JP3339143B2 - Method of manufacturing narrow prepreg material - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing a narrow prepreg material used for molding a fiber-reinforced composite material such as a fiber-reinforced plastic, and more particularly to a method for producing a wide prepreg material having release paper on at least one side. The present invention relates to a method for producing a narrow width prepreg material which is cut together with the release paper into a width corresponding to the width.

[0002]

Sheet prepreg used for the molding of the Related Art Fiber-reinforced composite materials, in order to prevent sticking prepreg phase <br/> each other in the manufacturing stage, typically superimposed on at least one side to the release paper It is wound up in the state. At this stage
The prepreg having the release paper, that is, the prepreg material is formed in a wide sheet shape having a predetermined width determined by manufacturing equipment.

[0003] Therefore, when the prepreg material is used for an application having a width smaller than the width at the time of manufacturing, the prepreg material is cut into a tape shape or a band shape having a desired width according to the application together with the release paper while unwinding, and then wound again. It is a prepreg material product. In the cutting of the prepreg material, depending on the application, considerably strict accuracy is required for the product width after cutting. For this reason, a shear cutter or a score cutter with high cutting accuracy is used for cutting the prepreg material.

Here, the shear cutter has a rotating lower blade and a rotating upper blade. While the prepreg material is supported on the outer periphery of the rotating lower blade, it is sheared from above by the rotating upper blade, that is, cut by pinching. Is what you do. On the other hand, the score cutter and the rotating lower blade and a従転upper blade which rotates with the rotation of the rotating lower blade, while supporting the prepreg material onto the outer periphery of the rotating lower blade, upwardly by従転upper blade Pressure shearing, that is, cutting by pressing.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Incidentally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent No. 111898 discloses a prepreg material for the purpose of improving the dimensional accuracy of the cut by increasing the drapability (softness) of the prepreg material at the time of cutting and suppressing the generation of paper dust from the release paper to be cut. An invention of cutting while heating to 25 ° C. or more is disclosed.

However, prepreg material <br/> odor to which the present invention is directed Te, the prepreg material is Ru heated above 25 ° C.,
Depending on the type of matrix resin used, the resin in the cutter blade has a problem that cut resistance is deteriorated adhesive. In particular, since the cutter blade comes into contact with the prepreg material that has been softened by the influence of heat, the resin adhered to the cutter blade accumulates with the cutting process of the prepreg material, and the cutting property decreases over time.

Further, the prepreg material to which the present invention is applied has a minimum viscosity of 5 × 10 ⁻² to 5 Pa · s of the matrix resin measured at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min. And the adhesiveness of the resin to the cutter blade tends to increase. For this reason, in the cutting operation of the prepreg material targeted by the present invention, not only the cutting property of the cutter blade is lowered, but also the cleaning cycle and the replacement cycle of the matrix resin adhered to the cutter blade are shortened, and the work efficiency is inevitable. There was a problem that it decreases.

[0008] Such adhesion of the matrix resin to the cutter blade is caused by cutting resistance depending on the speed and time required for cutting, because the prepreg material is cut by the pinching and pushing by the upper blade and the lower blade of the cutter. Shear heat is generated on the cutter blade. Therefore, when the hot cutter blade contacts the prepreg material during cutting,
This heat softens the matrix resin and further promotes adhesion. For this reason, when cutting the prepreg material, the cutting operation has to be stopped in order to remove the matrix resin sticking to the cutter blade, and there is a problem that the profit and loss associated with the interruption cannot be ignored.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it has been proposed to cut a wide prepreg material having a prepreg carried on release paper into a predetermined width to produce a narrow width prepreg material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a narrow prepreg material capable of suppressing generation of paper dust as much as possible while extending a cleaning cycle of a cutter blade.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a resin having a minimum viscosity measured at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min in the range of 5 × 10 ^-2 to 5 Pa · s to achieve the above object. A wide prepreg material having a prepreg having a matrix resin on release paper is wound around a lower blade at a winding angle of 5 degrees or less, and the prepreg material is cut in cooperation with the lower blade. When producing a narrow prepreg material by cutting to a desired width using a cutter having an upper blade, the wide prepreg material and the lower blade and the upper blade are cut at 10 ° C. or less, −50 ° C. The cutting is performed while cooling with the cooled air as described above.

Here, the minimum viscosity of the matrix resin measured at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min. Refers to a viscosity measured using a measuring machine by a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring method. As such a measuring instrument, for example, there is a liquid meter (manufactured by Rheology). Minimum viscosity at heating rate 2 ° C / min.
The satisfying matrix resin × 10 ^-2 ~5Pa · s, epoxy resin, polyester resin, vinyl ester resin, many thermosetting resins such as phenol resins, in particular adhesion is high epoxy resin Become
The effect is great when the invention is applied to a trix resin .

Here, the minimum viscosity is 5 × 10 ^-2 to 5 Pa · s.
The matrix resin has a remarkable adhesion of the resin to the cutter blade even at room temperature, but has a minimum viscosity of 5 × 10 ^-2 Pa · s.
Those having a lower viscosity have a low viscosity even at room temperature and have no problem of adhesion to the cutter blade.
If the value exceeds a · s, the viscosity of the resin is too high and the resin does not adhere to the cutter blade.

Accordingly, a wide prepreg material impregnated with a matrix resin having a minimum viscosity of 5 × 10 ⁻² to 5 Pa · s at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min. Is cut into a desired width to produce a narrow prepreg material. In the method of the present invention, the wide-width prepreg material and the cut portion are air-cooled to 10 ° C. or less and −50 ° C. or more, thereby avoiding adhesion and adhesion of the matrix resin to the cutter blade.

In the method of the present invention, the method of cooling the wide prepreg material and the cut portion with air of 10 ° C. or less and -50 ° C. or more is not particularly limited, but the nozzle is installed near the prepreg and / or the blade. Then, there is a method of blowing out cooling air from the nozzle tip. In addition, it is necessary to adjust equipment conditions and the like so that dew due to cooling does not occur with the cutting.

Further, the prepreg material to be cut is preferably pre-cooled before cutting in order to stabilize the cooling temperature. As a method for cutting a wide prepreg material used in the method for producing a narrow prepreg material of the present invention, any of a shear method and a score method can be used.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the method for producing a narrow prepreg material according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a slitter device 1 for carrying out the method of the present invention. The slitter device 1 includes an unwinding unit 10, a cutter unit 20, a winding unit 30, and a cooling unit 40, and cools a prepreg material 5 while cooling the prepreg material 5. Cut to width.

The prepreg material 5 is obtained by laminating a release paper 5b on at least one surface of a prepreg 5a. The prepreg 5a has a minimum viscosity measured at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min. Is 5 × 10 ^{-2 to} 5Pa ・
s is impregnated with a matrix resin and is reinforced.
In the unwinding section 10, an unwinding roll 12 is rotatably supported by a support base 11, and the prepreg material 5 to be processed is wound on the unwinding roll 12. Further, a brake 13 for controlling the rotation of the unwinding roll 12 is provided on the support base 11, and controls the unwinding tension of the prepreg material 5 to be unwound to a desired value.

The cutter unit 20 includes a pre-press including the release paper 5b.
The leg material 5 is cut into a tape shape or a band shape having a desired width according to the application. The cutter unit 20, the lower blade 21 and upper blade 22
Are arranged vertically with the prepreg material 5 interposed therebetween, and the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 are rotated in opposite directions by different rotating means (not shown). When cutting, the cutter unit 20 cuts and separates both sides of the prepreg material 5 as ears as necessary.

Here , as shown in FIG. 2, the winding angle defined by both ends of the winding portion of the prepreg material 5 wound around the outer periphery of the lower blade 21 and the rotation center C of the lower blade 21. θ is set to 5 degrees or less. The winding angle θ is set to 5 degrees or less in order to suppress bending of the prepreg material 5 due to cutting. This means that the lower blade 21 is upstream
Greater than the angle of 1 75 degrees with the portion of the flop <br/> prepreg material 5 on the downstream side of the site and the lower blade 21 of prepreg material 5 on the side 180
It is synonymous with the range following degrees.

That is, if the drapability of the prepreg material 5 is poor, the prepreg material 5 rises from the lower blade 21 at the cutting portion _Pc and the cutting position changes, and the cutting accuracy of the prepreg material 5 is reduced. A sharp cut surface cannot be obtained. For this reason, the bending of the prepreg material 5 is reduced so that the floating of the prepreg material 5 is extremely small, and the prepreg material 5 is easily brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower blade 21 by the tension of the prepreg material 5 itself.

The take-up section 30 includes a take-up roll 3
2 and 32 are rotatably supported, and each winding roll 32 is provided with a winding motor 33. The winding motor 33 is
The winding tension of the prepreg material 5 unwound from the unwinding roll 12 is controlled to a desired value. Here, the prepreg material 5 unwound from the unwinding roll 12 is guided by guide rolls 2 and 3 provided between the unwinding unit 10 and the winding unit 30, and is used together with the release paper 5 b by the cutter unit 20. After being cut to a desired width according to, the rolls are wound up by winding rolls 32.

It is desirable to control the running speed of the prepreg material 5 by controlling the rotation speed of the guide rolls 2 and 3, that is, to control the cutting speed, but it is preferable to control the rotation speed of the winding motor 33. You may. The cutting speed of the prepreg material 5 is preferably from 1 to 100 m / min, but the method of the present invention has the effect of suppressing adhesion of the matrix resin to the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 when cutting at a high speed of 510 m / min or more. Is big.

The cooling section 40 includes a cutting section Pc of the cutter section 20.
At the switching of the prepreg material 5 to be cut with the release paper 5b
In part for cooling the cross-sectional portion Pc and the lower blade 21 and upper blade 22,
A cool air generator 41 and a controller 42 are provided.
Cold air generator 41, in addition to cooling by blowing the lower blade 21 to the prepreg material 5 rabbi cut portion Pc of the compressed air cooled to 10 ° C. or less, the branch on the nozzle 41a the blade 22
To cool. The controller 42 controls the temperature of the compressed air blown out by the cool air generator 41 to 10 ° C. or less.

In the method for manufacturing a narrow prepreg material according to the present invention, the prepreg material 5 is cut using the slitter apparatus 1 as follows. First, the prepreg material 5 wound around the unwinding roll 12 of the unwinding unit 10 is guided to the cutter unit 20 by the guide roll 2. The prepreg material 5 guided to the cutter unit 20 is cut by shearing (push-off) by the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the cut portion _Pc of the prepreg material 5 is
Since it is cooled by air at a temperature of not more than ° C., adhesion to the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 of the matrix resin is suppressed. For this reason, since the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 maintain the cutting property and the prepreg material 5 is cut sharply, the generation of paper dust from the release paper 5b is also suppressed. Moreover, since the upper blade 22 is similarly cooled by the branch nozzle 41a, even if shear heat insulation due to cutting resistance occurs, it is quickly cooled,
Resin sticking due to shear insulation is also suppressed.

Therefore, the prepreg material 5 is
At the same time as the release paper 5b, it is cut into a desired width with high precision, and a sharp cut surface is obtained. In this manner, the prepreg materials 5 and 5 cut into a desired width and divided into two strips are guided by the guide rolls 3 and wound up by the winding rolls 32 and 32 of the winding section 30, respectively, to thereby produce a prepreg material product. Become a roll. Examples 1, 2, 3 and Comparative Example 1 Here, the prepreg material having the same configuration is cut using the slitter apparatus 1 based on the method of the present invention for cutting while cooling and the conventional method for cutting without cooling. did.

The prepreg material has a high elasticity carbon fiber (66% by weight) having a basis weight of 250 g / cm ^{2 and} a viscosity at 100 ° C. of 1.
A resin impregnated with a matrix resin (epoxy thermosetting resin, 44% by weight) of 8 Pa · s was used . In addition,
Here, as a high elasticity carbon fiber, Toray Industries
(Registered trademark) T300 (model number) 3000 filament
Carbon fiber was used. Such carbon fiber (model number: T3
00) has a tensile strength of 3.53 GPa and a tensile modulus of elasticity.
Is 230 GPa, the elongation is 1.5%, and the number of twists is 0 T /
M. As the matrix resin, the following raw materials A to
Uses epoxy thermosetting resin kneaded with E in a kneader
did. A: Epicoat (registered trademark) 828 20 parts by weight (manufactured by Japan Epoxy Resin Co., Ltd., bisphenol A)
Type epoxy resin) B: Epikote 1001 ... 30 parts by weight (manufactured by Japan Epoxy Resin Co., Ltd., bisphenol A
Type epoxy resin) C: Epikote 154 ... 50 parts by weight (manufactured by Japan Epoxy Resin Co., Ltd., bisphenol A
Type epoxy resin) D: DICY7 ... 5 parts by weight (Jin Angi amide, Japan Epoxy Resins Co.
Ltd.) E: DCMU99 ... 5 parts by weight (3- (3,4-dichlorophenyl-1,1-dimethyl
Urea, manufactured by Hodogaya Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) The above epoxy-based thermosetting resin is used as the matrix resin.
Cutting speed Hv10m as shown in Table 1
/ Min or 30 m / min to a width of 150 mm. here
The cutting performance of the cutter unit 20 is lower blade 21 and upper blade 22
The number of times the slitter device 1 was stopped in order to clean the matrix resin adhered to the prepreg material was expressed as the number per 1000 m of prepreg material (times / 1000 m) . The results are shown in Table 1. Table 1 also shows the cooling temperature of the cut portion of the prepreg material (the temperature at the cut portion in the comparative example) and the state of paper dust generation accompanying the cut.

In Table 1, examples 1, 2 and 3 are based on the method of the present invention, and comparative example 1 is based on the conventional method.
And

[0029]

Table 1 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Comparative Example 1 Cutting speed Hv 10 10 30 10 Cooling temperature (° C) 3 10 -15 23 Number of stops (times / 1000 m) 0.1 0.5 0.4 4 Paper powder ◎ ◎ ◎ × ◎: Almost no generation of paper dust ×: Large generation of paper powder

As is evident from the results in Table 1, according to the conventional method of cutting the prepreg material without cooling, the number of stops is one digit larger than that of the method of the present invention, and the generation of paper dust is remarkable. Was few.

The lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 of the cutter unit 20
As a result, it was found that in the conventional cutting method, as the processing length of the prepreg material to be cut increased, the matrix resin gradually adhered to the blade of the cutter, and the dirt on the blade increased. On the other hand, in the method of the present invention, since the cut portion Pc of the prepreg material 5 is cooled, the lower blade 21 and the upper blade 22 are easily separated from the matrix resin of the prepreg material 5 at the time of cutting, and almost no resin adhesion occurs. No cut was observed, and the cut surface of the prepreg material 5 was sharp.

[0032]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the method for producing a narrow prepreg material of the present invention, a wide prepreg material and a lower blade and an upper blade are cut with a cooling air of 10 ° C. or less at a cutting portion. Since cutting is performed while cooling, adhesion of the matrix resin to the upper blade and lower blade is suppressed, so that the prepreg material can be cut sharply while keeping the cutting accuracy together with the release paper. And the cleaning cycle of the cutter blade can be extended.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a slitter apparatus for implementing a method for producing a narrow prepreg material of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing a cutter unit of the slitter device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slitter device 2, 3 Guide roll 5 Pre-preg material 5a Pre-preg 5b Release paper 10 Unwinding part 12 Unwinding roll 13 Brake 20 Cutter part 21 Lower blade 22 Upper blade 30 Winding unit 32 Winding roll 33 Winding motor 40 Cooling unit 41 Cold air generator 41a Branch nozzle 42 Controller C Rotation center (lower blade) _Pc cutting part (of prepreg material 5) θ Winding angle

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-111898 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B29B 11/16 B29B 15/08-15 / 14

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wide prepreg material comprising a prepreg having a minimum viscosity of 5 × 10 ^-2 to 5 Pa · s measured at a heating rate of 2 ° C./min. Is wound around the lower blade with the winding angle set to 5 degrees or less, and cut into a desired width using a cutter having an upper blade for cutting the prepreg material in cooperation with the lower blade. When manufacturing the prepreg material, the wide prepreg material and the lower blade and the upper blade are
A method for producing a narrow prepreg material, wherein the method is cooled to 0 ° C. or less.