Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Metall-Matrix-Composite Rohr-Platte Anordnung

The procedure for making a tube and plate structure from a composite material with a metal matrix, e.g. for spacecraft use, consists of placing a tubular fibrous preform in one section (18) of a mould (10) cavity, and a second plate-shaped fibrous pre-form (26) in a second cavity section (20), with a third fibrous pre-form (28) in two halves surrounding the end of the tube and in contact with the plate, and injecting a metal or alloy into the combined mould cavity (16). Where the tube is to be hollow a mandrel (30) is inserted into its pre-form. The pre-forms are made by a process which aligns some fibres of one pre-form with those of another.