Method for forming shaped preform

1. A method for shaping a fibrous preform comprising:

(a) providing a substantially flat fibrous preform, said fibrous preform comprising of an assembly of fibrous materials bonded to each other by a resin binder;

(b) providing an upper flexible diaphragm and a lower flexible diaphragm, said diaphragms being formed of an elastomeric material and are impermeable to gas;

(c) providing a housing with a mold positioned therein, said mold having a non-planar molding surface;

(d) holding the fibrous preform between the upper and lower diaphragms in an air-tight manner by creating a sealed pocket between the diaphragms;

(e) positioning the diaphragms with the preform there between over the housing so as to define a sealed chamber bounded by the lower diaphragm and the housing, and such that the lower diaphragm is positioned above the molding surface;

(f) removing air from between the diaphragms to establish a vacuum pressure of less than 950 mbar and less than the pressure in the housing;

(g) heating the fibrous preform to a temperature above the softening point of the resin binder;

(h) creating a vacuum inside the sealed chamber between the lower diaphragm and the housing by removing air at a rate of 1 mbar/15 mins or faster until a vacuum pressure of 950 mbar or below is reached, while heating is maintained, whereby the diaphragms with the preform there between are pulled toward the molding surface and eventually conform thereto, thereby forming a shaped preform;

(i) reducing the vacuum pressure between the diaphragms to 10 mbar or below;

(j) cooling the shaped preform to a temperature that is below the softening temperature of the resin binder;

(k) relieving the vacuum from between the diaphragms;

(l) removing the upper diaphragm from the cooled preform while maintaining vacuum inside the sealed chamber between the lower diaphragm and the housing; and

(m) removing the cooled, shaped preform from the lower diaphragm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating step (g) is carried out until the viscosity of the resin binder is in the range of less than 1.0×10 8 m·Pa.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total amount of resin binder in the fibrous preform is from 0.5% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the fibrous preform.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising machining the substantially flat fibrous preform according to a pattern prior to step (d).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fibrous preform comprises of a plurality of fibrous layers laid up in a stacking arrangement, and the resin binder is applied to at least one surface of each fibrous layer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said fibrous layers are layers of fabric, tapes or tows.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder comprises a thermoplastic component or a thermoset component, or both.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the resin binder comprises a thermoplastic component and a thermoset component, and thermoplastic component comprises a polyarylsulphone polymer and the thermoset component comprises one or more epoxy resins.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polyarylsulphone polymer is a copolymer of polyethersulphone (PES) and polyetherethersulphone (PEES) with terminal amine groups.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder comprises a thermoplastic polymer selected from: polyester, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, polyurethane, poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, polyaromatics, polyesteramide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, polyaramide, polyarylate, polyacrylate, poly(ester) carbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate), polysulphone, copolymers and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder is in the form of a powder, liquid, paste, or film.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder is in the form of polymeric fibers, which are a mixture of thermoplastic fibers and thermoset fibers, or are fibers formed from a blend of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder is in the form of polymeric fibers, which are formed from a blend of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin binder is in the form a nonwoven veil comprised of randomly arranged polymeric fibers, which are formed of one or more polymers selected from thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous materials comprise fibers of a material selected from: aramid, high-modulus polyethylene (PE), polyester, poly-p-phenylene-benzobisoxazole (PBO), carbon, glass, quartz, alumina, zirconia, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof.