Resin impregnated fiber bundle manufacturing method

Abstract

To suppress occurring of fuzz accumulation on and winding of fibers around a guide member when manufacturing a resin impregnated fiber bundle.SOLUTION: A resin impregnated fiber bundle manufacturing method has a resin impregnation tank that stores resin, and resin impregnation equipment in which a part of a resin impregnating roller is dipped in resin in the resin impregnation tank. The method has at least a resin impregnation step to impregnate the fiber bundle delivered with the resin. A cover for preventing resin dispersion is provided at least on a part of the resin impregnation equipment so as to cover the resin impregnating roller in the resin impregnation tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle for manufacturing a tow prepreg or a fiber-reinforced resin (hereinafter, FRP: Fiber Reinforced Plastics) molded product.

Background Art

[0002] Since FRP has excellent mechanical properties such as high strength and high elastic modulus, it is widely used in general industrial applications such as automobiles and wind power generation, and various intermediate materials represented by prepregs and various molding methods have also been developed. Among them, tow prepregs and filament winding molding methods are intermediate materials and molding methods that use continuous reinforced fibers impregnated with resin, and are suitable for obtaining high-strength FRP molded products.

[0003] In the manufacturing method of these intermediate materials and the molding method of FRP, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a reinforcing fiber bundle and a liquid resin are prepared separately, and after being integrated in the manufacturing process, they are generally molded into a desired state or shape. In these manufacturing processes, the liquid resin is stored in a tank called a resin impregnation tank, and a resin impregnation roller with a part of its lower outer periphery immersed in the liquid rotates, so that a predetermined amount of the liquid resin is scooped up onto the resin impregnation roller. The fiber bundle is stretched in a state of being aligned on the upper outer periphery of the resin impregnation roller, and the liquid resin whose adhesion amount has been adjusted by a scraper provided near the roller touches the fiber bundle due to the rotation of the roller and impregnates into the fiber bundle. At this time, in order to improve productivity, a plurality of fiber bundles are often used and impregnation is performed simultaneously on one roller. In order to suppress the variation in the amount of resin impregnated into each fiber bundle due to meandering while maintaining the yarn width of the fiber bundle, guide members are provided in the front and rear (upstream side and downstream side) in the fiber bundle traveling direction of the resin impregnation tank to regulate the yarn path of the fiber bundle. Such guide members include simple bar-shaped members, comb guides in which a plurality of pin members are erected on the bar-shaped member in a comb shape to correspond to the regulation of the yarn paths of a plurality of fiber bundles, feed rollers for feeding the fiber bundles, etc. However, in any of the guide members, in order to ensure the effect of regulating the yarn path, they are installed closest to the resin impregnation tank.

[0004] However, with this arrangement of the resin impregnation tank and guide members, when the resin-impregnated rollers installed in the resin impregnation tank scoop up the liquid resin, the liquid resin turns into a mist and splashes, adhering to the guide members and other peripheral equipment. If this mist of liquid resin adheres to the guide members, especially those installed upstream of the resin impregnation tank, the fiber bundles passing through these guide members are not yet impregnated with resin. The adhesiveness of the liquid resin causes portions of the fiber bundles to be held back by the guide members and not proceed downstream, resulting in fuzz accumulation and fiber winding. Once such fuzz accumulation and winding occurs, fibers continue to get caught on them, causing cumulative growth. Furthermore, the fiber bundles being fed out can also be damaged by the fuzz accumulation, which can lead to further fuzz accumulation and winding in other locations. Some of the fuzz accumulation can also flow downstream and become contaminated in products, resulting in quality issues. In addition, accumulated lint and tangles must be removed frequently, resulting in reduced productivity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-185930 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-120210 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To avoid the adhesion of mist-like resin that causes such fuzz and fiber winding, moving the guide member away from the resin impregnation tank is one solution. However, since the effect of guiding the yarn path as a guide decreases, there is a risk of causing other problems such as fluctuations in the resin impregnation amount in the fiber bundle and contact between adjacent filaments. In recent filament winding molding, there is a tendency towards higher speeds, such as the running speed of the fiber bundle exceeding several tens of meters per minute and in some cases exceeding 100 meters per minute. Along with this, the rotational speed of the resin impregnation roller also increases, so the amount of mist generated is large and it scatters far, so moving the guides away from the resin impregnation tank is not a solution.

[0007] In view of the problems of such prior art, when manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle that suppresses contamination of the guide member due to liquid resin scattering in the resin impregnation tank, suppresses the generation of fuzz accumulation and winding on the guide member, and has high productivity.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle in which a resin-free fiber bundle continuously fed out is impregnated with liquid resin, and at least has a resin impregnation step of impregnating the fiber bundle with liquid resin. In the resin impregnation step, it is provided with a resin impregnation tank storing the liquid resin to be impregnated and a resin impregnation facility including a resin impregnation roller partially immersed in the liquid resin stored in the resin impregnation tank. In the resin impregnation facility, a resin scattering prevention cover is provided on at least a part of the resin impregnation facility so as to cover the resin impregnation roller.

[0009] Also, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that the resin scattering prevention cover is provided so as to cover only the upstream side of the resin impregnation facility.

[0010] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that the resin scattering prevention cover is provided so as to cover the entire resin impregnation equipment.

[0011] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that an antifouling treatment is applied to the surface of the resin scattering prevention cover facing the resin impregnation roller.

[0012] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, in the resin scattering prevention cover, it is preferable that an inclined surface is provided so that the scattered liquid resin aggregates and slides off the resin scattering prevention cover and returns to the resin impregnation tank.

[0013] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inclined surface is formed in an S shape.

[0014] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that a slit through which the fiber bundle passes is provided in the resin scattering prevention cover.

[0015] Further, in the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the present invention, it is preferable that the resin impregnation equipment is a kiss coater.

[0016] By adopting the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle as described above, a resin scattering prevention cover for preventing liquid resin scattering is provided at at least a part of the resin impregnation tank so as to cover the resin impregnation roller. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the mist-like liquid resin accompanying the rotation of the resin impregnation roller from scattering outside the resin impregnation tank, particularly upstream of the resin impregnation tank, and adhering to the guide member that regulates the yarn path of the fiber bundle. As a result, it is possible to suppress the generation of fiber fluff accumulation and winding around the guide member.

[0017] Furthermore, by applying an antifouling treatment to the surface of the resin splash prevention cover on the side of the resin impregnation roller and providing an inclined surface (in an S shape) on the resin splash prevention cover, the scattered mist-like liquid resin is repelled on the surface of the resin splash prevention cover and slides on the surface of the resin splash prevention cover, so that the scattered liquid resin can be naturally recovered into the resin impregnation tank. As a result, it is possible to prevent the resin splash prevention cover from being soiled by the scattering of the liquid resin mist, and thus the cleaning frequency of the resin splash prevention cover can also be reduced.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle of the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle that suppresses contamination of a guide member due to scattering of liquid resin in a resin impregnation tank and suppresses the generation of fluff accumulation and winding in the guide member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the parts described as examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only thereto without specific description, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0021] An example of manufacturing flow 1 using the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Manufacturing flow 1 mainly includes a fiber bundle feeding facility 100 responsible for the fiber bundle feeding process, a fiber bundle guiding facility 200 responsible for the guiding process of guiding the fed fiber bundle, a resin impregnation facility 400 responsible for the resin impregnation process of impregnating the fiber bundle with liquid resin, and a fiber bundle winding facility 300 responsible for the winding process of winding the fiber bundle impregnated with liquid resin, which are arranged in this order.

[0022] The resin impregnation facility 400 in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0023] The fiber bundle 103 without resin impregnation contacts the resin impregnation roller 402 while a certain tension is applied by the feed rollers 403a and 403b. Further, in order to suppress the meandering of the fiber bundle 103 with respect to the transport direction 407, guide members 404a and 404b for regulating the yarn path are provided on the upstream and downstream sides of the resin impregnation tank 401, respectively. The shapes of the guide members 404a and 404b are not particularly limited, and various shapes are used, such as a simple bar-shaped member or a comb guide in which a plurality of pin members are erected on the bar-shaped member to enhance the effect of regulating the yarn paths of a plurality of fiber bundles.

[0024] The impregnation of the liquid resin into the fiber bundle of the present invention is in the kiss coater method. A part of the lower outer periphery of the resin impregnation roller 402 is immersed in the liquid resin 405 stored in the resin impregnation tank 401, and the resin impregnation roller 402 rotates in the direction of arrow 406 in the same direction as the transport direction 407 of the fiber bundle 103. A scraper 408 is arranged on the resin impregnation roller 402 with a gap at a predetermined interval, and the resin picked up by the resin impregnation roller 402 is adjusted by the scraper 408 to have a constant film thickness. Then, the resin impregnation roller 402 with a certain amount of liquid resin 405 attached contacts the fiber bundle 103, and the liquid resin 405 is applied from one side of the fiber bundle 103 and impregnates into the fiber bundle to become a resin-impregnated fiber bundle.

[0025] The fiber bundle 103 used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, boron fiber, alumina fiber, graphite fiber, etc. Further, it is also possible to use a mixture of two or more of these as a fiber bundle. Among them, from the viewpoints of exhibiting high mechanical properties and ease of designing such properties, it is preferable to contain carbon fiber. Further, the form of the fiber bundle is not particularly limited as long as it can be drawn from a bobbin, and rovings and cloths are used. In particular, for applications requiring particularly high strength, it is particularly preferable to use a roving in which the fibers are aligned in a single direction.

[0026] Furthermore, as an example of the liquid resin 405, a thermosetting resin is used, and examples thereof include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, vinyl ester resin, polyurethane resin, etc. In particular, when obtaining necessary heat resistance and environmental resistance performance, it is preferable to be an epoxy resin composition containing an epoxy resin and a curing agent. Further, in order to shorten the curing time, it is also possible to appropriately add a curing catalyst.

[0027] When manufacturing the resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to the configuration of FIG. 2, on the upstream side of the contact portion of the fiber bundle 103 with the resin-impregnating roller 402, since the resin-impregnating roller 402 rotates in the direction of scooping up the liquid resin 405, in addition to adhering to the resin-impregnating roller 402, it also scatters in a mist form and adheres to the feed roller 403a and the guide member 404a on the upstream side of the resin-impregnating tank 401. Since the fiber bundle 103 passing through the feed roller 403a and the guide member 404a is not impregnated with the liquid resin, a part of the passing fiber bundle 103 may be taken by the feed roller 403a and the guide member 404a due to the adhesiveness of the adhered liquid resin mist and deposited, and fluff accumulation and fiber winding may occur on the guide member. Therefore, it is important to provide at least a part of the resin-impregnating facility with a cover 409 for preventing resin scattering so as to cover the resin-impregnating roller 402 so that the liquid resin mist does not adhere to the feed roller 403a and the guide member 404a through which the resin-unimpregnated fiber bundle 103 passes.

Example

[0028] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which a resin scattering prevention cover is provided for the resin impregnation equipment 400 shown in FIG. 2.

[0029] Here, the resin scattering prevention cover 409 is provided for the resin impregnation equipment 400 in the space between the liquid level of the liquid resin 405 and the scraper 408 and the fiber bundle 103, and is provided so as to cover a part (the upstream tip) of the resin impregnation roller 402.

[0030] By arranging in this way, the liquid resin mist generated when the resin impregnation roller 402 scoops up and rotates the liquid resin 405 adheres to the inner wall 412 of the resin scattering prevention cover 409 and does not adhere to the feed roller 403a or the guide member 404a. Therefore, the generation of fluff accumulation and winding can be suppressed in these members due to the adhered liquid resin.

[0031] The material of the resin scattering prevention cover 409 is not particularly limited, and can be arbitrarily selected from metals, resins, glass, ceramics, etc.

[0032] Here, the liquid resin adhering to the resin scattering prevention cover 409 undergoes a curing reaction and becomes a cured product on the inner wall 412. As a result of the generated cured product falling and mixing into the liquid resin 405, there is a risk of mixing into the fiber bundle 103 as a foreign substance.

[0033] Therefore, it is required to clean the resin scattering prevention cover 409 at an appropriate timing. However, due to the arrangement of the resin scattering prevention cover 409, there is a problem that it is difficult to clean. In order to improve the dirt caused by such adhered liquid resin and the cleanability, it is preferable to perform an antifouling treatment on the inner wall 412 of the resin scattering prevention cover 409. The antifouling treatment is not particularly limited, but a coating treatment with a known material containing a fluororesin or a silicone resin can be adopted. By performing such an antifouling treatment, the liquid resin mist adhered to the inner wall 412 is repelled by the inner wall 412 and aggregates and grows into droplets. Then, the grown droplets slide down along the inner wall 412 due to their own weight. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of the scattered liquid resin on the resin scattering prevention cover, and the scattered portion can be recovered into the resin impregnation tank 401. As a result, it leads to an improvement in the cleanability associated with the liquid resin dirt of the resin scattering prevention cover 409.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a resin scattering prevention cover according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The resin scattering prevention cover 410 is provided so as to cover the upstream side of a part of the resin impregnation facility 400 with respect to the apex of the resin impregnation roller 402 so as to overlap the fiber bundle 103. Further, a slit 413 is provided in the resin scattering prevention cover 410, and the fiber bundle 103 is configured to pass through the slit 413 and be guided to the resin impregnation roller 402.

[0035] In the resin splash prevention cover 409 of FIG. 3, since it is arranged between the fiber bundle 103 and the liquid surface of the liquid resin 405, it is necessary to avoid interfering with the fiber bundle 103 and the scraper 408. By adopting such a configuration, a slit 413 for guiding the fiber bundle 103 to the resin splash prevention cover 410 is provided, so that interference with the fiber bundle 103 and the scraper 408 can be avoided, the degree of freedom of arrangement can be increased, and the effect of suppressing the scattering of the resin mist to the feed roller 403a and the guide member 404a can be further enhanced. In addition, since the resin splash prevention cover 410 does not cover the downstream side of the resin impregnation facility 400, it is possible to visually recognize the impregnation state of the liquid resin 405 in the resin impregnation tank 401, the resin impregnation roller 402, and further the fiber bundle 103. In addition, for a part (above the fiber bundle 103) of the inner wall 412 of the resin splash prevention cover 409 to which the resin mist adheres, it can also be cleaned from the downstream side of the resin impregnation facility 400.

[0036] Regarding the shape and dimensions of the slit 413, they can be arbitrarily set according to the state of the fiber bundle 103 such as the number of filaments. However, if it is approximately the same size as the fiber bundle 103, there is a risk that the fiber bundle 103 may come into contact with the edge of the slit 413 when the fiber bundle 103 meanders, and there is a risk of fluff accumulation and yarn damage at the slit 413, so this is not preferable. On the contrary, if it is made too wide, there is a risk that the resin mist will pass through the slit 413 and scatter outside the resin splash cover 409, so that is not preferable either. As an example, when the slit 413 is rectangular, it is preferable to set the dimensions to about 1.5 to 2 times the width of the fiber bundle in the width direction of the fiber bundle and about 2 to 3 times the thickness of the fiber bundle in the thickness direction, so as to avoid the above-mentioned phenomena and suppress the scattering of the liquid resin 405. Furthermore, in order to prevent the fiber bundle 103 from accidentally coming into contact with the edge of the slit 413 and causing rubbing damage, it is preferable to perform processing to round the appropriate corners at the edge. In addition, when impregnating a plurality of fiber bundles 103 with resin in the resin impregnation facility 400, the slit 413 can be provided for each fiber bundle, or the fiber bundles 103 can be passed through a single slit together.

[0037] In addition to applying an antifouling treatment to the inner wall 412, the resin splash prevention cover 410 preferably has an inclined surface so that the attached liquid resin mist can return to the resin impregnation tank 401 along the inner wall 412. As the shape of such an inclined surface, it is preferable to provide an inclined surface that is S-shaped in cross-section as shown in FIG. 4. At the portion 414 from the liquid surface of the liquid resin 405 where liquid resin mist splashing and adhesion are relatively high to the periphery of the slit 413, the angle of the inclined surface is made steep to promote sliding, and at the cover upper part 415 where the fiber bundle 103 contacts the resin impregnation roller 402, by giving an arc shape similar to that of the resin impregnation roller 402, the resin splash prevention effect and the liquid resin recovery efficiency are greatly improved.

[0038] (Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the resin splash prevention cover 411 which is the third embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment, the other configurations except for the resin splash prevention cover 411 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

[0039] The resin splash prevention cover 411 in FIG. 5 is provided so as to cover the entire resin impregnation facility 400. The schematic shape of the resin splash prevention cover is a shape formed by combining the cross-section S-shaped resin splash prevention cover 410 shown in FIG. 3 reversed to the downstream side. When the feeding speed of the fiber bundle 103 becomes high such that it exceeds 100 meters per minute, liquid resin mist is generated not only when the resin impregnation roller 402 scoops up the liquid resin 405, but also from the fiber bundle 103 impregnated with the liquid resin and when the resin impregnation roller 402 contacts the fiber bundle 103 and then dips into the liquid resin 405 again. By covering the entire resin impregnation facility 400 with the resin splash prevention cover 411, it is possible to prevent the periphery of the resin impregnation facility 400 from being contaminated with the scattered liquid resin. As a result, the frequency of cleaning around the resin impregnation facility 400 can be reduced, and the exposure of these mist-like liquid resins to the operator can also be suppressed.

Industrial Applicability

[0040] The FRP material using the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle of the present invention is suitable for intermediate materials and molding methods that use continuous reinforcing fibers impregnated with a liquid resin, such as tow prepregs and filament winding molding methods. These intermediate materials and molding methods are particularly suitable for aircraft applications, sports applications, and general industrial applications. In general industrial applications, they are suitably used for civil engineering and construction material applications such as drive shafts, pressure vessels, flywheels, paper-making rollers, roofing materials, cables, reinforcing bars, and repair and reinforcement materials.

Explanation of Signs

[0041] 1 Overall configuration of the manufacturing flow using the method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle 100 Fiber bundle feeding equipment 102 (102a, 102b) Bobbin 103 (103a, 103b) Fiber bundle 104 (104a, 104b) Creel roller 200 Fiber bundle guiding equipment 201 (201a, 201b, 201c) Feeding roller 300 Fiber bundle winding equipment 301 Delivery eye 302 Mandrel 400 Resin impregnation equipment 401 Resin impregnation tank 402 Resin impregnation roller 403 (403a, 403b) Feeding roller 404 (404a, 404b) Guide member 405 Liquid resin 406 Rotation direction of the resin impregnation roller 407 Conveying direction of the fiber bundle 408 Scraper 409, 410, 411 Resin splash prevention cover 412 Inner wall of the resin splash prevention covers 409, 410, 411 413 Slit

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle in which a fiber bundle without resin impregnation is continuously fed and impregnated with a liquid resin, comprising: at least having a resin impregnation step of impregnating the fiber bundle with the liquid resin; in the resin impregnation step, comprising a resin impregnation facility having a resin impregnation tank storing the liquid resin to be impregnated and a resin impregnation roller partially immersed in the liquid resin stored in the resin impregnation tank; A method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle, characterized in that in the resin impregnation facility, a resin splash prevention cover is provided on at least a part of the resin impregnation facility so as to cover the resin impregnation roller.

2. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin splash prevention cover is provided so as to cover only the upstream side of the resin impregnation facility.

3. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin splash prevention cover is provided so as to cover the entire resin impregnation facility.

4. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that an antifouling treatment is applied to the surface of the resin splash prevention cover facing the resin impregnation roller.

5. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 4, characterized in that in the resin splash prevention cover, an inclined surface is provided so that the scattered liquid resin aggregates and slides down the resin splash prevention cover and returns to the resin impregnation tank.

6. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 5, characterized in that the inclined surface is formed in an S shape.

7. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 6, characterized in that a slit through which the fiber bundle passes is provided in the resin splash prevention cover.

8. The method for manufacturing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin impregnation facility is a kiss coater.

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