Vacuum-assisted resin transfer mouldingVARTM

A closed-mould process in which a dry fibre preform is placed in a matched mould and liquid resin is injected under pressure before curing. It produces parts with two moulded faces, good dimensional control and repeatable quality at medium to high volumes.

A closed-mould process in which dry reinforcement is laid into a mould, sealed under a vacuum bag, and liquid resin is drawn through the fibre stack by vacuum alone. It achieves higher fibre content and lower void levels than open moulding, with much lower workshop emissions.

An open mesh layer placed over or within a dry fibre stack during resin infusion to create a fast path for resin to spread across the part before wetting through the thickness. It is normally removed together with the peel ply after cure.

A consolidation technique in which a laminate is sealed under a flexible airtight film and the air is evacuated so that atmospheric pressure compacts the plies during cure. It removes trapped air and excess resin and is used with wet lay-up, prepreg and infusion processes.