Patent ID: 8083984

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a fiber reinforced resin composite component comprising: a hard base tool which presents a tool face having a lay up region for lay up of a reinforcing fiber preform, a flexible bagging blanket for overlying the lay up region and cooperating with the tool face to form a sealed enclosure which encloses the reinforcing fiber preform, a liquid resin source, a liquid resin inlet which communicates with the sealed enclosure and which is connected to the liquid resin source for injection of the liquid resin into the sealed enclosure for liquid resin impregnation of the reinforcing fiber preform, at least one rigid control plate adapted in use to be located in at least one zone within the sealed enclosure such that at least one part of the preform is disposed between the control plate and the hard base tool, and at least one spacer with a predetermined dimension adapted to be located within the preform in said at least one zone and between the control plate and the hard base tool.