Tape sticking device, tape sticking method, and method for manufacturing a composite molded product

Abstract

To provide a tape application device capable of setting an application angle to a surface to be applied of a tape at an optimum angle or setting and adjusting the application angle in producing a fiber-reinforced plastic molded article by applying the tape to the surface to be applied and capable of improving performance related to tape application to the surface to be applied for a surface to be applied.SOLUTION: There is provided an ATL apparatus 1 provided with an ATL head 3 for applying a tape A to a surface to be applied 5a while pressing the tape A, the ATL head 3 provided with a feeder 9 for feeding the tape A to the surface to be applied 5a, pressing means 10 for pressing the tape A to the surface to be applied 5a, and heating means 80 for heating the tape A and / or the surface to be applied 5a, and the feeder 9 is attached to the pressing means 10 via a variable mechanism 9A so that an application angle to the surface to be applied 5a of the tape A is 10 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape sticking device, a tape sticking method, and a method for manufacturing a composite molded product. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tape sticking device used when manufacturing a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) molded product or the like by sticking a tape to a surface to be stuck, a tape sticking method using the device, and a method for manufacturing a composite molded product for manufacturing a molded product using the method.

Background Art

[0002] What is formed into a tape shape by previously impregnating a fiber bundle such as a carbon fiber with a resin is often called a prepreg tape, a UD tape, etc. Although not strictly, when the resin is a semi-cured thermosetting resin, it is often called a prepreg tape, and when it is a thermoplastic resin, it is often called a UD tape. In this specification, this definition will also be followed. It is known that a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) molded product having a desired shape can be manufactured by sticking these tapes to the surface to be stuck of a workpiece.

[0003] There are various names for the manufacturing methods of FRP molded products, such as the ATL (Auto Tape Layup) method, the ATW (Auto Tape Welding) method, and the AFP (Auto Fiber Placement) method. However, these manufacturing methods are not strictly distinguished. In this specification, the manufacturing method of sticking a tape to the surface to be stuck while pressing the tape will be collectively referred to as the ATL method, and the device (tape sticking device) will be referred to as an ATL device.

[0004] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part of an ATL head of an ATL device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. A device having a similar configuration is also disclosed in Patent Document 2. The ATL head 30 is configured by mounting an infrared lamp 8, a hot air nozzle 18, a feeder 9, a pressing means 10, etc. on a base material 70. The pressing means 10 includes a pressing roller 10a that presses the tape A against the surface 5a of the workpiece 5 to be pasted, and an air cylinder 10d. The workpiece 5 is made of, for example, an injection molded product of a thermoplastic resin. On the surface of the workpiece 5, a UD tape A impregnated with, for example, the same thermoplastic resin is pasted, and the workpiece 5 will be reinforced.

[0005] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Generally, the thermoplastic resin impregnated in the UD tape A is solid at room temperature, and unlike the case of a prepreg tape (impregnated with a thermosetting resin), its surface usually does not have adhesiveness or tackiness. Therefore, when pasting the UD tape A onto the surface 5a of the workpiece 5, it is necessary to heat at least the thermoplastic resin impregnated in the UD tape A to near its softening point or melting point.

[0006] For example, for polypropylene (hereinafter referred to as PP) with the lowest softening point temperature, it is around 150 °C. For the commonly used nylon-based (polyamide-based, hereinafter referred to as PA-based), for nylon 6 it is around 180 °C, for nylon 66 it is about 230 °C, and for the higher heat-resistant polyphenylene sulfide (hereinafter referred to as PPS), heating of about 280 °C is required.

[0007] Also, it is said that the finish of the molded product is greatly affected by the heating situation near the surface 5a to be pasted and the pasting angle of the UD tape A with respect to the surface 5a to be pasted.

[0008] In the case of the above-described ATL device, the feeder 9 is fixed to the base material 70 together with the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18, and it was not possible to reset the pasting angle of the UD tape A with respect to the surface 5a to be pasted to an optimal angle considering the difference in the material of the UD tape A.

[0009] Also, depending on the pasting conditions and the constituent materials of the tape A, there was also a problem that the probability of an accident in which the tape A bends during pasting increases.

[0010] From these circumstances, the emergence of a device in which the attachment angle of the tape A to the adherend surface 5a is set to the optimum angle or can be set and adjusted has been desired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0011]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when manufacturing a fiber-reinforced plastic molded product by attaching a tape to an adherend surface, the attachment angle of the tape to the adherend surface is set to the optimum angle or can be set and adjusted, and the object is to provide a tape attachment device, a tape attachment method, and a method for manufacturing a composite molded product that can enhance the performance related to tape attachment to the adherend surface.

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, a tape attachment device (1) according to the present invention is a tape attachment device including an attachment head that attaches a tape to an adherend surface while pressing the tape, wherein the attachment head includes a tape supply means for supplying the tape to the adherend surface, a pressing means for pressing the tape against the adherend surface, and a heating means for heating the tape and / or the adherend surface, and the tape supply means is attached to the pressing means via attachment means such that the attachment angle of the tape to the adherend surface is 10 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less.

[0014] Here, the attachment angle of the tape to the adherend surface means The angle formed between the direction in which the tape faces the pressing means and the surface (the surface to be adhered) of the workpieceThat is, according to the above tape sticking device (1), the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck can be set to an optimal angle to advance the sticking process, and the performance regarding tape sticking to the surface to be stuck can be enhanced to improve the finish of the molded product, for example, the finish strength. Also, by suppressing the sticking angle to 70 degrees or less, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of bending accidents of the tape in the sticking process and improve the finish of the molded product. Also, by maintaining the sticking angle at 10 degrees or more, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of contact accidents of the sticking head to the surface to be stuck.

[0015] Further, the tape sticking device (2) according to the present invention is the above tape sticking device (1), and it is preferable that the tape supply means is attached to the pressing means so that the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck is 20 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less. According to the above tape sticking device (2), the above-described effects in the tape sticking device (1) can be made more reliable.

[0016] Further, the tape sticking device (3) according to the present invention is the above tape sticking device (1) or (2), It is preferable that the attachment means includes a variable mechanism that makes the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck variable. According to the above tape sticking device (3), it is possible to easily perform the setting and adjustment of the sticking angle according to the type of the tape, for example, the difference in softening point.

[0017] Further, the tape sticking device (4) according to the present invention is the above tape sticking device (3), It is preferable that the variable mechanism includes a slide mechanism. According to the above tape sticking device (4), it is possible to more easily perform the setting and adjustment of the sticking angle according to the type of the tape, for example, the difference in softening point.

[0018] In addition, the tape applicator (5) according to the present invention preferably has, in any of the tape applicators (1) to (4) described above, the heating means configured to include a plurality of heating parts of different types. The heating gas type that blows hot air by the hot air nozzle has a simple structure and has the advantage of being able to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of the apparatus as compared with the radiation energy type using the infrared lamp or the laser light source. However, compared with the radiation energy type using an infrared lamp or the like, the controllability of the heating temperature on the surface to be pasted is slightly inferior. In the tape applicator (5) described above, since it includes a plurality of heating parts of different types, for example, different types such as the heating gas type and the radiation energy type, the apparatus can be configured while making the most of the features of both, suppressing the initial cost and the running cost in the tape pasting process, and moreover, it is also possible to improve the performance regarding the tape pasting on the surface to be pasted.

[0019] In addition, the tape applicator (6) according to the present invention is the tape applicator (5) described above, Among the plurality of heating parts, it is preferable that at least one is of the radiation energy type and at least one of the others is of the heating gas type. According to the tape applicator (6) described above, by combining the high control performance of the radiation energy type while making the most of the initial cost and running cost reduction effect of the heating gas type, it is possible to suppress the initial cost and the running cost in the tape pasting process and improve the controllability to improve the finish of the molded product.

[0020] In addition, the tape applicator (7) according to the present invention is the tape applicator (5) or (6) described above, and among the plurality of heating parts, it is preferable that at least one is arranged above the tape and at least one of the others is arranged below the tape. For example, a device using a radiant energy method may be arranged above the tape, and a device using a heated gas method may be arranged below the tape.

[0021] According to the above tape sticking device (7), it becomes easy to appropriately heat not only the surface to be stuck but also the tape itself, and in some cases, it is possible to suppress bending of the tape, and it may become easy to improve the performance related to tape sticking and improve the finish of the molded product.

[0022] Further, the tape sticking device (8) according to the present invention preferably includes a variable mechanism that makes the arrangement of the heating means with respect to the pressing means variable in any one of the above tape sticking devices (1) to (7).

[0023] In the step of sticking the tape, the amount of electric power to be supplied to the heating means is greatly affected by the distance from the heating means to the surface to be stuck. According to the above tape sticking device (8), the distance from the heating means to the surface to be stuck can be freely adjusted via the variable mechanism, and the heating means can be brought closer to the surface to be stuck to the shortest distance within a range suitable for controlling the heating means. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the amount of power consumption to the limit, and it becomes possible to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of the molded product. In addition, since the capacity (output) of the heating means can be reduced, it becomes possible to select a small and low-cost heating means, and it is also possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the device. Furthermore, it becomes possible to optimize the heating area, realize heating only at necessary locations, suppress the influence of heat on the periphery (non-sticking locations), and improve the finish of the molded product. Also, it becomes easy to advance the sticking process by heating the surface to be stuck to an optimal temperature while maintaining the optimal distance for controlling the heating means, and it also becomes easy to improve the performance related to tape sticking to the surface to be stuck and improve the finish of the molded product.

[0024] Moreover, the tape sticking method (1) according to the present invention is a tape sticking method for sticking the tape onto the surface to be stuck, using any one of the tape sticking devices (1) to (8), and it is preferable that the thickness of the tape is in the range of 0.16 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0025] According to the tape sticking method (1) described above, by setting the thickness of the tape within this range, the number of times of sticking the tape to the desired thickness can be reduced to suppress power consumption, while suppressing folding, tangling, and lamination disorder of the tape, and improving the characteristics (elastic modulus, strength) of the molded product and durability characteristics such as heat aging resistance and hot water resistance. Further, it is more preferable that the thickness of the tape is in the range of 0.2 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. When the thickness of the tape is 0.2 mm or more, in addition to the above effects, the effect of suppressing the deviation of the sticking position due to the hot air from the heating means can be enhanced. Also, when the thickness of the tape is 0.5 mm or less, the tape is less likely to be damaged by the tape support means. Therefore, it becomes easier to support the tape, and since the tape has appropriate rigidity, the weldability to the surface to be stuck can be improved.

[0026] Moreover, the tape sticking method (2) according to the present invention is a tape sticking method for sticking the tape onto the surface to be stuck, using any one of the tape sticking devices (1) to (8), and it is preferable that the tape is composed of a fiber bundle in which at least a part is impregnated with resin in advance, and the resin is composed of a thermoplastic resin.

[0027] According to the tape sticking methods (1) and (2) described above, the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck can be set to an optimal angle to proceed with the sticking process, and the performance regarding tape sticking to the surface to be stuck can be enhanced to improve the finish of the molded product, for example, the finish strength. Also, by suppressing the sticking angle to 70 degrees or less, the occurrence of folding accidents of the tape in the sticking process can be prevented, and the finish of the molded product can be improved. In addition, by maintaining the pasting angle at 10 degrees or more, it is also possible to prevent the occurrence of contact accidents of the pasting head on the surface to be pasted in the pasting process.

[0028] Further, according to the above tape pasting method (2), since the tape is composed of a fiber bundle in which at least a part is impregnated with resin in advance and the resin is composed of a thermoplastic resin, there are few voids in the fiber bundle impregnated with the resin, and it is not necessary to extremely melt the resin during welding. Therefore, a molded product with high mechanical properties can be obtained while suppressing the power consumption. Also, when adopting the tape pasting method (2) according to the present invention, it is preferable to adopt the above tape pasting method (1).

[0029] Further, the tape pasting method (3) according to the present invention is a tape pasting method in which any one of the above tape pasting devices (1) to (8) is used to paste the tape on the surface to be pasted, it is preferable that the tape is composed of a fiber bundle in which at least a part is impregnated with resin in advance, and the fiber bundle is formed by introducing continuous fibers into an impregnation die filled with molten thermoplastic resin and pulling them out from a slit die.

[0030] According to the above tape pasting method (3), by using the tape formed by introducing continuous fibers into an impregnation die filled with thermoplastic resin and pulling them out from a slit die, a high-strength and high-quality molded product can be manufactured. Also, when adopting the tape pasting method (3) according to the present invention, it is preferable to adopt the above tape pasting method (1) or (2) or both of them.

[0031] Further, the tape pasting method (4) according to the present invention is in the above tape pasting method (2) or (3), it is preferable to paste the tape on the surface to be pasted while suppressing at least the surface temperature of the pressing means below the softening point of the resin.

[0032] According to the above tape sticking method (4), while preventing the tape from sticking to the pressing means, the tape can be pressed against the surface to be stuck, and the tape sticking operation can be made smooth.

[0033] Also, the tape sticking method (5) according to the present invention is any one of the above tape sticking methods (1) to (4), it is preferable that the surface to be stuck contains a thermoplastic resin. According to the above tape sticking method (5), the performance regarding tape sticking to the surface to be stuck can be enhanced.

[0034] Also, the tape sticking method (6) according to the present invention is any one of the above tape sticking methods (1) to (5), it is preferable to adjust the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck according to the characteristics of the tape. According to the above tape sticking method (6), while preventing the occurrence of bending accidents of the tape and contact accidents of the sticking head to the surface to be stuck in the sticking process, the performance regarding tape sticking to the surface to be stuck can be further enhanced, and the finish of the molded product, for example, the strength can be further improved.

[0035] Also, the manufacturing method (1) of the composite molded product according to the present invention preferably uses any one of the above tape sticking methods (1) to (6) to manufacture a molded product in which the tape is stuck to the surface to be stuck and molded.

[0036] According to the above manufacturing method (1) of the composite molded product, a molded product with enhanced performance regarding tape sticking to the surface to be stuck can be manufactured. For example, the strength can be improved, and a molded product excellent in strength and appearance can be manufactured.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0038] Hereinafter, a tape pasting device, a tape pasting method, and a method for manufacturing a composite molded product according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the entire ATL device 1 according to the embodiment. The ATL device 1 includes an articulated robot 2, an ATL head 3 attached to the tip portion of the arm 2a of the articulated robot 2, a tape conveying means 4 for supplying and conveying a tape A pre-cut to the ATL head 3, a mounting table 13 on which the cut tape A is placed, a work table 6 for holding a work 5, and the like.

[0040] The work 5 in the present embodiment is made of, for example, an injection molded product of a thermoplastic resin, and a cut (UD) tape A made of a carbon fiber bundle impregnated with the same thermoplastic resin is pasted on its surface for reinforcement. The shape of the work 5, the position where the tape A is pasted, and the length of the paste are determined in advance by design.

[0041] As the articulated robot 2, a commercially available general-purpose industrial robot can be used. The ATL head 3 is attached to the tip portion of the arm 2a of the articulated robot 2.

[0042] In the ATL head 3, as shown in Fig. 2, the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 are attached to the pressing means 10 side via the variable mechanism 7. The variable mechanism 7 is composed of a link portion 7a and a slide portion 7b. The infrared lamp 8 is supported by the link portion 7a, the hot air nozzle 18 is supported by the slide portion 7b, and the relative position with respect to the pressing means 10 can be freely adjusted within the range allowed by the link portion 7a and the slide portion 7b, for example, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the positions shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4. In this embodiment, due to the action of the variable mechanism 7, both the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 can vary their relative positions with respect to the pressing means 10. However, in another embodiment, at least one of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 may be configured to have a variable relative position.

[0043] The infrared lamp 8 is provided with an optical system (not shown) such as a reflector and a lens. Aiming at a slightly upstream side of the sticking point indicated by B in Fig. 2 and condensing infrared rays in that area, it is configured to mainly heat the adherend surface 5a existing in that area. A non-contact temperature sensor 17 is attached to the case of the infrared lamp 8.

[0044] The hot air nozzle 18 incorporates a heater (not shown) and is configured to heat the nitrogen gas supplied from a supply system (not shown) and eject it as heated gas at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate from its tip. The heated gas from the hot air nozzle 18 is also blown onto an area slightly upstream of the sticking point B and is configured to mainly heat the adherend surface 5a. Note that as the gas to be supplied, in addition to nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas or air may also be used.

[0045] The feeder 9 is attached to the pressing means 10 via a variable mechanism 9A as an attachment means. The variable mechanism 9A includes an arcuate slider portion 9a, a slide groove 9aa formed in the slider portion 9a, and an engaging projection (not shown) that engages with and slides in the slide groove 9aa. This engaging projection is formed on the case portion of the feeder 9, and by sliding the engaging projection within the slide groove 9aa, the attachment angle of the tape A to the surface 5a to be attached is made variable.

[0046] The feeder 9 that holds and conveys the tape A incorporates, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, conveyor belts 11a and 11b, and the tape A is sandwiched between the conveyor belts 11a and 11b and conveyed. Heaters 12a and 12b are disposed inside the conveyor belts 11a and 11b, and are configured to be able to preheat the conveyor belts 11a and 11b to a predetermined temperature. By conveying the tape A between the preheated conveyor belts 11a and 11b, it is also possible to preheat the tape A to a predetermined temperature before the tape A reaches the attachment point B. Note that this preheating is not essential, and may not be required depending on the constituent materials, thickness, etc. of the tape A and the workpiece 5.

[0047] The pressing means 10 is configured such that a pressing roller 10a is attached to a base portion 10c via a roller support portion 10b. The pressing roller 10a presses the tape A against the surface 5a to be attached, and an air cylinder 10d that applies pressure to the pressing roller 10a is disposed within the roller support portion 10b.

[0048] The tape conveying means 4 (FIG. 1) includes a mounting table 13 on which the tape A cut to a predetermined length in advance is loaded, a pickup hand 14 that picks up the tape A one by one from the mounting table 13, and gantry shafts 15 and 16 that move the pickup hand 14 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The pickup hand 14 is provided with a plurality of vacuum suction chucks 14a, and the vacuum suction chucks 14a pick up the tapes A stacked on the mounting table 13 one by one.

[0049] The work 5 to which the tape A is to be attached has various shapes (three-dimensional shapes). Therefore, in the ATL head 3, in order to keep the pressing state of the pressing roller 10a against the tape A constant, the posture (tilt) of the ATL head 3 is controlled so that the pressing roller 10a presses the adherend surface 5a from a direction (normal direction) orthogonal to the tangential direction of the adherend surface 5a of the work 5. For example, the posture control of the ATL head 3 with respect to the work 5 is carried out based on the three-dimensional design data of the work 5.

[0050] Next, based on FIGS. 1 to 5, the attaching operation of the tape A by the ATL device 1 will be described. Regarding members that are not directly related to the description of the attaching operation, for the sake of easy viewing of the drawings, the notation of reference numerals is omitted.

[0051] First, considering the constituent material of the tape A, the attachment angle of the tape A to the adherend surface 5a is set. For example, when the constituent resin component of the tape A is PA-based nylon 6 (softening temperature around 180°C), the variable mechanism 9A is operated to arrange the feeder 9 in a range close to the position shown in FIG. 2. That is, the attachment angle of the tape A to the adherend surface 5a is set to be near 60 degrees, for example, 55 to 65 degrees.

[0052] Also, for example, when the constituent resin component of the tape A is PA-based nylon 66 (softening temperature around 230°C), the variable mechanism 9A is operated to arrange the feeder 9 in a range close to the position shown in FIG. 3. That is, the attachment angle of the tape A to the adherend surface 5a is set to be near 45 degrees, for example, 40 to 50 degrees.

[0053] Next, considering the constituent materials of Tape A, determine the relative positions of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 (Figs. 2 and 3), in other words, the distance relationship to the sticking point B, and set a heating process program as the heating means 80 according to this distance.

[0054] For example, when the constituent resin component of Tape A is PA-based nylon 6 (softening temperature around 180°C), operate the variable mechanism 7 to determine the relative positions of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 within a range close to the position shown in Fig. 2, and set a heating process program.

[0055] Also, for example, when the constituent resin component of Tape A is PA-based nylon 66 (softening temperature around 230°C), operate the variable mechanism 7 to determine the relative positions of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 within a range close to the position shown in Fig. 3, and set a heating process program.

[0056] Next, when starting the ATL device 1, the gantry axes 15 and 16 operate, and the pickup hand 14 picks up only one Tape A on the mounting table 13 (Fig. 5). At this time, with both ends (at least one end) of Tape A protruding in the length direction from both ends of the pickup hand 14, the vacuum suction chuck 14a sucks and picks up Tape A.

[0057] Next, the pickup hand 14 moves to the delivery position. At the delivery position, the Tape A held by the pickup hand 14 is delivered to the feeder 9 inside the ATL head 3. The delivery position may be within the common area of the movable area of the pickup hand 14 by the gantry axes 15 and 16 and the movable area of the ATL head 3 by the articulated robot 2, and there is no particular limitation on its position.

[0058] At the delivery position, the articulated robot 2 operates so that one end of the Tape A held by the pickup hand 14 is slightly inserted into the upper insertion port (not shown) of the feeder 9 inside the ATL head 3, and the feeder 9 performs a bowing motion. When one end of Tape A is inserted into the feeder 9 with a predetermined length, the suction of the vacuum chuck 14a is released, and Tape A is delivered to the ATL head 3. At the same time, the feeder 9 operates to convey Tape A to a predetermined standby position.

[0059] Next, the articulated robot 2 is operated to move the ATL head 3 to the starting position for pasting. Subsequently, the articulated robot 2 is operated to press the pressing roller 10a against the surface 5a to be pasted. At this time, in accordance with the timing when the pressing roller 10a contacts the surface 5a to be pasted, the feeder 9 operates to convey Tape A so that the tip of Tape A is just sandwiched between the pressing roller 10a and the surface 5a to be pasted. The infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 also start lighting and operating in synchronization with this timing to start heating the surface 5a to be pasted.

[0060] The ATL head 3 moves along the pasting path of Tape A and performs a swinging motion on the surface 5a to be pasted of the workpiece 5 while pasting Tape A on the surface 5a to be pasted. During this period, the feeder 9 is also operating to convey and supply Tape A.

[0061] When the pasting of Tape A to the rear end of the surface 5a to be pasted is completed, the infrared lamp 8 goes out, the operation of the hot air nozzle 18 stops, and the pressing of the surface 5a to be pasted by the pressing roller 10a is released by the operation of the articulated robot 2, and the pasting of one Tape A is completed. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated, and Tape A is pasted on the surface 5a to be pasted.

Example

[0062] Hereinafter, examples and comparative examples will be described. First, the measurement methods of the physical properties adopted in the examples and comparative examples will be described.

[0063] (1) Bending evaluation A tape was cut out from the work 5 with Tape A attached to obtain a strip-shaped test piece with a width of 10 mm, a length of 150 mm (fiber longitudinal direction), and a thickness of 3.0 mm. The strip was bent with a span distance of 80 mm and a bending speed of 2 mm / min. It was measured with n = 3, and the bending strength and bending modulus were measured.

[0064] (2) Heat Aging Resistance Test The strip test piece for bending evaluation was put into a hot air oven (manufactured by Tabai Co., Ltd.) in an 80 °C atmosphere, taken out after 500 hours, left to stand at 23 °C and 50% RH for 24 hours, and the bending strength and bending modulus were measured.

[0065] (3) Hot Water Resistance Evaluation The strip test piece for bending evaluation in (1) was immersed in hot water at 50 °C, taken out after 500 hours, and after removing the moisture, it was left to stand at 23 °C and 50% RH for 24 hours, and the bending strength and bending modulus were measured by the method of (1).

[0066] <Manufacture of Tape A> Production Example 1: Production of Fiber Reinforced Resin Molded Body (A-1) The carbon fiber "Torayca" (registered trademark) T700S (12K) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. was aligned in one direction and put into an impregnation die filled with nylon 6 resin, and then a tape (A-1) with a width of 50 mm, a thickness of 0.28 mm, and a continuous fiber content of 60% by weight was obtained by draw molding.

[0067] Production Example 2: Production of Fiber Reinforced Resin Molded Body (A-2) The carbon fiber "Torayca" (registered trademark) T700S (12K) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. was aligned in one direction and put into an impregnation die filled with nylon 66 resin, and then a tape (A-2) with a width of 50 mm, a thickness of 0.28 mm, and a continuous fiber content of 60% by weight was obtained by draw molding.

[0068] Production Example 3: Production of Fiber Reinforced Resin Molded Body (A-3) A tape (A-3) with a width of 50 mm and a continuous fiber content of 60% by weight was obtained by using the same method as in Production Example 1 except that the thickness was changed to 0.15 mm.

[0069] <Manufacture of Workpiece> Using GF-reinforced nylon 6 (CM1011G-15 manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.), the workpiece 5 shown in Fig. 1 was manufactured by injection molding.

[0070] <Example 1> As Tape A, the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-1) according to the above Production Example 1 was adopted, and the prepared Tape A was arranged on the mounting table 13 in the state shown in Fig. 1. The variable mechanism 9A was operated to arrange the feeder 9 in a range close to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the attachment angle of Tape A to the attachment surface 5a of the workpiece was set to 60 degrees. Also, the variable mechanism 7 was used to set the relative positions of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 to be close to the state shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter, considering the distance from the heating means 80 to the attachment point B, a heating process program as the heating means 80 was set according to this distance. Thereafter, the ATL apparatus 1 was started, and Tape A was attached onto the attachment surface 5a of the workpiece 5. The above-described test pieces were cut out from the molded product to which Tape A was attached, and the above respective evaluation tests were carried out. In addition, the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0071] <Example 2> As Tape A, the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-2) according to the above Production Example 2 was adopted, and the prepared Tape A was arranged on the mounting table 13 in the state shown in Fig. 1. The variable mechanism 9A was operated to arrange the feeder 9 in a range close to the position shown in Fig. 3, and the attachment angle of Tape A to the attachment surface 5a of the workpiece was set to 45 degrees. Also, the variable mechanism 7 was used to set the relative positions of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 to be close to the state shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter, considering the distance from the heating means 80 to the attachment point B, a heating process program as the heating means 80 was set according to this distance. Thereafter, the ATL device 1 was started, and the tape A was attached onto the surface 5a of the workpiece 5 to be attached. The test pieces described above were cut out from the molded product to which the tape A was attached, and the above-described various evaluation tests were carried out. In addition, the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0072] <Example 3> As the tape A, the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-2) according to the above Production Example 2 was adopted, and the prepared tape A was arranged side by side on the mounting table 13 in the state shown in FIG. 1. The variable mechanism 9A was operated to arrange the feeder 9 in a range close to the position shown in FIG. 4, and the attachment angle of the tape A to the surface 5a to be attached was set to 45 degrees. Also, the relative position of the infrared lamp 8 and the pressing means 10 of the hot air nozzle 18 was set close to the state shown in FIG. 4 using the variable mechanism 7, that is, the infrared lamp 8 was positioned above the tape A. Thereafter, considering the distance from the heating means 80 to the attachment point B, a heating process program as the heating means 80 was set according to this distance. Thereafter, the ATL device 1 was started, and the tape A was attached onto the surface 5a of the workpiece 5 to be attached. The test pieces described above were cut out from the molded product to which the tape A was attached, and the above-described various evaluation tests were carried out. In addition, the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0073] <Example 4> A molded product to which the tape A was attached was produced using the same method as in Example 2 except that the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-1) according to the above Production Example 1 was adopted as the tape A, and each evaluation test was performed and the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0074] <Example 5> A molded product to which the tape A was attached was produced using the same method as in Example 2 except that the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-3) according to the above Production Example 3 was adopted as the tape A, and each evaluation test was performed and the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0075] <Example 6> A molded product was produced by laminating and attaching two sheets of Tape A in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-3) according to Production Example 3 above was used as Tape A. Each evaluation test was conducted, and the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0076] <Comparative Example 1> The fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-1) according to Production Example 1 above was used as Tape A, and the prepared Tape A was arranged on the mounting table 13 in the state shown in FIG. 1. The feeder 9 was arranged in a range close to the position shown in FIG. 6, and the conventional ATL head 30 was adopted so that the attachment angle to the attachment surface 5a of Tape A was 75 degrees. Also, the conventional ATL head 30 was adopted so that the relative position of the infrared lamp 8 and the hot air nozzle 18 with respect to the pressing means 10 was close to the state shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, considering the distance from the heating means 80 to the attachment point B, a heating process program as the heating means 80 was set according to this distance. Thereafter, the ATL apparatus was started, and Tape A was attached onto the attachment surface 5a of the work 5. The above-mentioned test pieces were cut out from the molded product to which Tape A was attached, and each of the above evaluation tests was conducted. In addition, the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0077] <Comparative Example 2> In Example 1, an attachment test was conducted in the same manner, except that the attachment angle of Tape A was changed to 5 degrees. As a result, the apparatus interfered with the work 5 and the attachment was not completed.

[0078] <Comparative Example 3> A molded product to which Tape A was attached was produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-3) according to Production Example 3 above was used as Tape A. Each evaluation test was conducted, and the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0079] <Comparative Example 4> A molded product with two layers of Tape A laminated and attached was produced using the same method as in Comparative Example 1, except that the fiber-reinforced resin molded body (A-3) according to Production Example 3 above was adopted as Tape A. Each evaluation test was conducted, and the amount of power consumed in the heating means 80 was determined.

[0080] [Test Results] Example 1 Flexural Strength (MPa) Flexural Modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural Evaluation 364 20 (2) Heat Aging Resistance Test 355 19 (3) Warm Water Resistance Evaluation 350 18 (4) Power Consumption Reduced by approximately 20% compared to Comparative Example 1

[0081] Example 2 Flexural Strength (MPa) Flexural Modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural Evaluation 365 20 (2) Heat Aging Resistance Test 358 19 (3) Warm Water Resistance Evaluation 352 19 (4) Power Consumption Reduced by approximately 30% compared to Comparative Example 1

[0082] Example 3 Flexural Strength (MPa) Flexural Modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural Evaluation 366 21 (2) Heat Aging Resistance Test 359 20 (3) Warm Water Resistance Evaluation 353 20 (4) Power Consumption Reduced by approximately 35% compared to Comparative Example 1

[0083] Example 4 Flexural Strength (MPa) Flexural Modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural Evaluation 364 21 (2) Heat Aging Resistance Test 360 21 (3) Warm Water Resistance Evaluation 355 20 (4) Power Consumption Reduced by approximately 40% compared to Comparative Example 1

[0084] Example 5 Flexural strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural evaluation 280 16 (2) Heat aging test 260 14 (3) Warm water resistance evaluation 260 14 (4) Power consumption Reduced by approximately 20% compared to Comparative Example 2

[0085] Example 6 Flexural strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural evaluation 350 21 (2) Heat aging test 330 19 (3) Warm water resistance evaluation 330 19 (4) Power consumption Reduced by approximately 15% compared to Comparative Example 3

[0086] Comparative Example 1 Flexural strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural evaluation 300 15 (2) Heat aging test 250 12 (3) Warm water resistance evaluation 250 12 (4) Power consumption Reference value However, in the case of Comparative Example 1, since the pasting angle exceeded 70 degrees, tape A cracked at a rate of once every few times, and pasting could not be successfully carried out.

[0087] Comparative Example 3 Flexural strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa) (1) Flexural evaluation 250 15 (2) Heat aging test 200 12 (3) Warm water resistance evaluation 200 12 (4) Power consumption Reference value (equivalent to Comparative Example 1)

[0088] Comparative Example 4 Flexural strength (MPa) Flexural modulus (GPa) (1) Bending evaluation 330 19 (2) Heat aging test 280 18 (3) Hot water resistance evaluation 270 16 (4) Power consumption Standard value (90% increase compared to Comparative Example 1)

[0089] According to the above-described embodiments, the pasting angle of the tape A on the surface 5a to be pasted can be set to an optimal angle to proceed with the pasting process, enhancing the pasting performance of the tape A with respect to the surface 5a to be pasted, and obtaining a molded product excellent in bending characteristics, heat aging resistance, and hot water resistance. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 4, the performance regarding tape pasting was insufficient, and any one of the bending characteristics, heat aging resistance, hot water resistance, and power consumption was insufficient.

[0090] In addition, by suppressing the pasting angle to 70 degrees or less, the occurrence of folding accidents of the tape A in the pasting process was prevented, and the finish of the molded product could be improved. In addition, by maintaining the pasting angle at 10 degrees or more, the occurrence of contact accidents of the ATL head 3 with the surface 5a to be pasted could also be prevented.

[0091] Also, the distance from the heating means 80 to the surface 5a to be pasted can be freely adjusted via the variable mechanism 7, and the heating means 80 can be brought closer to the surface 5a to be pasted to the shortest distance within a range suitable for controlling the heating means 80.

[0092] Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the power consumption to the limit, and the manufacturing cost of the molded product can be significantly reduced. Also, while maintaining the optimal distance for controlling the heating means 80, it becomes easy to heat the surface 5a to be pasted to the optimal temperature and proceed with the pasting process, and it also becomes easy to enhance the performance regarding the pasting of the tape A to the surface 5a to be pasted and improve the strength of the molded product and the like.

[0093] In addition, by maximizing the effect of reducing manufacturing and running costs by the heated gas method and combining it with the high control performance by the radiation energy method, it was possible to improve the controllability and the finish of the molded product while suppressing the manufacturing cost and the running cost of the tape sticking process of the ATL apparatus 1.

[0094] Furthermore, by arranging the infrared lamp 8 above the tape A, it becomes easy to appropriately heat not only the adherend surface 5a but also the tape A itself, and it was also possible to improve the performance regarding the sticking of the tape A and improve the strength and appearance of the molded product.

[0095] Also, by using the tape A formed by introducing continuous fibers into an impregnation die filled with a polyamide-based resin and pulling it out from a slit die, it was possible to manufacture a composite molded product excellent in strength and appearance while significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0096] In the above embodiment, a gantry structure is adopted for the tape conveying means 4, but in another embodiment, an articulated robot may be adopted instead of the gantry structure.

[0097] In the above embodiment, an articulated robot 2 is adopted as the driving device of the ATL head 3, but in another embodiment, a gantry structure may be adopted instead of the articulated robot.

[0098] When a gantry structure is adopted, the motion control of the ATL head 3 in the XYZ axis directions can be stably performed. In addition, the rigidity of the ATL head 3 can be increased, the pressing force by the ATL head 3 can be increased, and furthermore, the advantage that the footprint of the ATL apparatus 1 (in other words, the occupied volume including the operation range of the entire apparatus) can be reduced can also be obtained.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the infrared lamp 8 is adopted as one of the heating means 80. However, in another embodiment, a laser light source may be adopted as the heating source of the radiation energy method. The laser light source has the advantages of high output, high energy density, and easy output control. However, it is a bit expensive including the oscillation tube, optical fiber (light guide tube), optical system, power supply, control device, etc.

Explanation of Signs

[0100] 1 ATL device (tape sticking device) 2 Multi-joint robot 2a Arm 3 ATL head (sticking head) 4 Tape conveying means 5 Workpiece 5a Surface to be stuck 6 Workpiece table 7 Variable mechanism 7a Link part 7b Slide part 8 Infrared lamp 9 Feeder (tape supply means) 9A Variable mechanism (mounting means) 9a Slider part 9aa Slide groove 10 Pressing means 10a Pressing roller 10b Roller support part 10c Base part 10d Cylinder part 11a, 11b Conveyor belt 12a, 12b Heater 13 Mounting table 14 Pickup hand 14a Vacuum suction chuck 15 Gantry axis 16 Gantry axis 17 Temperature sensor 18 Hot air nozzle 80 Heating means 30 ATL head (conventional) 70 Base material (conventional) A tape B attachment point

Claims

1. A tape sticking device comprising a sticking head for sticking a tape onto an adherend surface while pressing the tape, wherein the sticking head includes, tape supply means for supplying the tape to the adherend surface, pressing means including a pressing roller for pressing the tape against the adherend surface, heating means for heating the tape and / or the adherend surface, the tape supply means is attached to the pressing means via attachment means such that the sticking angle of the tape to the adherend surface is 10 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less, the attachment means has a function of an angle variable mechanism for making the attachment angle of the tape supply means to the pressing means variable, and the sticking angle of the tape to the adherend surface is configured to be variable by relative movement of the tape supply means to the pressing means via the angle variable mechanism of the tape supply means. A tape sticking device characterized by the above.

2. The tape sticking device according to claim 1, wherein the tape supply means is attached to the pressing means such that the sticking angle of the tape to the adherend surface is 20 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less.

3. The tape sticking device according to claim 1, wherein the variable mechanism includes a slide mechanism.

4. The tape sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating means includes a plurality of heating parts of different types.

5. The tape sticking device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of heating parts is by a radiant energy method, and at least one of the others is by a heated gas method.

6. The tape sticking device according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of heating parts is disposed above the tape, and at least one of the others is disposed below the tape.

7. The tape sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an arrangement variable mechanism for making the arrangement of the heating means relative to the pressing means variable.

8. A tape sticking method of sticking the tape onto the adherend surface using the tape sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the thickness of the tape is in the range of 0.16 mm or more and 1 mm or less. A tape sticking method characterized by the above.

9. A tape sticking method for sticking the tape onto the surface to be stuck, using the tape sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tape is made of a fiber bundle in which at least a part is impregnated with a resin in advance, and the resin is composed of a thermoplastic resin.

10. A tape sticking method for sticking the tape onto the surface to be stuck, using the tape sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tape is made of a fiber bundle in which at least a part is impregnated with a resin in advance, and the fiber bundle is formed by introducing continuous fibers into an impregnation die filled with molten thermoplastic resin and pulling them out from a slit die.

11. The tape sticking method according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the tape is stuck onto the surface to be stuck while suppressing at least the surface temperature of the pressing means to be lower than the softening point of the resin.

12. The tape sticking method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the surface to be stuck contains a thermoplastic resin.

13. The tape sticking method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the sticking angle of the tape to the surface to be stuck is adjusted according to the characteristics of the tape.

14. A method for manufacturing a composite molded product, characterized by manufacturing a molded product in which the tape is stuck onto the surface to be stuck by using the tape sticking method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

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