Patent ID: 8562886

Claim:
A method of making a composite laminate, comprising: placing into a mold a scrim and a plurality of sheets of prepreg, each sheet of prepreg including fibers preimpregnated with resin, wherein the scrim extends between an exterior surface of the plurality of sheets of prepreg and an inner surface of the mold, wherein: the scrim is made of a nonwoven mat of randomly oriented fibers, the fibers of each sheet of prepreg are substantially parallel carbon fibers, and the carbon fibers in adjacent sheets of prepreg are disposed at an angle relative to one another; forming a composite laminate whereby the scrim is adhered to the sheets of prepreg and the fibers of at least one sheet of the plurality of sheets of prepreg are at least partially visible through the scrim; and removing the composite laminate from the mold, wherein an outer layer of the composite laminate includes the scrim and forms an outer, exposed surface of the composite laminate.