Patent ID: 6919039

Claim:
A method of molding a composite by flowing a resin into a preform comprising: a. providing a mold surface; b. placing said preform on said mold surface; c. placing a first flexible impermeable membrane over a portion of said preform, said first impermeable membrane having a preform side adjacent said preform; d. placing an impermeable spacer system on said first flexible impermeable membrane, said first flexible impermeable membrane having a spacer system side adjacent said impermeable spacer system; e. sealing said first flexible impermeable membrane to said impermeable spacer system, thereby enclosing a network of gaps and forming a bladder; f. providing a means of adjusting a spacer system pressure on said spacer system side of said first flexible impermeable membrane; g. placing a second flexible impermeable membrane over said impermeable spacer system and said preform; h. drawing a vacuum on said preform; i. providing a source of said resin in communication with said preform side of said first flexible impermeable membrane; j. applying a resin pressure on said preform side of said first flexible impermeable membrane that is higher than said spacer system pressure on said spacer system side of said first flexible impermeable membrane thereby creating a differential pressure that deforms said first flexible impermeable membrane into said network of gaps in said impermeable spacer system, said first flexible impermeable membrane forming temporary resin flow pathways on said preform while deformed into said network of gaps; k. flowing said resin along said temporary resin flow pathways and from said temporary resin flow pathways into said preform; l. reversing said differential pressure thereby causing said first flexible impermeable membrane to press evenly upon said preform to remove said temporary resin flow pathways; m. curing said resin in said preform to form said composite.