Patent ID: 7029621

Claim:
A method for fabricating a fiber reinforced plastic part, comprising the steps of: programming a readable definition of a part into a machine, wherein the machine moves an extrusion head mounted to the machine in a controlled pattern; and wherein the machine regulates the speed of extrusion from the extrusion head; feeding a fiber reinforcement to the extrusion head of the machine; impregnating the fiber reinforcement with a radiation-initiated resin; extruding the impregnated fiber reinforcement from an orifice in the extrusion head; and exposing the extruded fiber reinforcement to curing radiation which hardens the extruded impregnated fiber reinforcement as the impregnated fiber reinforcement is extruded, wherein the step of exposing the extruded fiber reinforcement to curing radiation further comprises coordinating the rate of cure with the rate of travel of the extrusion head and the rate of extrusion of the fiber reinforcement, thereby maintaining the fiber reinforcement in a final shape as called for by the readable definition of the part at the point of extrusion.