Patent ID: 8101115

Claim:
A method of making a preform using a separable mold including a perforate first mold part and a pressing second mold part, the mold parts, when closed, together defining a desired three-dimensional shape of the preform and including inner surfaces disposed at angles with respect to one another forming inside and outside corners, comprising the steps of: (a) cutting fibers of reinforcement material; (b) propelling the cut fibers onto a surface of the perforate first mold part while contemporaneously flowing air through the first mold part to direct the fibers onto all surfaces of the first mold part to a predetermined thickness; (c) applying an electromagnetic energy-curable binder onto the cut fibers to at least partially coat the fibers with the binder, optionally without filling interstices among the fibers; (d) optionally closing the separable mold parts to press the binder-coated cut fibers into the desired three-dimensional shape of the preform between a surface of the pressing second mold part and the perforate first mold part of the closed mold; (e) applying electromagnetic energy to the binder that promotes the curing of said binder, wherein said electromagnetic energy is produced by one or more electromagnetic energy production elements, wherein one or more of said electromagnetic energy production elements are located on at least one of the surfaces of the first mold part or the second mold part, and wherein said elements are selected from the group consisting of electroluminescent devices, quantum dots and combinations thereof.