JP2016088036A - Sheet molding compound manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet molding compound manufacturing method capable of providing a SMC sheet stable in hardness and limited in defect during molding.SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing a sheet molding compound 4 comprises: supplying a reinforcing fiber material 2 to a resin compound 1 containing a thickener; and then applying pressure to impregnate the resin compound 1 between the reinforcing fiber materials 2. The method includes: the step (A) of measuring the temperature or the hardness of sheet molding compound 4 after the impregnation; and the step (B) of adjusting the temperature of the resin compound 1 before supplying to the reinforcing material 2 so that the temperature or the hardness of the sheet molding compound 4 after the impregnation can subsequently be set within a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sheet molding compound (hereinafter also referred to as SMC).

  An SMC having a resin compound and a reinforcing fiber material such as glass fiber, which is a molding material of fiber reinforced plastic, is manufactured, for example, as follows (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  First, a long film such as polypropylene is supplied from two unwinding rolls, and a paste-like resin compound is supplied and applied on each film. Next, the glass fiber (reinforcing fiber material) obtained by cutting the glass roving into a certain length with a roving cutter is sprayed in layers on one film on which the resin compound is applied, and then on the other film. Match the application surface of the resin compound. As a result, a long laminated sheet is obtained in which an SMC material having a resin compound and a reinforcing fiber material is sandwiched between two films. Next, the laminated sheet is impregnated with resin compound between the reinforcing fiber materials by applying a constant pressure from above and below with an impregnation machine comprising a roll or a mesh belt.

  The SMC sheet manufactured in this way is folded and stored in a box-like container, for example, and cured for a predetermined time. After curing, the film of the SMC sheet is removed and cut into a predetermined shape for press molding, and then the cut product is supplied to a press molding apparatus and molded to produce a fiber reinforced plastic.

  SMC is a molding material suitable for mass production by adding a thickener to the resin compound to make it hard to handle by thickening and improving workability during molding.

Japanese Patent No. 4001086 JP 2010-138349 A

  However, the hardness (impregnated state) of the SMC sheet due to this thickening is affected by various factors and varies greatly.

  In particular, the SMC sheet is easily affected by the temperature depending on the season, soft in summer and hard in winter.

  As a means for stabilizing the thickening of SMC, there is a method of improving the performance of the thickener as in Patent Document 2, but there is a cost limitation.

  Also, if the SMC production line can be enclosed and air-conditioning can be performed, the thickening rate can be stabilized, but this requires a large investment. In particular, since SMC is designated as a hazardous material, it cannot be covered with a simple partition, and if the production line is enclosed, the concentration of styrene, which is a raw material for SMC, increases, and there is a problem of deteriorating the working environment. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust the temperature of the SMC sheet that flows at a speed of several tens of m / min.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and provides a method for producing a sheet molding compound in which the hardness of an SMC sheet is stable and an SMC sheet with few defects can be obtained during molding. It is an issue.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sheet molding compound manufacturing method of the present invention impregnates the resin compound between the reinforcing fiber materials by supplying the reinforcing fiber material to the resin compound containing the thickener and then pressurizing it. In the method of manufacturing a sheet molding compound, the following steps (A) and (B) are included:
(A) measuring the temperature or hardness of the sheet molding compound after impregnation; and (B) depending on the measured temperature or hardness, so that the temperature or hardness of the sheet molding compound after impregnation falls within a predetermined range. And the step of adjusting the temperature of the resin compound before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material.

  According to the present invention, the hardness of the SMC sheet is stable, and an SMC sheet with few defects during molding can be obtained.

It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating one Embodiment of the manufacturing method of SMC of this invention. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the temperature (20 degreeC, 30 degreeC) of SMC after an impregnation, and a thickening rate. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the temperature (20 degreeC, 30 degreeC) of SMC after an impregnation, and the hardness (indentation hardness) of a SMC sheet. The flowchart which shows the procedure which measures the temperature of the SMC after impregnation, and adjusts the temperature of the resin compound before supplying to a reinforcing fiber material so that the temperature of subsequent SMC may become a predetermined range according to this temperature. is there. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating another embodiment of the manufacturing method of SMC of this invention. It is the figure which expanded and showed the principal part of FIG. The procedure of measuring the hardness of the SMC sheet after the impregnation and adjusting the temperature of the resin compound before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material according to this hardness so that the hardness of the subsequent SMC sheet falls within a predetermined range is shown. It is a flowchart.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a method for producing an SMC of the present invention.

  SMC is manufactured as follows. First, a resin compound 1 and a reinforcing fiber material 2 as raw materials for SMC are prepared.

  The resin compound 1 is obtained as follows.

  If necessary, add a curing agent, polymerization inhibitor, polymerizable monomer, low shrinkage agent, inorganic filler, internal mold release agent, etc. to the base resin such as unsaturated polyester resin, and stir and mix. The resin compound 1 is obtained. Thereafter, a thickening agent and other raw materials such as a colorant are added to the main resin compound 1 as necessary, followed by stirring and mixing to obtain a paste-like resin compound 1.

  In this embodiment, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10.

  The main agent agitator 10 is connected to the temperature control tank control device 40. The temperature control tank control device 40 includes a low temperature tank 41 for storing low temperature temperature control water and a high temperature tank 42 for storing high temperature temperature control water. In the present embodiment, the low temperature temperature adjustment water in the low temperature tank 41 is maintained at 15 ° C., and the high temperature temperature adjustment water in the high temperature tank 42 is maintained at 50 ° C. These low temperature temperature control water and high temperature temperature control water are circulated and supplied to the main agent agitator 10 by circulation pumps 41a and 42a, respectively, so that the temperature of the resin compound 1 as the main agent in the main agent agitator 10 can be controlled by heat exchange. It has become.

  The temperature control tank control device 40 determines the time and timing of supplying the low temperature temperature control water and the high temperature temperature control water according to an instruction from the seat temperature control device 30 according to the circulation pump 41a of the low temperature tank 41 and the circulation pump 42a of the high temperature tank 42. Control by etc. In the present embodiment, the low-temperature temperature-controlled water is controlled so as to lower the temperature of the resin compound 1 as the main agent in the main agent agitator 10 depending on the length of time flowing during stirring. The high-temperature temperature-controlled water is controlled so as to raise the temperature of the resin compound 1 as the main agent in the main agent agitator 10 by flowing it before the end of stirring.

  Control of the temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 is performed by measuring the rate of temperature increase during stirring and setting the switching between low temperature and high temperature controlled water so that the target temperature is reached at the end time. Is going.

  The resin compound 1 of the main agent after being stirred by the main agent stirrer 10 is supplied to the main agent tank 11.

  Next, the resin compound 1 of the main agent is sent out from the main agent tank 11, the thickener from the tank 12, and the colorant from the tank 13 by pumps 11 a, 12 a, and 13 a at a constant flow rate, respectively. These are mixed by the downstream static mixer 14 and then supplied to the dip pans 15 and 16 as the resin compound 1 containing a thickener.

  In the above, the following thermosetting resin is used as the unsaturated polyester resin as the base resin. For example, it can be obtained by a condensation reaction of an unsaturated or saturated polycarboxylic acid such as an aliphatic unsaturated polycarboxylic acid, aliphatic saturated polycarboxylic acid or aromatic polycarboxylic acid with an organic polyol such as diol, triol or tetraol. Thermosetting resin. This thermosetting resin may have an unsaturated monomer such as a vinyl monomer dissolved therein.

  Examples of the aliphatic unsaturated polycarboxylic acid include (anhydrous) maleic acid and fumaric acid. Examples of the aliphatic saturated carboxylic acid include sebacic acid, (anhydrous) succinic acid, and adipic acid. Examples of the aromatic polycarboxylic acid include (anhydrous) phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid and the like. Examples of organic polyols include aliphatic polyols and aromatic polyols. Examples of the aliphatic polyol include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, trimethylene glycol, glycerin, hydrogenated bisphenol A, and the like. Examples of the aromatic polyol include bisphenol A and bisphenol S. Two or more of the above-described polycarboxylic acids and organic polyols may be mixed and used.

  As the curing agent, for example, a high temperature curing catalyst for molding SMC under a high temperature and pressure of 100 ° C. or higher can be used. High temperature curing catalysts include methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, t-butylperoxy-2-ethylhexanate, benzoyl peroxide, di-t-butylperoxy-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, t-butylperoxy Examples include benzoate, dicumyl peroxide, and t-butyl hydroperoxide.

  As the polymerization inhibitor, a quinone polymerization inhibitor can be used. Specific examples include p-benzoquinone, t-butyl-p-benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, phenanthraquinone, tolquinone, 2,5-diphenyl-p-benzoquinone, 2,5-diacetoxy-p-benzoquinone and the like. In addition, 2,5-dicaproxy-p-benzoquinone, 2,5-diacyloxy-p-benzoquinone, and the like are also included.

  As the polymerizable monomer, an unsaturated monomer that can be cross-linked with a resin can be used as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. When an unsaturated polyester resin is used as the base resin, examples of the polymerizable monomer include styrene, vinyl toluene, vinyl acetate, diallyl phthalate, triallyl cyanurate, and methyl acrylate. Also included are methyl acrylate, methacrylic acid ester, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate and the like. Two or more of these polymerizable monomers can be used in combination.

  The low shrinkage agent is used for the purpose of reducing cure shrinkage of the base resin. Generally, a thermoplastic resin is used. For example, polystyrene, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, saturated polyester, polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate copolymer, polystyrene-modified copolymer and the like can be mentioned.

  Examples of the inorganic filler include calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, silica, and alumina. The amount of the inorganic filler added is preferably 100 to 300 parts by mass when the mixture of the base resin, polymerizable monomer and low shrinkage agent is 100 parts by mass. By making the addition amount of the inorganic filler 100 parts by mass or more, the reinforcing fiber material can be more uniformly dispersed, and the strength variation of the molded body can be reduced. By making the addition amount 300 parts by mass or less, an increase in the viscosity of the resin compound 1 can be suppressed, the resin impregnation into the reinforcing fiber material 2 can be made better, and the strength of the molded body can be further increased. The inorganic filler is preferably surface-treated with a fatty acid, a coupling agent, or the like.

  Examples of the internal mold release agent include stearic acid.

  As the colorant, for example, an inorganic pigment such as titanium oxide, an organic pigment, or a toner containing them as a main component can be used.

  The thickener added to the base resin is added so that the SMC has a viscosity suitable for molding. The resin compound 1 containing such a thickener is generally designed so that the thickening of the resin compound 1 starts after the impregnation operation described later. That is, the resin compound 1 containing a thickener is kept in a low viscosity state during the impregnation operation of the resin compound 1 between the reinforcing fiber materials 2 and is in a high viscosity state suitable for molding after curing. The Specific examples of the thickener include magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and the like.

  In this embodiment, glass fiber is used as the reinforcing fiber material 2. Such a reinforcing fiber material 2 can be obtained by cutting the glass roving 2 a drawn from the roll into a certain size with a roving cutter 19. The reinforcing fiber material 2 may be a continuous body in a strand state that constitutes roving. Further, a glass fiber substitute can be used as the reinforcing fiber material 2. For example, carbon fiber, metal fiber, vinylon fiber, aramid fiber, polyester fiber and the like. The content of the reinforcing fiber material 2 can be, for example, in the range of 10 to 50% by mass in the SMC material 3 having the resin compound 1 and the reinforcing fiber material 2.

  Using the resin compound 1 and the reinforcing fiber material 2 obtained as described above, an SMC is manufactured as follows.

  First, the releasable films 5 and 6 continuously supplied from the unwinding rolls 17 and 18 are conveyed by a conveying device 20 having a conveying belt, and the paste-like resin compound 1 is dipped on the films 5 and 6. It is supplied from the pans 15 and 16 and applied.

  Examples of the material for the films 5 and 6 include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester resins, polystyrene resins, and vinyl chloride resins. In view of the fact that the impregnating machine 21 is not easily torn, the releasability from the SMC 4 and the price, etc., drawn polypropylene is suitable.

  Next, the reinforcing fiber material 2 is sprayed on the resin compound 1 of the film 5. After the reinforcing fiber material 2 is sprayed, the application surface of the resin compound 1 on the film 6 is further aligned thereon. Thereby, the laminated sheet 3a in which the SMC material 3 having the resin compound 1 and the reinforcing fiber material 2 is sandwiched between the films 5 and 6 from above and below is formed.

  Next, the laminated sheet 3 a is conveyed to the impregnation machine 21 by the conveyance device 20, and pressure impregnation is performed in the impregnation machine 21. Here, residual bubbles in the SMC material 3 are defoamed, and the resin compound 1 is impregnated between the reinforcing fiber materials 2. In this way, SMC4 is manufactured.

  An example of such an impregnating machine 21 is one having a rotatable pressure roll having a circular cross section. Moreover, in this embodiment, it is set as the structure which has the pressure roll 21a and the belt 21b. In this configuration, a plurality of pressure rolls 21a are arranged along the conveying direction of the laminated sheet 3a of the SMC material 3, and a belt 21b is stretched over the pressure rolls 21a to form an endless belt. And the impregnation machine 21 is laminated | stacked under fixed tension | tensile_strength between many pressurization rolls 21a arrange | positioned in a zigzag form with respect to the running direction of the lamination sheet 3a in order to improve the impregnation property of the reinforcing fiber material 2. The sheet 3a is passed. In the configuration having such a belt 21b, the SMC material 3 can be pressurized by the pressure roll 21a via the belt 21b.

  In the impregnating machine 21, residual bubbles in the SMC material 3 are moved outward in the width direction by sliding caused by the linear pressure of the entire length in the width direction of the laminated sheet 3a by the pressure roll 21a and the thickness difference in the conveying direction of the laminated sheet 3a. Defoaming is performed by the residual bubbles escaping to the outside of the SMC material 3.

  The material of the pressure roll 21a is not particularly limited, but in order to effectively press-impregnate the SMC material 3, a material that is hard and durable, such as a metal or a hard resin, is selected. . A mesh belt can be used as the belt 21b.

  After pressurizing with the impregnation machine 21, the SMC sheet 4a sandwiched between the films 5 and 6 from above and below is folded and stored in a box-like container 22 and stored in an aging chamber 25 for a predetermined time. Let

  After curing the SMC 4, the films 5 and 6 are peeled from the SMC sheet 4a while the SMC sheet 4a is fed out from the container 22 by a roll and continuously fed. The SMC 4 from which the films 5 and 6 have been peeled is cut into a predetermined shape for press molding. The cut product is supplied to a press molding apparatus, and a molded product of fiber reinforced plastics is obtained by molding. This molded product can be used, for example, as a molded product such as a bathtub or a vanity.

  In the SMC manufacturing method described above, the present embodiment includes the following steps (A) and (B).

  (A) A step of measuring the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation.

  (B) A step of adjusting the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 so that the temperature of the SMC 4 after the subsequent impregnation falls within a predetermined range according to the measured temperature.

  A thermometer 23 for measuring the temperature of the SMC 4 (SMC sheet 4a) is provided downstream of the impregnation machine 21 before being stored in the container 22.

  The thermometer 23 may be a contact type such as a thermocouple or a resistance thermometer, or a non-contact type that senses infrared rays.

  With this thermometer 23, the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is measured. The thermometer 23 is connected to the above-described seat temperature control device 30, and a measurement result is input to the seat temperature control device 30. The seat temperature control device 30 is connected to the thermometer 24 of the main component resin compound 1 installed in the main agent stirrer 10, and the measurement result is input to the seat temperature control device 30. .

  The seat temperature control device 30 of the present embodiment includes an external connection unit, a control unit, a storage unit, an input unit, and an output unit that are applied to a general computer, and these are connected by a bus. . The external connection unit is connected to the external thermometers 23 and 24, the temperature control tank control device 40, and the like by cables or the like. The control unit includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like for driving and controlling each component. The storage unit stores a program for operating each component. Further, the relationship between the target temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 and the control conditions of the temperature control water, the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation, and the resin compound 1 of the main agent at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 Information on the relationship with the temperature may be stored. The input unit is a mouse, a keyboard, or the like for inputting measurement conditions and the like. The output unit is a display or the like that outputs measurement results.

  The seat temperature control device 30 adjusts the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 so that the temperature of the SMC 4 falls within a predetermined range according to the temperature of the SMC 4 measured by the thermometer 23. . That is, the seat temperature control device 30 sets a target temperature at the end of stirring of the resin compound 1 in the main agent stirrer 10 according to the temperature of the SMC 4 measured by the thermometer 23, and temperature control water corresponding to this target temperature. Is instructed to the temperature control tank control device 40 to adjust the temperature of the resin compound 1.

  The main resin compound 1 is usually stirred at a constant temperature between 30 and 35 ° C. regardless of the season. However, in the present embodiment, the temperature of the SMC 4 after the impregnation is controlled to be within a predetermined range by controlling the stirring temperature according to the temperature of the SMC 4 after the impregnation.

  Regarding the relationship between the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation and the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a, it has been found by the inventors' experiments that the thickening rate varies depending on the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation. Further, it has been found that the impregnation state in which the resin compound 1 penetrates the glass fiber reinforcing fiber material 2 is changed by the thickening speed, and the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a is affected. FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation and the speed of thickening, and FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation and the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a. When the speed of thickening is high, the resin compound 1 does not penetrate into the reinforcing fiber material 2, the impregnation state is poor, and the fiber layer hardness is soft SMC4. On the contrary, when the temperature of SMC4 is low, impregnation progresses and SMC4 becomes too hard.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the resin compound 1 is adjusted so that the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation becomes constant. Thereby, the thickening of the SMC 4 after impregnation is stabilized, the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a can be further stabilized, and SMC 4 with few defects can be obtained at the time of molding.

  Regarding the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a, there is a method of measuring the sheet hardness of the SMC 4 or the hardness of the fiber layer before molding and performing molding with few defects by adjusting the molding conditions. However, such a method has a problem that it cannot cope with the case where the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a is out of the standard. In particular, when the temperature conditions in midsummer or midwinter are poor, the SMC sheet 4a having a hardness that is not specified is likely to occur. On the other hand, according to the method of the present embodiment, the hardness is stabilized when the SMC 4 is manufactured, so that it is possible to cope with such a problem.

  Hereinafter, the details of the above processing procedure by the seat temperature control device 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4.

  First, the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is measured by the thermometer 23 (step S1).

  The seat temperature control device 30 checks whether or not the measured temperature of the SMC 4 is within a predetermined range (step S2). If the measured temperature of the SMC 4 is within a predetermined range set in advance in the sheet temperature control device 30, the target temperature at the end of stirring is kept as it is and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S <b> 6, the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 without changing the conditions for circulating the temperature control water to the main agent stirrer 10 by the temperature control tank control device 40. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the circulation of the temperature-controlled water is switched so that the temperature at the end of the stirring becomes the target temperature according to the previous setting, and stirring and mixing are performed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  In step S2, when the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is out of the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step S3 to check whether the temperature is higher or lower than the predetermined range.

  When the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is higher than the predetermined range in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, and the sheet temperature control device 30 is a condition for circulating the temperature adjusted water to the main agent agitator 10 by the temperature adjusting tank control device 40. To change. Specifically, the time for flowing the low-temperature temperature adjusted water of 15 ° C. from the low temperature tank 41 to the main agent stirrer 10 is set long so that the target temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 is lowered. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S6, and the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 under the changed conditions. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the circulation of the temperature-adjusted water is switched so that the temperature at the end of stirring becomes the target temperature after the change, and the mixture is stirred and mixed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  When the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is lower than the predetermined range in step S3, the process proceeds to step S5, and the sheet temperature control device 30 is a condition for circulating the temperature adjusted water to the main agent agitator 10 by the temperature adjusting tank control device 40. To change. Specifically, a setting is made such that high-temperature temperature-controlled water at 50 ° C. is flowed from the high-temperature tank 42 before the end of stirring so that the target temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 becomes high, or the low-temperature tank 41 The time when the low-temperature temperature-controlled water at 15 ° C. is passed through the main agent stirrer 10 is set short. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S6, and the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 under the changed conditions. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the temperature control water is switched so that the temperature at the end of stirring becomes the current target temperature, and the mixture is stirred and mixed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  The resin compound 1 of the main agent whose temperature has been adjusted by the above processing procedure is transferred to the main agent tank 11 as described above. The main resin compound 1 is sent from the main agent tank 11, the thickener from the tank 12, and the colorant from the tank 13 by pumps 11a, 12a, and 13a, respectively, at a constant flow rate. These are mixed by the downstream static mixer 14 and then supplied to the dip pans 15 and 16 as the resin compound 1 containing a thickener. In this way, the temperature of the resin compound 1 after the addition of the thickener also depends on the temperature of the resin compound 1 of the main agent after stirring with the main agent stirrer 10 because the subsequent processing is a constant procedure. , Corresponding to the temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the resin compound 1 after adding the thickener can also be controlled by the sheet temperature control device 30. Thereafter, the reinforcing fiber material 2 is supplied to the resin compound 1 to which the thickener is added as described above.

  According to the SMC manufacturing method of the present embodiment described above, the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 is adjusted so that the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is within a predetermined range. ing. Thereby, the thickening by a thickener is stabilized and the hardness of SMC sheet 4a can be stabilized more. Therefore, SMC4 with few defects can be obtained during molding.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, in the main agent stirrer 10, the temperature of the resin compound 1 of the main agent before adding a thickener is adjusted. Therefore, the temperature adjustment of the resin compound 1 is easy.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining another embodiment of the SMC manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the main part thereof.

  In the present embodiment, the following steps (A) and (B) are included.

  (A) A step of measuring the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation.

  (B) A step of adjusting the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 so that the hardness of the SMC 4 after the subsequent impregnation falls within a predetermined range according to the measured hardness.

  In the above embodiment, the temperature of the SMC 4 after impregnation is measured by the thermometer 23, but in this embodiment, the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation (SMC sheet 4a) is measured. Then, according to the measured hardness, the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 is adjusted so that the hardness of the SMC 4 after the subsequent impregnation is in a predetermined range.

  In this embodiment, the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a after impregnation is measured by introducing the configuration shown in FIG. 5 instead of the thermometer 23 in the configuration of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, a mechanism for measuring the hardness of the SMC sheet 4 a is provided downstream of the impregnation machine 21 in FIG. 1 before being stored in the container 22.

  Downstream of the impregnation machine 21, the SMC sheet 4 a is conveyed obliquely upward while being supported by the inclined plate 50, and is then introduced into the folding arm 52 by switching the conveyance direction with a roll 51. The SMC sheet 4a is supported by the zigzag folding arm 52 starting from the roll 51, and is zigzag folded and stacked on the container 22 below by the zigzag folding arm 52 that swings left and right.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a camera 53 is installed on the side of the lower end 52a in FIG. The camera 53 images the SMC sheet 4 a bent by the zigzag folding operation at the lower end 52 a of the zigzag folding arm 52.

  The imaging result by the camera 53 is processed by an image processing device (not shown), and the bending angle θ in FIG. 6 is acquired. Further, the bending angle of the SMC sheet 4a under standard hardness conditions is acquired in advance, and the hardness of the SMC sheet 4a corresponding to the acquired bending angle θ is obtained in advance with the acquired bending angle θ. It can be determined from the difference from the standard value.

  The hardness of the SMC sheet 4a measured in this way is input to the sheet temperature control device 30.

  Hereinafter, the details of the processing procedure by the sheet temperature control device 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, as described above, the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation is measured by the camera 53 or the like (step S11).

  The sheet temperature control device 30 confirms whether or not the measured hardness of the SMC 4 is within a predetermined range (step S12). If the measured hardness of the SMC 4 is within a predetermined range set in advance in the sheet temperature control device 30, the target temperature at the end of stirring is kept as it is and the process proceeds to step S16. In step S <b> 16, the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 without changing the conditions for circulating the temperature control water to the main agent stirrer 10 by the temperature control tank control device 40. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the circulation of the temperature-controlled water is switched so that the temperature at the end of the stirring becomes the target temperature according to the previous setting, and stirring and mixing are performed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  In step S12, when the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation is out of the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step S13 to check whether the hardness is higher or lower than the predetermined range.

  When the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation is higher than the predetermined range in step S13, the process proceeds to step S14, and the sheet temperature control device 30 is a condition for circulating the temperature adjusted water to the main agent agitator 10 by the temperature adjusting tank control device 40. To change. Specifically, the time for flowing the low-temperature temperature adjusted water of 15 ° C. from the low temperature tank 41 to the main agent stirrer 10 is set long so that the target temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 is lowered. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S16, and the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 under the changed conditions. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the circulation of the temperature-adjusted water is switched so that the temperature at the end of stirring becomes the target temperature after the change, and the mixture is stirred and mixed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  When the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation is lower than the predetermined range in step S13, the process proceeds to step S15, and the sheet temperature control device 30 is a condition for circulating the temperature adjusted water to the main agent agitator 10 by the temperature adjusting tank control device 40. To change. Specifically, a setting is made such that high-temperature temperature-controlled water at 50 ° C. is flowed from the high-temperature tank 42 before the end of stirring so that the target temperature at the end of stirring in the main agent stirrer 10 becomes high, or the low-temperature tank 41 The time when the low-temperature temperature-controlled water at 15 ° C. is passed through the main agent stirrer 10 is set short. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S16, and the seat temperature control device 30 controls the temperature control tank control device 40 under the changed conditions. Under this temperature control, first, the base resin is supplied from the tank 9a, the inorganic filler is supplied from the tank 9b, the curing agent is supplied from the tank 9c, the polymerization inhibitor is supplied from the tank 9d, and other additives are supplied from the tank 9e to the main agent agitator 10. Then, while monitoring the liquid temperature with the thermometer 24, the temperature control water is switched so that the temperature at the end of stirring becomes the current target temperature, and the mixture is stirred and mixed to prepare the resin compound 1 as the main agent.

  The base resin compound 1 whose temperature has been adjusted by the above processing procedure is transferred to the tank 11 as described above. The main resin compound 1 is sent from the main agent tank 11, the thickener from the tank 12, and the colorant from the tank 13 by pumps 11a, 12a, and 13a, respectively, at a constant flow rate. These are mixed by the downstream static mixer 14 and then supplied to the dip pans 15 and 16 as the resin compound 1 containing a thickener. In this way, the temperature of the resin compound 1 after the addition of the thickener also depends on the temperature of the resin compound 1 of the main agent after stirring with the main agent stirrer 10 because the subsequent processing is a constant procedure. , Corresponding to the temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the resin compound 1 after adding the thickener can also be controlled by the sheet temperature control device 30. Thereafter, the reinforcing fiber material 2 is supplied to the resin compound 1 to which the thickener is added as described above.

  According to the SMC manufacturing method of the present embodiment described above, the temperature of the resin compound 1 before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material 2 is adjusted so that the hardness of the SMC 4 after impregnation is in a predetermined range. ing. Thereby, the thickening by a thickener is stabilized and the hardness of SMC sheet 4a can be stabilized more. Therefore, SMC4 with few defects can be obtained during molding.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, in the main agent stirrer 10, the temperature of the resin compound 1 of the main agent before adding a thickener is adjusted. Therefore, the temperature adjustment of the resin compound 1 is easy.

  While the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Resin compound 2 Reinforcement fiber material 4 Sheet molding compound (SMC)

Claims (2)

In the method of manufacturing a sheet molding compound by supplying the reinforcing fiber material to the resin compound containing the thickener and then impregnating the resin compound between the reinforcing fiber materials by pressurization, the following step (A), A method for producing a sheet molding compound comprising (B):
(A) measuring the temperature or hardness of the sheet molding compound after the impregnation; and (B) depending on the measured temperature or hardness, the temperature or hardness of the sheet molding compound after the impregnation is Adjusting the temperature of the resin compound before being supplied to the reinforcing fiber material so as to be within a predetermined range.   The method for producing a sheet molding compound according to claim 1, wherein the step (B) adjusts the temperature of the resin compound of the main agent before adding the thickener.

Images