Patent ID: 8646183

Claim:
A process for forming a fiber reinforced core panel comprising: (a) obtaining a sheet of a low density material having a first direction, a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a thickness, an upper side and a lower side; (b) slicing the sheet of the low density material a plurality of times in the first direction of the sheet on at least one side to form slices in the sheet, wherein the slices extend through only a portion of the thickness of the sheet; (c) dividing the sheet in the second direction of the sheet into a series of low density strips having at least three faces and having a length to width aspect ratio of at least 5:1, wherein the cross-section of each strip has a major face, a first edge face, a second edge face, and optionally a minor face, wherein the slices in the sheet form a series of cuts in the major or minor face of the low density strips; (d) arranging the series of low density strips to form a core panel having a first side and an opposing second side such that the longitudinal axis of the low density strips are substantially parallel and the major face of each strip is disposed within the first or second side of the core panel, wherein the major face of each strip is disposed within an opposite face of the core panel than the major face of the adjacent strips; and, (e) threading a continuous fibrous reinforcement sheet through the low density strips such that the fibrous reinforcement sheet is disposed between adjacent strips and adjacent to the major or minor faces of the low density strips.