Remnant Prepreg Cutting for Continuous Strip Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current composite manufacturing techniques generate significant scrap from uncured prepreg material, which is hazardous and costly to dispose of, and existing recycling methods are labor-intensive and limited in their ability to reuse virgin prepreg.

Innovation Solution

A method involving defining a cutting pattern to convert remnant prepreg into a continuous strip, allowing for easier removal of interleafs and processing into a reusable short fiber molding compound, maximizing material utilization and reducing waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If uncured prepreg scrap is disposed of as hazardous waste, then environmental safety is improved, but disposal cost increases and valuable materials are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental safetyVSAvoidmaterial loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent recovers uncured prepreg scrap by removing interleafs and processing the scrap into continuous strips or chips that can be reused in manufacturing. This transforms waste into valuable reusable material, eliminating the need for hazardous waste disposal while recovering both fiber and resin contents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical form of the scrap from random shapes to continuous strips or standardized chips through controlled cutting processes. This parameter change enables the scrap to be integrated back into manufacturing processes, transforming it from hazardous waste to reusable material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If hand removal of interleaf is used, then preparation simplicity is improved, but labor time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepreparation simplicityVSAvoidlabor time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual hand removal of interleaf with automated cutting mechanisms that simultaneously cut the remnant prepreg into continuous strips or chips while removing interleafs. This mechanical automation reduces labor time and cost while maintaining preparation simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the interleaf removal operation with the cutting operation into a single integrated process. The cutting mechanism simultaneously performs both functions, eliminating the need for separate manual removal steps and reducing overall labor requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If scrap prepreg is reused directly, then material utilization is improved, but processing complexity increases due to random shapes and interleaf

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial utilizationVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the remnant prepreg into standardized continuous strips or chips through controlled cutting. This segmentation transforms the random shapes into uniform forms that are easier to process and integrate into manufacturing, reducing processing complexity while maintaining high material utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary cutting and interleaf removal on the remnant prepreg before it enters the main manufacturing process. This preliminary action prepares the material in advance, transforming it into a format that is ready for efficient processing and reducing overall process complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If virgin prepreg is used, then manufacturing quality is improved, but material cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing qualityVSAvoidmaterial cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent recovers and reuses uncured prepreg scrap in the manufacturing process, transforming it from waste into a cost-effective alternative to virgin material. This recovery process maintains manufacturing quality while significantly reducing material costs through reuse of fiber and resin contents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the source of prepreg material from exclusively virgin to a combination of virgin and reused scrap material. By controlling the quality parameters of the reused scrap through standardized cutting and processing, the patent maintains manufacturing quality while reducing material costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10189172B2Method of reusing remnant prepreg framework

Publication Date: 2019.01.29 CYTEC ENGINEERED MATERIALS LTD

AI summary

The present invention provides a method of reusing prepreg material. The method comprises providing a remnant prepreg, defining a pattern of cutting the remnant prepreg framework to form a continuous strip of the remnant prepreg framework, and cutting the remnant prepreg framework to form a continuous strip of the remnant prepreg framework. The remnant prepreg framework continuous strip may be extruded into a short fiber molding compound (SMC). The SMC may then be used to make parts with lower structural requirements than the parts cut out of the prepreg broadgood. Such SMC parts may be used in industries such as aerospace; automotive; other transportation such as trucks, buses, and motorcycles; sporting goods; and wind.