JP2020078877A - Manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for intermediate product of fiber-reinforced resin molding - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress variations in a weight of intermediate products.SOLUTION: A manufacturing apparatus (100) for intermediate product of fiber-reinforced resin moldings includes: conveying means (141) for receiving a kneaded product discharged from a kneading device (2) for producing the kneaded product of a fiber and a thermoplastic resin from below and conveying the kneaded product; a cutting device (110) for cutting the kneaded product conveyed by a conveying means to generate a cut kneaded product as an intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molding; comparing means (120) for comparing a feeding speed for feeding the kneaded product from the kneading device to the conveying means and a conveying speed by the conveying means; and a control unit (130) that adjusts the conveying speed by the conveying means according to a comparison result of the comparing means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing an intermediate product of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product.

  The fiber-reinforced resin molded product is manufactured, for example, by manufacturing a kneaded product of fibers and a resin with a kneading device, cutting the kneaded product with a cutting device, and molding the cut kneaded product with a molding device.

  For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-69476 (Patent Document 1) discloses an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molding by the LFT-D (Long Fiber Thermoplastics -Direct) method. This manufacturing apparatus cuts the kneaded product extruded from the discharge port of the kneading device to form a cut kneaded product as an intermediate product, and holds the cut kneaded product at the position cut by the cutting part. A gripping part and a transfer part for moving the gripping part forward and separating the cut and kneaded material from the kneaded material before cutting are provided.

JP, 2018-69476, A

  According to the technique of Patent Document 1, the kneaded product extruded from the kneading device can be cut at the cutting unit. Therefore, by appropriately cutting the kneaded product according to the shape to be formed, the restriction on the shape that can be formed is reduced. it can. However, in Patent Document 1, the conveyor that conveys the kneaded material extruded from the kneading device to the position of the cutting blade is controlled so that the conveyance speed is constant, but with such control alone, the flow on the conveyor is performed. There is a risk that the kneaded product will deform, such as meandering. If the kneaded product is cut in a deformed state, the weight of the intermediate product (cut and kneaded product) may vary.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing apparatus for an intermediate product of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product capable of suppressing variation in weight of the intermediate product. It is to provide a method.

  An apparatus for producing an intermediate product of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product according to an aspect of the present invention receives a kneaded product discharged from a kneading device for producing a kneaded product of fibers and a thermoplastic resin from below and conveys the kneaded product. A conveying unit, a cutting device that cuts the kneaded product conveyed by the conveying unit to generate a cut kneaded product as an intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded product, and a feed speed for sending the kneaded product from the kneading device to the conveying unit. Comparing means for comparing the carrying speed of the carrying means, and a control section for adjusting the carrying speed of the carrying means according to the comparison result by the comparing means.

  Preferably, the comparing means includes a load detecting means for detecting a load applied to the conveying means.

  Further, it is preferable that the carrying means includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor arranged closer to the cutting device than the first conveyor, and the load detecting means is attached to the first conveyor. In this case, the control unit adjusts the transport speed of the first conveyor and the second conveyor based on the detection result of the load detection means.

  The manufacturing apparatus for the intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded product further includes a conveyed weight detecting means for detecting the weight of the kneaded material conveyed by the second conveyor, and the cutting device has the kneaded material detected by the conveyed weight detecting means. It is also desirable to cut the kneaded material conveyed by the second conveyor based on the weight.

  A method for producing an intermediate product of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product according to another aspect of the present invention is a feeding speed for feeding a kneaded product from a kneading device for producing a kneaded product of a fiber and a thermoplastic resin to a carrying means, and carrying by the carrying means. The step of comparing the speed, the step of adjusting the conveying speed by the conveying means according to the comparison result of the feed speed and the conveying speed, and cutting the kneaded material conveyed by the conveying means with the adjusted conveying speed. And a step of producing a cut and kneaded product as an intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded product.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress variations in the weight of intermediate products.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced resin molding in embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus (manufacturing apparatus of the intermediate product of a fiber reinforced resin molded object) in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structural example of the comparison means in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the other structural example of the comparison means in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the intermediate product of the fiber reinforced resin molding which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus in a comparative example. (A)-(C) is a top view which shows typically the example of a shape of the kneaded material which flows on a carry-in conveyor in the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus in a comparative example.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

<Schematic configuration of manufacturing apparatus for fiber-reinforced resin molding>
With reference to FIG. 1, a schematic configuration of an apparatus 1 for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a fiber-reinforced resin molded body manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a kneading device 2, an intermediate product manufacturing device 100, a transfer device 3, and a molding device 4. The kneading device 2 produces a kneaded product of resin and fibers and discharges the kneaded product. The intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 cuts the kneaded material discharged from the kneading apparatus 2 to generate (manufacture) a cut kneaded material as an intermediate product. The transfer device 3 transfers the cut and kneaded product generated in the intermediate product manufacturing device 100 to the molding device 4. The molding device 4 molds the cut and kneaded product transferred by the transfer device 3 to manufacture a fiber-reinforced resin molded product.

  In the present embodiment, the devices other than the intermediate product manufacturing device 100, that is, the kneading device 2, the transfer device 3, and the molding device 4 may have a known structure as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. .. Prior to the description of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100, configuration examples of these apparatuses 2 to 4 will be briefly described.

<Kneading device>
The kneading device 2 is located on the upstream side of the intermediate product manufacturing device 100, and is a device for manufacturing a kneaded product as a molded body material in which fibers are mixed with a thermoplastic resin by the LFT-D method. That is, a thermoplastic resin and a bundle of a plurality of continuous fibers are introduced, the fibers are cut and opened, and the resin and the fibers are kneaded to produce a kneaded product. The thermoplastic resin and the fiber are not particularly limited, but the thermoplastic resin is preferably a polyamide resin, and the fiber is preferably a glass fiber, a carbon fiber or the like. When carbon fibers are used, thermoplastic CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) molded bodies are manufactured in the manufacturing apparatus 1.

  The kneading device 2 includes a first kneading machine 10, a second kneading machine 20, and a fiber supply unit 30. The first kneading machine 10 kneads the thermoplastic resin and the fiber. The second kneading machine 20 kneads and melts the thermoplastic resin introduced into the first kneading machine 10 prior to kneading with the fibers in the first kneading machine 10. The fiber supply unit 30 supplies fibers to the first kneader 10.

  The first kneading machine 10 includes a kneading shaft 11, a cylinder 12, a drive unit 13a, a speed reducer 13b, a weir body 14, and a die 15.

  The kneading shaft 11 has a screw 11a and a rotating shaft 11b. The first kneader 10 may be a single-screw kneader having one kneading shaft 11, or may be a multi-screw kneader including a plurality of (for example, two) kneading shafts 11. The screw 11a rotates to knead the thermoplastic resin and the fiber. The screw 11a is incorporated in the rotating shaft 11b. The screw 11a is not particularly limited as long as it is arranged at the upstream end and the downstream end of the kneading shaft 11, and only the screw 11a may be incorporated in the rotating shaft 11b, and the paddle is provided in the middle part. May be incorporated.

  A cylinder 12 is provided so as to house the kneading shaft 11 therein. The gap between the cylinder 12 and the kneading shaft 11 serves as a flow path through which the thermoplastic resin and/or the fiber passes. The cylinder 12 has a resin supply port 12a for introducing the thermoplastic resin supplied from the second kneader 20 into the first kneader 10, and a plurality of continuous fibers supplied from the fiber supply unit 30. 1 has a fiber supply port 12b for introduction into the kneading machine 10. In the present embodiment, the continuous fibers introduced from the fiber supply unit 30 are directly sent into the first kneading machine 10.

  A drive unit 13a is connected to one (upstream) shaft end of the kneading shaft 11 via a speed reducer 13b that distributes torque to the kneading shaft 11. When the first kneading machine 10 is a multi-screw kneader, the speed reducer 13b rotates the plurality of kneading shafts 11 in synchronization at a predetermined rotation speed. A weir body 14 is connected to the other (downstream) shaft end side of the kneading shaft 11. Since the weir body 14 can also serve as a breaker plate and an intermediate bearing and is arranged so as to extend in the direction intersecting with the flow path, a back pressure is applied to the kneaded product of the thermoplastic resin and the fiber.

  The weir body 14 has an opening that serves as a flow path for the kneaded material. The weir body 14 of the present embodiment has a plurality of arc-shaped openings along the respective rotation directions of the screws 11a of the plurality of kneading shafts 11. The opening is provided corresponding to each kneading shaft 11. A die 15 is provided on the side of the weir body 14 opposite to the screw 11a. The die 15 has a discharge port 15a for discharging the kneaded product. The kneaded material K1 is extruded into the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 from the discharge port 15a.

  The second kneading machine 20 previously melts the thermoplastic resin introduced into the resin supply port 12a of the cylinder 12 of the first kneading machine 10 described above, and has a kneading shaft 21 having a screw 21a, a cylinder 22, and a driving portion 23a. And a speed reducer 23b and a hopper 24. The second kneader 20 may be a single-screw kneader having one kneading shaft 21 or a multi-screw kneader including a plurality of kneading shafts 21. In the kneading shaft 21, only the screw 21a may be incorporated in the rotating shaft 21b, and a paddle may be incorporated in the middle portion instead of the screw. The cylinder 22 has a discharge port 22 a for supplying the melted thermoplastic resin to the first kneading machine 10. The drive unit 23a and the speed reducer 23b rotate the kneading shaft 21 at a predetermined rotation speed. The hopper 24 receives the raw material 25 of the thermoplastic resin to be kneaded between the kneading shaft 21 and the cylinder 22.

  The fiber supply unit 30 supplies the fiber raw material 32 introduced into the fiber supply port 12b of the cylinder 12 of the first kneader 10 described above. The fiber supply unit 30 includes a mounting unit 31 on which a fiber raw material 32 on which a plurality of continuous fiber bundles are wound is mounted. The placing section 31 has first and second guide sections 31a and 31b for taking out the tips of the fiber bundles from the fiber raw material 32 and introducing them into the fiber supply port 12b of the cylinder 12 of the first kneading machine 10. There is.

<Transfer device>
As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer device 3 is located on the downstream side of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 and transfers the cut and kneaded material K2 as an intermediate product manufactured by the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 to the molding device 4. The transfer device 3 includes, for example, a mounting portion 41, a grip portion 42, and a slide portion 43.

  The placing section 41 is a table on which the cut and kneaded material K2 is placed. A gripping portion 42 is provided for gripping the cut and kneaded material K2 placed on the mounting portion 41 and feeding it into the molding die 50. The grip 42 is, for example, a robot arm.

  By the grip portion 42, the cut and kneaded material K2 is placed on the lower die 52 of the molding die 50 placed on the slide portion 43. The slide part 43 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction, and moves the lower mold 52 onto the holder 44. The slide unit 43 is, for example, a slide table.

<Molding equipment>
The molding device 4 is located on the downstream side of the transfer device 3 and pressure-molds the cut and kneaded product to produce a fiber-reinforced resin molded product as a final product. The molding device 4 includes, for example, a holder 44, a plate 45, a second grip portion 46, a second mounting portion 47, and a molding die 50 having an upper die 51 and a lower die 52.

  The holder 44 supports the lower mold 52 on which the cut and kneaded material is arranged by the slide portion 43. The plate 45 supports the upper die 51 of the forming die 50. The molding die 50 includes an upper die 51 and a lower die 52, and the cutting and kneading material is arranged in a cavity that is a hollow portion between the upper die 51 and the lower die 52, and the upper die 51 and the lower die 52 are closed. Thus, the cut and kneaded product is pressure-molded.

  A second grip portion 46 is provided to grip the fiber-reinforced resin molded body manufactured by the molding die 50. The fiber-reinforced resin molded body held by the second holding portion 46 is placed on the second placing portion 47. The second mounting portion 47 is a base on which a fiber-reinforced resin molded body (final product) that is a finished product is mounted.

<Intermediate product manufacturing equipment>
The intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100. In FIG. 2, arrow A1 indicates the front (downstream side), and arrow A2 indicates the upper side. Further, in FIG. 2, the flow of the control signal is indicated by a dashed arrow.

  The intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 is arranged adjacent to the discharge port 15a of the kneading device 2 that pushes the kneaded product forward. The intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 cuts the continuous kneaded material K1 extruded from the discharge port 15a of the kneading apparatus 2 to discontinue the continuous kneaded material K1 into the molding die 50 of the molding apparatus 4 shown in FIG. The cut and kneaded product K2, that is, an intermediate product is manufactured.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of conveyors 141 to 143 and a cutting device 110. The plurality of conveyors 141 to 143 are arranged in series in this order on the downstream side of the discharge port 15a. The cutting device 110 is provided between the conveyor 141 and the conveyor 142. Each conveyor is configured by a belt conveyor that rotates a looped belt (rotating member) on a carriage (non-rotating member) and places the kneaded product on the belt conveyor to move the kneaded product. Each conveyor is not limited to a belt conveyor, and may be, for example, a roller conveyor in which a plurality of rollers (rotating members) are arranged.

  The most upstream conveyor 141 receives the kneaded material K1 discharged from the discharge port 15a from below and conveys (carries) the continuous kneaded material K1 to the cutting device 110. The conveyor 142 located in the middle conveys (carries out) the cut and kneaded material K2 cut by the cutting device 110. The most downstream conveyor 143 receives the cut and kneaded products K2 that have been carried out one by one and sends them to the transfer device 3 in the next step.

  In the following description, in order to easily distinguish the conveyors 141 to 143, the conveyor 141 located upstream of the cutting device 110 is a “carry-in conveyor 141”, and the conveyor 142 located downstream of the cutting device 110 is a “carry-out conveyor 142”. The conveyor 143 located on the most downstream side is referred to as a "receiving conveyor 143". The carry-in conveyor 141 may be composed of a plurality (for example, two) of conveyors 145 and 146, as described later.

  The rotating members of the carry-in conveyor 141, the carry-out conveyor 142, and the receiving conveyor 143 are rotated by motors 141m, 142m, and 143m, respectively. The kneaded material is conveyed at the same speed by the carry-in conveyor 141 and the carry-out conveyor 142. The transfer speed of the receiving conveyor 143 may be different from the transfer speed of the other conveyors 141 and 142.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation speeds of the motors 141m and 142m are adjusted by a common control unit (referred to as “CTL” in FIG. 2) 130, and the rotation speed of the motor 143m is adjusted by another control unit 131. .. Note that each motor is driven by AC power output from an inverter that performs variable voltage variable frequency control (VVVF), for example.

  The cutting device 110 cuts the kneaded material K1 carried in by the carry-in conveyor 141 to generate a cut kneaded material K2. The cutting device 110 includes a cutting blade 111 that cuts the kneaded material K1, a motor 111m that drives the cutting blade 111, a control unit 112 that operates the cutting blade 111 by controlling the driving of the motor 111m, and the cutting blade 111. It has a pedestal 113 for supporting it below.

  The cutting blade 111 and the pedestal 113 are provided between the carry-in conveyor 141 and the carry-out conveyor 142. The loading surfaces (belt upper surfaces) of the carry-in conveyor 141 and the carry-out conveyor 142 are preferably located on the same plane.

  The cutting blade 111 cuts the kneaded material K1 that is pushed out from the discharge port 15a and moves forward. The cutting blade 111 is arranged above the height of the loading surface of each of the carry-in conveyor 141 and the carry-out conveyor 142, and moves from above to below the kneaded material K1 to cut the kneaded material K1. To do.

  Here, it is desired that the cutting blade 111 be operated and controlled so that the weight of the cutting and kneading material K2 becomes a weight (predetermined value) suitable for the cavity of the molding die 50 of the molding apparatus 4. For example, the control unit 112 may operate the cutting blade 111 at regular time intervals by timer control. However, if the timer control by the control unit 112 alone is performed, there is a possibility that the weight of the cut and kneaded product K2 to be generated may vary. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 200 in the comparative example. 7A to 7C are plan views schematically showing an example of the shape of the kneaded product flowing on the carry-in conveyor 241 in the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 200 in the comparative example.

  The intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 200 includes a plurality of conveyors including a carry-in conveyor 241, a carry-out conveyor 242, and a receiving conveyor 243, and a cutting device 210, similarly to the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 in the present embodiment. The rotating members of the carry-in conveyor 241, the carry-out conveyor 242, and the receiving conveyor 243 are rotated by motors 241m, 242m, and 243m, respectively. The carrying speeds of the carry-in conveyor 241 and the carry-out conveyor 242 driven by at least the motors 241m and 242m are the same. Each of the motors 241m and 242m may be independently driven via an inverter.

  The cutting device 210 also has a cutting blade 211, a motor 211m, a controller 212, and a pedestal 213, similarly to the cutting device 110 in the present embodiment. The control unit 212 of the cutting device 210 controls the motor 211m by a timer so that the cutting blade 211 moves down at regular time intervals.

  The kneading device 2 sends the kneaded material K1 to the carry-in conveyor 241 through the discharge port 15a at a constant speed. When the feed speed V1 for sending the kneaded material from the kneading device 2 to the carry-in conveyor 241 and the transport speed V2 by the carry-in conveyor 241 are equal to each other, as shown in FIG. The continuous kneaded material Ka is conveyed toward the cutting device 210. The shape (posture) of the kneaded material Ka shown in FIG. 7(A) is an ideal shape.

  On the other hand, when the feed speed V1 is faster than the transport speed V2, the kneaded material is in a stagnant state, so that the kneaded material meanders like the kneaded material Kb shown in FIG. The thickness is larger than that of the kneaded material Ka shown in ), or the position is displaced from the center of the carry-in conveyor 241. On the other hand, when the feed speed V1 is lower than the transport speed V2, the kneaded product is pulled upstream, so that the kneaded product becomes thin or discontinuous like the kneaded product Kc shown in FIG. 7C.

  Therefore, when there is a deviation between the feed speed V1 and the transport speed V2, the shape (posture) of the kneaded material K1 flowing on the carry-in conveyor 241 collapses. Therefore, when the cutting blade 211 is controlled by the timer, the weight of the kneaded material K2 varies. Will occur.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the previous step of the cutting device 110, the shape of the kneaded material K1 is adjusted to an appropriate shape as shown in FIG. 7(A). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 compares the feed speed V1 for sending the kneaded material K1 from the kneading device 2 to the carry-in conveyor 141 with the carrying speed V2 by the carry-in conveyor 141, and comparing means 120. A control unit 130 that adjusts the conveyance speed V2 of the carry-in conveyor 141 according to the comparison result of the comparison unit 120 is provided.

  The comparison means 120 is provided on the carry-in conveyor 141. The comparison means 120 includes a load cell 123 as a load detection means for detecting the load applied to the carry-in conveyor 141. The load cell 123 is a sensor that converts a load (force) into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal, and the detection signal of the load cell 123 is input to the control unit 130. The load cell 123 may detect the longitudinal load (tensile/compression) generated on the carry-in conveyor 141 when the carry-in conveyor 141 receives the kneaded material from below, or the weight of the kneaded material (unit: unit) that the carry-in conveyor 141 receives from below. (Weight per time) may be detected.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the feed speed V1 is faster than the transport speed V2 and the weight of the kneaded material received by the carry-in conveyor 141 from below is excessive, the kneaded material becomes stagnant, and conversely, the feed speed V1 increases. When the kneaded material is slower than the transport speed V2 and the weight of the kneaded material received from the lower portion of the carry-in conveyor 141 is too small, the load cell 123 is loaded in the present embodiment by utilizing the fact that the kneaded material is pulled to the upstream side. The longitudinal load (tensile/compression) applied to the conveyor 141 is detected. In this case, the load cell 123 may be composed of, for example, a sensor that detects a tensile force and a compressive force.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the comparison means 120 in this case. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration example of the comparison unit 120 when the carry-in conveyor 141 is installed in a hanging manner.

  The comparison means 120 includes a load receiving member 121 attached to the carry-in conveyor 141 and a suspending member 122 that suspends the load receiving member 121 below the outer upper wall portion 91. The load receiving member 121 has a length in the front-back direction (conveying direction) of the carry-in conveyor 141, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are suspended by the suspending member 122. When the carry-in conveyor 141 is composed of a plurality of conveyors as described later, the load receiving member 121 is attached to the most upstream conveyor (first conveyor 145).

  The upper end and the lower end of each hanging member 122 are respectively connected to the upper wall portion 91 and the load receiving member 121 via hinges 124a and 124b, and the lower end of the hanging member 122 is a free end. That is, in the free state, the load receiving member 121 is suspended so as to swing in the front-rear direction.

  The load cell 123 is attached and fixed to, for example, the outer side wall 92, and detects the load in the front-rear direction applied to the load receiving member 121. When the side wall 92 is located rearward of the carry-in conveyor 141, when the load receiving member 121 tries to swing rearward together with the carry-in conveyor 141, a compressive force is applied to the load cell 123, so the measured value of the load cell 123 is positive. Value (+). On the contrary, when the load receiving member 121 tries to swing forward together with the carry-in conveyor 141, a tensile force is applied to the load cell 123, and thus the measured value of the load cell 123 becomes a negative value (-).

  Specifically, when the feed speed V1 is faster than the transport speed V2 (V1>V2), the load receiving member 121 tries to swing forward (in the direction of arrow A1), so the measured value of the load cell 123 is a negative value. Becomes When the feed speed V1 is slower than the transport speed V2 (V1<V2), the load receiving member 121 tries to swing rearward (the direction opposite to the arrow A1), so that the measured value of the load cell 123 becomes a positive value. ..

  However, it is desirable that the load receiving member 121 is fixed by the load cell 123 so that the load receiving member 121 does not actually swing in accordance with the magnitude relationship between the feed speed V1 and the transport speed V2. As a result, the carry-in conveyor 141 is swingably supported with respect to the outside and is fixed to the outside via the load cell 123. The load cell 123 may be attached to the lower end portion (free end side) of the suspension member 122.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the carry-in conveyor 141 may be installed in a stationary manner. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the comparison means 120A when the carry-in conveyor 141 is installed in a stationary manner.

  Compared to the comparison means 120 shown in FIG. 3, the comparison means 120A includes leg portions 125 extending upward from the external bottom wall portion 93 to the load receiving member 121 instead of the hanging member 122. The lower end and the upper end of each leg 125 are connected to the bottom wall 93 and the load receiving member 121 via hinges 126a and 126b, respectively, and the upper end of the leg 125 is a free end.

  In the comparison means 120A, the load cell 123 may be attached to the load receiving member 121 or the upper end portion side (free end side) of the leg portion 125.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, control unit 130 adjusts the transport speed (V2) by carry-in conveyor 141 and carry-out conveyor 142 based on the measurement result by load cell 123. That is, if the measured value of the load cell 123 exceeds the reference range (0±predetermined value), the control unit 130 passes through the inverter so that the speed difference between the feed speed V1 and the transport speed V2 approaches “0”. Then, the number of rotations of each motor 141m, 142m is adjusted.

  Such speed comparison and speed adjustment should be performed early at the upstream end of the carry-in conveyor 141, that is, at a point P (hereinafter referred to as “load point”) P that directly receives the load of the kneaded material K1 discharged from the kneading device 2. Thus, the shape of the kneaded material K1 can be adjusted on the downstream side of the load point P on the carry-in conveyor 141. Therefore, the kneaded material K1 having an appropriate shape, that is, the kneaded material K1 having a constant cross-sectional shape can be sent from the carry-in conveyor 141 to the cutting device 110.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since the attitude of the kneaded material K1 is controlled on the carry-in conveyor 141, even if the control unit 112 of the cutting device 110 cuts the kneaded material K1 by timer control, the cutting operation is performed. Variations in the weight of the kneaded material K2 are suppressed.

  On the other hand, rather than cutting the kneaded material K1 using time as an index (by timer control) as described above, cutting the kneaded material K1 directly using the weight as an index suppresses variation in the weight of the cut kneaded material K2. More desirable for. A configuration example in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 2 described above.

  The carry-in conveyor 141 is composed of first and second conveyors 145 and 146 arranged in series. The first and second conveyors 145 and 146 are respectively driven by motors 145m and 146m so as to have the same transport speed. The transport speeds of the first and second conveyors 145 and 146 are simultaneously adjusted by the control unit 130 together with the carry-out conveyor 142.

  The above-mentioned comparison means 120 is attached to the upstream first conveyor 145 including the load point P. The second conveyor 146 on the downstream side is provided with a load cell 150 as a conveyance weight detection unit that detects the weight of the kneaded material K1 to be conveyed. The first conveyor 145 functions as a speed comparison conveyor, and the second conveyor 146 functions as a weighing conveyor. The second conveyor 146 is arranged adjacent to the upstream side of the cutting device 110.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the load cell 150 is provided, for example, at each of a front end portion and a rear end portion of the second conveyor 146. The detection signal of each load cell 150 is input to the control unit 112 of the cutting device 110.

  The cutting device 110 cuts the kneaded material K1 conveyed by the second conveyor 146 based on the weight of the kneaded material K1 detected by the load cell 150. Specifically, the control unit 112 calculates the instantaneous transportation amount and the weight integrated value based on the measured value of the load cell 150 and the transport speed of the second conveyor 146 obtained from the detection signal of the speed sensor 152. Then, the operation control of the cutting blade 111 is performed so as to cut the kneaded material K1 when the calculated weight integrated value reaches a predetermined value (specified weight). As a result, the cutting device 110 can generate the cut and kneaded material K2 having a proper weight. Further, since the kneaded material K1 having a constant cross-sectional shape is fed to the cutting device 110, a cut and kneaded material K2 having sufficient length, width, and thickness as well as weight is produced.

  The cut and kneaded material K2 cut by the cutting device 110 flows on the carry-out conveyor 142 and is transferred to the receiving conveyor 143 by a gripping device (not shown), for example. As a result, the cut and kneaded material K2 having proper weight, total length, width, and thickness, that is, the intermediate product, is placed on the receiving conveyor 143.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving conveyor 143 may also be provided with a load cell 160 as a product weight detecting means for detecting the weight of the intermediate product. The load cells 160 are provided at, for example, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the receiving conveyor 143. The detection signal of each load cell 160 is input to the control unit 132.

  The control unit 132 may determine whether the measured value of the load cell 160 is within the set range, and if the measured value is out of the range, an alarm or the like may notify that the measured value is out of the range. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the defective product from being transferred to the molding device 4 by the transfer device 3.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the conveyors 141 to 143 of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 may be provided with a heater 170 as a heating means in order to facilitate the processing of the kneaded product.

<Manufacturing method>
A flow of a method for manufacturing an intermediate product by the above-described intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described.

  With reference to FIG. 5, first, in the first conveyor 145 of the carry-in conveyor 141, the attitude of the kneaded material K1 discharged from the kneading device 2 is controlled (process P2). In the attitude control, as described above, the step of comparing the feed speed V1 and the transfer speed V2 based on the measurement value of the load cell 123 of the comparison unit 120, and the carry-in conveyor 141 (first conveyor) according to the comparison result. 145, the second conveyor 146), and the step of adjusting the transfer speed of the carry-out conveyor 142. This corrects the deformation of the kneaded material K1 in the carry-in conveyor 141 (meandering in the vertical and horizontal directions, the elongation in the front-rear direction, etc.). Therefore, the kneaded material K1 having a constant cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 7A can be conveyed toward the cutting device 110 in the subsequent step.

  The operation mode of the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 may be selected in advance as to whether the operation control of the cutting blade 111 of the cutting apparatus 110 is performed by measurement or by timer control. In this case, if the operation mode is the metering mode, the process proceeds to step P4, and if it is the timer control mode, the process proceeds to step P5.

  In the process P4, the weight of the kneaded material K1 is measured using the load cell 150 on the second conveyor 146 of the carry-in conveyor 141. Since the attitude of the kneaded material K1 is adjusted in the previous step, the weight of the kneaded material K1 can be measured in a state where the kneaded material K1 flows straight on the second conveyor 146.

  In step P5, it is measured whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the last time the cutting blade 111 was operated.

  The cutting device 110 cuts the kneaded material K1 based on the measured value in the process P4 or the time measured in the process P5 (process P6). The case of cutting the kneaded material K1 based on the measured value will be specifically described. The control unit 112 of the cutting device 110 determines the instantaneous transportation amount and the instantaneous transportation amount based on the measured value of the load cell 150 and the transport speed V2 of the second conveyor 146. The weight integrated value is calculated, and the operation of the cutting blade 111 is controlled so as to cut the kneaded material K1 when the weight integrated value reaches the weight necessary for the intermediate product (that is, a predetermined value). When the weight integrated value reaches a predetermined value, the control unit 112 resets the weight integrated value and weighs the next intermediate product.

  The cut and kneaded material K2 obtained by cutting is carried out (discharged) as an intermediate product by the carry-out conveyor 142 (process P8). When the weighing process is further executed after the posture control process, it is possible to reliably suppress or prevent the variation in the weight of the intermediate product. That is, even if the kneaded material K1 has voids, depressions or the like, it is possible to obtain an intermediate product having an appropriate weight. As a result, since the number of defective products is reduced, the amount of waste can be reduced. In addition, if the instantaneous transport amount of the second conveyor 146 is constant, that is, if the weight of the delivery (discharge) from the kneading machine 2 is constant, even if the cutting blade 111 is operated and controlled by the timer control, it is almost the same. The result is obtained.

  Finally, in the receiving conveyor 143, the weight of the intermediate product is inspected using the load cell 160 (process P10). By providing such an inspection step, it is possible to supply only the intermediate product having an accurate weight to the molding device 4. Therefore, by using the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the fiber-reinforced resin molded body as the final product.

  The comparison unit 120 used for the attitude control may include another type of detection unit such as a displacement detection unit instead of the load detection unit such as the load cell 123. In the case of using the displacement detecting means, for example, elastic members (for example, springs) are attached before and after the first conveyor 145 so that the displacement detecting means naturally becomes the zero point when the kneaded material is not flowing. The displacement of the one conveyor 145 in the front-rear direction may be detected. As the displacement detecting means, a linear encoder, a potentiometer, a limit switch, etc. can be adopted.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Manufacturing device, 2 Kneading device, 3 Transfer device, 4 Molding device, 100,200 Intermediate product manufacturing device, 110,210 Cutting device, 112,130,131,132,212 Control part, 120,120A Comparison means, 123, 150,160 load cell, 141,142,143,145,146,241,242,243 Conveyor.

Claims (5)

Receiving a kneaded product discharged from a kneading device for producing a kneaded product of fibers and a thermoplastic resin from below, a conveying means for conveying the kneaded product,
A cutting device that cuts the kneaded material conveyed by the conveying means to generate a cut kneaded material as an intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded body,
A feeding means for sending a kneaded material from the kneading device to the carrying means, and a comparing means for comparing a carrying speed by the carrying means,
An apparatus for manufacturing an intermediate product of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product, comprising: a control unit that adjusts a transportation speed of the transportation unit according to a comparison result of the comparison unit.   The said comparison means is a manufacturing apparatus of the intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded body of Claim 1 containing the load detection means which detects the load applied to the said conveyance means. The conveying means includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor arranged closer to the cutting device than the first conveyor,
The load detection means is attached to the first conveyor,
The said control part is a manufacturing apparatus of the intermediate product of the fiber reinforced resin molded object of Claim 2 which adjusts the conveyance speed of the said 1st conveyor and the said 2nd conveyor based on the detection result by the said load detection means. Further comprising a conveyance weight detection means for detecting the weight of the kneaded material conveyed by the second conveyor,
The intermediate product of the fiber-reinforced resin molded product according to claim 3, wherein the cutting device cuts the kneaded material conveyed by the second conveyor based on the weight of the kneaded material detected by the conveyed weight detection means. Manufacturing equipment. A feeding speed for sending a kneaded material from a kneading device for producing a kneaded material of fibers and a thermoplastic resin to a conveying means, and a step of comparing the conveying speed by the conveying means,
A step of adjusting the carrying speed by the carrying means according to the result of comparison between the feeding speed and the carrying speed;
Cutting the kneaded material conveyed by the conveying means of which the conveyance speed is adjusted, and a step of producing a cut kneaded material as an intermediate product of the fiber reinforced resin molded article, of the intermediate product of the fiber reinforced resin molded article Production method.

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