| abstract |
A composite material part is made by forming a fiber preform (20), forming holes (22) extending within the preform from at least one face thereof, and densifying the preform with a matrix formed at least in part by a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) type process. The holes (22) are formed by removing material from the preform with fibers being ruptured, for example by machining using a jet of water under pressure, the arrangement of the fibers in the preform with the holes being substantially unchanged compared with the initial arrangement before the holes were formed. This enables the densification gradient to be greatly reduced, and it is possible in a single densification cycle to obtain a density that, in the prior art, required a plurality of cycles separated by intermediate scalping. |