preform 12 from a wet slurry is shown work cell 10 consists of four stations including a tank station 14 a turntable 16 a furnace 18 and a cooling station not shown turntable 16 is positioned within work cell 10 such that parallel rails 20 of tank station 14 extend over turntable 16 thereby providing overhead support for a pallet transfer mechanism 22 furnace 18 is positioned adjacent turntable 16 to afford easy and efficient transfer of a pallet 24 between turntable 16 and furnace 18 generally speaking the process of creating fiber reinforced preforms begins by loading pallet 24 onto turntable 16 as shown in fig1 and 6 mounted to pallet 24 is main screen 26 contoured in the shape of the component ultimately to be formed having upright side walls 28 major surface 30 and a plurality of openings 32 therein retainer screen 34 is shaped to conform to at least the upright side wall portion 28 of main screen 26 and may conform to the entire contour of main screen 26 as shown in fig6 as shown in fig2 and 6 11 pallet transfer mechanism 22 is utilized to lift pallet 24 from turntable 16 translate the pallet from a position above turntable 16 to a position above a tank 36 and lower pallet 24 into tank 36 referring to fig1 14 pallet 24 is disconnected from pallet transfer mechanism 22 and subsequently connected to wash plate 38 wash plate 38 may be raised up and down within tank.