Method and article for an improved compression-molding process

Abstract

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.