JP6930098B2 - How to make a notch prepreg - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of stably and continuously producing a cut prepreg that exhibits excellent moldability and high mechanical properties at the time of solidification by inserting a plurality of cuts into a prepreg made of a reinforcing fiber and a resin.

Fiber reinforced plastics are attracting attention in industrial applications because they have high specific strength and specific elastic modulus, excellent mechanical properties, weather resistance, chemical resistance, etc., and are attracting attention in aircraft, spacecraft, automobiles, etc. It has been developed for structural applications such as railroads, ships, electrical appliances, and sports, and its demand is increasing year by year. Among them, the prepreg composed of the reinforcing fiber and the resin is known as an intermediate base material suitable for producing a fiber reinforced plastic having a high volume content of the reinforcing fiber and high mechanical properties. On the other hand, a prepreg using continuous reinforcing fibers is difficult to mold because the reinforcing fibers are stretched into a three-dimensional shape. Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, a cut prepreg having improved followability to the three-dimensional shape of the reinforcing fiber has been developed by inserting a cut that divides the reinforcing fiber into the prepreg. The cut prepreg discontinues the reinforcing fibers without disturbing the arrangement of the reinforcing fibers in the controlled prepreg, so that during solidification, the deterioration of the mechanical properties from the prepreg can be minimized, resulting in high mechanical properties. Have.

As in Patent Document 2, the cut prepreg may be manufactured by using a punching die in which a blade is arranged, but it is an intermittent cutting insertion method, and in the case of a fine cut, it is punched at a different timing. There was a problem that the positional relationship between the cuts was easily displaced. In order for the cut prepreg to exhibit high mechanical properties, it is important to control the cut position with high accuracy. Therefore, as in Patent Document 3, the prepreg is pressed against a rotary blade roll provided with a blade. The method is preferred. Furthermore, the rotary blade roll is more productive than the punching type, and in order to make the best use of its characteristics, the prepreg is unwound from the prepreg roll in which the prepreg is continuously wound on a paper tube, etc., and a notch is inserted. After making a cut prepreg, it is better to wind it up as a roll.

Patent No. 4777954 JP-A-2009-220480 Patent No. 5223354

However, in the process of continuously inserting a notch into the prepreg unwound from the prepreg roll, there is a problem that the prepreg gradually shifts in the width direction or wrinkles occur due to the slack of the prepreg being involved. When such a problem occurs, the quality of the manufactured cut prepreg deteriorates, and it is difficult to continuously and stably manufacture the cut prepreg.

Therefore, the subject of the present invention is to reduce slack and misalignment in the width direction of the prepreg, to insert cuts into the prepreg continuously and stably without wrinkles, and to exhibit excellent moldability and high mechanical properties at the time of solidification. It is to manufacture notched prepregs.

The present invention provides the following method for manufacturing a cut prepreg in order to solve such a problem. That is, a rotary blade roll in which a plurality of blades are arranged and the total length of the plurality of blades ^{is within the range of 1 to 3000 m / m 2} , and a support roll that is substantially parallel to the rotary blade roll. While applying tension to the prepreg containing the reinforcing fibers and the resin, the prepreg is passed so that the end edge of the prepreg is within a predetermined range in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, and at least a part of the reinforcing fibers is passed. This is a method for producing a cut prepreg, in which the fiber length of the above is divided into a range of 10 to 300 mm to form a cut prepreg.

According to the present invention, a cut prepreg that suppresses wrinkles and misalignment in the width direction, continuously and stably inserts a cut into the prepreg, and exhibits excellent moldability and high mechanical properties at the time of solidification is manufactured. can do.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the cut prepreg manufacturing method of this invention. FIG. 1 is a view of FIG. 1 from above. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the cut prepreg manufacturing method of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the cut prepreg manufacturing method of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the line segment which connects the end part of a cut. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the arrangement pattern of the blade of the rotary blade roll of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which projected the rotary blade roll and the blade on the plane perpendicular to the rotary blade roll. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the arrangement pattern of the blade of the rotary blade roll of this invention.

The present inventors insert a plurality of cuts that divide a fiber into a prepreg composed of a reinforcing fiber and a resin, and obtain a cut prepreg that exhibits excellent moldability and high mechanical properties at the time of solidification. A plurality of wrinkles that deteriorate the surface quality and mechanical properties during solidification, wrinkles during cutting prepreg manufacturing, and misalignment in the prepreg width direction are suppressed for stable and continuous manufacturing. Between a rotary blade roll in which the blades are arranged and the total length of the plurality of blades ^{is within the range of 1 to 3000 m / m 2} and a support roll that is substantially parallel to the rotary blade roll. While applying tension to the prepreg containing the reinforcing fibers and the resin, the prepreg is passed so that the end edge of the prepreg is within a predetermined range in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, and the fiber length of at least a part of the reinforcing fibers is applied. It has been clarified that such a problem can be solved by dividing the prepreg into a cut prepreg within a range of 10 to 300 mm.

1 and 2 show a method of manufacturing a notched prepreg in the present invention. The prepreg 1 is unwound from the prepreg roll 2 in which the prepreg is continuously wound on a paper tube or the like in the longitudinal direction, and the prepreg 1 is passed between the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7 in which a plurality of blades 4 are arranged. The reinforcing fiber is cut at the position where 4 is pressed against the prepreg 1, and the cut prepreg 3 is obtained.

The support roll 7 is close to the rotary blade roll 6 substantially in parallel, and a clearance through which the blade 4 can pass is provided between the two rolls. Approximately parallel means that the clearance between the support roll 7 and the rotary blade roll 6 excluding the blade is the clearance in the width direction of the rotary blade roll 6 or the support roll 7 at an arbitrary position in the width direction of the rotary blade roll 6 or the support roll 7. It means that it is within the range of ± 10% of the average value of. When pressing the rotary blade roll against the prepreg, the member that supports the prepreg does not necessarily have to be in the shape of a roll, and it may be in the shape of a plate. It is preferably in the form of a roll. However, as long as the support roll is installed, the prepreg may come into contact with a plurality of rolls or plate-shaped supports before the prepreg is unwound and wound.

The rotary blade roll may be a roll in which the blade is machined from the roll, or a roll in which the sheet provided with the blade is wound around the roll by using an adhesive means such as a magnet or an adhesive. good. In particular, the roll is a magnet roll, and the method of pasting the metal sheet on which the blade is placed can be easily attached and detached when replacing the blade. It is preferable that a plurality of cutting patterns can be manufactured by using the same rotary blade roll.

The prepreg may be inserted into the rotary blade roll in the state of a cut sheet, but it is more productive to continuously supply the prepreg, and it is particularly preferable to unwind and insert the prepreg from the prepreg roll hung on a hanger or the like. Similarly, the prepreg may be cut after passing through the rotary blade roll to form a cut sheet, or may be wound into a roll using a winder.

The resin used for the prepreg in the present invention is not limited, and may be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin.

In the present invention, the reinforcing fibers used for the prepreg are not limited, and carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers and the like, which are typical reinforcing fibers as reinforcing fibers for reinforcing the resin, are preferable. The form of the reinforcing fibers is not limited, and may be a unidirectional prepreg in which the reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction, a woven prepreg having a woven structure, or a prepreg laminated sheet in which a plurality of unidirectional prepregs or woven prepregs are laminated. You may. The prepreg laminated sheet may be a cross-ply laminated sheet in which a plurality of unidirectional prepregs are laminated so that the reinforcing fibers are in the orthogonal direction, or a plurality of prepregs are laminated at different angles. For example, it may be a laminated sheet in which prepregs having different reinforced forms are mixed.

By using a rotary blade roll with the blade arranged at a predetermined position, it is possible to periodically insert the blade into the prepreg in conjunction with the feed of the prepreg, and by increasing the rotation speed of the rotary blade roll, it is possible to cut. The production speed of the built-in prepreg is also improved.

The denser the in-plane density of the notch prepreg of the notch 5 inserted into the notch prepreg 3, the better the formability of the notch prepreg 3, but if the density is too high, the mechanical properties at the time of solidification. Decreases. Here, the density in the cut prepreg surface of the cut 5 inserted into the cut prepreg 3 can be expressed by using the total length of the blades in a unit area as an index, and the index is 1 m / m ² or more. If there is, the denser the density of the cuts 5, the better the formability of the cut prepreg, ^{and if it exceeds 3000 m / m 2} , the density is too high and the mechanical properties at the time of solidification deteriorate. In addition, when the total length of the blades per unit area is long, the contact points between the blade and the prepreg that are pressed during cutting increase, and the resistance given to the prepreg increases, so the prepreg meanders and the action of pulling into the rotary blade roll. May occur. Therefore, the total length of the blades provided on the rotary blade roll is preferably in the range of 1 to ^{3000 m / m 2.} The total length of the blades provided on the particularly preferable rotary blade roll is in the range of ^{30 to 1000 m / m 2.}

Even if the total length of the cuts is within the above range, if the reinforcing fibers having a length of less than 10 mm are locally present, the mechanical properties at the time of solidification of the cut prepreg are deteriorated, and the reinforcing fibers of the reinforcing fibers are deteriorated. If the fiber length exceeds 300 mm, the reinforcing fibers may be stretched during molding of a complicated shape, which may cause molding defects. Therefore, the fiber length of the reinforcing fibers is preferably 300 mm or less. Therefore, the length of the reinforcing fiber divided by the blade is preferably in the range of 10 to 300 mm. That is, in the present invention, it is preferable to divide the reinforcing fibers so that the fiber length is 10 to 300 mm to form a cut prepreg. A particularly preferred reinforcing fiber length is in the range of 15-200 mm.

Further, all the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg may be cut by the blade, or some reinforcing fibers that are not cut may be left.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the prepreg 1 and the cut prepreg 3 are moved in the feed direction 10 of the cut prepreg by the rotation 8 of the rotary blade roll 6. At this time, the support roll 7 may also be rotated, and the mechanism may be such that the rotation of the rotary blade roll is generated by the rotation of the support roll. The rotation 8 of the rotary blade roll 6 and the rotation 12 of the prepreg roll 2 do not necessarily have to be linked, but in the present invention, the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll while applying tension to the prepreg. Since the prepreg is characterized by the fact that the prepreg is cut, it is preferable to control the torque or the rotation speed of the rotation 12 of the prepreg roll 2 so that the tension 11 is applied to the prepreg 1. When the prepreg 1 is slack and passes between the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7 while involving the slack, the cut prepreg 3 is wrinkled, and a high-quality cut prepreg 3 can be stably manufactured. It will be difficult.

The tension 11 applied to the prepreg is preferably kept substantially constant during continuous operation in which the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7 continuously pass the prepreg 1. If the tension 11 becomes small during continuous operation, the prepreg 1 may be bent and the cut prepreg 3 may be wrinkled. The substantially constant tension means that the tension is maintained at an average tension of ± 10%. The preferred tension range is 10 to 20 kg / m.

Further, even when tension 11 is applied to the prepreg 1, when the prepreg 1 is displaced from the prepreg roll 2 in the axial direction 13 of the rotary blade roll (the depth direction in FIG. 1 and the left-right direction in FIG. 2). Is misaligned on the winding side, and when winding in a roll shape, rewinding is required to align the ends, and the prepreg 1 is slackened due to distortion caused by deviation from the sheet path on the winding side. Will occur, causing wrinkles. Once wrinkles occur in the cut prepreg, it is difficult to remove the wrinkles due to the propagation of wrinkles in the process of continuously using the prepreg as the cut prepreg, so it is necessary to stop the process once and cut and discard the prepreg. Yes, the yield goes down. Therefore, it is preferable to control so that the end edge of the prepreg 1 is kept within a predetermined range in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll until the prepreg 1 is unwound from the prepreg roll 2 and the notch 5 is inserted.

As a specific method for passing the prepreg between the rotary blade roll and the support roll so that the end edge of the prepreg is within a predetermined range in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, for example, the prepreg 1 is used. It is preferable to use a sensor that reads the position of the end side to adjust the position of the prepreg roll 2 in the width direction so that the end side always passes within a predetermined range with respect to the axial direction 13 of the rotary blade roll. The predetermined range means that the end side of the prepreg 1 is within the range of the average position ± 2.0 mm with respect to the axial direction 13 of the rotary blade roll. More preferably, the end edge of the prepreg 1 is within a range of ± 1.0 mm in the average position with respect to the axial direction 13 of the rotary blade roll, and even more preferably within a range of ± 0.5 mm.

As a preferred method for manufacturing the notch prepreg, as shown in FIG. 3, the prepreg 1 is passed between the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7 to form the notch prepreg 3, and then the notch prepreg rotary blade roll 6 is used. A method of pressing the notch prepreg 3 against the support roll 7 so that the surface on the side is separated from the rotary blade roll 6 and taking up the notch prepreg can be mentioned. As a method of pressing the cut prepreg 3 against the support roll 7, a pressing roll 22 may be used as shown in FIG. 3, or the cut prepreg 3 is attracted to the roll surface of the support roll 7 by the support roll 7 having a suction mechanism. It may be a method of doing. When the prepreg 1 is passed between the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7, the cutting prepreg is a rotary blade when the viscosity of the resin contained in the prepreg is high or the coefficient of friction between the blade and the notch is high. May stick to the roll. In such a case, it is necessary to peel off the cut prepreg from the rotary blade roll 6, but the reinforcing fibers separated by the blade may become fluff and remain on the cut prepreg surface, deteriorating the quality of the cut prepreg. .. By pressing the notch prepreg against the support roll side from the moment the blade is pressed against the prepreg, it is possible to prevent the notch prepreg from coming into close contact with the rotary blade roll. This method can be particularly preferably used for prepregs using a thermosetting resin. In the case of a prepreg using a thermosetting resin, since the prepreg usually has a tack, the prepreg is supported by a sheet base material A, for example, a paper pattern, which will be described later, but passes through the prepreg between the rotary blade roll and the support roll. If the sheet base material A is peeled off when the sheet base material A is peeled off, wrinkles occur when the obtained cut prepreg is wound up. By pressing the notch prepreg 1 against the support roll so as to be separated from the rotary blade roll 6 and pulling it up, peeling of the sheet base material A is suppressed and wrinkles during winding are reduced.

As a more preferable method for producing the cut prepreg, as shown in FIG. 4, the cut prepreg 3 is formed by allowing the prepreg 1 to pass between the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7 while being pressed against the support roll 7. A method of manufacturing a notched prepreg can be mentioned. As a method of pressing the cut prepreg 3 against the support roll 7, a pressing roll may be used as shown in FIG. 3, or the cut prepreg 3 is attracted to the roll surface of the support roll 7 by the support roll 7 having a suction mechanism. It may be a method. By pressing the cut prepreg against the support roll side after inserting the blade 5 into the prepreg, it is possible to prevent the cut prepreg from coming into close contact with the rotary blade roll, but the prepreg is pressed against the support roll before the cut is inserted. As a result, the cut prepreg can be pressed against the support roll more reliably, and the effect of suppressing the close contact of the cut prepreg with the rotary blade roll can be enhanced. Further, by pressing the prepreg 1 against the support roll 7, it becomes easy to determine whether or not the prepreg 1 is vertically inserted into the rotary blade roll 6 and the support roll 7. For example, if the insertion angle of the prepreg 1 is not vertical even slightly, a phenomenon occurs in which one side of the prepreg 1 floats when pressed against the support roll 7.

As a more preferable method for producing the notched prepreg, the sheet base material A is arranged on the surface of the prepreg on the side in contact with the support roll, and the blade provided on the rotary blade roll is pressed against the prepreg to allow the prepreg to penetrate the sheet base. Examples thereof include a method for manufacturing a cut prepreg in which a cut is inserted in the thickness direction of the material A within a range of 5 to 75% from the surface of the sheet base material A on the side in contact with the prepreg.

Here, examples of the sheet base material A include papers such as kraft paper, high-quality paper, glassin paper, and clay-coated paper, polymer films such as polyethylene and polypropylene, metal foils such as aluminum, and resins. A silicone-based or "Teflon (registered trademark)" -based mold release agent, metal vapor deposition, or the like may be applied to the surface of the sheet base material A in order to impart or improve the releasability from the sheet base material A. The sheet base material A may or may not adhere to the prepreg and support the prepreg. By inserting the blade into the sheet base material A, a notch penetrating the prepreg can be reliably inserted into the prepreg. When inserting a notch penetrating the prepreg when the sheet base material A is not used, the blade may hit the support roll. In such a case, there is a concern that the deterioration of the blade will accelerate. The amount of the tip of the blade invading the sheet base material A is the surface of the sheet base material A on the side in contact with the prepreg side so that no uncut portion is generated even if the blade is worn by repeated cutting. It is preferable that 5% or more is inserted in the thickness direction from the surface of the sheet base material A so that the blade does not come into contact with the support roll even if the clearance between the rotary blade roll and the support roll becomes uneven. It is preferably 75% or less in the thickness direction. Therefore, the amount of the blade inserted into the sheet base material A is preferably 5 to 75% in the thickness direction from the surface of the sheet base material A on the side in contact with the prepreg. A more preferable amount of the blade inserted into the sheet base material A in the thickness direction is 10 to 50%.

A more preferable method for producing the cut prepreg is a method for manufacturing the cut prepreg, in which the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, and then the cut prepreg and the sheet base material A are heat-bonded. If the adhesion between the sheet base material A and the prepreg is weak, the sheet base material A may be peeled off even if the prepreg is inserted between the rotary blade roll and the support roll while being pressed against the support roll. If the sheet base material A arranged on the surface of the cut prepreg is peeled off from the cut prepreg before the cut prepreg is picked up, the sheet base material A cannot support the cut prepreg and the cut prepreg cannot be supported. Wrinkles may occur on the prepreg. By heat-pressing the prepreg, the cut prepreg and the sheet base material A can be adhered to each other. There is no particular limitation on the specific temperature, and it depends on the type of resin, the feed rate of the prepreg, etc., but it is not necessary to give a temperature at which the viscosity of the resin drops extremely. The adhesive effect may be obtained even at a low temperature of 50 ° C. or lower. The pressure is not particularly limited, but it is not necessary to apply a high pressure so that the cut prepreg is crushed, and the effect may be obtained even at a low pressure of about 1 to 5 ^{kg / cm 2.}

As a more preferable method for producing the cut prepreg, when the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, the sheet base material B is arranged between the prepreg and the rotary blade roll, and the sheet base material B is used. An example is a method of manufacturing a cut prepreg in which a cut is inserted into the prepreg by penetrating it. If the resin contained in the prepreg is a thermosetting resin and the tack is strong, by providing the sheet base material B between the blade and the prepreg when inserting the cut, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of the prepreg to the blade. , Adhesion between the prepreg sheets can be suppressed when the cut prepreg sheets are wound up. The sheet base material B may be a cover film that protects the surface of the prepreg, such as a polyethylene film or a vinyl chloride film. Further, when the sheet base material B is a stretchable material such as a sponge, when the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, it has the effect of pressing the prepreg against the support roll side, and the rotary blade. It has the effect of suppressing the sticking of the cut prepreg to the roll. When the sheet base material A exists between the prepreg and the support roll, the sheet base material B is arranged between the prepreg and the rotary blade roll, and a notch is inserted into the prepreg through the sheet base material B. By using the method, there is an effect of suppressing the sheet base material A from peeling off from the prepreg.

A more preferable method for producing a cut prepreg is a method for producing a cut prepreg in which the prepreg is inserted between the rotary blade roll and the support roll while cooling the rotary blade roll. When the rotary blade roll is cooled, especially when the prepreg contains a thermosetting resin, the viscosity of the thermosetting resin becomes high. Therefore, by cooling the cut prepreg, the cut prepreg adheres to the rotary blade roll. It has the effect of suppressing the doing. However, if the rotary blade roll or the prepreg gets wet due to dew condensation of moisture in the air, the cut prepreg may deteriorate. Therefore, it is preferable to control the temperature or humidity of the working environment so as not to condense.

In the following description, the shape of the blade provided on the rotary blade roll is described as the shape when the rotary blade roll is developed in a plane. Further, the line segment connecting the ends of the blades refers to a line segment 14 connecting one end of the blade 4 having a curved shape and another end as shown in FIG. The blade provided on the rotary blade roll may be curved or straight, but when the blade is straight, the line segment connecting the ends of the blade and the straight line of the straight blade have the same size and shape. become.

In the present invention, when the projected length Ws obtained by projecting the line segment connecting the end portions of the blades in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll is less than 30 μm, the number of reinforcing fibers cut by one blade is reduced, and the reinforcing fibers are reduced. When the blade is pressed against the blade, the reinforcing fiber may escape and the notch may not be inserted accurately. That is, the projection length Ws is preferably 30 μm or more. Further, when the projected length Ws exceeds 2.5 mm, the number of reinforcing fibers cut by one blade increases, which may lead to deterioration of mechanical properties when the cut prepreg is solidified. That is, the projection length Ws is preferably 2.5 mm or less. From the above, the projected length Ws obtained by projecting the line segment connecting the end portions of the blades in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll is preferably in the range of 30 μm to 2.5 mm. A particularly preferable projection length Ws is 50 μm to 1.5 mm. When inserting a fine cut into a prepreg, high position accuracy of the cut is required to manufacture a high-quality cut prepreg, but the cut insertion method using a rotary blade roll with a blade is used. This can only be achieved by adjusting the axial position of the rotating field roll on the edge while applying tension to the prepreg.

In the present invention, in the blade provided on the rotary blade roll, the line segments connecting the ends of the plurality of blades in the same blade form an intermittent straight line, and the plurality of intermittent straight lines are formed in parallel. It is preferable to form a row with. The intermittent straight and parallel rows of blades allow regular cuts to be evenly inserted into the cut prepreg, allowing the cut prepreg to exhibit stable formability and mechanical properties. Further, when cutting a blade from a sheet or a roll, it is preferable that a plurality of blades are on one straight line because the cost of the blade can be reduced.

As a more preferable blade pattern provided on the rotary blade roll, as shown in FIG. 6, the angle formed by the line segment connecting the ends of the blades provided on the rotary blade roll and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is θ (18). ), A pattern in which the absolute value of θ is in the range of 2 to 45 ° can be mentioned. When the absolute value of θ is larger than 45 °, the opening of the notch becomes large during the production of the fiber reinforced plastic using the notch prepreg, and the surface quality of the fiber reinforced plastic deteriorates. In addition, the mechanical properties of the solidified cut prepreg are reduced. Therefore, the absolute value of θ is preferably 45 ° or less. In particular, when the absolute value of θ is 25 ° or less, the mechanical properties of the fiber reinforced plastic produced from the cut prepreg, especially the tensile strength, are remarkably improved, and from this viewpoint, the absolute value of θ is more preferably 25 ° or less. On the other hand, if the absolute value of θ is smaller than 2 °, it becomes difficult to make a stable cut. That is, when the blade falls down on the reinforcing fiber, the reinforcing fiber easily escapes from the blade when making a cut, and it becomes difficult to insert while ensuring the position accuracy of the cut. From this point of view, it is more preferable that the absolute value of θ is 2 ° or more. From the above, the preferable range of the absolute value of θ is 2 to 45 °. A particularly preferable range of θ is 5 to 25 °.

More preferably, as a blade pattern provided on the rotary blade roll, in a circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, the circular shape is not formed. It is preferable that there is no continuous portion or there is a discontinuous portion in the circular shape, and the central angle formed at both ends of the discontinuous portion and the center of the circular shape is 5 ° or less in all the discontinuous portions. Here, the discontinuous portion is a circular shape 19 formed when all the blades 4 on the rotary blade roll 6 are projected onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, as shown in FIG. , The region 20 in which the blade does not exist, and the central angle formed by both ends of the discontinuous portion and the center of the circular shape is indicated by reference numeral 21. In the case of FIG. 7A in which such a discontinuity portion 20 exists, when the prepreg is inserted between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, a moment when the blade is not pressed against the prepreg occurs. When the blade is pressed against the prepreg, a reaction force is generated in the direction in which the clearance between the rotary blade roll and the support roll increases, but when the moment when the blade is not pressed against the prepreg occurs, the reaction that occurs between the rotary blade roll and the support roll The load on the rotary blade roll and the support roll increases as the force is released and the presence or absence of the reaction force is repeated. More preferably, there is no discontinuity in the circle, or there is a discontinuity in the circle, and the central angle formed at both ends of the discontinuity and the center of the circle in all the discontinuities. Is 2 ° or less in any discontinuity, and it is particularly preferable that the discontinuity does not exist in the circular shape as shown in FIG. 7B. In addition, when the absolute value of the angle θ formed by the line segment connecting the ends of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is smaller than 45 °, the moment when the prepreg is not pressed against the blade of the rotary blade roll is reduced. can do.

As a more preferable blade pattern of the rotary blade roll, when the angle formed by the line connecting the ends of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is θ, the absolute value of θ is substantially the same and θ is positive. There are approximately the same number of blades with negative θ and a certain blade, and among the blades close to any blade A, the blade C with the shortest distance closer than the blade B with the same positive and negative θ has a different positive and negative of θ. There are four or more patterns. When only blades with positive θ (or only blades with negative θ) are placed on the rotary blade roll, the prepreg flows in the direction of θ when the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, and the prepreg flows and cuts. The axial direction of the rotary blade roll of the built-in prepreg may gradually shift. If the notch prepreg shifts in the direction of the rotary blade roll axis, the prepreg will bend when it is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, and wrinkles may occur after the notch is inserted, making it stable. It can be difficult to manufacture a notched prepreg. If the number of blades having a positive θ and the number of blades having a negative θ are approximately the same, it is possible to reduce the deviation of the prepreg in the width direction at the time of cutting insertion. In the present invention, the number of blades in which θ is positive and the number of blades in which θ is negative are substantially the same as the number of blades in which θ is positive and θ is negative when expressed as a percentage based on the number. It means that the number of blades is 45% or more and 55% or less. Considering the fluidity of the manufactured notched prepreg and the mechanical properties of the fiber reinforced plastic produced by the notched prepreg, it is preferable that the blade with a positive θ and the blade with a negative θ are uniformly arranged in the macro. Of the blades close to any blade A, it is preferable that there are four or more blades C having different positive and negative values of θ, which are closer in the shortest distance than the blade B having the same positive and negative values of θ. By uniformly arranging θ having positive and negative angles, the fluidity of the cut prepreg and the mechanical properties of the fiber reinforced plastic produced by the cut prepreg are also homogeneous. To control the cutting position with high accuracy, adjust the axial position of the rotary blade roll at the end while applying tension to the prepreg, and press it against the rotary blade roll provided with the blade with high position accuracy. It is possible with.

A more preferable pattern of the blades of the rotary blade roll is a pattern in which the line segments connecting the ends of the blades have substantially the same length Ys and the shortest distance between adjacent blades is longer than Ys. When blades of different lengths are arranged, tension is applied to the manufactured notch prepreg, stress is concentrated near the long notch and it breaks, or the rotary blade roll and the support roll When the reaction force generated between the blades is dispersed to the blade, it is unevenly dispersed depending on the length of the blade, which may accelerate the deterioration of the blade. It is preferable that they are the same. Here, substantially the same length means that the length is within ± 5% (the same applies hereinafter). The shorter the distance between the blades, the easier it is for the fiber-reinforced plastic produced by solidifying the cut prepreg to connect cracks, and the mechanical properties deteriorate. Therefore, it is preferable that the shortest distance between the adjacent blades is longer than Ys. Further, when the distance between the blades is short, when the cut prepreg is manufactured using the sheet base material B, the sheet base material B is easily cracked when the sheet base material B is peeled off, and the cut prepreg is handled. It is preferable that the shortest distance between adjacent blades is longer than Ys because the property is lowered.

As a more preferable pattern of the blades of the rotary blade roll, in the region where a plurality of blades are arranged on the rotary blade roll, the number of blades included in 10 arbitrarily selected circular small regions having a diameter of 10 mm is set. In the case of a population, there is a pattern in which the coefficient of variation of the population is within 20%. The number of cuts included in the small area is the total number of cuts existing in the small area and some cuts that partially contact the contour of the small area. The notch inserted into the notch prepreg exhibits more stable mechanical properties and moldability as it becomes more homogeneous. By adopting a uniform blade arrangement pattern, it is possible to reduce vibration due to the presence or absence of reaction force generated in the rotary blade roll and the support roll. More preferably, the average value of the population is 10 or more and the coefficient of variation is 20% or less. The average value of the above-mentioned population and the coefficient of variation of the above-mentioned population are calculated by Equations 1 and 2, respectively, assuming that the number of cuts in the 10 small regions is ni (i = 1 to 10). NS.

The small regions are preferably extracted so densely that the small regions do not overlap, but the small regions may be extracted so as to overlap each other.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the inventions described in the Examples. In addition, Examples 1 and 7 are reference examples.

(Example 1)
A prepreg T800S / PPS impregnated with a thermoplastic resin PPS is wound around a unidirectionally oriented "Treca" (registered trademark) carbon fiber T800S, and the prepreg is wound from a 200 mm wide roll while applying tension as shown in FIG. Take out so that the end edge of the prepreg passes within a range of ± 0.5 mm with respect to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll between the rotary blade roll and the support roll that is close to the rotary blade roll substantially parallel to the rotary blade roll. The cut prepreg is manufactured by sandwiching the release paper as the sheet base material A between the prepreg and the support roll so that the blade does not hit the support roll, and the obtained cut prepreg is wound up by the roll. rice field.

The blade of the rotary blade roll has the pattern shown in FIG. 6, the blade is linear, the projected length Ws of the blade on the rotary blade roll in the axial direction is 1.5 mm, and the line segment connecting the ends of the blades. The angle θ formed by the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll was 25 °, and the length of the reinforcing fibers divided by the blade was 30 mm. There is a discontinuity in the circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, and in all the discontinuities, both ends of the discontinuity and a circle. The central angle formed by the center of the shape was 3 ° or less. The total length of the blades was 78 m / m ² . The rotation speed of the rotary blade roll was 45 ° / sec. The clearance between the rotary blade roll and the support roll was set so that the blade was inserted by 50% in the thickness direction of the paper pattern.

As a result, although the carbon fibers on the surface of the cut prepreg were slightly fluffed, a wrinkle-free cut prepreg could be produced. The deviation of the rolled end edge was negligible.

(Example 2)
As shown in FIG. 3, while pressing the prepreg against the support roll using the pressing roll, the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll to form a cut prepreg, and the surface of the cut prepreg on the rotary blade roll side is a rotary blade roll. The cut prepreg was manufactured under the same conditions as in Example 1 except that the cut prepreg was pressed away from the surface. As a result, the amount of fluff on the surface of the cut prepreg was less than that in Example 1. The deviation of the rolled end edge was negligible.

(Example 3)
"Treca" (registered trademark) prepreg sheet in which the release paper which is the sheet base material A is supported on the support roll side of the prepreg, and the polyethylene film which is the sheet base material B is attached to the rotary blade roll side of the prepreg. A cut prepreg was produced under the same conditions as in Example 2 except that P3052S-15 (reinforcing fiber: T700S, thermosetting resin: 2500) was used.

As a result, the notch prepreg gradually shifts toward the blade with respect to the axial direction of the rotary blade, and although it is difficult to control the position of the end edge of the prepreg, the notch prepreg is stably manufactured without wrinkles. Although there were some parts where the release paper was peeled off from the cut prepreg, it was possible to repair it, and the cut prepreg could be wound up without wrinkles.

(Example 4)
After passing the prepreg between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, the cut prepreg was manufactured under the same conditions as in Example 3 except that the prepreg and the sheet base material A were heat-bonded using a calendar. The heating temperature was 40 ° C. and the pressure was 3 kg / cm ² .

As a result, there was no part where the release paper was peeled off from the cut prepreg, and the cut prepreg could be wound up without wrinkles.

(Example 5)
As shown in FIG. 8, the blade pattern of the rotary blade roll is the same as that of a blade in which the absolute value of the angle θ formed by the line connecting the ends of the blade and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is substantially the same and θ is positive. There are approximately the same number of blades with negative θ, and among blades close to any blade A, there are four or more blades C with different positive and negative θ, which are closer in the shortest distance than blade B with the same positive and negative θ. A cut prepreg was produced under the same conditions as in Example 4 except that the pattern was present. The length of the reinforcing fiber was 24 mm, θ was ± 14 °, and Ws was 1 mm. There is a discontinuity in the circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, and in all the discontinuities, both ends of the discontinuity and a circle. The central angle formed by the center of the shape was 1 ° or less. When 10 small circular regions with a diameter of 10 mm are extracted from the surface of the rotary blade roll and the number of blades contained in the small regions is used as the population, the average value of the population is 4.5 and the coefficient of variation is It was 14.9%. The total length of the blades was 172 m / m ² .

As a result, the cut prepreg can be stably manufactured without wrinkles, the prepreg is not unwound in the width direction, the paper pattern is not peeled off from the cut prepreg, and the cut prepreg is wound without wrinkles. Was made. The prepreg did not shift in the width direction, and no fine adjustment in the width direction was necessary when winding. When a 200 mm × 200 mm cut prepreg was cut out and the polyethylene film attached to the cut prepreg was removed, the polyethylene film was broken and the entire surface of the polyethylene film could not be removed at once.

(Example 6)
As shown in FIG. 8, the blade pattern of the rotary blade roll is a blade in which the absolute value of the angle θ formed by the line connecting the ends of the blade and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is substantially the same and θ is positive. And θ are approximately the same number of blades, and among the blades that are close to any blade A, there are four blades C that are closer in the shortest distance than blade B that has the same positive and negative values of θ and that have different positive and negative values of θ. Examples except that the pattern exists as described above, the line segments connecting the ends of the blades have substantially the same length Ys, and the shortest distance between adjacent blades is longer than Ys. The cut prepreg was manufactured under the same conditions as in 4. The length of the reinforcing fiber was 24 mm, θ was ± 14 °, and Ws was 0.25 mm. There is a discontinuity in the circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll, and in all the discontinuities, both ends of the discontinuity and a circle. The central angle formed by the center of the shape was 1 ° or less. When 10 small circular regions with a diameter of 10 mm are extracted from the surface of the rotary blade roll and the number of blades included in the small regions is used as the population, the average value of the population is 14.2 and the coefficient of variation is It was 8.5%. The total length of the blades was 172 m / m ² .

As a result, the cut prepreg could be stably produced without wrinkles, the paper pattern was not peeled off from the cut prepreg, and the cut prepreg could be wound up without wrinkles. The prepreg did not shift in the width direction, and no fine adjustment in the width direction was necessary when winding. When a 200 mm × 200 mm cut prepreg was cut out and the polyethylene film attached to the cut prepreg was removed, the polyethylene film could be removed at once without breaking the polyethylene film.

(Example 7)
The prepreg was set to "Trading Card" (registered trademark) prepreg sheet P2352W-19 (reinforcing fiber: T800S, thermosetting resin: 3900-2B), and the conditions were the same as in Example 1 except that the rotary blade roll was cooled. Manufactured prepreg. A paper pattern is attached to the support roll side of the prepreg as the sheet base material A.

As a result, the cut prepreg could be manufactured without wrinkles without the resin sticking to the blade and without peeling from the cut prepreg of the paper pattern. The deviation of the rolled end edge was negligible.

(Example 8)
A cut prepreg was manufactured under the same conditions as in Example 3 except that the cutting pattern was 90 ° (the angle formed by the line segment connecting the ends of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll). When the blades are projected in the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll, there is a discontinuity in the circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll. There were a plurality of places where the central angle formed by both ends of the discontinuity and the center of the circular shape was 6 ° or more. As a result, there was a moment when the prepreg was not pushed by the rotary blade roll, and the support roll and the rotary blade roll vibrated, but other than that, the results were the same as in Example 3.
(Example 9)
As shown in FIG. 1, the cut prepreg was manufactured by the same method as in Example 6 except that the pressing roll was not used and the prepreg was not pressed against the support roll.

As a result, immediately after inserting the notch, the moment when the prepreg slightly follows the rotary blade roll side is seen, the release paper peels off from the prepreg, and wrinkles of the release paper may be involved when heat-pressing with the calendar. rice field. The deviation of the rolled end edge was negligible.

(Comparative Example 1)
"Treca" (registered trademark) prepreg sheet P3052S-15 (reinforcing fiber: T700S, thermosetting resin: 2500) is wound around a 500 mm wide roll, and the prepreg is unwound between the rotary blade roll and the support roll. The incision was inserted into the prepreg without applying tension to manufacture an incision prepreg, and the obtained incision prepreg was wound up with a roll. The blade of the rotary blade roll has the pattern shown in FIG. 6, the blade is linear, the projected length Ws of the blade on the rotary blade roll in the axial direction is 1.0 mm, and the blade and the rotary blade roll are formed in the circumferential direction. The angle is 25 °, and the length of the reinforcing fiber divided by the blade is 30 mm. The total length of the blades was 78 m / m ² . The support roll side of the prepreg is supported by a paper pattern, and a polyethylene film is attached to the rotary blade roll side of the prepreg. The rotation speed of the rotary blade roll was 45 ° / sec.

As a result, the prepreg was bent before being inserted between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, and the cut prepreg was wrinkled. In addition, the release paper was peeled off and the prepreg was displaced in the width direction, and the prepreg could not be wound stably, and the displacement of the roll end edge that could not be corrected was observed.

(Comparative Example 2)
"Treca" (registered trademark) prepreg sheet P2255S-10 (reinforcing fiber: T800S, thermosetting resin: 2592) is wound around a 300 mm wide roll, and the prepreg is unwound, tensioned, and the blades are arranged. The punched die was attached to the elevator, and the cutout was inserted by pressing the punched die against the prepreg to manufacture the cut prepreg. When the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll to form a cut prepreg as in Examples 1 to 8, the cut insertion and the prepreg feed can be performed at the same time by turning the rotary blade roll, but punching is performed. When a mold is used, the prepreg is fed, stopped once, the punched mold is lowered, a notch is inserted, and the prepreg is sent again. The blade is equivalent to the pattern shown in FIG. 6, the blade is linear, the projected length Ws of the blade in the width direction of the prepreg is 1.0 mm, and the angle between the blade and the feed direction of the prepreg is 25 °. The length of the reinforcing fiber divided by the blade is 30 mm. The total length of the blades was 78 m / m ² . The prepreg is supported by a paper pattern. The feed rate of the prepreg is 3 m / min, and when punching, it stops for 1 second.

As a result, the prepreg was brought to the blade at the time of punching, the prepreg itself was displaced, and the accuracy of the positional relationship between the cuts punched at different timings was lowered.

1: Prepreg 2: Prepreg roll 3: Cut prepreg 4: Blade 5: Cut 6: Rotary blade roll 7: Support roll 8: Rotation direction of rotary blade roll 9: Rotation direction of support roll 10: Pickup of cut prepreg Direction 11: Tension applied to the prepreg 12: Rotation direction of the prepreg roll 13: Width direction of the rotary blade roll 14: Line segment connecting the ends of the blades 15: Axial direction of the rotary blade roll 16: Of the rotary blade roll Circumferential direction 17: Projection length Ws of the blade onto the rotary blade roll
18: Angle between the line segment connecting the ends of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll θ
19: Circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll 20: Discontinuous portion in the circular shape 21: Both ends of the discontinuous portion and the circular shape Central angle 22 formed at the center of

Claims (13)

Between a rotary blade roll in which a plurality of blades are arranged and the total length of the plurality of blades ^{is within the range of 1 to 3000 m / m 2} and a support roll close to the rotary blade roll substantially parallel to the rotary blade roll. In It is a method of manufacturing a cut prepreg in which the length is divided into a range of 10 to 300 mm to make a cut prepreg . After passing the prepreg between the rotary blade roll and the support roll to make a cut prepreg, A method for manufacturing a notch prepreg, in which the notch prepreg is pressed against a support roll so that the surface of the notch prepreg on the rotary blade roll side is separated from the rotary blade roll . The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to claim 1, wherein the prepreg is pressed against the support roll and passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll. The sheet base material A is arranged on the surface of the prepreg on the side in contact with the support roll. The method for manufacturing a notched prepreg according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the blade is inserted within a range of 5 to 75% from the surface of A in contact with the prepreg. The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to claim 3 , wherein the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, and then the cut prepreg and the sheet base material A are heat-bonded. When passing the prepreg between the rotary blade roll and the support roll, the sheet base material B is arranged between the prepreg and the rotary blade roll, and a notch is inserted into the prepreg through the sheet base material B. The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the rotary blade roll is cooled when the prepreg is passed between the rotary blade roll and the support roll. The notch according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the projected length Ws of the blade obtained by projecting a line segment connecting the ends of the blades in the axial direction of the rotary blade roll is within the range of 30 μm to 2.5 mm. How to make a prepreg. Claims 1 to 7 , wherein the line segments connecting the ends of the plurality of blades in the same blade form an intermittent straight line, and the plurality of intermittent straight lines are formed in parallel to form a row. The method for manufacturing a notched prepreg described in any one of them. The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the absolute value of the angle θ formed by the line segment connecting the end portions of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is 2 to 45 °. In a circular shape formed by projecting all the blades on the rotary blade roll onto a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary blade roll.
There is no discontinuity in the circle, or there is a discontinuity in the circle, and the central angle formed at both ends of the discontinuity and the center of the circle is 5 ° or less in all the discontinuities. The method for manufacturing a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The absolute value of the angle θ formed by the line connecting the ends of the blades and the circumferential direction of the rotary blade roll is substantially the same, and the number of blades with positive θ and the number of blades with negative θ are approximately the same. Any of claims 1 to 10 , wherein among blades close to any blade A, there are four or more blades C having different positive and negative values of θ, which are closer in the shortest distance than blade B having the same positive and negative values of θ. The method for manufacturing the notched prepreg described in the blade. The manufacture of a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the line segments connecting the ends of the blades have substantially the same length Ys, and the shortest distance between adjacent blades is longer than Ys. Method. In the region where a plurality of blades are arranged on the rotary blade roll, the population varies when the number of blades contained in 10 arbitrarily selected circular small regions having a diameter of 10 mm is used as the population. The method for producing a cut prepreg according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the coefficient is within 20%.

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