Apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin and method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin

Abstract

The present application provides a manufacturing device of a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction and arranged, and the manufacturing device is capable of connecting the reinforcing fibers before and after switching of the reinforcing fibers with a relatively simple configuration. The manufacturing device of the fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction and arranged according to the present application includes an impregnation section that impregnates a resin into the reinforcing fibers, and a switching device that switches the reinforcing fibers from a preceding reinforcing fiber to a new reinforcing fiber on an upstream side of the impregnation section. The switching device forms a fabric in which the preceding reinforcing fiber and the new reinforcing fiber are used as warp threads and other fibers are used as weft threads at the time of switching of the reinforcing fibers, thereby connecting the new reinforcing fiber to the preceding reinforcing fiber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin and a method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin. Background Technology

[0002] A thin-film fiber-reinforced resin (hereinafter also simply referred to as "Uni-Direction (UD) sheet") is known, comprising: multiple reinforcing fibers arranged in a unidirectional orientation; and a resin composition (matrix resin) impregnated with the reinforcing fibers. This UD sheet is lighter than metal and, on the other hand, has high mechanical strength; therefore, its use as a reinforcing material for covering the surface of resin molded bodies has been investigated.

[0003] UD sheets are typically manufactured by impregnating a resin material with reinforcing fibers drawn from a roll (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] During the manufacture of UD sheets, multiple rolls are arranged on a frame, and reinforcing fibers are drawn from the rolls. Then, at the end of the drawing process of the reinforcing fibers from one roll, the resin-impregnated reinforcing fibers are switched to newly drawn reinforcing fibers from other rolls (hereinafter also referred to as "new reinforcing fibers"). At this time, resin is continuously impregnated into the new reinforcing fibers by connecting them to the reinforcing fibers from the rolls that have finished drawing (hereinafter also referred to as "preceding reinforcing fibers").

[0005] As a method for connecting reinforcing fibers, Patent Document 2 describes a method for connecting fibrous materials with the following characteristics: the knot is not easy to loosen even when pulled from both ends, and the knot is easy to loosen after cutting, etc.

[0006] In addition, Patent Document 3 describes a method for connecting reinforcing fibers by causing them to entangle with each other through air jets, and Patent Document 4 describes a device having a splicer for implementing the connection method and for automatically changing the spools supplying reinforcing fibers.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-525749

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-94244

[0011] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-52043

[0012] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-66917 Summary of the Invention

[0013] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0014] During the manufacture of UD sheets, reinforcing fibers are moved towards the resin impregnation area while tension is applied. Therefore, when switching reinforcing fibers, they need to be securely connected to each other to a degree that they will not loosen even under the aforementioned tension. Patent Document 2 describes a method for connecting reinforcing fibers in which the knots are not easily loosened even when pulled from both ends (even under tension). However, this method is cumbersome and difficult to automate mechanically, so the reinforcing fibers must be connected manually by an operator. If the reinforcing fibers are connected manually, the manufacturing equipment needs to be stopped for a long time during the connection process, thus making it difficult to improve the manufacturing efficiency of UD sheets.

[0015] On the other hand, Patent Documents 3 and 4 describe a method for connecting reinforcing fibers by causing them to entangle with each other through air jetting, and an automatic switching device for reinforcing fibers using this method. However, the connection of reinforcing fibers using air jetting is a relatively weak connection and may loosen due to tension.

[0016] Furthermore, in the manufacture of UD sheets, multiple reinforcing fibers drawn from multiple rolls are arranged laterally to form a sheet, and resin is impregnated in the sheet-like reinforcing fibers. Therefore, if the method described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 is to be used to automate the switching of reinforcing fibers, it would be necessary to prepare a number of switching devices equal to the number of rolls from which the reinforcing fibers are drawn, which is not practical.

[0017] The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and its object is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, and a method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin using the apparatus, wherein the apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin can connect the reinforcing fibers in front and behind with a relatively simple structure when switching reinforcing fibers.

[0018] Methods for solving problems

[0019] An apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin, relating to one embodiment of the present invention and intended to solve the aforementioned problems, comprises: an impregnation section that impregnates the reinforcing fibers with resin; and a switching device that switches the reinforcing fibers from a prior reinforcing fiber to a new reinforcing fiber at an upstream side above the impregnation section. During the switching of the reinforcing fibers, the switching device forms a fabric with the prior reinforcing fiber and the new reinforcing fiber as warp yarns and other fibers as weft yarns, thereby connecting the new reinforcing fiber to the prior reinforcing fiber.

[0020] In addition, a method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin, which is related to other embodiments of the present invention and is used to solve the above-mentioned problem, uses the aforementioned fiber-reinforced resin manufacturing apparatus to manufacture fiber-reinforced resin while switching the reinforcing fibers.

[0021] Invention Effects

[0022] According to the present invention, an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, and a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin using the apparatus are provided. The apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin can connect the reinforcing fibers in succession when switching reinforcing fibers with a relatively simple configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0023] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, in relation to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the situation where reinforcing fibers are bonded together in a composite part.

[0025] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 A~ Figure 3 D is a schematic diagram illustrating the situation where the switching device switches the reinforcing fiber held by the holding section to a new reinforcing fiber.

[0026] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 A is a schematic diagram showing the merged part before the switch. Figure 4 B is a schematic diagram showing the merged part after the switch.

[0027] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example configuration of a manufacturing apparatus for a fiber-reinforced resin, which has a removal section that removes the portion where the reinforcing fibers are formed into a fabric, and in which the reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, in relation to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The apparatus 100 for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin, in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, includes a yarn supply section 110, a guide path 120, a switching device 130a and a switching device 130b, an accumulator 140, an impregnation section 150, and a winding section 160.

[0030] The yarn supply section 110 supplies reinforcing fibers, which are impregnated with resin in the impregnation section 150 to form a fiber reinforcing resin. In this embodiment, the yarn supply section 110 is a spindle frame 114 equipped with a plurality of spindles 112, on which a spool 116 wound with reinforcing fibers 200 is rotatably mounted.

[0031] In this embodiment, the reinforcing fiber 200 is carbon fiber. However, the reinforcing fiber 200 can be any fiber that can be used to reinforce fiber resins, such as glass fiber and aramid fiber.

[0032] The guide path 120 sequentially guides the reinforcing fibers 200 supplied from the yarn supply section 110 to each component of the switching device 130, the accumulator 140, the impregnation section 150, and the take-up section 160. The guide path 120 has a plurality of guide rollers 122 and a feeder 124 consisting of two rollers facing each other in a manner that clamps the reinforcing fibers 200. The two rollers constituting the feeder 124 rotate in opposite directions and in a manner that clamps the reinforcing fibers, thereby causing the reinforcing fibers 200 to move along the movement path formed by the guide rollers 122.

[0033] The reinforcing fiber 200 is continuously drawn out from the spool 116 and moved by the feeder 124, thereby the reinforcing fiber 200 moves continuously and uninterruptedly on the guide path 120.

[0034] At this time, the feeder 124 applies a predetermined tension to the reinforcing fibers 200. Using this tension, the reinforcing fibers are aligned linearly in the direction of movement. By impregnating the reinforcing fibers with resin in the impregnation section 150 in this state, a UD sheet having multiple reinforcing fibers 200 arranged in a unidirectional orientation and a matrix resin impregnated in the reinforcing fibers 200 is manufactured.

[0035] In this embodiment, the guide path 120 has two feeders 124a and 124b. Feeder 124a is positioned downstream of the switching device 130 and upstream of the accumulator 140 in the direction of fiber 200 movement, adjusting the movement speed of the fiber 200 from the yarn supply section 110 until it passes through the switching device 130. Feeder 124b is positioned downstream of the impregnation section 150 and upstream of the winding section 160 in the direction of fiber 200 movement, adjusting the movement speed of the fiber 200 passing through the impregnation section 150. The movement speed of the fiber 200 based on feeder 124b determines the manufacturing speed of the fiber-reinforced resin based on the manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0036] In this embodiment, the guide path 120 has multiple holding portions 126a and 126b, which hold the reinforcing fibers 200a and 200b, respectively drawn from different spools 116a and 116b, at different positions. Furthermore, the guide path 120 has a combining portion 128, which combines the reinforcing fibers 200a and 200b held by the holding portions 126a and 126b. The guide path 120 then guides the combined reinforcing fibers 200a in the combining portion 128 towards the accumulator 140 and the impregnation portion 150.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the situation where reinforcing fibers 200a and 200b are combined in the combining part 128. In this embodiment, the holding part 126a draws out multiple reinforcing fibers 200a (…) from multiple spools 116a. Figure 2 In the process, five reinforcing fibers 200a drawn from five spools 116a are introduced into the assembly unit 128. Additionally, the holding unit 126b holds multiple reinforcing fibers 200b drawn from multiple spools 116b. Figure 2 In this process, five reinforcing fibers (200b) drawn from five spools (116b) are introduced into the assembly part (128). It should be noted that... Figure 2 In this specification, the reinforcing fibers 200 drawn from one spool 116 are collectively referred to as one reinforcing fiber. However, in reality, each reinforcing fiber 200 is a bundle of single fibers (filament bundles) formed by aggregating multiple single fibers and binding them together using a binding material. In this specification, for ease of understanding, a bundle of individual filaments is represented as one reinforcing fiber 200.

[0038] Both holding portions 126a and 126b hold multiple reinforcing fibers 200 at intervals. Then, a merging portion 128 places one of the reinforcing fibers 200b held by the holding portion 126b in the interval between the reinforcing fibers 200a held by the holding portion 126a. The merging portion 128 then alternately arranges the reinforcing fibers 200a held by the holding portion 126a and the reinforcing fibers 200b held by the holding portion 126b, applying pressure along the thickness direction using a pair of rollers 128a and 128b, thereby merging these reinforcing fibers 200 into a sheet-like arrangement. This allows multiple reinforcing fibers 200 drawn from multiple spools 116 to be arranged in a planar (sheet-like) shape without gaps. It should be noted that, at this time, the ends of adjacent reinforcing fibers 200 can also be arranged to slightly overlap each other, thereby further reducing the likelihood of gaps between the reinforcing fibers 200. Furthermore, this allows for a more even distribution of the multiple reinforcing fibers 200 drawn from multiple spools 116, and also suppresses deviations in the physical properties of the UD sheet (caused by fiber interference during fiber opening and uneven fiber distribution within the manufactured UD sheet).

[0039] Switching devices 130a and 130b are disposed in each holding part to switch the reinforcing fiber held in each holding part from the previous reinforcing fiber to the new reinforcing fiber.

[0040] The switching of the reinforcing fiber 200 using the switching devices 130a and 130b is performed when the remaining amount of the reinforcing fiber 200a that can be extracted from the spool 116a decreases. Whether the remaining amount of the reinforcing fiber 200a has decreased can be determined based on the amount of reinforcing fiber 200a extracted from the spool 116a, or by measuring the amount of reinforcing fiber 200a wound on the spool 116a (e.g., measuring the thickness of the wound portion), or by reading a pre-marked mark indicating a small remaining amount from the extracted reinforcing fiber 200a.

[0041] Figure 3 A~ Figure 3 D is a schematic diagram showing the situation where the switching device 130a switches the reinforcing fiber 210 held by the holding part 126a to a new reinforcing fiber 220.

[0042] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing the switching device 130a before switching. The switching device 130a has two heald frames 1310 and 1320. Each of the heald frames 1310 and 1320 has multiple healds 1330 (first healds) and multiple healds 1340 (second healds), through which reinforcing fibers 200a (preceding reinforcing fibers 210) pass and are held. During the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 100, as... Figure 3 As shown in Figure A, the reinforcing fiber 200a passes through only the heald filament 1330 of one heald frame 1310. Alternatively, in this embodiment, the reinforcing fiber 200a drawn from one spool 116a may pass through only one heald filament 1330, or the reinforcing fiber 200a drawn from multiple spools 116a may pass through one heald filament 1330.

[0043] Figure 3 B and Figure 3 C is a schematic diagram showing the switching device 130a when switching the resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber to a new reinforcing fiber. Figure 3 B illustrates the operation of the switching device 130a when the remaining amount of the reinforcing fiber 200a (preceding reinforcing fiber 210) that can be drawn from the spool 116a through the heald frame 1310 decreases. Figure 3 In section B, the holding part 1360 holds the end of the reinforcing fiber 200a (new reinforcing fiber 220) wound on the spool 116a where the reinforcing fiber has not been pulled out, and guides it toward another heald frame 1320 through which the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 has not yet passed. Then, the new reinforcing fiber 220 is passed through the heald filament 1340 of the other heald frame 1320. In this state, new reinforcing fibers 220 are continuously pulled out from the spool 116a, and subsequent portions of the continuously pulled-out new reinforcing fibers 220 are also continuously passed through the heald filament 1340.

[0044] At this time, in the heddle wires 1330 of the heddle frame 1310, the reinforcing fiber 210 continues to pass through.

[0045] In this state, such as Figure 3 As shown in Figure C, heald frames 1310 and 1320 are moved up and down alternately, causing the multiple heald filaments 1330 and 1340 thereon to move up and down alternately as well. Then, between the preceding reinforcing fibers 210 and the new reinforcing fibers 220, whose positions in the vertical direction change due to the vertical movement of the heald filaments 1330 and 1340, other fibers 230 are passed through the weft insertion mechanism 1350 in a transverse direction approximately orthogonal to the direction of movement of these reinforcing fibers. By repeatedly performing the above-mentioned vertical movement and the passage of other fibers 230, a fabric section 240 is formed in which the preceding reinforcing fibers 210 and the new reinforcing fibers 220 serve as warp yarns and the other fibers 230 serve as weft yarns.

[0046] The method by which the weft insertion mechanism 1350 passes between the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 and the new reinforcing fiber 220 is not particularly limited. For example, a shuttle holding the other fibers 230 can pass between the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 and the new reinforcing fiber 220, or known weft insertion methods such as clamps and rapiers can be used, or methods such as water jets and air jets can be used.

[0047] The fabric portion 240 formed at this time only needs to have a strength that prevents the existing reinforcing fiber 210 and the new reinforcing fiber 220 from easily loosening even when subjected to tension applied to the reinforcing fiber 200 by the manufacturing device 100. For example, the manufacturing device typically applies a tension of about 1000 cN to the reinforcing fiber 200, so the fabric portion 240 only needs to have a strength that prevents it from loosening even when subjected to a tension of 1000 cN in the length direction of the reinforcing fiber.

[0048] From the above perspective, the number of times the other fibers 230 pass through (the number of weft yarns in the fabric portion 240) is preferably set to 5 times or more, more preferably 10 times or more, and even more preferably 15 times or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of shortening the length of the fabric portion 240 that will be removed from the manufactured UD sheet, the number of times the other fibers 230 pass through is preferably set to 100 times or less, more preferably 80 times or less, and even more preferably 50 times or less.

[0049] The width of the other fibers 230 in the direction of movement of the reinforcing fibers 200 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of shortening the length of the fabric portion 240 to be removed from the manufactured UD sheet, it is preferably set to 0.01 mm to 100 mm, more preferably to 0.05 mm to 80 mm, and even more preferably to 0.1 mm to 60 mm.

[0050] Alternatively, a reed (not shown) can be used to arrange the other fibers 230, which serve as weft yarns, without gaps. However, if the strength, etc., to the extent that the aforementioned loosening cannot be ensured, such arrangement using a reed is unnecessary. That is, the fabric portion 240 may have gaps between adjacent fibers 230.

[0051] Other fibers 230 can be reinforcing fibers made of the same material as the prior reinforcing fibers 210 and the new reinforcing fibers 220, or they can be reinforcing fibers made of different materials, or they can be other fibers. For example, when other fibers 230 are reinforcing fibers made of the same material as them, shorter excess fibers generated during the manufacture or processing of the reinforcing fibers impregnated in resin can be used as other fibers 230, enabling the reuse of the aforementioned excess fibers that would normally be discarded. Furthermore, when other fibers 230 are reinforcing fibers made of different materials, relatively inexpensive reinforcing fibers can be used as other fibers 230, thereby suppressing increases in manufacturing costs. It should be noted that when other fibers 230 are reinforcing fibers made of different materials, the other fibers 230 preferably have heat resistance to the extent that the fabric portion 240 will not loosen due to melting or softening, even at the temperature of the resin in the impregnated portion 150 where the resin melts at high temperatures. Examples of the aforementioned other fibers include synthetic fibers such as nylon fibers, acrylic fibers, polyester fibers, and polyolefin fibers, as well as natural fibers. Among them, from the viewpoint of improving the strength of the fabric portion 240 and thus preventing unwanted fabric breakage, reinforcing fibers are preferred, and carbon fibers are more preferred.

[0052] In the manner described above, the switching device 130a connects the prior reinforcing fiber 210 with the new reinforcing fiber 220 through the formation of the fabric portion 240. Figure 3 D is a schematic diagram showing the switching device 130a after the switch. After the fabric section 240 is formed, the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 is cut and the extraction is stopped, thereby extracting only the new reinforcing fiber 220 and conveying it to the impregnation section 150. Moreover, the new reinforcing fiber 220 conveyed at this time is connected to the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 through the fabric section 240, so the UD sheet can be continuously manufactured while switching reinforcing fibers without stopping the manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0053] So far, the switching of reinforcing fibers in one switching device 130a has been described. However, in this embodiment, the switching from the previous reinforcing fibers forming the fabric section to new reinforcing fibers is also performed simultaneously in another switching device 130b. Moreover, the new reinforcing fibers after the switching are arranged in sheets in the assembly section 128 and then merged together.

[0054] On the other hand, the switching device 130 arranges new reinforcing fibers 220 between adjacent reinforcing fibers of a plurality of prior reinforcing fibers 210 that move at intervals from each other, forming a fabric portion 240. Furthermore, after switching, the new reinforcing fibers 220 are moved to a position corresponding to the gaps between the fibers of the prior reinforcing fibers 210. In this embodiment, the two switching devices 130a and 130b each replace the positions where the prior reinforcing fibers 210 and the new reinforcing fibers 220 move. Therefore, the combined portion before switching is shown... Figure 4 A, and show the merged part after the switch. Figure 4 As shown in B, in the combined part 128, the positions of the reinforcing fiber 210 received from the switching device 130a (holding part 126a) and the reinforcing fiber 220 received from the switching device 130b (holding part 126b) are changed before and after the switching.

[0055] The manufacturing apparatus 100 can also slow down the movement speed of the reinforcing fiber 200 from the yarn supply section 110 until it is drawn from the yarn supply section 110 and passed through the switching device 130 by the feeder 124a (which is disposed downstream of the switching devices 130a and 130b and upstream of the accumulator 140) when the switching device 130 switches the reinforcing fiber 200. By slowing down the movement speed of the reinforcing fiber 200 in this range, a fabric section 240 with other fibers 230 arranged more tightly as weft yarns can be formed, thereby further improving the strength of the fabric section 240.

[0056] At this time, the accumulator 140 adjusts the length of the moving path of the reinforcing fiber 200 to keep the moving speed of the reinforcing fiber in the impregnation section 150 (the moving speed of the reinforcing fiber between the accumulator 140 and the winding section 160) the same as when there is no switching.

[0057] That is, the accumulator 140 has a configuration that allows for changing the length of the movement path of the reinforcing fiber 200, thereby changing the length (amount) of the reinforcing fiber 200 passing through the accumulator 140. Furthermore, when the reinforcing fiber 200 is not being switched, the movement path of the reinforcing fiber 200 in the accumulator 140 is increased, thereby increasing the length (amount) of the reinforcing fiber 200 passing through the accumulator 140. When the switching device 130 switches the reinforcing fiber 200, the length (amount) of the reinforcing fiber 200 passing through the accumulator 140 is decreased. Therefore, even when the passage speed of the reinforcing fiber 200 in the switching device 130 is slowed down, the amount of reinforcing fiber 200 transported from the accumulator 140 to the impregnation section 150 can be kept constant. In other words, the accumulator 140 pre-accumulates the reinforcing fiber 200 when the reinforcing fiber 200 is not switched, and releases the accumulated reinforcing fiber 200 little by little when the switching device 130 switches the reinforcing fiber 200, thereby maintaining a constant amount of reinforcing fiber 200 delivered from the accumulator 140 to the impregnation section 150.

[0058] The impregnation section 150 opens the reinforcing fiber 200 and impregnates the reinforcing fiber 200 with resin (thermoplastic resin).

[0059] In the impregnation section 150, firstly, the reinforcing fiber 200 is moved along the surface of the fiber-opening roller 152, causing the fiber-opening roller 152 to rub against the reinforcing fiber 200, thereby opening the reinforcing fiber 200. Next, the opened reinforcing fiber 200 is guided to the impregnation roller 154, where it moves along the surface of the impregnation roller 154. On the surface of the impregnation roller 154, the molten resin 158 extruded from the extruder 156 adheres to and rotates, and through the contact between the reinforcing fiber 200 and the surface of the impregnation roller 154, the resin 158 is impregnated in the reinforcing fiber 200.

[0060] It should be noted that the resin opening and impregnation methods are not limited to the methods described above. For example, during opening, the reinforcing fiber 200 can be rubbed against multiple opening rollers, or vibration can be applied to the reinforcing fiber 200 during opening. Additionally, a sizing agent can be applied to the reinforcing fiber 200 during opening to facilitate impregnation with the resin 158. Furthermore, during impregnation, methods such as impregnating the reinforcing fiber in a molten resin bath can be used to impregnate the reinforcing fiber 200 with resin.

[0061] However, in the manufactured UD sheet, the fabric portion 240, which serves as the connecting part of the reinforcing fibers 200, is not a part of the UD sheet that has the characteristic of the reinforcing fibers being unidirectionally oriented and arranged. Therefore, the portion corresponding to the fabric portion 240 can be cut off from the UD sheet during or after manufacturing.

[0062] From the above perspective, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may have a removal section that removes the portion of the reinforcing fiber 200 that forms the fabric (the portion impregnated with resin in the fabric portion 240).

[0063] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the manufacturing apparatus 300 for fiber-reinforced resin, in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, may have a thickness measuring section 310 for measuring the thickness of the composite formed by impregnating the reinforcing fibers 200 with resin, and a cutting section 320 for cutting the composite, on the downstream side of the impregnation section 150. It should be noted that the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 300, located upstream of the impregnation section 150, may be similar to... Figure 1 The manufacturing apparatus 100 shown is similar, therefore, in Figure 5 Only the structure downstream of the impregnated portion 150 is shown. Furthermore, the composite for which thickness is measured and cut can be a UD sheet obtained by cooling and curing the impregnated resin, or the composite before cooling and curing.

[0064] The thickness measuring unit 310 measures the thickness of the composite after resin impregnation. The thickness of the portion where the reinforcing fibers 200 form a fabric is increased due to the fabric portion 240. Since the fabric portion 240 is formed by weaving and overlapping other fibers 230 into the preceding reinforcing fibers 210 and the new reinforcing fibers 220, the thickness of the composite is greater than other portions. Therefore, it can be determined that the portion with the larger thickness measured by the thickness measuring unit 310 is the portion of the composite where the reinforcing fibers 200 form a fabric.

[0065] The cutting section 320 cuts the composite before and after the portion where the thickness measured by the thickness measuring section 310 is large and is determined to be a portion where the reinforcing fiber 200 has formed a fabric. This allows the portion where the reinforcing fiber 200 has formed a fabric to be removed from the composite.

[0066] It should be noted that the front end of the new reinforcing fiber 220 held by the holding part 1360 does not form a fabric portion 240. Similarly, the rear end of the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 also does not form a fabric portion 240. Therefore, the cutting part 320 can remove these portions of the new reinforcing fiber 220 or the preceding reinforcing fiber 210 that do not form a fabric portion 240 from the composite. For example, the cutting part 320 can remove the following portions from the composite: portions corresponding to the fabric portion 240, and portions that are shorter than the same length as the fabric portion 240 (preferably half the length of the fabric portion 240) on the upstream and downstream sides along the moving direction of the reinforcing fiber 200.

[0067] The UD sheet with the aforementioned portions removed is recycled to the recycling section 330 as a sheet-like UD sheet. It should be noted that in this embodiment, multiple UD sheets are stacked and recycled in the recycling section 330, but they can also be rolled up and recycled.

[0068] It should be noted that the method for removing the portion of the fabric formed by the reinforcing fiber 200 is not limited to the above-mentioned cutting; for example, the portion can also be removed by punching or other processes.

[0069] Furthermore, the method for determining the aforementioned location is not limited to the method of determining based on the thickness of the composite. For example, it can be removed at the time point when the reinforcing fiber 200 of a specified length (the length of one spool) is impregnated with resin, or it can be based on the signal indicating that the reinforcing fiber has been connected in the switching device 130a and the switching device 130b.

[0070] [Materials, etc.]

[0071] The materials used for the reinforcing fibers are not particularly limited. For example, carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, alumina fiber, silicon carbide fiber, boron fiber, and metal fiber can be used as the reinforcing fibers.

[0072] From the viewpoint of fully enhancing the strength improvement effect brought about by the reinforcing fibers, the average diameter of the aforementioned reinforcing fibers is preferably 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, and more preferably 4 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

[0073] In addition, the aforementioned reinforcing fibers can be sized using a sizing agent.

[0074] The sizing agent is not particularly limited, but is preferably a modified polyolefin, and more preferably a modified polyolefin containing a carboxylic acid metal salt. The modified polyolefin is obtained, for example, by grafting carboxylic acid groups, carboxylic anhydride groups or carboxylic acid ester groups onto the polymer chain of an unmodified polyolefin, and forming a salt between the functional group and the metal cation.

[0075] The aforementioned unmodified polyolefin is preferably an ethylene-based polymer with a structural unit content of 50 mol% or more from ethylene, or a propylene-based polymer with a structural unit content of 50 mol% or more from propylene. Examples of the aforementioned ethylene-based polymers include ethylene homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene with α-olefins having 3 to 10 carbon atoms. Examples of the aforementioned propylene-based polymers include propylene homopolymers and copolymers of propylene with ethylene or α-olefins having 4 to 10 carbon atoms. The aforementioned unmodified polyolefin is preferably homopolymer polypropylene, homopolymer polyethylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, propylene-1-butene copolymer, or ethylene-propylene-1-butene copolymer.

[0076] Alternatively, the aforementioned reinforcing fibers can be bundled together to form fiber bundles. In this case, the number of monofilaments in each bundled reinforcing fiber bundle is preferably 100 to 100,000, more preferably 1,000 to 50,000.

[0077] The material of the matrix resin is not particularly limited and can be either a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include polyolefin resins such as polypropylene resins and polyethylene resins, polyamide resins, polyester resins, polycarbonate resins, polyacetal resins, polyetherketone resins, polyetheretherketone resins, and polysulfone resins. Among these, polypropylene resins and polyamide resins are preferred. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving the affinity with the reinforcing fibers that have been sized using the sizing agent, the matrix resin may also include the modified polyolefins described above.

[0078] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0079] It should be noted that the above embodiments are each an example of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, various other embodiments are also possible, which is self-evident.

[0080] For example, in the embodiments described above, an example is shown where the prior reinforcing fiber 210 and the new reinforcing fiber 220 are reinforcing fibers formed of the same material, but the prior reinforcing fiber 210 and the new reinforcing fiber 220 may also be reinforcing fibers formed of different materials.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, an example is shown where each of the two holding parts has a switching device. However, it is also possible for each of the three or more holding parts to have a switching device. The reinforcing fibers from these holding parts are combined in the merging part. Alternatively, it can be configured such that one switching device is provided in one holding part without the merging part.

[0082] In addition, the reinforcing fibers extracted in the above embodiments can not only be used in the manufacture of UD sheets, but can also be cut (short-cut) and mixed with matrix resin to manufacture fiber-reinforced resins in which the reinforcing fibers are randomly oriented and configured.

[0083] The UD sheet manufactured using the aforementioned equipment can be used in: automotive parts including dashboards, door bumper beams, underbody covers, lamp covers, pedal covers, radiator brackets, spare tire covers, and various front-end components; electrical and electronic components including laptops, mobile phones, digital still cameras, PDAs, and plasma displays; and components for household and office electrical products such as telephones, fax machines, VTRs, copiers, televisions, microwave ovens, audio equipment, bathroom products, LaserDisc (registered trademark), refrigerators, and air conditioners. Furthermore, the UD sheet can be further shaped for use in pipes and pressure vessels.

[0084] Specific examples of the aforementioned applications include: components and parts of general flying bodies such as aircraft and helicopters, including primary structural materials such as main wings, vertical and horizontal tails, secondary structural materials such as ailerons, rudders and elevators, interior trim materials such as seats and platforms, power units, hydraulic cylinders, and compound brakes; rocket components and parts, including nozzle cones and engine housings; satellite components and parts, including antennas, structures, solar panels, battery boxes, and telescopes; mechanical components and parts, including frames, shafts, rollers, leaf springs, machine tool heads, robotic arms, handling arms, and synthetic fiber canisters; high-speed rotating body components, including centrifuge rotors and uranium enrichment cylinders; and electronic and electrical components and parts, including parabolic antennas, battery components, radar, and acoustic speaker cones. Cone), computer components, printer components, personal computer casings and tablet computer casings, etc.; automotive and motorcycle components and parts, including frame components, quasi-structural components, outer panel components, interior and exterior components, power units, other equipment - hydraulic cylinders, brakes, battery boxes, drive shafts, engine parts, spoilers, racing car bodies, crash cones, seats, tablet computers, telephone covers, bottom covers, side covers, gearbox covers, battery trays, rear steps, spare tire boxes, bus body walls and truck body walls, etc.; vehicle components and parts, including interior materials, floor panels, roof panels, maglev train bodies, Shinkansen / railway car bodies, windshield wipers, flatbeds and seats, etc.; marine components and parts - hulls, including hulls, masts, rudders, propellers, rigid sails, screws, military hulls, submarine hulls and deep-sea exploration vessels, including yachts, cruisers and boats, etc.; pressure vessel components and parts, including actuators. Cylinders, gas cylinders, hydrogen tanks, CNG tanks, and oxygen tanks, etc.; scientific device components and parts, including stirring blades, pipes, tanks, bottom pipes, and equipment piping, etc.; wind power generation components and parts, including blades, skins, frame structures, and de-icing systems, etc.; medical and nursing equipment components and parts and supplies, including X-ray diagnostic device components, wheelchairs, artificial bones, prosthetic feet and hands, T-shaped crutches, nursing assistive devices and robots (powered assistive tools), walking devices, and nursing beds, etc.; civil engineering and infrastructure components and parts, including CF composite cables, concrete reinforcement components, guardrails, bridges, tunnel walls, protective covers, cables, tension bars, strand rods, and flexible pipes, etc.; and components and parts for offshore oilfield drilling, including marine risers, flexible casings, flexible risers, and drilling risers, etc.Sports and leisure products, including fishing rods, reels, golf clubs, tennis rackets, badminton rackets, skis, ski poles, ice hockey sticks, snowmobiles, archery equipment, kendo bamboo swords, baseball bats, swimming diving boards, sports equipment, and sports helmets; bicycle parts, including frames, disc wheels, rims, handlebars, and saddles; household goods, including eyeglasses, handbags, umbrellas, and ballpoint pens; and other industrial components and parts, including plastic pallets, containers, logistics materials, resin molds, furniture, umbrellas, helmets, pipes, scaffolding, safety shoes, protective devices, fuel cell covers, drone blades, frames, clamps, and temporary tire racks; etc.

[0085] This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2021-053384, filed on March 26, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0086] Industrial availability

[0087] The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin, which relates to this invention, consists of reinforcing fibers arranged in a unidirectional orientation, and allows for the connection of preceding and subsequent reinforcing fibers during fiber switching with a relatively simple configuration. Therefore, this invention facilitates the continuous manufacturing of fiber-reinforced resin and is expected to contribute to the development of various fields using fiber-reinforced resin, particularly UD sheets.

[0088] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0089] Manufacturing apparatus for 100 and 300 fiber-reinforced resins

[0090] 110 Yarn Supply Department

[0091] 112 Spindle

[0092] 114 shaft bracket

[0093] 116, 116a, 116b spools

[0094] 120 Guidance Path

[0095] 122 guide rollers

[0096] 124, 124a, 124b feeders

[0097] 126a, 126b retaining parts

[0098] 128 in one

[0099] 128a and 128b rollers

[0100] 130a and 130b switching device

[0101] 140 Accumulator

[0102] 150 Impregnated portion

[0103] 152 Fiber Opening Roller

[0104] 154 Impregnation Roller

[0105] 156 Extruder

[0106] 158 Molten resin

[0107] 160 Rolling Section

[0108] 200, 200a, 200b reinforcing fibers

[0109] 210 Advanced reinforcing fibers

[0110] 220 New Reinforcing Fibers

[0111] 310 Thickness Measurement Section

[0112] 320 Cut-off section

[0113] 330 Recycling Department

[0114] 1310, 1320 crossframe

[0115] 1330, 1340 hemp fibers

[0116] 1350 weft insertion mechanism

[0117] 1360 Control Department

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin, wherein the fiber-reinforced resin is a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, and the apparatus comprises: Impregnation portion, wherein the resin is impregnated in the reinforcing fiber; A switching device that switches the reinforcing fiber from a prior reinforcing fiber to a new reinforcing fiber on a side upstream of the impregnation section; and The removal section removes the reinforcing fibers from the fiber-reinforcing resin impregnated in the impregnation section, forming a portion of the fabric. The switching device forms a fabric with the prior reinforcing fiber and the new reinforcing fiber as warp yarns and other fibers as weft yarns when the reinforcing fiber is switched, thereby connecting the new reinforcing fiber with the prior reinforcing fiber.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1, wherein, The switching device has: The first heddle fiber holds one of the new reinforcing fiber and the prior reinforcing fiber and moves up and down. The second heddle, which holds the new reinforcing fiber and another of the preceding reinforcing fibers and moves up and down, and The weft insertion mechanism allows the reinforcing fibers to pass laterally between the reinforcing fibers held by the first and second heddles.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising: Multiple retaining portions, wherein the multiple retaining portions hold the multiple reinforcing fibers in different positions relative to each other; and A combining section receives the plurality of reinforcing fibers from the plurality of holding sections and combines them together, then conveys them to the impregnation section. The multiple switching devices are respectively disposed in the multiple holding parts.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 3, wherein, Each of the plurality of retaining portions retains a plurality of the reinforcing fibers. In the assembly section, multiple reinforcing fibers received from the plurality of holding sections are alternately arranged and assembled into a sheet, and the arrangement of the multiple reinforcing fibers received from the plurality of holding sections is changed before and after the switching of the reinforcing fibers using the switching device.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The switching device forms the fabric using reinforcing fibers made from the same material as the new reinforcing fibers and the prior reinforcing fibers as the weft yarn.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The switching device forms the fabric by using reinforcing fibers made of a material different from the new reinforcing fibers and the prior reinforcing fibers as the weft yarn.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The reinforcing fiber is carbon fiber.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced resin as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The resin is a thermoplastic resin.

9. A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin, wherein the fiber-reinforced resin is a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are unidirectionally oriented and arranged, and the manufacturing method uses the fiber-reinforced resin manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and manufactures the fiber-reinforced resin while switching reinforcing fibers.

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