Patent ID: 8101107

Claim:
A method for producing a pultruded component comprising: providing a plurality of fiber tows, each of the plurality of fiber tows comprising a plurality of fibers; providing a first chamber and a second chamber for wetting the plurality of fiber tows with a polymeric resin precursor, the first chamber comprising a wall having a plurality of apertures that extend through the wall between an exterior surface of the chamber and an interior surface of the chamber that is in contact with the polymeric resin precursor so that fiber tows passing through the apertures immediately contact the polymeric resin precursor upon exiting the apertures; pulling the plurality of fiber tows through the wall and the first chamber to wet their exterior surfaces with the polymeric resin precursor, wherein pulling the plurality of fiber tows through the first chamber comprises pulling the plurality of fiber tows through a bath of the polymeric resin precursor prior to entering the second chamber; pulling the plurality of fiber tows through the second chamber to wet the plurality of fibers within each tow, the second chamber tapered substantially along its entire length; and pulling the wetted plurality of tows and fibers through a curing die to form the pultruded component, wherein the curing die is in contact with the second chamber; wherein the fiber tows are continuously pulled through the first chamber, the second chamber, and then the curing die at a substantially constant rate.