SMC manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a useful improvement in a CF-SMC manufacturing method in which a continuous carbon fiber bundle is used by being partially split.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a SMC manufacturing method comprising: (i) a step of pulling out, from a package, a continuous carbon fiber bundle; (ii) a step of chopping, with a rotary cutter, the continuous carbon fiber bundle pulled out from the package, to obtain a chopped carbon fiber bundle; and (iii) a step of accumulating the chopped carbon fiber bundles on a carrier film running below a rotary cutter, to form a carbon fiber mat. A fragmentation treatment apparatus used for a fragmentation treatment in which at least a part of the chopped carbon fiber bundle before being deposited on the carrier film is brought into contact with a rotating body to be fragmented comprises a first pin roller and a second pin roller, each of which has a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter, in which a sum of maximum radii of the pin rollers is larger than a distance between the rotating shafts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing SMC (sheet molding compound), and in particular to a method for producing CF-SMC, which is an SMC using carbon fiber (CF). This application claims priority based on International Application PCT / JP2020 / 001851 filed on January 21, 2020, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-047205 filed on March 18, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), a composite material made of carbon fiber and resin, has been widely used in recent years for parts of aircraft, automobiles, ships and various other types of transportation equipment, as well as for sporting goods and leisure goods. Some CFRP products are made from CF-SMC by compression molding. CF-SMC is a type of carbon fiber prepreg and has a structure in which a mat made of chopped carbon fiber bundles (also called chopped carbon fiber tow or chopped carbon fiber strand) is impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition. CFRP has higher strength when reinforced with carbon fiber bundles having a smaller number of filaments, while carbon fiber bundles having a smaller number of filaments (smaller tow size) have higher production costs (Patent Document 1). It has been proposed to add a step of partially splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle unwound from the creel before chopping to the SMC manufacturing method in which processes from chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle to resin impregnation of the carbon fiber mat are carried out in a continuous manner (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0213997 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 221655 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is believed that by using a technology that partially splits continuous carbon fiber bundles with a large number of filaments, classified as regular tow or large tow, it is possible to produce SMC that can give high-strength CFRP molded products at low cost. Because the process of partially splitting continuous carbon fiber bundles requires various adjustments, it may be possible to achieve higher overall manufacturing efficiency in SMC production by separating this process from subsequent processes. The present invention was made in the course of investigations conducted by the present inventors based on this idea, and a primary object of the present invention is to provide useful improvements in CF-SMC production technology, including a production method for CF-SMC that uses partially split continuous carbon fiber bundles. In this specification, problems that can be solved by each embodiment of the present invention may be explicitly or implicitly disclosed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a sheet molding compound. Methods for producing sheet molding compounds according to preferred embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following. [a1] A method for producing a sheet molding compound, comprising: (i) a step of pulling out from a package a continuous carbon fiber bundle having N filaments, the continuous carbon fiber bundle having been partially split in advance into N sub-bundles; (ii) a step of chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle pulled out from the package with a rotary cutter to form a chopped carbon fiber bundle; and (iii) a step of depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundle on a carrier film traveling below the rotary cutter to form a carbon fiber mat, in which a fragmentation treatment is performed in which at least a portion of the chopped carbon fiber bundle before being deposited on the carrier film is brought into contact with a rotating body to be fragmented. [a2] The method according to [a1], wherein the continuous carbon fiber bundles are wound in the package such that there are no gaps between the sub-bundles. [a3] The method of [a1] or [a2], wherein the continuous carbon fiber bundles are wound in the package such that there is an overlap between adjacent sub-bundles. [a4] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a3], wherein the continuous carbon fiber bundle wound around the package has a total width smaller than the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles. [a5] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a4], wherein the continuous carbon fiber bundle has a filament number NK of 12K or more. [a6] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a5], wherein the rotating body is a pin roller having a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter. [a7] The manufacturing method described in any of [a1] to [a6], wherein the fragmentation process uses a fragmentation processing device equipped with a first pin roller and a second pin roller, each of which has a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter, and the sum of the maximum radius of the first pin roller and the maximum radius of the second pin roller is greater than the distance between the rotation axes of the first pin roller and the second pin roller. [a8] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a7], wherein the carbon fiber mat has a content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K of 99% by weight or more. [a9] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a8], wherein the number of chopped carbon fiber bundles having a filament number greater than {(N / n)+0.5}K contained in unit weight of the carbon fiber mat is reduced by the fragmentation treatment. [a10] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a9], wherein the package is a square end type package. [a11] The manufacturing method described in [a10], wherein the wind ratio in the package is not an integer. [a12] A manufacturing method according to [a10] or [a11], wherein the wind ratio of the package has a decimal fraction that is not a multiple of 1 / 2, 1 / 3, 1 / 4 or 1 / 5. [a13] The method according to any one of [a10] to [a12], wherein the package has a helix angle of 5 to 30° at the start of winding and a helix angle of 2 to 17° at the end of winding. [a14] The method according to any one of [a1] to [a13], wherein the carbon fiber mat is pressed together with the thermosetting resin composition to impregnate the carbon fiber mat with the thermosetting resin composition. [a15] The manufacturing method according to [a14], wherein at least a portion of the thermosetting resin composition is applied to an upper surface of the carrier film before step (iii).

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a carbon fiber package. Carbon fiber packages according to preferred embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to: [b1] A fiber package formed by traverse winding a continuous carbon fiber bundle around a bobbin, the continuous carbon fiber bundle being partially split into sub-bundles, and the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle being smaller than the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles. [b2] A fiber package formed by traverse winding a continuous carbon fiber bundle around a bobbin, characterized in that the continuous carbon fiber bundle is partially split into sub-bundles and wound around the bobbin so that the sub-bundles overlap each other. [b3] The carbon fiber package according to [b1] or [b2], wherein the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle is 90% or less of the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles. [b4] The carbon fiber package according to any one of [b1] to [b3], wherein the continuous carbon fiber bundle is partially split into three or more of the sub-bundles. [b5] The carbon fiber package according to any one of [b1] to [b4], wherein the number of filaments in the sub-bundle is 5K or less. [b6] The carbon fiber package according to any one of [b1] to [b5], wherein the total number of filaments in the continuous carbon fiber bundle is 12K or more. [b7] A carbon fiber package according to any one of [b1] to [b6], which is a square end type package. [b8] A carbon fiber package as described in [b7], wherein the wind ratio is not an integer. [b9] A carbon fiber package as described in [b8], wherein the wind ratio has a decimal fraction that is not a multiple of 1 / 2, 1 / 3, 1 / 4, or 1 / 5. [b10] A carbon fiber package according to any one of [b7] to [b9], wherein the helix angle at the start of winding is 5 to 30° and the helix angle at the end of winding is 2 to 17°.

[0007] The following [b11] and [b12] are also encompassed in the embodiments of the present invention. [b11] [b1] to [b10] are used to manufacture a sheet molding compound using a carbon fiber package. [b12] Use of a carbon fiber package described in any of [b1] to [b10] in the manufacture of a sheet molding compound.

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a carbon fiber package. Carbon fiber package manufacturing methods according to preferred embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following. [c1] A method for producing a fiber package in which a continuous carbon fiber bundle is traverse wound around a bobbin, the method comprising: a splitting step of partially splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle into sub-bundles; and a winding step of winding the continuous carbon fiber bundle partially split into the sub-bundles around the bobbin, the winding step being characterized in that the continuous carbon fiber bundle is wound around the bobbin in such a way that the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle is smaller than the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles. [c2] A method for producing a fiber package in which a continuous carbon fiber bundle is traverse wound around a bobbin, the method comprising: a splitting step of partially splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle into sub-bundles; and a winding step of winding the continuous carbon fiber bundle partially split into sub-bundles around the bobbin, wherein in the winding step, the continuous carbon fiber bundle is wound around the bobbin so that the sub-bundles overlap each other. [c3] The carbon fiber package manufacturing method according to [c1] or [c2], wherein in the winding process, the continuous carbon fiber bundle is wound around the bobbin so that the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle is 90% or less of the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles. [c4] The method for producing a carbon fiber package according to any one of [c1] to [c3], wherein in the splitting step, the continuous carbon fiber bundle is partially split into three or more sub-bundles. [c5] The method for producing a carbon fiber package according to any one of [c1] to [c4], wherein the number of filaments in the sub-bundle is 5K or less. [c6] The method for producing a carbon fiber package according to any one of [c1] to [c5], wherein the total number of filaments in the continuous carbon fiber bundle is 12K or more. [c7] A method for producing a carbon fiber package according to any one of [c1] to [c6], wherein the fiber package is a square end type package. [c8] A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber package according to [c7], wherein the wind ratio in the winding process is not an integer. [c9] A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber package according to [c8], wherein in the winding process, the decimal fraction of the wind ratio is not a multiple of 1 / 2, 1 / 3, 1 / 4 or 1 / 5. [c10] The method for producing a carbon fiber package according to any one of [c7] to [c9], wherein in the winding process, the helix angle at the start of winding is 5 to 30° and the helix angle at the end of winding is 2 to 17°.

[0009] Further embodiments of the present invention include a method for making a sheet molding compound, comprising the steps of: [d1] A method for producing a sheet molding compound, comprising: (i) a step of drawing out a continuous carbon fiber bundle from a package; (ii) a step of chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle drawn out from the package with a rotary cutter to form a chopped carbon fiber bundle; and (iii) a step of depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundle on a carrier film traveling below the rotary cutter to form a carbon fiber mat, wherein a fragmentation treatment is performed using a fragmentation treatment device in which at least a portion of the chopped carbon fiber bundle before being deposited on the carrier film is brought into contact with a rotating body to fragment it, and the fragmentation treatment device is equipped with a first pin roller and a second pin roller, each of which has a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter, and the sum of the maximum radius of the first pin roller and the maximum radius of the second pin roller is greater than the distance between the rotation axes of the first pin roller and the second pin roller. [d2] The manufacturing method described in [d1], wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller rotate in opposite directions. [d3] The manufacturing method described in [d2], wherein the first pin roller rotates so that the pins move from top to bottom on the side facing the second pin roller. [d4] The manufacturing method described in [d2], wherein the first pin roller rotates so that the pins move from bottom to top on the side facing the second pin roller. [d5] The manufacturing method described in [d1], wherein the rotation directions of the first pin roller and the second pin roller are the same. [d6] The method according to any one of [d1] to [d5], wherein the carbon fiber mat has a content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K of 99% by weight or more.

[0010] The following [d7] to [d11] are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. [d7] Use of a fragmentation treatment device, characterized in that the fragmentation treatment device comprises a first pin roller and a second pin roller each having a pair of rotation axes parallel to each other and each being rotated, the sum of the maximum radius of the first pin roller and the maximum radius of the second pin roller is greater than the distance between the rotation axes of the first pin roller and the second pin roller, and the fragmentation treatment device is used for fragmenting chopped carbon fiber bundles. [d8] The use described in [d7], wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller rotate in opposite directions. [d9] The use described in [d8], wherein the first pin roller rotates so that the pins move from top to bottom on the side facing the second pin roller. [d10] The use described in [d8], wherein the first pin roller rotates so that the pins move from bottom to top on the side facing the second pin roller. [d11] The use described in [d7], wherein the rotation directions of the first pin roller and the second pin roller are the same. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The present invention provides useful improvements in CF-SMC manufacturing techniques, including methods for producing CF-SMC using partially split continuous carbon fiber bundles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fiber package manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a continuous carbon fiber bundle immediately after being partially split into five fibers, and is a plan view seen from the thickness direction. [Figure 2B]FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing a continuous carbon fiber bundle immediately after being partially split into five fibers, and is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to the fiber direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the fiber direction of a continuous carbon fiber bundle that has been partially split into five fibers and then wound around a bobbin. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an SMC manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a rotary cutter. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fragmentation processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a pin roll provided in the fragmentation processing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a part of the peripheral surface of the pin roll developed in a plane. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between two pin rolls provided in the fragmentation processing device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a histogram showing the filament number distribution of chopped carbon fiber bundles in a carbon fiber mat. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a histogram showing the filament number distribution of chopped carbon fiber bundles in a carbon fiber mat. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a histogram showing the filament number distribution of chopped carbon fiber bundles in a carbon fiber mat. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a histogram showing the filament number distribution of chopped carbon fiber bundles in a carbon fiber mat. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a histogram showing the filament number distribution of chopped carbon fiber bundles in a carbon fiber mat. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a continuous carbon fiber bundle immediately after it has been partially split into five fibers. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a square-end type fiber package formed by traverse-winding a fiber bundle around a bobbin, as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the bobbin. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rotor of a fragmentation processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] 1. Manufacturing method of SMC SMC is a sheet-like carbon fiber prepreg obtained by impregnating a carbon fiber mat consisting of chopped carbon fiber bundles with a thermosetting resin composition. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing an SMC comprising the following steps (i) to (iii). (i) drawing from a package a continuous carbon fiber bundle having N,N filaments which has previously been partially split into N sub-bundles; (ii) chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundles drawn from the package with a rotary cutter to form chopped carbon fiber bundles. (iii) Depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundles onto a carrier film traveling beneath a rotary cutter to form a carbon fiber mat. In the SMC production method of this embodiment, a fragmentation process is further carried out in which at least a portion of the chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on the carrier film is brought into contact with a rotating body and fragmented. For the technique of impregnating the carbon fiber mat formed through the above steps (i) to (iii) with a thermosetting resin composition, and for the technique of thickening the thermosetting resin composition as necessary after impregnation, reference can be made to conventional techniques as appropriate.

[0014] 1.1. Continuous carbon fiber bundle In the present embodiment, the SMC manufacturing method uses a pre-prepared package of continuous carbon fiber bundles, which has a filament count of N K and is partially split into n sub-bundles. NK means N x 1000. For example, a carbon fiber bundle consisting of 3000 single fibers has a filament count of 3K, and a carbon fiber bundle consisting of 12000 single fibers has a filament count of 12K. N is usually 12 or more, preferably 15 or more, and may be, for example, but not limited to, 18, 24, 36, 48, or 50.

[0015] A continuous carbon fiber bundle partially split into n sub-bundles means, in other words, that the continuous carbon fiber bundle is partially divided into n parts. Each of the n fiber bundles formed by dividing into n parts is called a sub-bundle. In a continuous carbon fiber bundle partially split into n sub-bundles, the n sub-bundles are connected to each other. The partially split continuous carbon fiber bundle package can be produced using, but is not limited to, a fiber package production apparatus, the schematic diagram of which is shown in FIG.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, a fiber package making apparatus 100 includes a spreading section 110, a splitting section 120, and a winding section . The starting material, a continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 having an NK filament count, is drawn from a supply bobbin B1. The continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 before splitting that is drawn from a supply bobbin B1 is first spread in a spreading section 110. The spreader bar 111 provided in the spreading section 110 may be heated, or may be reciprocated in the width direction of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10, and the mechanism for this purpose may refer to known techniques. The continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 originally has a flat shape, and its width is further expanded and its thickness is further reduced by rubbing against the spreader bar 111. The thickness of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 after passing through the spreading section 110 is not limited, but may typically be 0.05 to 0.2 mm. When the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is sufficiently flat when it is supplied from the supply bobbin B1, the spreading section 110 may be omitted. For example, a carbon fiber bundle whose bundle width is 50 times or more its average thickness may be said to be sufficiently flat.

[0017] The continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is then directed to a splitting section 120 where it is partially split. The split section 120 is provided with a rotary blade 121 for forming slits in the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 and a plurality of godet rolls 123 for controlling the running speed of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 . The rotation axis of the rotary blade 121 is parallel to the width direction of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 running in the fiber direction. A plurality of blade portions 122 are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the rotary blade 121 so that slits of a certain length are intermittently formed at a certain period along the fiber direction of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10. The slit length and the gap length between the slits can be controlled by adjusting the running speed of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10, the circumferential speed of the rotary blade 121, and the interval between the blade portions 122.

[0018] The (n-1) rotary blades 121 arranged in the width direction form slits intermittently along the fiber direction, so that the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is partially divided into n portions. The number n is not limited, but is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and may be 10 or more. As an example, FIGS. 2A and 2B show a continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 immediately after slits extending in the fiber direction are intermittently formed by four rotary blades 121 aligned in the width direction. For convenience, the fiber direction (longitudinal direction) of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is defined as the x direction, the width direction as the y direction, and the thickness direction as the z direction. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 as viewed from the z direction, and FIG. 2B shows a cross section of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 perpendicular to the x direction (a cross section when cut on the yz plane).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2A, the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 has a first slit row A S1 , second slit row A S2 , third slit row A S3 and the fourth slit row A S4 Four slit rows are formed. First slit row A S1 consists of a plurality of first slits S1 aligned in the x direction. Second slit row A S2 consists of a plurality of second slits S2 aligned in the x direction. Third slit row A S3 consists of a plurality of third slits S3 aligned in the x direction. Fourth slit row A S4 consists of a plurality of fourth slits S4 aligned in the x direction. These four slit rows are formed by different rotary blades, and therefore are located at different positions in the y direction.

[0020] Slit length L S and the gap length between the slits L G is constant within any slit row and is common among different slit rows. Slit length L S and the gap length between the slits L G Slit length L for the sum of S Ratio of L S / (L S +L G ) is usually 90% or more, preferably 95% or more, and may be, for example, 99%. Thus, the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is split into five sub-bundles 11 in most of its part, as shown in FIG. 2B. First slit row A S1 , second slit row A S2 , third slit row A S3 and the fourth slit row A S4 The positions in the y direction are set so that the widths of the five sub-bundles 11 are approximately the same. For example, when the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 has 15K filaments, the number of filaments in each sub-bundle 11 is 3K±0.5K.

[0021] Slit length L S is not limited to, but is preferably longer than 25 mm, more preferably longer than 50 mm, and even more preferably longer than 500 mm. This is because the intervals at which the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is cut in the subsequent process are usually 25 mm or more. The slit length L relative to the cutting intervals at which the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is cut into chopped carbon fiber bundles is SThe higher the ratio, the more chopped carbon fiber bundles with filament counts equal to or less than the sub-bundle 11 are produced. Slit length L S may be, for example, greater than 25 mm and less than or equal to 50 mm, greater than 50 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm, greater than 100 mm and less than or equal to 200 mm, greater than 200 mm and less than or equal to 500 mm, greater than 500 mm and less than or equal to 1000 mm, greater than 1000 mm and less than or equal to 1500 mm, greater than 1500 mm and less than or equal to 2000 mm, or greater than 2000 mm and less than or equal to 3000 mm. Slit gap length L G is not limited to, but is, for example, 5 to 10 mm, and may be shorter than 5 mm.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the first slit row A S1 and the second slit row A S2 The gap between the slits G S The position of the second slit row A is shifted in the x direction. S2 and the third slit row A S3 Between and the third slit row A S3 and the fourth slit row A S4 The same is true between. In this way, the gap between adjacent slit rows is G S It is not essential to shift the positions of the slits in the x-direction. In one example, as shown in FIG. 15, the inter-slit gap G S In another example, the positions of the slit rows may be aligned, or the inter-slit gap G S and the position of the slit rows is aligned, and the gap between the slits G S The position of may be shifted in the x direction.

[0023] Slit length L S , gap length between slits L G , slit length L S and the gap length between the slits L G Slit length L for the sum of S Ratio of L S / (L S +L G ), and the gap between the slits G SThe above description of the position is not limited to the case where the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is partially split into five sub-bundles, but also applies to the case where the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is partially split into four or less or six or more sub-bundles. The number of filaments in a sub-bundle formed by splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is preferably 5K or less, more preferably 4K or less, and even more preferably 3K or less, regardless of the number n. The number of filaments in a sub-bundle formed by splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is preferably more than 0.5K, and more preferably 1K or more, regardless of the number n. When the number of filaments is more than 0.5K, the straightness of the carbon fiber bundle is easily maintained, and the reinforcing effect tends to be relatively high. The above upper and lower limits can be combined in any combination. For example, the number of filaments in a sub-bundle formed by splitting the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is preferably 0.5K to 5K, more preferably 0.5K to 4K, and even more preferably 1K to 3K, regardless of the number n.

[0024] Referring again to FIG. 1, the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 partially split into n fibers in the split section 120 is sent to the winding section 130 and wound onto a winding bobbin B2 to complete a package. The take-up bobbin B2 is, for example, a paper tube, but is not limited thereto. When the package is used, the take-up bobbin B2 can be removed and the continuous carbon fiber bundle can be unwound from the inside. When the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is wound, no gaps are formed between the sub-bundles 11. The reason is to prevent the sub-bundles 11 from being caught between a portion wound earlier on the bobbin B2 and a portion wound later on top of that. By winding the sub-bundles 11 so that no gaps are formed between them, it is possible to prevent the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 from becoming tangled or broken when unwinding by outside take-up or inside take-up.

[0025] In order to wind the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 around a bobbin so that there are no gaps between the sub-bundles 11, the total width W of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 must be set to the sub-bundle width W as shown in FIG. sIt is sufficient to make it narrower than the sum of 3 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 cut perpendicular to the fiber direction, in which the five sub-bundles 11 are aligned in the y direction with no gaps between them. That is, there are no portions where the adjacent sub-bundles 11 are separated from each other, and each sub-bundle 11 overlaps with the adjacent sub-bundle 11 at its edge. The width of the carbon fiber bundle can be reduced by guiding the carbon fiber bundle in a narrower guide. Thus, the total width W can be reduced by the sub-bundle width W s In order to wind the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 around the bobbin B2 in a state narrower than the sum of the sub-bundle widths, for example, a grooved roll having a groove width narrower than the sum of the sub-bundle widths may be used to guide the partially split continuous carbon fiber bundle to the winding bobbin. Alternatively, the width of the fiber bundle guide of the traverse device may be narrower than the sum of the sub-bundle widths.

[0026] When the total width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle is narrowed by such a method, not only do the sub-bundles overlap each other, but some of the sub-bundles may be folded in the width direction. Therefore, the overlapping state between the sub-bundles in the continuous carbon fiber bundle wound around the winding bobbin is not limited to the state shown in FIG. 3, and may be various. In order to reliably prevent gaps from being generated between the sub-bundles, the total width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 when wound around the winding bobbin is preferably 90% or less of the sum of the sub-bundle widths, more preferably 86% or less, and even more preferably 80% or less. The total width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle when wound onto the winding bobbin is not limited, but it is preferable not to narrow it so much as to be equivalent to the width of the sub-bundles. In particular, when the number n of sub-bundles is large, if the total width is made too small, the winding tends to collapse.

[0027] The winding section 130 is typically equipped with a traverse device (not shown). When the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is traverse-wound around the take-up bobbin B2, the helix angle at the start of winding can be, for example, 5 to 30°, and the helix angle at the end of winding can be, for example, 2 to 17°, although this is not limited thereto. The wind ratio indicates how many times the bobbin rotates during one round trip of the traverse guide, and can be rephrased as the number of turns per traverse cycle. When a square-end type fiber package as shown in Fig. 16 is manufactured by winding a yarn around a bobbin at a constant wind ratio, if the wind ratio is an integer, the yarn will be wound at the same position on the bobbin in every traverse cycle, resulting in so-called ribbon winding, which may result in poor unwinding properties. When the decimal fraction of the wind ratio is a multiple of 1 / p (p is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the thread is wound at the same position on the bobbin every p cycles of traverse, so when p is small in particular, unwinding performance may be poor, just as when the wind ratio is an integer. Therefore, when the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is wound around the winding bobbin B2, the wind ratio is usually not an integer, and further, it is preferable that the fraction after the decimal point of the wind ratio is not a multiple of 1 / 2, 1 / 3, 1 / 4, or 1 / 5.

[0028] 1.2.SMC manufacturing equipment FIG. 4 shows a conceptual diagram of an SMC production apparatus that can be preferably used in the SMC production method of this embodiment. 4, the SMC manufacturing apparatus 200 has a first resin application section 210, a second resin application section 220, a chop section 230, a deposition section 240, and an impregnation section 250. Between the chop section 230 and the deposition section 240, a fragmentation treatment device 260 is disposed.

[0029] In the first resin coating section 210, a first coater 211 equipped with a doctor blade is arranged to form a first resin layer 51 consisting of a thermosetting resin composition 50 on the first carrier film 41 pulled out from a roll. In the second resin coating section 220, a second coater 212 equipped with a doctor blade is disposed to form a second resin layer 52 made of the same thermosetting resin composition 50 on the second carrier film 42 drawn from a roll.

[0030] In the chopping section 230, a rotary cutter 231 is disposed for chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 drawn from the package (the bobbin may be removed). 5, the rotary cutter 231 includes a guide roll 232, a pinch roll 233, and a cutter roll 234. A plurality of blades 235 are arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery of the cutter roll 234 in the circumferential direction, and chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 having a constant fiber length can be cut out one after another from the continuous carbon fiber bundle 10. Usually, a plurality of continuous carbon fiber bundles 10 are simultaneously supplied to the rotary cutter 231 in a state where they are aligned parallel to each other within a plane parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the rotary cutter 231 . The rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter 231 is the direction of the rotation axis of the main parts of the rotary cutter 231, such as the cutter roll 234. The direction of the rotation axes of the guide roll 232 and the pinch roll 233 is the same as the direction of the rotation axis of the cutter roll 234.

[0031] The deposition section 240 is disposed below the chop section 230. The first carrier film 41 is transported from the first resin coating section 210 through the deposition section 240 to the impregnation section 250. When the first carrier film 41 travels through the deposition section 240, the chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 produced in the chop section 230 drop and deposit on the first resin layer 51 formed on the surface of the first carrier film 41, thereby forming a carbon fiber mat 30.

[0032] A mechanism for gradually bringing the first carrier film 41 and the second carrier film 42 closer to each other is disposed upstream of the impregnation section 250. An impregnation machine 251 is disposed in the main part of the impregnation section 250. In order to sandwich and transport a laminate, in which the carbon fiber mat 30 and the thermosetting resin composition 50 are sandwiched between the first carrier film 41 and the second carrier film 42, by two conveyor belts from above and below, the impregnation machine 251 is provided with two belt conveyors, one above and one below, and with rollers for pressing the laminate by sandwiching it together with the conveyor belts.

[0033] The fragmentation processing device 260 disposed between the chop section 230 and the deposition section 240 has a cover 261, and a guide plate 262 and a pair of pin rollers (a first pin roller 263a and a second pin roller 263b) disposed inside the cover, as shown in Fig. 6. The first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b are located below the guide plate, have approximately the same axial length, and have rotation axes parallel to each other. In the SMC production apparatus 200 , the fragmentation treatment device 260 is disposed so that the rotation axes of the first pin roller 263 a and the second pin roller 263 b are parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter 231 .

[0034] 7, the first pin roller 263a has a cylinder 264a, on whose surface a plurality of pins 265a, all of which have the same shape and dimensions, are arranged. Both the cylinder 264a and the pins 265a are rigid bodies, and are made of, for example, metal. The diameter of the cylinder 264a is not limited to, but may be, for example, 60 mm to 150 mm.

[0035] The pin 265a extends perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first pin roller 263a and has, for example, a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto. The boundary between the end face and the outer circumferential surface of the pin 265a may be chamfered. The diameter of the pin 265a is not limited, but may be, for example, 1 mm to 5 mm. The length of the pin 265a, that is, the distance from the tip to the base of the pin, is not limited to a specific value, but may be, for example, 10 mm to 50 mm. It is preferable that the pins 265a have a circular cross section in order to prevent fuzzing of the chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 processed by the fragmentation processing device 260. The pins 265a may have a cone or truncated cone shape with a diameter decreasing toward the tip.

[0036] When the circumferential surface of cylinder 264a is developed into a plane, the arrangement of pins 265a on the circumferential surface preferably overlaps with the original arrangement when shifted 5 mm to 20 mm in the axial direction and 4 mm to 30 mm in the circumferential direction. For example, in the case of cylinder 264a shown in Fig. 7, when the peripheral surface is developed into a plane, pins 265a are arranged at each vertex of an equilateral triangle (shown by dashed lines) that fills the plane with one side parallel to the axial direction, as shown in Fig. 8. When the length of one side of this equilateral triangle is, for example, 5 mm, the arrangement of pins 265a shown in Fig. 8 overlaps with the original arrangement when shifted by 2.5 mm in the axial direction and approximately 4.3 mm in the circumferential direction.

[0037] Everything stated above regarding the first pin roller 263a also applies to the second pin roller 263b. Without being limited thereto, in order to reduce the costs of designing, manufacturing and maintaining the fragmentation processing device 260, it is preferable to match the design and specifications of the first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b in as many aspects as possible, including maximum radius, cylinder diameter, pin shape, dimensions, number and arrangement, etc.

[0038] In this specification, the maximum radius of a pin roller is defined as the distance from its axis of rotation to the tip of the pin. Referring to FIG. 9, in the fragmentation processing device 260, the maximum radius r of the first pin roller 263a M1 and the maximum radius r of the second pin roller 263b M2 The sum of these is the distance between the rotation axes of these two pin rollers d 12 Greater than. The maximum radius r of the first pin roller 263a M1 and the radius r of the cylinder 264b of the second pin roller C2 The sum of these is the distance between the rotation axes of the two pin rollers d 12 Similarly, the maximum radius r of the second pin roller 263b is smaller than M2 and the radius r of the cylinder 264a of the first pin roller C1 The sum of these two pin rollers is also calculated by dividing the distance between the rotation axes d 12 Less than.

[0039] The first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b are rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). There is no limitation on the rotation direction of the first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b. Therefore, the rotation direction of the first pin roller 263a and the rotation direction of the second pin roller 263b may be the same or opposite. When the first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b rotate in opposite directions, they may rotate inward or outward. Inward rotation refers to a mode in which both pin rollers rotate such that the pins move from top to bottom on the side facing the other pin roller. Outward rotation refers to the opposite mode in which both pin rollers rotate such that the pins move from bottom to top on the side facing the other pin roller. In another embodiment, the number of pin rollers provided in the fragmentation processing device may be one, or may be three or more. The fragmentation processing device is not limited to one equipped with a pin roller as a rotating body. The rotor in the fragmentation treatment device may have a structure in which a pair of disks are connected by a plurality of wires or rods, as shown in FIG.

[0040] 1.3. Manufacturing method of SMC The SMC manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described using the SMC manufacturing apparatus 200 described in 1.2 above as an example. (Pulling out process) In the drawing process, a continuous carbon fiber bundle is drawn from a previously prepared package of continuous carbon fiber bundles. This continuous carbon fiber bundle has a filament count of N K and has been partially split into n sub-bundles in advance. In this step, the bobbin package may be attached to a creel and the continuous carbon fiber bundle may be pulled out from the outside, or the continuous carbon fiber bundle may be pulled out from the package from which the bobbins have been removed from by the inside. As described above, when the package is manufactured, the continuous carbon fiber bundle is wound around the bobbin with adjacent sub-bundles overlapping each other, and therefore the continuous carbon fiber bundle pulled out from the package includes portions where the sub-bundles are adhered to each other while partially overlapping each other.

[0041] (Chopping process) In the chopping process, the drawn continuous carbon fiber bundle 10 is supplied to a chopping section 230 and cut one after another by a rotary cutter 231 to produce chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 having a predetermined fiber length. The produced chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 fall toward a fragmentation processing device 260 installed below the rotary cutter 231. The fiber length of the chopped carbon fiber bundle 20 is not limited, but is preferably 20 to 60 mm, and may be, for example, about 25 mm or about 50 mm.

[0042] (Fragmentation process) As described above, the continuous carbon fiber bundle drawn out from the package includes a portion in which sub-bundles are adhered to each other while partially overlapping each other. The chopped carbon fiber bundle produced in the chopping process includes a certain amount of fiber bundles having a filament count greater than {(N / n)+0.5}K, which are generated by cutting such portions. The purpose of the fragmentation process is to improve the filament count distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the carbon fiber mat formed in the deposition process described below by fragmenting such fiber bundles using a fragmentation processing device.

[0043] In the fragmentation treatment device 260, at least a part of the chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 dropping from the rotary cutter 231 comes into contact with at least one of the first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b, and is fragmented into a plurality of fragments by the impact. This fragmentation process is not intended for defibration. In other words, it is not intended to disentangle the chopped carbon fiber bundles to the extent that they become single fibers or a state close to that. In a preferred example, the circumferential speeds at the pin tips of the first pin roller 263a and the second pin roller 263b are set so that fiber bundles and single fibers having a filament count of 0.5K or less are not generated by the fragmentation process, or even if they are generated, the content of the carbon fibers deposited on the first carrier film 41 is less than 1% by weight.

[0044] (Resin coating process) In the resin coating process, a first resin layer 51 made of a thermosetting resin composition 50 is formed on a first carrier film 41 drawn from a roll using a first coater 211, and a second resin layer 52 made of the same thermosetting resin composition 50 is formed on a second carrier film 42 drawn from another roll using a second coater 212. The thermosetting resin composition 50 is a fluid paste whose main component is a thermosetting resin, to which a thickener and a hardener are added, and which may also contain additives such as a low-shrinkage agent, a filler, and a flame retardant, as necessary. Typical examples of the thermosetting resin are epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, unsaturated polyester resin, polyimide resin, maleimide resin and phenol resin, and two or more kinds selected from these may be used in combination. Preferred thermosetting resins are epoxy resins, vinyl ester resins and unsaturated polyester resins because they have excellent adhesiveness to carbon fibers. For the specific blending composition of the thermosetting resin composition, reference can be made to the prior art as appropriate.

[0045] (deposition process) In the depositing step, the chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 processed by the fragmentation treatment device 260 fall onto the first carrier film 41 carried below the fragmentation treatment device 260. The dropped chopped carbon fiber bundles 20 are deposited on the first resin layer 51 formed on the surface of the first carrier film 41, forming a carbon fiber mat 30.

[0046] (Impregnation process) The first carrier film 41 carrying the carbon fiber mat 30 deposited on the first resin layer 51 is bonded to a second carrier film 42 with the side on which the second resin layer 52 is formed facing downward while being transported toward the impregnation machine 251. The laminate formed by lamination is pressurized by the impregnation machine 251 , whereby the carbon fiber mat 30 is impregnated with the thermosetting resin composition 50 . After the impregnation process is completed, the impregnated carbon fiber mat 30 is wound up on a bobbin while being sandwiched between the first carrier film 41 and the second carrier film 42, and is then subjected to a maturing process to become an SMC product. In the maturing process, the thermosetting resin composition 50 becomes highly viscous due to the action of the added thickener and reaches a semi-cured state.

[0047] 2. Experimental Results The results of the experiments carried out by the present inventors are given below.

[0048] 2.1.Experiment 1 (Preparation of partially split continuous carbon fiber bundles) As a starting material, a flat continuous carbon fiber bundle (TR50S15L manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) with 15K filaments, an initial width of 8 mm, and a thickness of 0.1 mm was prepared. Using a splitter with four rotary blades, four slit rows with a slit length of 1000 mm and a slit gap length of 5 mm were formed, thereby partially splitting this continuous carbon fiber bundle into five sub-bundles with a width of 1.6 mm. The position of the slit gap in the fiber direction was the same for all slit rows. After partial splitting, the continuous carbon fiber bundle was wound around a paper bobbin with a diameter of 82 mm and a length of 280 mm at a traverse length of 254 mm to produce a square-end package. The total width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle during winding was kept 6 mm or less by adjusting the width of the guide that guides the fiber bundle.

[0049] (Preparation of carbon fiber mat) A carbon fiber mat was produced from a continuous carbon fiber bundle with 15K filaments that had been partially split into five sub-bundles prepared by the above procedure using an SMC manufacturing apparatus having the same configuration as the SMC manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 4 except that it did not have a fragmentation treatment device. A plurality of continuous carbon fiber bundles were arranged in parallel at equal intervals and simultaneously fed into a rotary cutter and cut into pieces every 25.4 mm. The chopped carbon fiber bundles were dropped onto a carrier film that was not coated with a thermosetting resin composition and was running below the rotary cutter at a linear speed of 5 m / min. The dropped chopped carbon fiber bundles were deposited on the carrier film to form a carbon fiber mat.

[0050] (Measurement of filament number distribution) From the carbon fiber mat prepared by the above procedure, an area of ​​about 21 cm × 30 cm deposited near the center line of the carrier film was selected, and the weight of all chopped carbon fiber bundles (300 pieces or more) contained in that area was measured. The filament number distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the carbon fiber mat, calculated by converting the measured weight into the number of filaments, is shown in Figure 10. In the produced carbon fiber mat, the content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K was 99.9% by weight or more.

[0051] 2.2.Experiment 2 A carbon fiber mat was produced using the same SMC production equipment as that used in Experiment 1 except that it was equipped with a fragmentation treatment device, and its filament number distribution was measured in the same manner as in Experiment 1. The carbon fiber mat was produced in the same manner as in Experiment 1, except that the chopped carbon fiber bundles were fragmented in the fragmentation treatment device before being deposited on the carrier film. The configuration of the fragmentation processing device was the same as that of the SMC manufacturing device shown in Figure 4. The two pin rollers were both made of metal and had the same configuration. The diameter and length of the pins arranged on the cylinder circumferential surface of each pin roller were 3 mm and 20 mm, respectively. When the cylinder circumferential surface of each pin roller was developed in a plane, the arrangement of the pins on the circumferential surface was periodic, and the arrangement overlapped with the original arrangement when shifted 7.5 mm in the axial direction and 6.5 mm in the circumferential direction.

[0052] In experiment 2, two pin rollers were rotated so that the peripheral speed at the tips of the pins was 377 m / min. The two pin rollers were rotated in opposite directions, inwardly, i.e., each pin roller rotated such that the pins moved from top to bottom on the side facing the other pin roller. The filament number distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the produced carbon fiber mat is shown in FIG. In the produced carbon fiber mat, the content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K was 99.9% by weight or more.

[0053] 2.3.Experiment 3 A carbon fiber mat was produced in the same manner as in Experiment 2, except that the two pin rollers were rotated in the opposite directions, with the outer rotation being the outer rotation. The outer rotation means that both pin rollers were rotated such that the pins moved from bottom to top on the side facing the other pin roller. FIG. 12 shows the filament number distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the produced carbon fiber mat. In the produced carbon fiber mat, the content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K was 99.9% by weight or more.

[0054] 2.4. Experiment 4 A carbon fiber mat was prepared in the same manner as in Experiment 2, except that the two pin rollers were rotated in the same direction. FIG. 13 shows the filament number distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the produced carbon fiber mat. In the produced carbon fiber mat, the content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K was 99.9% by weight or more.

[0055] 2.5. Experiment 5 One of the two pin rollers was removed, and the position of the remaining pin roller was shifted so that the chopped carbon fiber bundles dropping from the rotary cutter would come into contact with the remaining pin roller with a high probability. A carbon fiber mat was produced in the same manner as in Experiment 2. The filament number distribution of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the produced carbon fiber mat is shown in FIG. In the produced carbon fiber mat, the content of carbon fiber bundles having a filament number exceeding 0.5K was 99.9% by weight or more.

[0056] 2.6. Experiment 6 A flat continuous carbon fiber bundle with 15,000 filaments (15K), an initial width of 8 mm, and a thickness of 0.1 mm was prepared, which was then partially split and wound around a paper bobbin with a diameter of 82 mm and a length of 280 mm at a traverse length of 254 mm to produce a square-end type fiber package. The width was not increased by a spreader.

[0057] A splitter with four rotating blades was used to partially split the continuous carbon fiber bundle. By forming four slit rows with a slit length of 1000 mm and a slit gap length of 5 mm, the continuous carbon fiber bundle was split into five 1.6 mm wide sub-bundles that were partially connected to each other. The position of the slit gap in the fiber direction was the same for all slit rows. During winding, the winding angle at the start of winding was 9.9°, the winding angle at the end of winding was 5°, the wind ratio was 11.30, and the winding amount was 5.0 kg.

[0058] By adjusting the groove width of the grooved roll through which the continuous carbon fiber bundle passes after the splitting process, the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle wound around the bobbin was set to 6 mm, which is 75% of the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles.The bobbin was then pulled out from the fiber package, and the continuous carbon fiber bundle was pulled out from the inside, but no particular problems were found. In contrast, in a fiber package prepared in a similar manner except that the width of the continuous carbon fiber bundle wound around the bobbin was 8 mm, the same as the sum of the widths of the sub-bundles, tangling occurred relatively frequently when the bobbin was pulled out and the continuous carbon fiber was pulled out from the inside.

[0059] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, each embodiment is presented as an example and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Each embodiment described in this specification can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and can be combined with features described in other embodiments within the scope of feasibility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 Continuous carbon fiber bundle 11 Sub-bundles 20 Chopped carbon fiber bundles 100 Textile packaging manufacturing equipment 110 Spread Section 120 Split Section 130 Winding Section 200 SMC manufacturing equipment 210 First Resin Coating Section 220 Second Resin Coating Section 230 Chop Section 240 Sedimentary Section 250 Impregnation Section 260 Fragmentation Processing Device 300D Winding diameter 300D B Bobbin Diameter 300L T Traverse Length 300W Fiber bundle width 310 Textile Package 312 Fiber bundles 314 Bobbin θ 300 Twirl 410 Rotational axis 412 Disc 414 Wire or Rod

Claims

1. (i) drawing a continuous carbon fiber bundle from a package; (ii) chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle drawn from the package with a rotary cutter to form a chopped carbon fiber bundle; (iii) depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundles on a carrier film traveling below the rotary cutter to form a carbon fiber mat; A fragmentation treatment is performed using a fragmentation treatment device, in which at least a part of the chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on the carrier film is brought into contact with a rotating body and fragmented; The fragmentation processing device includes a first pin roller and a second pin roller, each of which has a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter; A method for producing a sheet molding compound, wherein the sum of the maximum radius of the first pin roller and the maximum radius of the second pin roller is greater than the distance between the rotation axes of the first pin roller and the second pin roller.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller rotate in opposite directions.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein the first pin roller rotates such that the pins move from top to bottom on the side facing the second pin roller.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein the first pin roller rotates such that the pins move from bottom to top on the side facing the second pin roller.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller rotate in the same direction.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the carbon fiber mat has a carbon fiber bundle with a filament number exceeding 0.5K of 99% by weight or more.

7. 1. Use of a fragmentation processing device, comprising: The fragmentation processing device includes a first pin roller and a second pin roller each having a pair of rotation shafts parallel to each other and each being driven to rotate; The sum of the maximum radius of the first pin roller and the maximum radius of the second pin roller is greater than the distance between the rotation axes of the first pin roller and the second pin roller, and The fragmentation processing device is used for fragmenting chopped carbon fiber bundles.

8. 8. The use according to claim 7, wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller rotate in opposite directions.

9. 9. The use according to claim 8, wherein the first pin roller rotates such that the pins move from top to bottom on the side facing the second pin roller.

10. 9. The use according to claim 8, wherein the first pin roller rotates such that the pins move from bottom to top on the side facing the second pin roller.

11. 8. The use according to claim 7, wherein the first pin roller and the second pin roller have the same direction of rotation.

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