阅读说明：本技术 纤维增强树脂材料的制造方法及纤维增强树脂材料的制造装置 (Method for producing fiber-reinforced resin material and apparatus for producing fiber-reinforced resin material ) 是由 鲛岛祯雄 水鸟由贵广 金羽木惇二 渡边康 于 2017-04-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供纤维增强树脂材料的制造方法及纤维增强树脂材料的制造装置。所述纤维增强树脂材料的制造方法包括：开纤工序,通过开纤将长条的纤维束沿宽度方向扩宽,成为扁平状态；以及热定型工序,对开纤后的纤维束进行加热,以扁平状态进行热定型。另外,本发明提供一种纤维增强树脂材料的制造装置,其是制造含有多个纤维束和树脂的纤维增强树脂材料的装置,该装置具备：通过开纤将长条的纤维束沿宽度方向扩宽而成为扁平状态的开纤部；以及,对开纤后的纤维进行加热并以扁平状态进行热定型的热定型部。(The invention provides a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material and an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material. The manufacturing method of the fiber reinforced resin material comprises the following steps: a fiber opening step of widening the long fiber bundle in the width direction by opening to a flat state; and a heat setting step of heating the opened fiber bundle to perform heat setting in a flat state. Further, the present invention provides an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material containing a plurality of fiber bundles and a resin, the apparatus comprising: a spreading section for spreading the long fiber bundle in the width direction by spreading to a flat state; and a heat-setting section for heating the opened fiber and heat-setting the fiber in a flat state.)

1. A method of manufacturing an intermediate product for use in manufacturing a fibre reinforced resin material product, the method comprising:

widening the long fiber bundle with the sizing agent attached thereon along the width direction thereof by opening; and

the opened fiber bundle is heated and heat-set in a flat state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the opened fiber bundle in a width direction by splitting between the opening and the heat setting.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the heat setting, the opened and heat-set fiber bundles are separated in the width direction by fiber separation.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elongate fibre tows are carbon fibre tows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongated fiber bundle is a carbon fiber bundle and, after the heat setting, the elongated fiber bundle has a deflection H of less than 15mm as determined by the deflection test,

the flexural test was:

a test piece having a length of 150mm is cut out from a fiber bundle to be cut, a portion of the test piece from a position 100mm from a1 st end to a 2 nd end in a longitudinal direction is set on a plane, the portion of the test piece 100mm from the 1 st end is set in a free state, and a distance between a lower end of the 1 st end in this state and the plane is set as a deflection H (mm).

6. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an intermediate product of a fiber reinforced resin material product, the apparatus comprising:

a spreading section for spreading the long fiber bundle having the sizing agent adhered thereto in the width direction thereof by spreading; and

a heat setting part for heating the fiber bundle after opening and performing heat setting in a flat state.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a splitting section for splitting the split fiber bundle in the width direction by splitting between the splitting section and the heat setting section.

8. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a splitting section for splitting the split fiber bundle in the width direction by splitting after the heat setting section.

9. An elongated carbon fiber bundle having a deflection amount H of less than 15mm as measured by the following deflection test,

the flexural test was:

a test piece having a length of 150mm is cut out from a fiber bundle to be cut, a portion of the test piece from a position 100mm from a1 st end to a 2 nd end in a longitudinal direction is set on a plane, the portion of the test piece 100mm from the 1 st end is set in a free state, and a distance between a lower end of the 1 st end in this state and the plane is set as a deflection H (mm).

10. A method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, the method comprising:

the elongated carbon fiber bundle according to claim 9 is continuously cut, the cut fiber bundle is spread on a1 st resin sheet to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group thereon, a 2 nd resin sheet is bonded to the sheet-like fiber bundle group, and the sheet-like fiber bundle group is impregnated with a resin forming the 1 st and 2 nd resin sheets by pressing.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material and an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material.

The present application claims the priority of Japanese patent application No. 2016-078938, filed in Japan at 11/4/2016 and the priority of Japanese patent application No. 2016-120017, filed in Japan at 16/6/2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Smc (sheet Molding compound) is a fiber-reinforced resin material obtained by impregnating a sheet-like fiber bundle group formed of a plurality of fiber bundles each formed by cutting long reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers into a predetermined length with a thermosetting resin such as an unsaturated polyester resin. SMC is used as an intermediate material for obtaining a molded article and has a property of easily flowing when molded with a mold. Therefore, SMC is preferably used for forming a part, a rib, a bump, or the like having a locally different wall thickness in a molded product.

The SMC is produced, for example, by the following method. A paste containing a thermosetting resin is applied to a sheet-like carrier which is conveyed in one direction to form a tape-like resin sheet. The long fiber bundle is cut into a given length and spread over a traveling resin sheet to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group. Further, a resin sheet is laminated on the sheet-like fiber bundle group and pressed to impregnate the sheet-like fiber bundle group with a resin, thereby producing a fiber reinforced resin material (SMC).

In the production of fiber-reinforced resin materials, fiber bundles having a large number of filaments, which are called large fiber bundles, are often used at relatively low cost in order to reduce production costs. In this case, for example, a fiber bundle is widened in the width direction by opening, the opened fiber bundle is split into a plurality of fiber bundles, and the split fiber bundle is cut (for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document 1: U.S. patent application publication No. 2012/0213997 specification

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2006-219780

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the method of cutting the opened fiber bundles to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group and impregnating the sheet-like fiber bundle group with resin to produce a fiber reinforced resin material (SMC) as in patent documents 1 and 2, a resin-enriched portion may be generated in the fiber reinforced resin material, and sufficient strength may not be obtained.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material and an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material, which are capable of suppressing the occurrence of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material and thereby obtaining a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength.

Means for solving the problems

The invention provides a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material and an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material.

[1] A method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, the method comprising:

a fiber opening step of widening the long fiber bundle in the width direction by opening to a flat state; and

and a heat setting step of heating the opened fiber bundle to perform heat setting in a flat state.

[2] The method of producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [1], wherein a fiber bundle to which a resin is attached is used as the fiber bundle.

[3] The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [1], wherein a fiber bundle to which a sizing agent is attached is used as the fiber bundle.

[4] The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising, between the fiber opening step and the heat setting step: and a splitting step of splitting the split fiber bundle in the width direction by splitting.

[5] The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to any one of [1] to [4], which is a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material containing a plurality of fiber bundles and a resin, further comprising a step of continuously cutting the fiber bundles after the heat-setting step.

[6] The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to [5], comprising:

a spreading step of spreading the cut fiber bundles into a sheet shape on a1 st resin sheet formed by forming resin into a sheet shape to form a sheet-shaped fiber bundle group; and

and a bonding impregnation step of bonding a 2 nd resin sheet formed by forming the resin into a sheet shape to the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group and pressing the resin to impregnate the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group with the resin, thereby obtaining a fiber reinforced resin material.

[7] An apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material containing a plurality of fiber bundles and a resin, the apparatus comprising:

a spreading section for spreading the long fiber bundle in the width direction by spreading to a flat state; and

a heat setting part for heating the opened fiber and performing heat setting in a flat state.

[8] The apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [7], further comprising a splitting section for splitting the split fiber bundles in the width direction by splitting between the splitting section and the heat setting section.

[9] The apparatus according to [7] or [8], wherein a cutter is provided after the heat-setting unit, the cutter continuously cuts the heat-set fiber bundles, and the cut fiber bundles are scattered into a sheet shape on a1 st resin sheet formed by forming the resin into a sheet shape to form a sheet-shaped fiber bundle group.

[10] The apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to any one of [7] to [9], wherein an impregnation section is provided after the cutting machine, the impregnation section laminating a 2 nd resin sheet obtained by forming the resin into a sheet shape on the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group and pressing the resin sheet to impregnate the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group with the resin, thereby producing the fiber-reinforced resin material.

[11] A method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, the method comprising: in a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material by continuously cutting long fiber bundles and impregnating a resin into a sheet-like fiber bundle group formed of the cut fiber bundles, a fiber bundle having a deflection H of less than 15mm as measured by the following deflection test is cut,

the flexural test was:

a test piece having a length of 150mm is cut out from a fiber bundle to be cut, a portion of the test piece from a position 100mm from a1 st end to a 2 nd end in a longitudinal direction is set on a plane, the portion of the test piece 100mm from the 1 st end is set in a free state, and a distance between a lower end of the 1 st end in this state and the plane is set as a deflection H (mm).

[12] The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to item [11], wherein the elongated fiber bundle is widened in the width direction by opening to be flat, and the fiber bundle after opening is continuously cut.

[13] The method of producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to [12], wherein the opened fibers are heated, heat-set in a flat state, and then cut.

[14] The method of producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to [12] or [13], wherein the split fiber bundles are split in the width direction by splitting and then cut.

Effects of the invention

According to the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength by suppressing the occurrence of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material.

In the case of using the manufacturing apparatus for the fiber-reinforced resin material, the generation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material can be suppressed, and a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating a flexing test of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention.

Description of the symbols

1 first manufacturing apparatus

2 second manufacturing apparatus

13 cutting machine

16 impregnation section

50 fiber opening part

52. 52A fiber dividing part

54. 54A heat-set part

100. Apparatus for manufacturing 200, 300, 500 fiber-reinforced resin material

Detailed Description

In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material (SMC) by continuously cutting a long fiber bundle that has been opened and heat-set in a flat state and impregnating a sheet-like fiber bundle group formed of a plurality of cut fiber bundles with a resin, a fiber bundle having a deflection H of less than 15mm, which is measured by a deflection test described later, is cut.

[ first embodiment ]

An example of a device and a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 1 and 2. In the following description, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system is provided, and the positional relationship of each member is described with reference to the XYZ rectangular coordinate system as necessary.

(apparatus for producing fiber-reinforced resin Material)

As shown in fig. 1, a production apparatus 100 for a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present embodiment (hereinafter, simply referred to as "production apparatus 100") includes: an opening part 50, a fiber separating part 52, a heat setting part 54, a1 st slide sheet supply part 11, a1 st conveying part 20, a1 st coating part 12, a cutting machine 13, a 2 nd slide sheet supply part 14, a 2 nd conveying part 28, a 2 nd coating part 15, and an impregnation part 16.

The spreading section 50 is a portion that spreads the long fiber bundle f1 drawn out from the bobbin B1 in the width direction (Y direction) by spreading, and is formed in a flat state. The spreading section 50 includes a plurality of spreading bars 17 arranged in parallel at intervals in the X-axis direction. In the case of the plurality of opening rods 17, the fiber bundle f1 sequentially meanders through the opening rods 17. At this time, the fiber bundle f1 is widened in the width direction by heating, rubbing, swinging, or the like by the respective spreading rods 17. By opening the fiber bundle f1, a fiber bundle f2 in a flat state was obtained.

The splitting section 52 is a section for splitting the split fiber bundle in the width direction (Y direction) by splitting. The splitting section 52 is disposed downstream of the fiber opening section 50 and includes a plurality of rotary blades 18. The plurality of rotary cutters 18 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the opened fiber bundle f 2. In each rotary cutter 18, a plurality of cutters 18a are arranged in series in the circumferential direction. By passing the fiber bundle f2 while rotating the rotary cutter 18, the plurality of cutters 18a intermittently penetrate the fiber bundle f2 to divide the fiber bundle f2 in the width direction into a plurality of fiber bundles f 3. The plurality of fiber bundles f3 after splitting may be in a state of being completely split or in a state of being partially not split (combined state).

The heat-setting section 54 is a portion for heating the opened fiber and performing heat setting in a flat state. The heat-setting section 54 is disposed downstream of the fiber splitting section 52. In this example, since the splitting section 52 is disposed between the splitting section 50 and the heat-setting section 54, the fiber bundle f3 split and split by the splitting section 54 is heated and heat-set in a flat state. The heat-setting section 54 includes a plurality of guide rollers 55, a heating device 56, and a plurality of godet rollers 19.

In the heat setting section 54, the fiber bundle f3 split in the splitting section 52 is conveyed in the X direction by a plurality of guide rollers 55, heated by the heating device 56, and heat-set in a flat state. The heat-set fiber bundle f3 is guided to the cutter 13 by the plurality of godet rollers 19. By heat-setting the fiber bundle f3 by the heat-setting section 54, the fiber bundle f3 can be kept flat until the subsequent process.

The 1 st carrier sheet supply unit 11 supplies the 1 st carrier sheet C1 in a long length drawn from the 1 st raw material roll R1 to the 1 st transport unit 20. The 1 st conveying unit 20 includes a conveyor 23 having an endless belt 22 suspended between a pair of pulleys 21a and 21 b. The conveyor 23 rotates the pair of pulleys 21a and 21b in the same direction, thereby circulating the endless belt 22 and conveying the 1 st slide sheet C1 to the right in the X-axis direction on the surface of the endless belt 22.

The 1 st application unit 12 is positioned directly above the 1 st conveying unit 20 on the pulley 21a side, and includes an applicator 24 that supplies a paste P containing a resin. The 1 st resin sheet S1 is formed by coating the paste P on the surface of the 1 st carrier sheet C1 by a given thickness by passing the 1 st carrier sheet C1 through the coater 24. The 1 st resin sheet S1 travels with the conveyance of the 1 st carrier C1.

The trimmer 13 is located above the 1 st carrier C1 at a portion further downstream than the 1 st coating section 12 in the conveying direction. The cutter 13 continuously cuts the heat-set fiber bundle f3 guided by the plurality of godet rollers 19 into a predetermined length, and includes a guide roller 25, a pinch roller 26, and a cutter roller 27. The guide roller 25 guides the supplied fiber bundle f3 downward while rotating it. The pinch roller 26 sandwiches the fiber bundle f3 between the guide roller 25 and rotates in the opposite direction to the guide roller 25. Thereby, the fiber bundle f1 is pulled out from the bobbin B1. The cutter roller 27 cuts the fiber bundle f3 into a given length while rotating. The fiber bundle F4 cut to a given length by the cutter 13 falls down and is spread on the 1 st resin sheet S1 to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group F.

The 2 nd slide supply unit 14 supplies the 2 nd slide C2 in a long length drawn from the 2 nd reel R2 to the 2 nd conveyance unit 28. The 2 nd conveying unit 28 is located above the 1 st slide C1 conveyed by the conveyor 23, and includes a plurality of guide rollers 29. The 2 nd carrying section 28 carries the 2 nd slide C2 supplied from the 2 nd slide supply section 14 in the direction opposite to the 1 st slide C1 (left side in the X-axis direction), and then reverses the carrying direction to the same direction as the 1 st slide C1 by a plurality of guide rollers 29.

The 2 nd coating section 15 is located directly above the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 that is being conveyed in the direction opposite to the 1 st carrier sheet C1, and is provided with an applicator 30 that supplies the paste P containing the resin. The 2 nd resin sheet S2 is formed by coating the paste P on the surface of the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 by a given thickness by passing the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 through the coater 30. The 2 nd resin sheet S2 travels with the conveyance of the 2 nd carrier C2.

The impregnation section 16 is a portion in which the 2 nd resin sheet S2 is bonded to the sheet-like fiber bundle group F, and the sheet-like fiber bundle group F is impregnated with resin under pressure to produce a fiber reinforced resin material. The impregnation section 16 is located downstream of the cutting machine 13 in the 1 st transport section 20, and includes a bonding mechanism 31 and a pressing mechanism 32. The bonding mechanism 31 is positioned above the pulley 21b of the conveyor 23, and includes a plurality of bonding rollers 33. The bonding rollers 33 are arranged in the conveying direction in contact with the back surface of the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 on which the 2 nd resin sheet S2 is formed. Further, the plurality of laminating rollers 33 are disposed so that the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 comes closer to the 1 st carrier sheet C1.

In the attaching mechanism 31, the 1 st carrier sheet C1 and the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 are superimposed and conveyed with the 1 st resin sheet S1, the sheet-like fiber bundle group F, and the 2 nd resin sheet S2 interposed therebetween. Here, a laminated body in which the 1 st carrier sheet C1 and the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 are laminated in a state in which the 1 st resin sheet S1, the sheet-like fiber bundle group F, and the 2 nd resin sheet S2 are sandwiched is referred to as a laminated sheet S3.

The pressing mechanism 32 is located downstream of the bonding mechanism 31, and includes: a lower conveyor 36A having an endless belt 35a suspended between a pair of pulleys 34a, 34B, and an upper conveyor 36B having an endless belt 35B suspended between a pair of pulleys 34c, 34 d. The lower conveyor 36A and the upper conveyor 36B are disposed opposite to each other with the endless belts 35a and 35B in close contact with each other.

In the pressing mechanism 32, the endless belt 35a is looped around by rotating the pair of pulleys 34a and 34b of the lower conveyor 36A in the same direction. In the pressing mechanism 32, the pair of pulleys 34c and 34d of the upper conveyor 36B are rotated in the same direction, whereby the endless belt 35B is reversely wound at the same speed as the endless belt 35 a. Thereby, the bonding sheet S3 sandwiched between the endless belts 35a, 35b is conveyed to the right side in the X-axis direction.

A plurality of lower rollers 37a and a plurality of upper rollers 37b are also provided in the pressing mechanism 32. The lower rollers 37a are arranged in the conveying direction in a state of being in contact with the back surface of the closely contacting portion of the endless belt 35 a. Similarly, the plurality of upper rollers 37b are arranged in the conveying direction in a state of being in contact with the back surface of the closely contacted portion of the endless belt 35 b. The plurality of lower rollers 37a and the plurality of upper rollers 37b are arranged in a staggered manner along the conveying direction of the bonded sheet S3.

In the pressing mechanism 32, while the laminating sheet S3 passes between the endless belts 35a and 35b, the 1 st resin sheet S1, the sheet-like fiber bundle F, and the 2 nd resin sheet S2 sandwiched between the 1 st carrier sheet C1 and the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 are pressed by the plurality of lower rollers 37a and the plurality of upper rollers 37 b. At this time, the sheet-like fiber bundle group F is impregnated with the resin of the 1 st resin sheet S1 and the 2 nd resin sheet S2. In this way, a raw material roll R of a fiber reinforced resin material (SMC) is obtained. The stock roll R may be cut into a given length for molding. The 1 st carrier sheet C1 and the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 were peeled off from the SMC before SMC molding.

As described above, the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes the heat-setting section 54 that heats the fiber bundle after the fiber opening and splitting and performs heat setting in a flat state. The fiber bundles after opening and splitting are heat-set in a flat state by the heat-setting section 54, and the flatness of the fiber bundles can be maintained, folding of the fiber bundles is reduced, and gaps formed between the fiber bundles are reduced, when the fiber bundles are cut out to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group, as compared with the case where the heat-setting is not performed. This can prevent the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material obtained by resin impregnation, and therefore a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

(method for producing fiber-reinforced resin Material)

The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material using the production apparatus 100 includes the following fiber opening step, fiber splitting step, heat setting step, spreading step, and bonding and impregnating step.

A fiber opening procedure: the long fiber bundle is widened in the width direction by the spreading, and is flattened.

A fiber distribution process: the split fiber bundle is split in the width direction by splitting.

A heat setting procedure: the fiber bundle after opening and splitting is heated and heat-set in a flat state.

A spreading step: the heat-set fiber bundles are continuously cut, and the cut fiber bundles are scattered into a sheet shape on a1 st resin sheet formed by forming resin into a sheet shape, thereby forming a sheet-shaped fiber bundle group.

A bonding impregnation process: the 2 nd resin sheet formed by forming resin into a sheet shape is bonded to the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group and pressed, so that the resin is impregnated into the sheet-shaped fiber bundle group, and the fiber-reinforced resin material is obtained.

< opening step >

The long fiber bundle f1 is pulled out from the bobbin B1, and in the spreading section 50, the fiber bundle f1 is sequentially passed in a zigzag manner up and down the spreading rods 17, and is widened in the width direction by spreading, thereby forming a flat fiber bundle f 2.

The fiber bundle is preferably a carbon fiber bundle. As the fiber bundle, a glass fiber bundle may be used. The fiber bundle is not particularly limited, and for example, a fiber bundle having a fiber number of 3,000 or more may be used, and a fiber bundle having a fiber number of 12,000 or more may be preferably used. Generally, a sizing agent is added to a fiber bundle in order to improve bundling properties of the fibers. The sizing agent is not particularly limited, and a known sizing agent can be used.

< fiber splitting step >

In the splitting section 52, the fiber bundle f2 is passed while the plurality of rotary cutters 18 are rotated, and the plurality of cutters 18a are intermittently inserted to split the fiber bundle f2 in the width direction, thereby forming a plurality of fiber bundles f 3.

< Heat setting step >

In the heat setting section 54, the fiber bundle f3 after the opening and splitting is conveyed in the X direction by a plurality of guide rollers 55, and heated by the heating device 56 to be heat-set in a flat state. Next, the heat-set fiber bundle f3 is guided to the cutter 13 by the plurality of godet rollers 19.

The long reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers are usually held in a bundle form by a sizing agent, but in the opening step, the fibers bonded by the sizing agent are partially separated from each other, and the bundling property of the bundle is lowered, so that the shape retention properties of the fiber bundles f2 and f3 are lowered. However, since the sizing agent applied to the fiber bundle is melted by heat setting the fiber bundle after opening and is solidified again in a state where the fibers are bonded to each other, the shape retention of the fiber bundles f2 and f3 is restored, and the fiber bundle after opening is improved in rigidity and is less likely to be folded or bent.

The heating temperature in the heat setting may be appropriately set according to the type of the sizing agent so as to melt the sizing agent applied to the fiber bundle, and is preferably 85 to 180 ℃, and more preferably 90 to 150 ℃. When the heating temperature is not lower than the lower limit, the effect of heat setting is easily obtained. When the heating temperature is not higher than the upper limit, the volatilization of the sizing agent tends to be suppressed, and therefore, the effect of heat setting is easily obtained. Further, the sizing agent is melted by heating the fiber bundle so that the viscosity of the sizing agent adhering to the fiber bundle becomes, for example, 1.5Pa · s or less, whereby the effect of heat setting can be obtained.

The heating time in the heat setting may be appropriately set so that the sizing agent applied to the fiber bundle is melted, and is preferably 1 to 15 seconds, more preferably 5 to 15 seconds.

< dispersing step >

The 1 st carrier sheet C1 is pulled out from the 1 st stock roll R1 by the 1 st carrier sheet supply unit 11 and supplied to the 1 st transport unit 20, and the 1 st coating unit 12 coats the paste P in a predetermined thickness to form the 1 st resin sheets S1. The 1 st resin sheet S1 on the 1 st carrier C1 is advanced by conveying the 1 st carrier C1 by the 1 st conveying part 20.

The resin contained in the paste P is preferably a thermosetting resin. The thermosetting resin is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include unsaturated polyester resins. The paste P may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate, a low-shrinkage additive, a release agent, a curing initiator, a thickener, and the like.

The fiber bundle f3 guided from the plurality of godet rollers 19 is continuously cut into a predetermined length in the cutter 13, and the cut fiber bundle f4 is dropped and scattered on the 1 st resin sheets S1. Thus, the sheet-like fiber bundle group F in which the respective fiber bundles F4 are scattered in a random fiber orientation is continuously formed on the traveling 1 st resin sheet S1.

In the present embodiment, the fiber bundle f3 having a deflection H of less than 15mm, which is measured by the following deflection test, is cut by the cutter 13. By making the deflection H of the fiber bundle f3 less than 15mm, the flatness of the cut fiber bundle f4 is easily maintained, and the fiber bundle f4 after spreading is not easily folded. As a result, the gaps formed between the fiber bundles F4 in the sheet-like fiber bundle group F become smaller, and the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material impregnated with resin can be suppressed. Therefore, a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

(deflection test)

As shown in FIG. 2, a test piece 600 having a length of 150mm is cut out from a fiber bundle f3 to be cut, and a portion from a position PI 100mm from a1 st end 600a to a 2 nd end 600b in the longitudinal direction of the test piece 600 is set on a plane 400. Then, the part of the test piece 600 from the 1 st end 600a100mm was set to a free state. Since the test piece 600 was bent and sagged at a portion 100mm from the 1 st end 600a, the distance between the lower end of the 1 st end 600a and the plane 400 in this state was defined as the deflection h (mm).

In the present invention, the deflection H of the fiber bundle to be cut as measured by the deflection test is less than 15mm, preferably 0 to 14mm, and more preferably 5 to 13 mm. When the deflection H is not less than the lower limit, a fiber-reinforced resin material having high strength can be more easily obtained. As the deflection amount H becomes smaller, the cut fiber bundles scattered in forming the sheet-like fiber bundle group are less likely to be folded, and a fiber-reinforced resin material having high strength can be obtained more easily.

The deflection H of the fiber bundle to be cut can be adjusted by adjusting the kind of the sizing agent used in the fiber bundle, the fiber opening condition, and the heat setting condition. Specifically, the amount of deflection H is reduced by using a sizing agent having higher bonding strength, increasing the thickness of the fiber bundle after opening, and raising the heating temperature for heat setting to sufficiently melt the sizing agent and bond the fibers together again.

< bonding and impregnation step >

The 2 nd carrier sheet C2 in a long length is drawn out from the 2 nd reel R2 by the 2 nd carrier sheet supply unit 14 and supplied to the 2 nd transport unit 28. The paste P is coated on the surface of the 2 nd carrier sheet C2 by the 2 nd coating part 15 at a given thickness to form a 2 nd resin sheet S2.

The 2 nd resin sheet S2 is advanced by conveying the 2 nd carrier sheet C2, and the 2 nd resin sheet S2 is bonded to the sheet-like fiber bundle group F at the impregnation section 16 by the bonding mechanism 31. Then, the 1 st resin sheet S1, the sheet-like fiber bundle group F, and the 2 nd resin sheet S2 are pressed by the pressing mechanism 32, so that the sheet-like fiber bundle group F is impregnated with the resin of the 1 st resin sheet S1 and the 2 nd resin sheet S2. Thus, a raw material roll R was obtained in which the fiber reinforced resin material was sandwiched between the 1 st carrier sheet C1 and the 2 nd carrier sheet C2.

As described above, in the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present embodiment, the fiber bundle after fiber splitting and splitting is heated and heat-set in a flat state. By heat-setting the fiber bundle in a flat state after opening and splitting, the fiber bundle is more easily maintained in a flat state than in the case where heat-setting is not performed. In the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention, a fiber bundle having a deflection H of less than 15mm is cut to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group, and the sheet-like fiber bundle group is impregnated with a resin to produce a fiber-reinforced resin material. Therefore, when the cut fiber bundles scattered in forming the sheet-like fiber bundle group are formed into the sheet-like fiber bundle group, the flat state can be maintained, the folding is reduced, and the gap formed between the fiber bundles can be further reduced. This can prevent the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material obtained by impregnation with the resin, and therefore a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

[ second embodiment ]

The apparatus for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material and the method for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described production apparatus 100 and the method using the apparatus 100. For example, in the first embodiment, the fiber bundle after the opening, splitting, and heat setting is guided to the cutter by the godet roller, but the fiber bundle after the opening may be guided by the godet roller to be split and heat set. The method of guiding the opened fiber bundle by the godet roller to split the fiber is advantageous in that even if fuzz is generated in the fiber bundle at the time of splitting, a defect is not generated by winding the fiber bundle on the roller, as compared with the method of guiding the opened fiber bundle by the godet roller. Further, it is easy to suppress re-adhesion of the fiber bundles when the split fiber bundles are guided by the godet roller.

(apparatus for producing reinforcing fiber resin Material)

Specifically, the apparatus for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material according to the present invention may be, for example, an apparatus 200 for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material (hereinafter, simply referred to as "production apparatus 200") illustrated in fig. 3. In fig. 3, the same portions as those in fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The manufacturing apparatus 200 is the same as the manufacturing apparatus 100 except that the fiber dividing section 52A and the heat-set section 54A are provided instead of the fiber dividing section 52 and the heat-set section 54.

The splitting section 52A is the same as the splitting section 52 except that a plurality of godets 19 are provided upstream of the rotary cutter 18. The heat-setting section 54A is the same as the heat-setting section 54 except that it does not have a plurality of godets 19 downstream. In the manufacturing apparatus 200, the fiber bundle f1 drawn out from the bobbin B1 is split by the splitting section 50, the split fiber bundle f2 is guided to the rotary cutter 18 by the plurality of godets 19 in the splitting section 52A to be split, and then the split fiber bundle f3 is heat-set by the heat-setting section 54A and supplied to the cutter 13. Thus, the form of the manufacturing apparatus 200 is the same as that of the manufacturing apparatus 100 except that the positions of the plurality of godets 19 are changed from between the heating device 56 and the trimmer 13 to between the fiber opening section 50 and the rotary cutter 18.

The manufacturing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment includes a heat-setting section 54A that heats a fiber bundle after fiber opening and splitting and performs heat setting in a flat state. By heat-setting the fiber bundles after opening and splitting in a flat state by the heat-setting section 54A, the gaps formed between the fiber bundles when the fiber bundles are cut to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group are further reduced as compared with the case where heat-setting is not performed. This can prevent the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material obtained by impregnation with the resin, and therefore a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

(method for producing fiber-reinforced resin Material)

The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material using the production apparatus 200 includes a fiber opening step, a fiber splitting step, a heat setting step, a spreading step, and a bonding and impregnation step, as in the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material using the production apparatus 100.

< opening step >

The opening step can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

< fiber splitting step >

In the splitting section 52A, the split fiber bundle f2 is guided to the plurality of rotary cutters 18 by the plurality of godets 19, the fiber bundle f2 is passed while the plurality of rotary cutters 18 are rotated, the plurality of cutters 18a are intermittently inserted, and the fiber bundle f2 is split in the width direction to form a plurality of fiber bundles f 3.

< Heat setting step >

In the heat setting section 54A, the fiber bundle f3 after fiber opening and splitting is conveyed in the X direction by a plurality of guide rollers 55, heated by the heating device 56, heat-set in a flat state, and supplied to the cutter 13.

< spraying step and bonding and impregnating step >

The dispersing step and the bonding and impregnating step may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present embodiment, fiber bundles after fiber splitting and splitting are heated and heat-set in a flat state. As a result, when the fiber bundle is cut out to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group, the fiber bundles can be kept flat and less folded, as compared with the case where the fiber bundles are not heat-set, and the gaps formed between the fiber bundles can be further reduced. Therefore, formation of resin-enriched portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material impregnated with the resin can be suppressed, and a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

[ third embodiment ]

In the first and second embodiments, the fiber bundle after heat setting is directly supplied to the cutter, but in the present invention, the fiber bundle after heat setting may be temporarily collected.

The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention is not limited to the method using the production apparatus 100 or the production apparatus 200 described above. For example, in the manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 100 or 200, the fiber bundle after opening is directly supplied to the cutter, but in the present invention, the fiber bundle after opening may be temporarily collected before cutting.

(apparatus for producing fiber-reinforced resin Material)

Specifically, the apparatus for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material according to the present invention may be, for example, the apparatus 300 for producing a reinforcing fiber resin material (hereinafter, simply referred to as "production apparatus 300") illustrated in fig. 4 and 5. In fig. 4 and 5, the same portions as those in fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The manufacturing apparatus 300 includes a first manufacturing apparatus 1 and a second manufacturing apparatus 2.

The first manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an opening section 50, a splitting section 52, a heat-setting section 54, and a recovery section 58 in this order. The recovery unit 58 can wind the fiber bundle f3 after splitting around the bobbin B2.

The second manufacturing apparatus 2 includes a1 st carrier sheet supply unit 11, a1 st transport unit 20, a1 st coating unit 12, a cutting machine 13, a 2 nd carrier sheet supply unit 14, a 2 nd transport unit 28, a 2 nd coating unit 15, and an impregnation unit 16. In the second manufacturing apparatus 2, a guide roller 38 is provided upstream of the cutter 13, and the guide roller 38 guides the fiber bundle f3 drawn out from the collected material collected by being wound around the bobbin B2 to the cutter 13. In the second manufacturing apparatus 2, the fiber bundle f3 drawn out from the collected material collected by winding the bobbin B2 is supplied to the cutter 13 and continuously cut into a predetermined length.

In the second manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment, a plurality of collected materials may be provided in the Y direction, and the fiber bundle may be drawn from the collected materials and guided to the cutter. In this case, it is preferable to draw the collected materials by setting them on respective rolls rather than setting them on the same roll and drawing them. In this example, when the plurality of bobbins B2 from which the fiber bundle f3 is collected are provided in the Y direction, it is preferable that the bobbins B2 be provided on the respective rollers to draw out the fiber bundle f 3. Thus, even if the fiber bundles of the collected materials have different lengths, the exchange operation and the like can be easily performed on the respective rolls.

Since the manufacturing apparatus 300 of the present embodiment includes the heat-setting section 54 that heats the fiber bundles after fiber splitting and performs heat setting in a flat state, it is possible to maintain flatness of the fiber bundles and reduce folding and further reduce gaps formed between the fiber bundles when forming the sheet-like fiber bundle group. This can prevent the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material obtained by impregnation with the resin, and therefore a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.

Further, since the collecting unit that temporarily collects the heat-set fiber bundles and the fiber bundles pulled out of the collected matter collected by the collecting unit are supplied to the cutting machine, the process speed in the cutting machine and the impregnation unit can be controlled regardless of the process speed in the fiber opening unit. Therefore, the speed of the process in the dispersing section and the impregnation section can be prevented from being lowered due to the speed of the fiber bundle opening operation being limited.

(method for producing fiber-reinforced resin Material)

The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material using the production apparatus 300 includes the following fiber opening step, fiber separation step, heat setting step, recovery step, dispersion step, and bonding impregnation step.

A fiber opening procedure: and a step of spreading the elongated fiber bundle f1 in the width direction to obtain a flat fiber bundle f 2.

A fiber distribution process: and a step of dividing the opened fiber bundle f2 in the width direction by splitting to form a fiber bundle f 3.

A heat setting procedure: and a step of heating the fiber bundle f3 to heat-set the fiber bundle in a flat state.

A recovery process: and a step of winding the heat-set fiber bundle f3 around a bobbin B2 and temporarily collecting the fiber bundle to obtain a collected material.

A spreading step: and a step of continuously cutting the heat-set fiber bundle F3 by pulling it out from the collected product, and spreading the cut fiber bundles F4 in a sheet form on the 1 st resin sheet S1 formed by forming the resin in a sheet form to form a sheet-like fiber bundle group F.

A bonding impregnation process: the 2 nd resin sheet S2 formed by forming resin into a sheet shape is bonded to the sheet-like fiber bundle group F and pressed to contain the resin in the sheet-like fiber bundle group F, thereby obtaining a fiber-reinforced resin material.

< opening step, splitting step, Heat-setting step, and recovery step >

In the first manufacturing apparatus 1, the opening step, the splitting step, and the heat setting step may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The heat-set fiber bundle f3 is guided to the bobbin B2 by the plurality of godets 19 and is wound and collected.

< dispersing step >

The scattering step in the second manufacturing apparatus 2 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment except that the long fiber bundle f3 after being split is drawn out from the bobbin B2 and continuously cut into a predetermined length by the cutter 13.

< bonding and impregnation step >

In the second manufacturing apparatus 2, the bonding impregnation step may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In the method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present embodiment, the fiber bundle after opening and splitting is heated and heat-set in a flat state, and the fiber bundle with the deflection H of less than 15mm is cut, so that the cut fiber bundle dispersed when forming the sheet-like fiber bundle group is not easily folded. This can further reduce the gap between the fiber bundles in the sheet-like fiber bundle group, and thus can suppress the formation of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material and the reduction in strength.

[ other embodiments ]

The apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments. For example, the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention may be a production apparatus that does not include a fiber dividing portion as shown in fig. 6. When the apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention includes the recovery unit, the recovery unit is not limited to winding, and a known recovery method such as transfer may be used.

Similarly, the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention may be a method without a fiber separation step. In the case where the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention includes a recovery step, the method for recovering the fiber bundle is not limited to winding, and a known recovery method such as transfer may be employed. When the opened fiber bundle is wound and temporarily recovered before cutting, the opened fiber bundle may be recovered, and the fiber bundle drawn out of the recovered material may be split and cut.

The method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention may be a method using a production apparatus other than the production apparatus 100, the production apparatus 200, and the production apparatus 300. For example, when splitting is performed after splitting, heat setting may be performed between splitting and splitting. Among them, in the case of splitting after opening, it is preferable to perform heat setting after splitting.

The method for producing the fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention may be a method in which splitting is not performed after splitting.

In the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material according to the present invention, when the deflection H of the fiber bundle to be cut is less than 15mm without heat setting, heat setting may not be performed.

In addition, if the deflection amount H of the fiber bundle to be cut is less than 15mm, the method for producing the fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention may be a method in which no opening, splitting, and heat setting are performed. For example, a method of using the manufacturing apparatus 500 for a fiber-reinforced resin material (hereinafter, referred to as "manufacturing apparatus 500") illustrated in fig. 6 may be used.

The manufacturing apparatus 500 is the same as the manufacturing apparatus 100 except that the fiber bundle supply unit 60 is provided instead of the fiber opening unit 50, the fiber splitting unit 52, and the heat setting unit 54. The fiber bundle supply unit 60 supplies the long fiber bundle f' to the cutter 13 via a plurality of guide rollers 62 while drawing it from a plurality of bobbins 61.

In the manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 500, when the deflection H of the fiber bundle f' is less than 15mm, the cut fiber bundle f4 scattered when forming the sheet-like fiber bundle group is not easily folded. Therefore, a resin-rich portion is not easily formed in the obtained fiber-reinforced resin material, and sufficient strength can be obtained.

Examples

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following descriptions.

[ raw materials ]

The raw materials used in this example are shown below.

(fiber bundle)

Alpha-1: carbon fiber bundles (trade name: TR 50S15L-KL, tensile strength: 4,900MPa, number of filaments: 15,000, width: 7.5mm, thickness: 0.1mm, manufactured by Mitsubishi corporation).

Alpha-2: carbon fiber bundles (trade name: TRW 4050L-KN, tensile strength: 4,120MPa, number of filaments: 50,000, width: 12.5mm, thickness: 0.2mm, manufactured by Mitsubishi corporation).

(paste)

P-1: 0.5 part by mass of a 75% solution of 1, 1-di (t-butylperoxy) cyclohexane (product name: PERHEXA C-75(EB), manufactured by Japan fat and oil Co., Ltd.) and 0.5 part by mass of a 74% solution of t-butyl peroxyisopropyl carbonate (product name: Kayacarbon BIC-75, manufactured by KaYAKUAKZO) were added as a curing agent to 100 parts by mass of an epoxy acrylate resin (product name: NEOPOL 8051, manufactured by Japan U-PICA) as a resin, 15.5 parts by mass of a phosphate ester derivative composition (product name: MOLD WIZ INT-EQ-6, manufactured by AXEL Plastics Research Laboratories) was added as an internal MOLD release agent, 15.5 parts by mass of a modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate (product name: Cosmonll ate, manufactured by Mitsui chemical Co., Ltd.) was added as a thickening agent, and 1, 4-0.02 part by mass of benzoquinone was added as a stabilizer, thereby obtaining a resin composition.

[ flexural test ]

In each example, a test piece having a length of 150mm was cut from a fiber bundle that was just before reaching the cutter 13 in the manufacturing apparatus 100, and a portion of the test piece from the 1 st end to the 2 nd end in the longitudinal direction, which portion was located 100mm apart, was arranged on a plane. The test piece was set in a free state at a position 100mm from the 1 st end, and the distance between the lower end of the 1 st end and the plane in this state was measured as the deflection H (mm).

[ example 1]

A fiber-reinforced resin material was produced using the production apparatus 100 illustrated in fig. 1.

The fiber bundle α -1 was used as the fiber bundle, and the paste P-1 was used as the paste P. The fiber bundle was opened so that the width was 7.5mm and the thickness was 0.1 mm. The heat setting conditions were a heating temperature of 170 ℃ and a heating time of 6 seconds. After heat setting, a test piece was cut out from the fiber bundle before cutting, and a deflection test was carried out, resulting in a deflection H of 8.1 mm.

[ example 2]

A fiber-reinforced resin material was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the opening conditions were adjusted so that the thickness and the deflection H of the fiber bundle to be cut were as shown in table 1.

[ examples 3 and 4]

A fiber-reinforced resin material was produced in the same manner as in example 1, except that the fiber bundle α -2 was used in place of the fiber bundle α -1, and the opening conditions were adjusted so that the thickness and the deflection H of the fiber bundle to be cut were as shown in table 1.

Comparative example 1

In comparative example 1, a fiber-reinforced resin material was produced under the same spreading conditions as in example 2, except that a fiber bundle α -1 was used as the fiber bundle and the heat setting temperature was set to 25 ℃.

Comparative example 2

In comparative example 2, a fiber-reinforced resin material was produced under the same spreading conditions as in example 4, except that a fiber bundle α -2 was used as the fiber bundle and the heat setting temperature was set to 25 ℃.

The types of fiber bundles used in the respective examples, the heating temperature for heat setting, the thickness of the fiber bundle to be cut, and the deflection amount H are shown in table 1.

[ Table 1]

As shown in Table 1, the fiber-reinforced resin materials of examples 1 to 4 in which the deflection amount H of the fiber bundle to be cut was less than 15mm could give high-strength fiber-reinforced resin materials, as compared with the fiber-reinforced resin materials of comparative examples 1 to 2 in which the deflection amount H was 15mm or more.

Industrial applicability

According to the method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin material of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced resin material having sufficient strength by suppressing the occurrence of resin-rich portions in the fiber-reinforced resin material. In addition, when the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced resin material is used, the generation of resin-enriched portions in the fiber reinforced resin material can be suppressed, and a fiber reinforced resin material having sufficient strength can be obtained.