Arris Composites Inc.

Bert D Mannhalter

Riley Reese

J Scott Perkins

Allison R Light

Ethan Escowitz

Ian Graham

Eugene Joseph Gwost

Joe Wong

Kenneth Kirkland

An improved compression-molding process utilizes a unique assemblage of feed constituents, arranged, and aligned in a particular manner. The assemblage includes fiber-bundle preforms having a filamentous form with a typically circular or oval cross section, and having many thousands of relatively long, co-aligned, resin-impregnated fibers. The fiber-bundle preforms are formed to have an application-appropriate length and optionally shape. The assemblage further includes very-short-fiber constituents have a filamentous form and consisting of very short, typically non-aligned, resin-impregnated fibers. Although consisting of very short fibers, the very-short-fiber constituent may nevertheless be similar in length and cross section to the FB preforms to facilitate handling, registration with a mold cavity, and the like. In some embodiments, some of the very-short-fiber constituents are positioned in the assemblage proximal to expected locations of respective parting lines on the fiber-composite part to be molded. In some embodiments, the long axis of those very-short-fiber constituents is substantially parallel to the respective parting lines.

Method and article for an improved compression-molding process

A method for improving the impact resistance of a fiber-composite part includes positioning fibers within an expected impact region of the part, wherein at least a portion of most of the positioned fibers is oriented to be within about 45 degrees of parallel to an impact vector of an impact that occurs at the impact region. At least some of the fibers in the impact region should have relatively high impact resistance, such as glass fiber or aramid fiber, and the matrix in the impact region should have relatively high impact resistance.

Impact-resistant molded composites and methods therefor

A cosmetic part is formed via compression molding in a single molding operation with no post processing by forming an assemblage of feed constituents, wherein the assemblage includes plural fiber-bundle-based preforms and one or more resin-only constituents, the latter configured and positioned as appropriate to create resin-rich cosmetic layers where desired on the part.

Method for compression molding cosmetic composite parts

A method for processing massive fiber bundles includes massive fiber-bundle formation and massive materials handling, wherein plural small-diameter bundles are unified, while more or less preserving their legacy cross-sectional form. It also includes bending, such as to create non-linear preforms, and preform-charge fabrication. Embodiments of the invention operate to help preserve a desired fiber alignment throughout a part fabricated from relatively large-diameter fiber bundles.

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Kensington, CA, United States of America

Bert D Mannhalter