Patent ID: 8734605

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a composite component comprising: forming a body preform comprising reinforcement fibres which extend in a first portion in a direction having a component parallel to a first direction of the body preform, at least some of the reinforcement fibres having a second portion directed laterally of the first direction, at an extremity of the body preform, to form lateral fibres, the lateral fibres being directed away from a central region of extremity of the body preform thereby to define a cavity in the central region of the extremity of the body preform; forming a first platform preform disposed at the extremity of the body preform such that the lateral fibres interface with a surface of the first platform preform; forming a second platform preform having a projection from a surface of the second platform preform which is complementary to the cavity; engaging the second platform preform with the body preform which passes through the first platform preform and by positively locating the projection disposed in the cavity and with the lateral fibres extending over the surface of the second platform preform, and performing a bonding process to bond the second platform preform (i) to the body preform and (ii) to the first platform preform, thereby to form the composite component with a body and a platform extending transversely of the body.