Patent ID: 8123887

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a continuous fiber reinforced composite strength member, said process comprising the steps of: placing the fibers in a tensioning device for tensioning the fibers; guiding the fibers into and through a pre-treating station; saturating the fibers with resin in an impregnator; and curing the fibers at a curing station, said curing station comprising a flexible first die and a rigid heated second die opposed and connected to said flexible first die, wherein the first and second dies are configured to contact the saturated fibers wherein the sides of said composite strength member comprise layers of bonded fibers, the fibers being oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of said strength member, and wherein said layers of fibers are in a 0-degree orientation and wherein the strength member comprises a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a plurality of fibers impregnated with a polymeric matrix, wherein the plurality of fibers are unidirectional reinforcing fibers, and wherein the plurality of fibers that are impregnated with a polymeric matrix are aligned along the longitudinal dimension of the strength member.