ABSTRACT
A large proportion of all manufactured composite components consist of laminates. As the term implies, they are manufactured by bonding together a number of layers of reinforcements using a polymeric matrix. There are, however, many variations on the theme; the choice of a particular process involves an assessment of the required performance, the production rate, quality, and acceptable cost. The choice is further influenced by the nature of the matrix polymer and by the form of the reinforcement. In the present discussion we concentrate on thermosetting polymer matrices and reinforcements that are sheetlike or specially shaped preforms.
