Method for producing a substantially voidless filament reinforced resin matrix composite

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A GAS TURBINE ENGINE DISK HAVING AT LEAST ONE COMPOSITE OF HIGH MODULUS, HIGH STRENGTH FILAMENT HOOP WOUND ABOUT A CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF AND EMBEDDED IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE RESIN MATRIX, A METHOD FOR MAKING SAID COMPOSITE SUBSTANTIALLY COIDLESS COMPRISING: APPLYING FILAMENT REINFORCED UNCURED RESIN MATIX COMPOSITE WINDINGS ABOUT A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF SAID DISK, SAID RESIN MATRIX BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY DESOLVATED AND CONTAINING VOIDS, POSITIONING SAID DISK COAXIALLY WITHIN A FEMALE MOLD MEMBER SO THAT AN OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF SAID DISK FORMS AN ANNULAR MOLD CAVITY WITH AN INNER SURFACE OF SAID FEMALE MOLD MEMBER, FILLING A REMAINING PORTION OF SAID MOLD WITH DRY UNCURED RESIN POWDER, SAID POWDER BEING OF THE SAME RESIN AS THE MATRIX APPLYING HEAT TO SAID MOLD SUFFICIENT TO MELT SAID RESIN AND MOVING A RING-LIKE PLUNGER AXIALLY IN AN ANNULAR CAVITY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ANNULAR MOLD CAVITY, TO APPLY PRESSURE UNIFORMLY AND RADIALLY TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID MATRIX AND TO CAUSE RESIN TO INFILTRATE SAID MATRIX AND TO FILL SAID VOIDS.