Moulding system for manufacturing a composite component

Abstract

A moulding system 15 having a plurality of mould parts 8-13 assembled to form a mould cavity, there being an inflatable support element (Figure 4 - 21) inserted into the mould cavity 14. The inflatabl

Description

BACKGROUND This invention relates to a moulding system for manufacturing a composite component, and a mould tool part for use in such a moulding system. It is known to manufacture components from fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) materials. Such materials typically comprise a matrix that contains reinforcing fibres. As an example, the matrix could be an epoxy resin and the fibres could be carbon fibre (CF) strands. It is to be understood that other FRC materials exist that use alternative matrix and reinforcing fibre material combinations. Materials of this type can have good strength in comparison to their weight. Furthermore, long fibre runs, and woven mats of fibres can be embedded in the matrix, giving the end component great strength. However, the processes required to make components from fibre-reinforced materials can be complex. One process for forming FRC components is resin transfer moulding (RTM). In this process the reinforcing fibres are laid up in a mould cavity. The internal surface(s) of the mould cavity define the exterior surface(s) of the moulded component. The mould cavity can be defined by rigid mould tools, which has the advantage of giving good control over the dimensional accuracy and external surface finish of the component. In order to manufacture hollow moulded components, one or more inflatable support elements (e.g. “bladders”) can be inflated within the mould cavity. The exterior surface(s) of the inflatable support element(s) can define the interior surface(s) of the moulded component. Liquid resin is injected into the mould cavity. The resin can be injected under pressure. A vacuum can be drawn in the mould cavity to pull the resin into the mould. The resin undergoes a chemical reaction (e.g. “curing”) or a phase change (e.g. “solidifying”), typically by varying the temperature of the mould body. A press system can be used to apply pressure to the mould tool parts in order to compact the reinforcing fibres and injected resin. Once the resin has become solid the mould can be disassembled and the resulting moulded component removed. If necessary, the inflatable support element(s) can be removed from inside the moulded component. RTM can be used for the manufacture of major structural components, such as vehicle tubs, as described in EP 2 772 416. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a moulding system comprising a plurality of mould tool parts configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity, and an inflatable support element configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, the inflatable support element comprising a port for permitting the ingress of fluid into, and egress of fluid from, the inflatable support element, in which: a mould tool part of the plurality of mould tool parts comprises: a first surface; a spigot, receivable through the port, for supplying fluid into the inflatable support element; a sealing element positioned between the first surface and the spigot; and a second surface adjacent to the sealing element; wherein the sealing element is deformable towards the second surface such that, in a sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the deformed sealing element forces the port against the second surface thereby preventing egress of fluid from the inflatable support element into the mould cavity. The spigot may be attached to a fluid supply conduit that extends through the first surface. The fluid supply conduit may further extend through the spigot so as to permit the supply of fluid, through the spigot, into the inflatable support element. The sealing element may surround a portion of the fluid supply conduit that extends between the first surface and the spigot. The sealing element may be deformable by means of lateral compression between the first surface and the spigot. The mould tool part may be configured to permit relative movement between the spigot and the first surface. The sealing element may be positioned between the first surface and a surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface such that a relative movement between the spigot and the first surface that reduces the distance between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface causes the sealing element to be compressed between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface thereby causing deformation of the sealing element. Said deformation may cause the radius of the sealing element to increase. One or more spacers may be positioned between the first surface and the sealing element and / or between the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface and the sealing element. The mould tool part may be configured to permit movement of the spigot relative to the first surface. The mould tool part may be configured to permit linear movement of the spigot along the longitudinal axis of the spigot. The mould tool part may be configured to permit movement of the first surface relative to the spigot. The mould tool part may be configured to permit linear movement of the first surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spigot. The mould tool part may comprise a drive unit configured to drive relative movement between the spigot and the first surface. The drive unit may be configured to drive movement of the spigot relative to the first surface. The drive unit may be configured to drive movement of the fluid supply conduit in order to drive movement of the spigot attached to the fluid supply conduit. The drive unit may be configured to drive movement of the first surface relative to the spigot. The second surface may comprise a further sealing element; and, in the sealed configuration, the deformed sealing element may force the port against the further sealing element. The distal end of the spigot may be tapered. In a non-sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the sealing element may not force the port against the second surface. The fluid may be a gas or a liquid. The spigot may not be capable of controlling the rate of flow of fluid therethrough. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mould tool part for use in a moulding system comprising a plurality of mould tool parts configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity and an inflatable support element configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, the inflatable support element comprising a port for permitting the ingress of fluid into, and egress of fluid from, the inflatable support element, the mould tool part comprising: a first surface; a spigot, receivable through the port, for supplying fluid into the inflatable support element; a sealing element positioned between the first surface and the spigot; and a second surface adjacent to the sealing element; wherein the sealing element is deformable towards the second surface such that, in a sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the deformed sealing element will force the port against the second surface thereby preventing egress of fluid from the inflatable support element into the mould cavity. The mould tool part may comprise a drive unit configured to drive relative movement between the spigot and the first surface. The sealing element may be positioned between the first surface and a surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface such that a relative movement between the spigot and the first surface that would reduce the distance between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface would cause the sealing element to be compressed between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface thereby causing deformation of the sealing element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle tub manufactured by resin transfer moulding. Figure 2 shows the mould tool parts comprised by a moulding system when separated. Figure 3 shows the mould tool parts of Figure 2 when assembled to define a mould cavity. Figure 4 shows a cut through view of the moulding system. Figure 5 shows a cut through view of a mould tool part according to the principles described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Figure 1 shows an example of a moulded component formed by resin transfer moulding (RTM). In Figure 1, the moulded component is a vehicle tub 1 (e.g. a vehicle monocoque, or a vehicle chassis). Vehicle tub 1 has a frame comprising side sills 2 which run along the sides of the tub. A floor 3 extends between the sills. At the front of the tub frame A-piIlars 4 rise from the sills. The upper ends of the A-piIlars are joined by a cross-member 5. At the rear of the tub frame C-piliars 6 rise from the sills. The C-pillars are joined by a cross-member 7. The RTM mould cavity defines the exterior shape of the moulded component. The sills, pillars and cross-members can be formed as hollow tubes. This can be achieved by inflating a bladder, or other support element, within each tube during the RTM process. That is, one or more inflatable support elements positioned within the mould cavity can define the interior shape of the moulded component. Inflation of a support element could occur by means of a fluid (e.g. gas or liquid) being injected into that support element. The walls forming the tub frame can be formed of rigid, cured resin (e.g. epoxy resin) in which are embedded long runs of fibre (e.g. carbon fibre). The fibre could be in the form of tow, mats or individual fibres. The mean length of the fibres in the walls could be greater than 25mm or more preferably greater than 50cm. The fibres can be laid up in a way that strengthens the tub frame against the stresses expected to be imposed on it in use. Typically, most parts of the walls will contain multiple layers of reinforcing fibre. In each tubular element of the tub frame the fibres may run generally longitudinally and / or generally circumferentially. Fibres running generally circumferentially are known as hoop fibres. Figure 2 shows an example of a moulding system 15 used to manufacture a moulded component, such as a vehicle tub. The moulding system 15 comprises a plurality of mould tool parts. The plurality of mould tool parts are configured to be assembled to form (e.g. define) a mould cavity. That is, the plurality of mould tool parts may be configured (e.g. sized and shaped) to fit together such that, when assembled, they form an enclosed mould cavity. In this example, the moulding system 15 comprises a base mould tool part 8, side wall mould tool parts 9, 10, 11, 12 and top mould tool part 13, as shown in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that the moulding system 15 may comprise any number of mould tool parts, but may generally comprise at least two mould tool parts. Figure 3 shows the mould tool parts 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Figure 2 when assembled to form a mould cavity 14. As described herein, the internal surface(s) of the mould cavity 14 define the exterior surface(s) of the moulded component. The moulding system 15 shown in Figures 2 and 3 may further comprise one or more inflatable support elements (e.g. “bladders”) configured to be inflated within the mould cavity 14. As described herein, the exterior surface(s) of said inflatable support element(s) define the interior surface(s) of the moulded component. Figures 2 and 3 do not show said one or more inflatable support elements, for ease of illustration. Figure 4 shows a cut through view (e.g. cross-sectional view) of the moulding system 15 shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 4 shows the moulding system 15 in which base mould tool part 8 and side mould tool parts 10 and 12 are shown in an assembled configuration. Top mould tool part 13 is shown raised from the position it takes when in an assembled configuration. That is, in Figure 4, the moulding system 15 is shown in a partially assembled state. As shown in Figure 4, the partially assembled mould cavity has been laid-up with reinforcing fibres 20. Those reinforcing fibres 20 have been laid-up around a support element 21 which defines the interior shape of the moulded component from within the moulded component. The support element 21 can be caused to form that shape by inflation. For instance, the support element 21 may be a bladder that can be caused to form a rigid shape by inflation by fluid (e.g. gas or liquid). It is to be understood that materials or parts other than reinforcing fibres 20 may also be placed in the mould cavity, in contact with the inflatable support element 21. For example, metallic parts (e.g. fixings or attachment points) that will also form part of the final moulded component may be placed around a support element. It will be appreciated that the actual configuration of the reinforcing fibres, mould shape and one or more support elements will be particular to the moulded component being formed. The RTM process involves assembling the mould tool parts to form the mould cavity, laying up fibre reinforcement in the mould cavity, injecting a matrix precursor into the mould cavity, curing or solidifying the matrix precursor to form a rigid matrix around the reinforcing fibres whilst one or more inflatable support elements positioned within the mould cavity are inflated, and (once the resin has cured or solidified) removing the moulded component from the mould cavity by deflating the one or more inflatable support elements within the mould cavity and disassembling the mould tool parts. It is to be understood that the processes of assembling the mould tool parts, positioning the inflatable support element(s) within the mould cavity and laying up of fibre reinforcement in the mould cavity may occur concurrently (e.g. may overlap in time). For example, as would be understood by the skilled person, the mould tool parts may be partially assembled, a first portion of fibre reinforcement may be laid up in the partially assembled mould cavity, one or more inflatable support elements may be positioned within the partially assembled and partially laid up mould cavity, the one or more inflatable support elements may be partially inflated, a second portion of fibre reinforcement may be laid up in the partially assembled mould cavity around the one or more partially inflated support elements, and then the assembly of the mould tool parts to form the enclosed mould tool cavity may be completed. The one or more inflatable support elements may subsequently be fully inflated during the curing or solidifying of the resin. The matrix precursor may be resin. The resin could be any suitable matrix material. Examples include polymers, preferably thermosetting polymers such as epoxies. The reinforcing fibres may be any suitable fibrous material (e.g. carbon fibre or glass fibre). For example the reinforcing fibres may be carbon fibres, advantageously in the form of woven mats. The reinforcing fibres may have a tensile strength of greater than 300MPa, more preferably greater than 500 MPa, more preferably greater than 800MPa. The reinforcing fibre may have been pre-impregnated with resin (prepreg). These reinforcing fibres may be laid up in the mould cavity. The reinforcing fibres may be in the form of mats of reinforcing fibre that have been pre-impregnated with resin (prepreg). The pre-impregnated resin may be used to hold the reinforcing fibres in a particular shape. Further resin may be injected into the mould before the resin is then cured. Moulding system 15 described herein is especially advantageous for the manufacture of complex and / or large-dimension components. The moulded component could, for example have a dimension greater than 1m or greater than 2m. The moulded component could, for example, be a structural part of a vehicle (e.g. an automobile tub as described with reference to Figure 1, an aircraft wing or a boat hull) or a part for another purpose such as a blade for a wind turbine. As described herein, in order to manufacture hollow moulded components (such as vehicle tubs), one or more inflatable support elements can be positioned within the mould cavity. An inflatable support element typically comprises a port (e.g. opening) for permitting the ingress of fluid into, and egress of fluid from, that inflatable support element. A port is typically a tubular (e.g. cylindrical, or other tubular cross-section) passageway extending from the surface of an inflatable support element. A fluid supply system (e.g. a gas compressor) can be connected to the port in order to supply the fluid required to inflate the support element during moulding. The inflatable support element is typically inflated to very high pressures whilst the resin is curing or solidifying, and then deflated once the resin has become solid (e.g. such that it can be removed from the moulded component). A common source of defects in moulded components is the egress (e.g. leakage) of fluid (e.g. liquid or gas) from an inflatable support element into the mould cavity during moulding, and thereby the formation of fluid pockets (e.g. voids) in the FRC material of the moulded component. Most commonly, that leakage will occur via the port of an inflatable support element. As such, sealing elements (e.g. synthetic rubber seals) can be provided at the connection(s) between the fluid supply system and the port(s) of each of the inflatable support element(s) to prevent or reduce the leakage of fluid into the mould cavity. Typically, these sealing elements are manually engaged when assembling the moulding system - i.e. when assembling the mould tool parts to form the mould cavity and positioning the inflatable support element(s) within the mould cavity. For example, a human operator may be required to align the port(s) of each of the one or more inflatable support elements with a respective spigot (e.g. faucet) of the fluid supply system, and manually tighten one or more crimps around the exterior of each of those ports to form a fluid-tight seal with the sealing element(s) provided on the respective spigot. Then, in order to remove the moulded component from the mould cavity once the resin has cured or solidified, a human operator may be required to manually loosen each of those crimps when disassembling the moulding system. This part of the mould assembly / disassembly process can be time-consuming, and labour intensive - and can therefore negatively affect the throughput of (e.g. number of moulded components formed in a given time by) the moulding system. Described herein is a moulding system for manufacturing a composite component, and a mould tool part for use in such a moulding system, that addresses one or more of the problems identified in the preceding paragraph. A moulding system according to the principles described herein comprises a plurality of mould tool parts configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity. For example, the moulding system may comprise a plurality of mould tool parts 8,9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 that are configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity 14, as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 4. A moulding system according to the principles described herein comprises an inflatable support element configured to be inflated within the mould cavity. For example, the moulding system may comprise an inflatable support element 21, as described herein with reference to Figure 4. The inflatable support element comprises a port for permitting the ingress of fluid (e.g. liquid or gas) into, and egress of fluid (e.g. liquid or gas) from, the inflatable support element, as described herein. Figure 5 shows a cut through view of a mould tool part 12 according to the principles described herein. Mould tool part 12 according to the principles described herein may be one of a plurality of mould tool parts comprised by a moulding system according to the principles described. For example, mould tool part 12 shown in Figure 5 may have the same properties as mould tool part 12 of mould tool parts 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Mould tool part 12 shown in Figure 5 comprises a first surface 501; a spigot (e.g. faucet) 503; a sealing element 514 (hatched) positioned between the first surface 501 and the spigot 512; and a second surface 502 adjacent to the sealing element 514. The second surface 502 may comprise a further sealing element 508. A surface 512 of the spigot 503 opposes the first surface 501. The sealing element 514 is positioned between the first surface 501 and the surface 512. The first surface 501 and the surface 512 may be substantially parallel (e.g. parallel). One or more spacers (not shown in Figure 5) may be positioned between the first surface 501 and the sealing element 514 and / or between the surface 512 and the sealing element 514. The second surface 502 may be substantially perpendicular (e.g. perpendicular) to the first surface 501 and / or the surface 512. The spigot 503 is attached to a fluid supply conduit 504 that extends through the first surface 501. For example, the spigot 503 may be threaded to the fluid supply conduit 504. Spigot 503 may comprise more than one part. For example, spigot 503 may comprise a straight threaded nut and a threaded lock nut, which can optionally be locked together by tightening (e.g. with a spanner). In this example, the straight threaded nut and the threaded lock nut may have suitable ‘spanner flats’ for this purpose. Fluid supply conduit 504 may not be threaded along its entire length, such that spigot 503 “bottoms out” the thread provided on the fluid supply conduit 504 once it has reached its intended position. The first surface 502 may be an annular surface which surrounds the fluid supply conduit 504. The second surface 502 may be substantially parallel (e.g. parallel) to the fluid supply conduit 504. Fluid may be supplied to the fluid supply conduit 504 by a fluid supply system (e.g. gas compressor) - not shown in Figure 5. The sealing element 514 (hatched) may surround a portion of the fluid supply conduit 504 that extends between the first surface 501 and the spigot 503. Spigot 503 is receivable (e.g. configured to be received, or shaped and sized to be received) through the port 505 of inflatable support element 21. As described herein, the port 505 may be a tubular (e.g. cylindrical, or other tubular cross-section) passageway extending from the surface of the inflatable support element 12. The distal end 507 of the spigot 503 may be tapered - e.g. so as to advantageously aid alignment of the spigot 503 with the port 505, and ease insertion of the spigot 503 into the port 505 during assembly of the moulding system. Additionally, or alternatively, an internal (e.g. “moulding”) surface of the mould tool part 12 may be tapered - e.g. so as to advantageously aid in guiding the port 505 into the space (e.g. annular space) between the spigot 503 and the sealing element 514, and the second surface 502, during assembly of the moulding system. Said internal “moulding” surface may be a surface of the mould tool part 12 that defines part of the surface of the mould cavity. Spigot 503 is for supplying fluid (e.g. liquid or gas) into the inflatable support element 21 - e.g. in order to inflate the inflatable support element 21. The fluid supply conduit 504 extends through the spigot 503 so as to permit the supply of fluid, through the spigot 503, into the inflatable support element 21 - e.g. as illustrated using the dashed horizontal arrow in Figure 5. The surface 512 of the spigot 503 that opposes the first surface 501 may be an annular surface which surrounds the fluid supply conduit 504. It is to be understood that the spigot need not be capable of controlling the rate of flow of fluid therethrough. That is, that rate of flow of fluid through the spigot 503 may be controlled by the fluid supply system (e.g. gas compressor), which may be external to the moulding system described herein. Sealing element 514 may be annular, e.g. so as to surround a portion of the fluid supply conduit 504. Sealing element 514 may be made of any suitable material, such as a synthetic rubber. The skilled person would be aware of numerous suitable sealing materials. Sealing element 514 may be referred to as a “bung seal”. Sealing element 514 is deformable. That is, sealing element 514 is able to be deformed during normal use of the mould tool part 12. Sealing element 514 may be elastically deformable during normal use of the mould tool part 12. In particular, sealing element 514 may be deformable in a manner that enables its dimensions (e.g. width and radius) to be changed. Sealing element 514 is deformable towards the second surface 502 of the mould tool part 12. The direction of said deformation is illustrated using vertical arrows (one upwards, and one downwards) in Figure 5. The second surface 502 may be a tubular (e.g. cylindrical, or other tubular cross-section) surface that surrounds the sealing element 514. The sealing element 514 can be deformable to increase its radius, e.g. such that the distance between the outermost surface of the sealing element 514 and the second surface 502 decreases. In an example that isn’t shown in the Figures, the sealing element 514 may be deformable by means of inflation. That is, fluid (e.g. liquid or gas) may be supplied into a cavity in the sealing element 514 in order to inflate the sealing element 514, thereby increasing the radius of the sealing element 514. In a preferred example, the sealing element 514 may be deformable by means of lateral compression. That is, the sealing element 514 may be compressed between the spigot 503 and the first surface 501, thereby decreasing the width of the sealing element 514 and increasing the radius of the sealing element 514. In this preferred example, the mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit relative movement between the spigot 503 and the first surface 501. The mould tool part 12 may comprise a drive unit 510 configured to drive said relative movement between the spigot 503 and the first surface 502. For example, the drive unit 510 may comprise a hydraulic ram 506. In an example, the hydraulic ram 506 may be fixed to a mounting plate (not shown in Figure 5) that can be removably attached to the mould tool part 12. In this example, the hydraulic ram 506 can advantageously be removed for maintenance, and / or replacement, should it become faulty. In Figure 5, the sealing element 514 is positioned between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 of the spigot 503 which opposes the first surface 501 such that a relative movement between the spigot 503 and the first surface 501 that reduces the distance between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 causes the sealing element 514 to be compressed between the first surface 501 and the surface 512, thereby causing deformation of the sealing element 514. As described herein, said deformation can cause the radius of the sealing element 514 to increase. The sealing element 514 may be in contact with the first surface 501 and the surface 512 when being compressed between the first surface 501 and the surface 512. That said, it is to be understood that the sealing element 514 need not be in contact with the first surface 501 and / or the surface 512 when being compressed between the first surface 501 and the surface 512. For example, as described herein, one or more spacers (e.g. one or more annular spacers, e.g. one or more “washers” - not shown in Figure 5) may be positioned between the first surface 501 and the sealing element 514 and / or between the surface 512 and the sealing element 514 - such that the sealing element 514 contacts said spacer(s) when being compressed between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 rather than the respective surface(s) 501 / 512. The number and / or lateral dimension(s) of said spacer(s) can be varied in order to adjust the amount of lateral compression (and therefore the amount of deformation) of the sealing element 514 caused by relative movement between the spigot 503 and the first surface 501. Similarly, one or more spacers (e.g. one or more annular spacers, e.g. one or more “washers” - not shown in Figure 5) may be positioned between the hydraulic ram 506 and the fluid supply conduit 504 (e.g. the ‘head’ of fluid supply conduit 504) to adjust the amount of lateral compression (and therefore the amount of deformation) of the sealing element 514 caused by movement of the hydraulic ram 506. Alternatively, or additionally, the drive unit 510 may comprise a hydraulic ram 506 having an adjustable travel - e.g. that can be varied to adjust the amount of lateral compression of the sealing element 514. The degree to which the sealing element 514 is being laterally compressed may be monitored. For example, a linear transducer may be fitted to hydraulic ram 506 to measure its stroke length, and the degree to which the sealing element 514 is being laterally compressed can be deduced from the measured stroke length. Alternatively, or additionally, a pressure transducer can be used to measure the hydraulic supply pressure to hydraulic ram 506, and the degree to which the sealing element 514 is being laterally compressed can be deduced from the measured hydraulic supply pressure. The drive unit 510 may be controlled in dependence on the degree to which the sealing element 514 is being laterally compressed. In a first preferred example (shown in Figure 5), the mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit movement of the spigot 503 relative to the first surface 502. That is, the spigot 503 may be moveable. The mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit linear movement of the spigot 503 along the longitudinal axis of the spigot 503 (e.g. the longitudinal axis of the fluid supply conduit 504). The spigot 503 may be permitted to move any suitable distance along its longitudinal axis. In an example, the spigot 503 may be permitted to move 8mm along its longitudinal axis. The mould tool part 12 may comprise a drive unit 510 configured to drive said movement of the spigot 503 relative to the first surface 502. For example, the drive unit 510 may be configured to drive movement of the fluid supply conduit 504 in order to drive movement of the spigot 503 attached to the fluid supply conduit 504. As shown in Figure 5, the drive unit 510 may be positioned on the “outside” of the mould tool part 12 (e.g. the opposite side of the mould tool part 12 relative to the mould cavity) in order to “pull” the spigot 503 towards the sealing element 514 and the first surface 502 (the direction of said “pulling” movement being illustrated using solid horizontal arrows in Figure 5), thereby causing the moveable spigot 503 to compress the deformable sealing element 514 against the first surface 514. In a second preferred example (not shown in Figure 5), the mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit movement of the first surface 502 relative to the spigot 503. That is, the first surface 502 may be moveable. The mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit linear movement of the first surface 502 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spigot 503 (e.g. the longitudinal axis of the fluid supply conduit 504). The first surface 502 may be permitted to move any suitable distance parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spigot 503. In an example, the first surface 502 may be permitted to move 8mm parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spigot 503. The mould tool part 12 may comprise a drive unit (not shown in Figure 5) configured to drive said movement of the first surface 502 relative to the spigot 503. For example, such a driving unit may “push” the first surface 502 towards the sealing element 514 and the spigot 503, thereby causing the moveable first surface 502 to compress the deformable sealing element 514 against the spigot 503. In a third preferred example (not shown in Figure 5), the mould tool part 12 may be configured to permit movement of the spigot 503 relative to the first surface 502 (e.g. as described herein with reference to the first preferred example) and permit movement of the first surface 502 relative to the spigot 503 (e.g. as described herein with reference to the second preferred example). That is, the spigot 503 may be moveable and the first surface 502 may be moveable. The mould tool part 12 may comprise a first drive unit (e.g. as described herein with reference to the first preferred example) configured to drive movement of the spigot 503 relative to the first surface 502, and a second drive unit (e.g. as described herein with reference to the second preferred example) configured to drive movement of the first surface 502 relative to the spigot 503, thereby compressing the deformable sealing element 514 between the spigot 503 and the first surface 502. Mould tool part 12 may be arrangeable in a non-sealed configuration in which the sealing element 514 is not deformed, or partially deformed (e.g. in which the mould tool part 12 comprises a non-deformed or partially deformed sealing element 514). Mould tool part 12 may be arrangeable in a sealed configuration (e.g. a deformed configuration) in which the sealing element 514 is deformed (e.g. in which the mould tool part 12 comprises a deformed sealing element 514). The drive unit 510 comprised by the mould tool part 12 may be configured to drive the mould tool part 12 between the non-sealed configuration and the sealed configuration - e.g. by driving relative movement between the spigot 503 and the first surface 502, as described herein. That is, the drive unit 510 may drive the spigot 503 and / or the first surface 501 from the non-sealed configuration in which the distance between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 is a first distance to the sealed configuration in which the distance between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 is a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance. Likewise, the drive unit 510 may drive the spigot 503 and / or the first surface 501 from the sealed configuration in which the distance between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 is the second distance to the nonsealed configuration in which the distance between the first surface 501 and the surface 512 is the first distance. In the non-sealed configuration (as shown in Figure 5), when the spigot 503 is received through the port 505, the sealing element 514 does not force the port 505 against the second surface 502. That is, the relatively smaller radius of the non-deformed or partially deformed sealing element 514 means that it does not impinge on the port 505. The non-sealed configuration can be used to enable the spigot 503 to be easily inserted into the port 505 during assembly of the moulding system (e.g. whilst positioning the inflatable support element within the mould cavity), and to enable the spigot 503 to be easily removed from the port 505 during disassembly of the moulding system (e.g. after the moulded component has been formed). In the sealed configuration, when the spigot 503 is received through the port 505, the deformed sealing element 514 forces the port 505 against the second surface 502 thereby preventing egress of fluid from the inflatable support element 12 into the mould cavity. That is, the relatively larger radius of the deformed sealing element 514 means that it impinges on the port 505 about its circumference, which has the effect of compressing the port 505 radially into the second surface 502 of the mould tool part 512. This creates a fluid-tight seal between the port 505 and the second surface 502. In examples where the second surface 502 comprises a further sealing element 508 (e.g. an “O-ring seal”), in the sealed configuration, the deformed sealing element 514 may force the port 505 against the further sealing element 508. The sealed configuration can be used when the inflatable support element is inflated, in order to prevent leakage of fluid from the inflatable support element into the mould cavity. For example, the mould tool part 12 may be arranged in a sealed configuration when: the moulding system is partially assembled and one or more portions of reinforcing fibre are being laid up in the partially formed mould cavity around the partially inflated support element; when fluid is being supplied through the spigot 503 into the inflatable support element 21 in order to inflate the inflatable support element 21; and / or when the support element is fully inflated whilst the resin is curing or solidifying. By using the non-sealed and sealed configurations of the mould tool part 12 according to the principles described herein, the process of sealing and unsealing the inflatable support element 21 during assembly and disassembly of a moulding system according to the principles described herein can be performed significantly more quickly than in typical moulding systems in which a human operator is required to manually tighten and subsequently loosen crimps around sealing element(s) during, respectively, assembly and disassembly. This means that the throughput of (e.g. number of moulded components formed in a given time by) a moulding system according to the principles described herein can be significantly higher than that of a typical moulding system. As described herein, in some examples, spigot 503 may be threaded to the fluid supply conduit 504. In these examples, during maintenance of mould tool part 12, spigot 503 can be unthreaded and removed from fluid supply conduit 504 - e.g. to enable the sealing element 514 to be replaced, the first and / or second surfaces 501 / 502 to be cleaned, and / or fluid supply conduit 504 to be removed from the mould tool part 12 for cleaning, repair or replacement. The first surface 501, spigot 503; sealing element 514 and second surface 502 described herein may be referred to collectively as a sealing system. The mould tool part 12 shown in Figure 5 comprises one sealing system. It is to be understood that a mould tool part according to the principles described herein may comprise one or more sealing systems. For example, a moulding system according to the principles described herein may comprise a plurality of inflatable support elements configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, and a mould tool part according to the principles described herein may comprise a corresponding plurality of sealing systems. It is to be understood that a moulding system according to the principles described herein may comprise one or more mould tool parts according to the principles described herein. For example, a moulding system according to the principles described herein may comprise a plurality of inflatable support elements configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, and a corresponding plurality of mould tool parts according to the principles described herein. The moulding system and mould tool part described herein are discussed in the context of the resin transfer moulding (RTM) process. That said, it is to be understood that the principles described herein are also applicable in other closed moulding processes. The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A moulding system comprising a plurality of mould tool parts configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity, and an inflatable support element configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, the inflatable support element comprising a port for permitting the ingress of fluid into, and egress of fluid from, the inflatable support element, in which:a mould tool part of the plurality of mould tool parts comprises:a first surface;a spigot, receivable through the port, for supplying fluid into the inflatable support element;a sealing element positioned between the first surface and the spigot; anda second surface adjacent to the sealing element;wherein the sealing element is deformable towards the second surface such that, in a sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the deformed sealing element forces the port against the second surface thereby preventing egress of fluid from the inflatable support element into the mould cavity.

2. The moulding system of claim 1, wherein the spigot is attached to a fluid supply conduit that extends through the first surface.

3. The moulding system of claim 2, wherein the fluid supply conduit further extends through the spigot so as to permit the supply of fluid, through the spigot, into the inflatable support element.

4. The moulding system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the sealing element surrounds a portion of the fluid supply conduit that extends between the first surface and the spigot.

5. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein the sealing element is deformable by means of lateral compression between the first surface and the spigot.

6. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein the mould tool part is configured to permit relative movement between the spigot and the first surface.

7. The moulding system of claim 6, wherein the sealing element is positioned between the first surface and a surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface such that a relative movement between the spigot and the first surface that reduces the distance between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface causes the sealing element to be compressed between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface thereby causing deformation of the sealing element.

8. The moulding system of claim 7, wherein one or more spacers are positioned between the first surface and the sealing element and / or between the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface and the sealing element.

9. The moulding system of claim 7 or 8, said deformation causing the radius of the sealing element to increase.

10. The moulding system of any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the mould tool part is configured to permit movement of the spigot relative to the first surface.

11. The moulding system of claim 10, wherein the mould tool part is configured to permit linear movement of the spigot along the longitudinal axis of the spigot.

12. The moulding system of any of claims 6 to 11, wherein the mould tool part is configured to permit movement of the first surface relative to the spigot.

13. The moulding system of claim 12, wherein the mould tool part is configured to permit linear movement of the first surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spigot.

14. The moulding system of any of claims 6 to 13, the mould tool part comprising a drive unit configured to drive relative movement between the spigot and the first surface.

15. The moulding system of claim 14, wherein the drive unit is configured to drive movement of the spigot relative to the first surface.

16. The moulding system of claim 15, when dependent on claim 2, wherein the drive unit is configured to drive movement of the fluid supply conduit in order to drive movement of the spigot attached to the fluid supply conduit.

17. The moulding system of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the drive unit is configured to drive movement of the first surface relative to the spigot.

18. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein:the second surface comprises a further sealing element; andin the sealed configuration, the deformed sealing element forces the port against the further sealing element.

19. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein the distal end of the spigot is tapered.

20. The moulding system of any preceding claim wherein, in a non-sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the sealing element does not force the port against the second surface.

21. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein the fluid is a gas or a liquid.

22. The moulding system of any preceding claim, wherein the spigot is not capable of controlling the rate of flow of fluid therethrough.

23. A mould tool part for use in a moulding system comprising a plurality of mould tool parts configured to be assembled to form a mould cavity and an inflatable support element configured to be inflated within the mould cavity, the inflatable support element comprising a port for permitting the ingress of fluid into, and egress of fluid from, the inflatable support element, the mould tool part comprising:a first surface;a spigot, receivable through the port, for supplying fluid into the inflatable support element;a sealing element positioned between the first surface and the spigot; and a second surface adjacent to the sealing element;wherein the sealing element is deformable towards the second surface such that, in a sealed configuration, when the spigot is received through the port, the deformed sealing element will force the port against the second surface thereby preventing egress of fluid from the inflatable support element into the mould cavity.

24. The mould tool part of claim 23, wherein the mould tool part comprises a drive unit configured to drive relative movement between the spigot and the first surface.

25. The mould tool part of claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the sealing element is positioned between the first surface and a surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface such that a relative movement between the spigot and the first surface that would reduce the distance between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface would cause the sealing element to be compressed between the first surface and the surface of the spigot which opposes the first surface thereby causing deformation of the sealing element.

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