Patent ID: 8603290

Claim:
A method of shaping and consolidating multiple plies of a material, the method comprising: locating at least one ply of a material with an applied binder on a surface of a belt extending across and supported by at least two rollers, the at least two rollers being spaced apart from one another; moving a mandrel from a non-engaged position to an engaged position in which the mandrel engages the belt and the material disposed thereon and passes, at least in part, between the at least two rollers and the belt such that the material moves with the mandrel between the non-engaged position and the engaged position, the mandrel having an elongation direction and the moving of the mandrel occurs in a direction parallel to the elongation direction and generally perpendicularly to the surface of the belt with the applied material from the non-engaged position to the engaged position; and applying a consolidation pressure to the belt using at least one inflatable bladder, which is located on opposite sides of the mandrel and configured to consolidate the material between the belt and the mandrel when the mandrel is in an engaged position.