Process and apparatus for producing sheet-shaped prepreg

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238336-B2
Application number	US-201113806356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2011
Priority date	Jun 30, 2010
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A process for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg includes: a fiber bundle introduction step in which tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are disposed in a multilayer arrangement in the thickness direction and introduced into a die to which a molten thermoplastic resin has been supplied; a fiber bundle thickness reduction step in which each of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is widened by means of spreading to reduce the thickness; a resin impregnation step in which the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are impregnated with the molten resin in the die; and a lamination step in which the plurality of resin-impregnated tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are laminated in the die.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg comprising:
a fiber bundle introduction step that arranges tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, each comprising a plurality of continuous reinforcing fibers, wherein the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are arranged in a multilayer form in a thickness direction of each tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, while running said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles continuously, and introducing them into a die to which a molten thermoplastic resin has been supplied;
a fiber bundle thickness reduction step that widens each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form by spreading to reduce a thickness of each tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, at one or both of stages before and after said introduction into said die;
a resin impregnation step that impregnates said molten thermoplastic resin into each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles reduced in thickness in said die; and
a lamination step that laminates a plurality of tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, into which said molten thermoplastic resin is being impregnated, in said die, or that laminates a plurality of tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, into which said molten thermoplastic resin has been impregnated, in said die, and
wherein a prepreg having a sheet-shaped shape as its whole shape is produced, and
wherein, in said die, respective tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are spread sequentially and respective tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles having been impregnated with said molten thermoplastic resin are laminated sequentially, using a plurality of fixed guides arranged in a running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, and a tunnel for tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is provided to at least a part of said plurality of fixed guides used for said spreading and said lamination and all of or a part of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are run through said tunnel.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form are disposed at a formation of a plurality of steps, in which a gap is provided between adjacent tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, in said thickness direction of each tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, at one or both of stages before and after said introduction into said die.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form is formed by adjoining smaller-width tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles to one another in a width direction of each smaller-width tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a seal section reduces in pressure a chamber of a passageway at a predetermined vacuum level is connected to a portion immediately upstream relative to said fiber bundle introduction step, and a degas step is provided, wherein a pressure reduction level in each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form is enhanced by passing each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form through said chamber of said passageway reduced in pressure at said predetermined vacuum level.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in said fiber bundle thickness reduction step, positions for widening tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles adjacent to each other among said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form by spreading are shifted to each other in a running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in said resin impregnation step, positions for impregnation or completion of impregnation of said molten thermoplastic resin into respective tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are shifted so as to become positions different from each other in a running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein, in said lamination step, a plurality of tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles being impregnated with said molten thermoplastic resin or/and having been impregnated with said molten thermoplastic resin are laminated sequentially at positions shifted so as to become positions different from each other in said running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in said resin impregnation step, impregnation or completion of impregnation of said molten thermoplastic resin into respective tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is performed at a same position in a running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein, in said lamination step, a plurality of tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles being impregnated with said molten thermoplastic resin or/and having been impregnated with said molten thermoplastic resin are laminated simultaneously at a predetermined position in said running direction of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in said resin impregnation step or said lamination step, gas and/or resin in said die is ventilated from a degas vent and/or a resin bleed vent provided on said die.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a post-impregnation step is provided wherein, after said prepreg laminated in said die and formed as a sheet-like shape as its whole shape is pulled from said die, it is further passed through calender rolls.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein said calender rolls comprise at least a first calender roll and a second calender roll, at least said second calender roll is a roll with a groove, and after said prepreg formed as a sheet shape is widened by passing it through said first calender roll, a width of said sheet-shaped prepreg is regulated to become a predetermined width in a width direction while narrowing in width said widened sheet-shaped prepreg, by passing it through said second calender roll.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said continuous reinforcing fibers comprise carbon fibers.

14. An apparatus for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg having a sheet shape comprising:
a die supplied with a molten thermoplastic resin;
a fiber bundle introducer that arranges tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles, each comprising a plurality of continuous reinforcing fibers, wherein the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are arranged in a multilayer form in a thickness direction of each tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, while running said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles continuously, and introducing them into said die;
a fiber bundle thickness reducer that widens each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles arranged in said multilayer form by spreading to reduce a thickness of each tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle, at one or both of stages before and after said introduction into said die;
a resin impregnator that impregnates said molten thermoplastic resin into each of said tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles reduced in thickness in said die; and
a laminator that laminates a plurality of tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles into which said molten thermoplastic resin is being impregnated or/and into which said molten thermoplastic resin has been impregnated, in said die, and wherein a plurality of fixed guides are arranged in said die in a running direction of said tape-like reinforcing fiber bundles, said fixed guides being used to spread respective tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles

Assignees

• Ishibashi Soichi
• Funada Kazuaki
• Takeuchi Shinya
• Suzuki Tamotsu
• Eto Rinako
• Morihara Masayoshi
• Sasaki Takeru
• Wadahara Eisuke
• Noguchi Yasumoto
• Toray Industries

Inventors

• Ishibashi Soichi
• Funada Kazuaki
• Takeuchi Shinya
• Suzuki Tamotsu
• Eto Rinako
• Morihara Masayoshi
• Sasaki Takeru
• Wadahara Eisuke
• Noguchi Yasumoto

Classifications

• B29B15/125

  by dipping · CPC title

• B29K2105/0872

  Prepregs · CPC title

• B29C70/50 Primary

  for producing articles of indefinite length, e.g. prepregs, sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or cross moulding compounds [XMC] · CPC title

• C08J5/24

  Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs · CPC title

• C08J5/243

  using carbon fibres · CPC title