Patent ID: 8118961

Claim:
Method of manufacturing a Z-section component from composite material, using a mould having a convex mould portion and a concave mould portion adjacent thereto, comprising the following stages: depositing one or more layers of preimpregnated material in succession on the mould to produce a laid-up structure with a Z-shaped cross section extending over said convex mould portion and over said concave mould portion, subjecting said laid-up structure on the mould to preliminary compaction in a vacuum bag, subjecting said laid-up structure on the mould to a polymerization cycle in a vacuum bag, wherein said polymerization cycle is preceded by the preparation of a final vacuum bag of said polymerization cycle, comprising the following stages: covering said laid-up structure with a layer of peel ply, formed by a plurality of strips of peel ply positioned to extend along said direction perpendicular to the cross section of the laid-up structure and to partially overlap each other in said convex mould portion and in said concave mould portion, fixing said layer of peel ply perimetrically to said mould, using an adhesive tape, laying a line of sealant perimetrically on said adhesive tape around said laid-up structure, positioning a separator film above said layer of peel ply to cover said layer of peel ply and said perimetric line of sealant, positioning a ventilation textile perimetrically on the mould, connecting the ventilation textile to a perimetric ventilation material positioned around said mould, said ventilation textile having an aperture positioned to leave uncovered an underlying part substantially coinciding with said laid-up structure, and applying said final vacuum bag to said mould which supports the laid-up structure for the polymerization cycle; said stage of preliminary compaction taking place after each layer of preimpregnated material has been deposited, said stage of preliminary compaction comprising the following steps: covering said layer of preimpregnated material with a separator film, said separator film having an interruption at said concave portion, extending in a direction perpendicular to said cross section of the laid-up structure, positioning said perimetric ventilation material around said mould, positioning a ventilation strip above the separator film at the position of the interruption of said separator layer, so that said ventilation strip extends in said direction perpendicular to the cross section of the laid-up structure and is connected at ends of the ventilation strip to said perimetric ventilation material, applying a preliminary vacuum bag to said mould which supports the laid-up structure and producing a controlled vacuum in said vacuum bag for a specified period, and removing said preliminary vacuum bag, ventilation strip and separator film at the end of said specified period.