Patent ID: 7968041

Claim:
A method of manufacturing an article of fiber-reinforced composite material having at least one locally placed curved portion, wherein the curved portion comprises a convex web portion and contiguous concave flange portions, said method comprising: laying up a plurality of pre-impregnated fiber sheets to form a laminate over a surface of a mold which corresponds to the surface of the article to be formed, placing a separate, substantially rigid pressure-transferring element over the laminate at the location of the at least one locally placed, curved portion of the mold surface, said pressure-transferring element having an inner surface facing the laminate and configured in correspondence with the profile of said curved portion of the mold, placing a flexible membrane over the laminate and over outer, separated surface sections of the at least one pressure-transferring element, evacuating air from a space between the membrane and the laminate so as to cause the membrane to depress the laminate to fully conform to the shape of the mold surface by exerting a pressure directly on the laminate and indirectly by exerting a pressure on the outer, separated surfaces of the intermediate pressure-transferring element, wherein the membrane only engages the separated surface sections of the elements, thereby locally depressing the laminate into said curved portion of the mold, and dismantling the assembly.