a method and apparatus for forming articles of filament reinforced thermosetting plastic , wherein the articles have a core member and the filament reinforcement is applied by a filament placement process . the filament reinforcement is attached to the core member by means of staples especially in concaved portions of the core member . the thermosetting resin may be applied to the article , before , during , or after the filaments are attached to the core member . the filament placement and attachment of the fasteners are carried out by robots that can be adjusted for various shapes by means of programmable controls .