Patent ID: 7313865

Claim:
A process of forming an assembly, the method comprising: providing a thermosettable material, the material being selected from a sheet molding compound, a bulk molding compound, or a combination thereof wherein the thermosettable material includes a fibrous reinforcement material selected from polymeric fibers, metal fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, polyester fibers, glass fibers, silicon carbide fibers, alumina fibers, titanium fibers, steel fibers or combinations thereof and wherein the fibrous reinforcement material is 1% to 60% by weight of the thermosettable material; molding the thermosettable material at an elevated temperature to form a carrier member; applying an activatable material to a surface of the carrier member for forming a reinforcement member wherein the activatable material is a heat foamable material that includes epoxy resin; placing the reinforcement member within a cavity or adjacent to a surface of an automotive vehicle, the cavity or surface being defined by one or more walls of a structure of the automotive vehicle; and activating the activatable material to form an epoxy based structural foam that is adhered to the carrier member and the surface or walls of the structure of the automotive vehicle, the structural foam having a high compressive strength.