Prepreg Continuous Production With Direct Resin Impregnation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional hot melt method for producing prepreg requires two steps, one for creating a resin film and another for impregnating the fibrous base material, leading to low productivity and inapplicability to low viscosity resins.
Innovation Solution
A prepreg continuous production device with a pair of heating rollers, release sheet reels, and a resin supply system that allows the matrix resin to adhere to the cloth in a single step by adjusting the interval of the heating rollers, eliminating the need for a resin film production step.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the conventional hot melt method is used with high viscosity resin, then the resin can be applied to release paper sheets to create a resin film, but the productivity is low due to requiring two separate steps (resin film production and impregnation)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the resin film production step and the impregnation step into a single integrated process. The resin is applied directly to the fibrous base material without first creating a separate resin film on release paper, thereby merging two previously separate operations into one continuous process that improves productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the intermediate resin film production step from the conventional two-step process. By removing the release paper and resin film creation环节, the process directly applies resin to the fibrous base material, simplifying the manufacturing流程 and increasing production efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If the conventional hot melt method is used with low viscosity resin, then the resin cannot be left on only one release paper sheet during peeling, so the film thickness is not fixed, but this prevents application to low viscosity resins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mesh structure as an intermediary carrier between the resin and the final product. The mesh structure holds the resin in a controlled manner during application, allowing precise film thickness control even with low viscosity resins, while also enabling the process to adapt to various resin viscosities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and application parameters of the resin by using a mesh structure that controls resin distribution. This allows the process to handle low viscosity resins effectively by controlling the resin's placement and thickness through the mesh structure's geometry and properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If a resin film production step is included, then the resin can be controlled, but the device complexity increases with multiple components (release paper reels, resin film creation, peeling mechanisms)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the release paper system and separate resin film creation mechanisms from the device. By eliminating these components, the device complexity is reduced while maintaining resin distribution control through the simplified direct application method using the mesh structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a carrier for the resin, controls the film thickness, enables resin distribution, and facilitates direct application to the fibrous base material. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enhances productivity and workability by enabling continuous production of prepreg with low viscosity resins, supports high and low viscosity resins through viscosity adjustment, and maintains production line cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
the resultant substance is heated on a hot plate 61 to reduce the viscosity of the matrix resin 55
Implementation Method 2
By subsequent heating and pressurization with rollers 62, the fibrous base material 54 is impregnated with the matrix resin 55
Data Source
AI summary
Produce prepreg with a matrix resin adhering to the cloth. Arranging a release sheet on each surface of the cloth; passing the cloth and a pair of the release sheets through a gap portion positioned in a clearance of a pair of heating rollers to be overlaid on each other and supplying the matrix resin to be accumulated above the gap portion of the heating rollers and between the pair of release sheets; and adjusting an interval of the pair of heating rollers to thereby control an adhesion amount of the matrix resin.