag and the shroud. placing the composite part against a tool having at least a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the composite part placed against the first side; drawing a first vacuum and a second vacuum over the composite part in, correspondingly, a first vacuum area in which the composite part is located and a second vacuum area outside the first vacuum area wherein the vacuum j pressure of the second vacuum is slightly above the vacuum pressure of the first vacuum; increasing a temperature of the composite part by heating the tool and the composite part substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate until the tool and the composite part reach a preselected cure temperature; and before the temperature reaches a cure temperature of the composite part, reducing the vacuum pressure of the second vacuum to a level that is materially less than the vacuum pressure of the first vacuum; placing a substantially flexible bag over the composite part to form the first vacuum area, forming a substantially vacuum tight seal between the bag and the tool, drawing air from the bag through a first vacuum port in the tool, placing a substantially rigid shroud over the bag and the composite part to form the second vacuum area, and drawing air from the shroud through a second vacuum port in the shroud; forming a vacuum tight seal between the bag and the shroud.