Patent ID: 8037843

Claim:
An application and infusion system for applying a resin to one or more fiber tows and for infusing the fiber tows with the resin, wherein each of the fiber tows is moving at a respective fiber speed, the application and infusion system comprising: a deposition and infusion system comprising one or more nozzles configured to deposit the resin on a respective one of the fiber tows; an infusion enhancer contacting the fiber tows, wherein said infusion enhancer places pressure on the fiber tows for infusing the fiber tows with the resin a plurality of rods oriented parallel to one another in a direction substantially transverse to a feed path of the fiber tows, wherein the one or more nozzles are disposed between the rods, and wherein the plurality of rods is configured to press the fiber tows against the nozzles; and a controller configured to control a flow rate of the resin through each of the nozzles relative to the fiber speed of the respective ones of the fiber tows.