Provided is a method for producing a molded body that is capable of effectively and accurately producing a molded body from a composite substrate made of a fiber-reinforced resin containing a thermosetting resin and reinforcing fibers. The method includes shaping the composite substrate with the a thermosetting resin in an uncured state into a three-dimensional shape at a site different from where a molding unit is located; conveying the composite substrate to the molding unit so as to maintain the three-dimensional shape thereof; then, placing the conveyed composite substrate on a molding surface of a lower die formed to suit the three-dimensional shape, so as to maintain the three-dimensional shape thereof; and pressing the composite substrate placed on the lower die with an upper die while heated, thereby curing the thermosetting resin and forming the molded body.

The method includes placing a block-shaped second resin on a backside of a composite sheet within outer edges, the composite sheet being made up of a plurality of stacked fiber sheets impregnated with a first resin and pressing the composite sheet and the second resin by a heated mold, to produce a resin molded article having the composite sheet embedded in a part of a surface of a resin layer of the second resin that extends to sides of the composite sheet. The composite sheet is formed such that a first fiber sheet of the plurality of fiber sheets positioned closest to a front side of the composite sheet is larger than other fiber sheets and covers the other fiber sheets entirely from the front side, when placed inside the mold.

A molding method is performed for molding a composite material in which resin is injected in a state in which a fiber base material is disposed in a cavity formed in a metal mold and the resin is cured to form the composite material. The molding method includes enhancing wettability of a portion of the fiber base material, and disposing the portion of the fiber base material in a narrow portion in which a gap constituting the cavity is smaller than other locations.

The invention relates to a device for the infiltration of fibrous material with resin for the production of a fiber composite component, comprising a mold tool with a cavity enclosed by at least two tool parts, wherein the mold tool is designed for a relative movement of the at least two tool parts, in such a manner that space can be provided inside the cavity, in a first tool position, to hold the fibrous material, and additional space can be provided to accommodate resin, and the size of the cavity can then be reduced by a movement of the mold tool from the first tool position into a second tool position. According to the invention, a flow promoter is included in the cavity, comprising at least one first layer and one second layer, connected to each other in an edge region of the flow promoter to enclose a flow space, wherein the first layer is impermeable to resin while the second layer provides an outlet for guiding resin out of the flow space and into the fibrous material, and wherein the flow space of the flow promoter is filled with resin and/or the flow promoter has an inlet for conveying resin into the flow space. The invention further relates to a corresponding infiltration process and to a use of the device and/or the method.

A method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic outer skin component for a vehicle includes the following steps: a) providing a semifinished fiber product which includes at least one fiber layer with predetermined fiber orientation; b) applying an uncured plastic matrix in the form of an epoxy resin-based or polyurethane-based matrix system to the semifinished fiber product; c) placing the semifinished fiber product provided with plastic matrix into a mold; and d) pressing the semifinished fiber product in the mold in order to shape and cure the semifinished fiber product to form a fiber-reinforced plastic component. A shrinkage-reducing additive in the form of filler particles is admixed with the uncured plastic matrix and the uncured plastic matrix is applied to the surface of the semifinished fiber product that in the finished component faces the visible side of the component.

The invention relates to a molding device (1) and a method for the manufacture of structured or semistructured composite components comprising a polymer resin (50) and a fibrous substrate (51). According to the invention, the device comprises a mold (2) comprising a bottom and a lateral surface, a part (10) that is movable along the lateral surface of the mold, comprising a compression surface (14) forming a cavity (7) with the bottom and the lateral surface (5) of said mold (2), characterized in that the movable part (10) comprises a vacuum-drawing channel (13, 23) opening into a chamber (25, 42) located above the cavity and communicating with said cavity (7).

The present invention relates to novel glass-carbon composites presenting very high directional properties in the UD carbon layer direction greater with improved failure mode as compared to full carbon fiber and standard composite fibers. The invention further relates to a process of preparation of such glass-carbon composites and to articles made from such glass-carbon composites.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

A first continuous fiber component and a second continuous fiber component are stacked with a non-woven fabric interposed therebetween to thereby prepare a fiber base material. The fiber base material is placed between an upper mold and a lower mold. The upper mold and the lower mold are brought close to each other to thereby form an enclosed space therebetween. The enclosed space is larger in volume than a product cavity. A liquid matrix resin is supplied to the enclosed space. The upper mold and the lower mold are brought closer to each other to thereby form the product cavity in a manner that a pressing load is applied to the fiber base material. Then, the liquid matrix resin with which the fiber base material has been impregnated is hardened in the product cavity, whereby a fiber-reinforced plastic molded article is produced.

A process of compression molding an article from a curable resin is provided that includes opening a mold to an open position by displacing an upper die having an upper mold surface from a lower die having a lower mold surface. Resin is placed a mold surface and the dies are closed to an intermediate start position at a rate of from 1 to 10 cm/sec. The dies are then closed to a start position at a rate of between 25 and 60% of the rate of closure to the intermediate position. A shroud volume is evacuated for at least 3 seconds to a reduced pressure of less than 0.16 atmospheres while continuing to press toward a mold cavity volume at a rate of between 12 and 30% of the rate of closure to the intermediate start. The reduced pressure is removed as the full compression is applied.