JP7303642B2 - Shaping die and method for shaping continuous fiber reinforced strand - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a shaping die used in an apparatus for producing a long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin and a method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using the shaping die.

Long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resins are known as thermoplastic resins reinforced with fibers. This long-fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin is a composite material consisting of fibers and thermoplastic resin. It combines the properties of thermoplastic resin with the strength and heat resistance of fibers, and is used in various structural members and heat-resistant members. .

Conventionally, an impregnation die 58 shown in FIG. 6 has been used when producing such a long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. That is, in an impregnation die 58 , a molten thermoplastic resin 60 is impregnated with fibers 62 to form a continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 , which is passed through a nozzle 68 provided on a die plate 66 to form the continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 . I narrowed down the diameter.

Here, the long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin has a different fiber content depending on the application, and the fiber content mainly depends on the hole area of the nozzle 68 . Therefore, when manufacturing long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resins with different fiber contents, it is necessary to use a nozzle 68 having a hole area corresponding to the standard.

For example, when manufacturing a long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin with three types of fiber content, a die plate 66a having a large diameter nozzle 68a shown in FIG. A die plate 66b having nozzles 68b and a die plate 66c having small-diameter nozzles 68c shown in FIG. .

However, when replacing the die plate 66, the operation of the long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus is temporarily stopped and the continuous fiber reinforced strands 64 are removed from the nozzle 68. It was necessary to pass the reinforcing strands 64 through the nozzle 68 and restart the operation of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus.

Also, when the nozzle 68 is clogged with the fluff of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 and the continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 is cut, the operation of the long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus has to be stopped.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a manufacturing method using a shaping die having two divided plates that can easily change the hole area of the through-hole through which the resin-impregnated continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 passes. is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-001116 A

However, in the above-described manufacturing method, there is a problem that it is difficult to adjust the resin thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 that does not contain fibers. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(b), a continuous fiber reinforced strand 64 having a uniform resin thickness in the outer peripheral portion 64s is desired. In order to obtain such a continuous fiber reinforced strand 64, As shown in FIG. 8(a), the upper plate 82 and the lower plate 84 are gradually brought closer to each other, and the gap between the fiber core portion 64t, which is the part containing the fibers, and the upper plate 82 and the lower plate 84 is gradually reduced. , the limit at which fluff does not occur is determined.

However, in such a method, as shown in FIG. 8A, although the resin thicknesses above and below the fiber core portion 64t can be adjusted, there is a problem that the resin thicknesses on the left and right sides of the fiber core portion 64t cannot be adjusted. there were. For this reason, even if the upper and lower resin thicknesses of the fiber core portion 64t are appropriate, if the left and right resin thicknesses of the fiber core portion 64t are too small, there is a risk that exposed fibers will come into contact with the mold and cause fluffing.

However, as shown in FIG. 9(a), if a sufficient gap is provided on the left and right sides of the fiber core portion 64t from the beginning, when the upper plate 82 and the lower plate 84 are brought closer, the gap shown in FIG. 9(b) will occur. As shown, the upper plate 82 and the lower plate 84 come into contact and the resin thickness cannot be reduced any further.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shaping die capable of changing the diameter of a through-hole through which a continuous fiber-reinforced strand passes so as not to interrupt the production process of a long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin and to prevent fluffing, and a continuous An object of the present invention is to provide a method for shaping fiber reinforced strands.

The shaping die of the present invention is
A shaping die for reducing the diameter of a continuous fiber reinforced strand in which fibers are impregnated with a molten thermoplastic resin when manufacturing a long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin,
a first plate having at least one first semi-hole formed therein;
a second plate having at least one second half hole formed therein;
a plurality of die plates for forming through-holes through which the continuous fiber reinforced strands pass between the first semi-hole portion and the second semi-hole portion by abutting the first plate and the second plate;
The size of the through-holes formed in each of the die plates is formed so as to decrease with distance from the impregnation die that creates the continuous fiber reinforced strands,
Of the plurality of die plates, the first plate and the second plate of the die plates capable of forming the through holes having a size that allows the continuous fiber reinforced strands in a predetermined resin amount range to pass are brought into contact with each other. It is characterized by

By providing a plurality of die plates having different sizes of through-holes in this way, it is possible to operate the plurality of die plates 42 to appropriately switch the size of the through-holes. Therefore, the diameter of the through-holes can be changed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin and without generating fluff.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
At least one of the first semi-hole portion and the second semi-hole portion is subjected to a hardening treatment.
Thereby, it is possible to prevent the die plate from being damaged by the continuous fiber reinforced strands during shaping.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The first semi-hole and the second semi-hole are characterized in that they are semicircular or half polygonal.
This makes it possible to form a through-hole having a shape suitable for narrowing the diameter of the continuous fiber reinforced strand.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
a measuring unit that measures the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole;
a determination unit that determines whether the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands measured by the measurement unit is within a predetermined resin amount range;
When the judging unit judges that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands is not within the range of the predetermined amount of resin, the through hole having a size different from that of the die plate in use is formed. a selection unit that selects a die plate;
The through hole is formed by the next die plate in place of the die plate in use based on the selection result by the selection unit, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. and a sandwiching portion that sandwiches the fiber reinforced strand.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be changed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The selection unit forms the through hole smaller than the die plate in use when the determination unit determines that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand exceeds a predetermined resin amount range. is characterized by selecting the die plate of
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be narrowed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The selection unit forms the through-holes larger than the die plate in use when the determination unit determines that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands is equal to or less than a predetermined resin amount range. It is characterized by selecting the following die plates.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be increased without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The processing by the measurement unit, the determination unit, the selection unit, and the sandwiching unit is repeated until it is determined that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands passing through the through-hole is within a predetermined range of resin amount. It is characterized by
As a result, the diameter of the through-holes is gradually changed, and the continuous fiber reinforced strand can be shaped with the through-holes that form the minimum critical diameter at which fluff does not occur.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
It is characterized by comprising a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole.
As a result, it is possible to deal with the case where the continuous fiber reinforced strand is actually fluffed.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
a selection unit that selects, when fluff is detected by the detection unit, another die plate that forms the through hole that is larger than the die plate that is in use;
The through hole is formed by another die plate instead of the die plate in use based on the selection result by the selection unit, and the continuity between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion is formed. and a sandwiching portion sandwiching the fiber reinforced strand.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be increased without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The processing by the detection unit, the selection unit, and the inserting unit is repeated until the detection unit no longer detects fluff.
As a result, the through holes can be gradually enlarged to eliminate fluff.

Further, the shaping die of the present invention is
The first plate and the second plate are separated from each other to release the continuous fiber reinforced strands from the through-holes when fluff is detected by the detection unit.
As a result, the fluff can be easily removed without interrupting the production process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

The method for forming a continuous fiber reinforced strand using the forming die of the present invention includes:
a measuring step of measuring the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands passing through the through holes;
a determination step of determining whether the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands measured in the measurement step is within a predetermined resin amount range;
In the determination step, when it is determined that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands is not within the range of the predetermined amount of resin, the through hole having a size different from that of the die plate in use is formed. A selection process for selecting a die plate;
Based on the selection result of the selection step, the through hole is formed by the next die plate instead of the die plate in use, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. and a sandwiching step of sandwiching the fiber reinforced strands.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be changed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
In the selecting step, when it is determined in the determining step that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand exceeds a predetermined resin amount range, the through hole is formed to be smaller than the die plate in use. is characterized by selecting the die plate of
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be narrowed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
The selecting step forms the through-holes larger than the die plate in use when it is determined in the determining step that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands is equal to or less than a predetermined resin amount range. It is characterized by selecting the following die plates.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be increased without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
The measuring step, the determining step, the selecting step, and the sandwiching step are repeated until it is determined that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber-reinforced strands passing through the through holes is equal to or less than a predetermined amount of resin. do.
As a result, the through holes are gradually made smaller, and the continuous fiber reinforced strands can be shaped with the through holes forming the minimum critical diameter at which fluff does not occur.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention, comprising:
a detection step of detecting the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole;
a selection step of selecting, when fluff is detected in the detection step, another die plate that forms the through hole larger than that of the die plate in use;
Based on the selection result of the selection step, the through hole is formed by another die plate instead of the die plate in use, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. and a sandwiching step of sandwiching the fiber reinforced strands.
Thereby, the diameter of the through-hole can be increased without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
The detecting step, the selecting step, and the inserting step are repeated until fluff is no longer detected in the detecting step.
As a result, the through holes can be gradually enlarged to eliminate fluff.

Further, the method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand of the present invention includes:
A detection step of detecting the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole,
The first plate and the second plate are separated from each other to release the continuous fiber reinforced strands from the through holes when fluff is detected in the detecting step.
As a result, the fluff can be easily removed without interrupting the production process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

According to the present invention, a shaping die capable of changing the diameter of a through-hole through which a continuous fiber-reinforced strand passes without interrupting the production process of a long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin and without generating fluff, and a continuous A method for shaping fiber reinforced strands can be provided.

1 is a schematic diagram of a long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus using a shaping die according to an embodiment; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the outline|summary of the shaping die which concerns on embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a shaping die according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow chart in the case of shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using a shaping die according to an embodiment; 4 is a flow chart in the case of shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using a shaping die according to an embodiment; 1 shows an impregnation die with a conventional shaping die attached; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a conventional shaping die; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state of adjusting the resin thickness of continuous fiber reinforced strands using a conventional shaping die. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state of adjusting the resin thickness of continuous fiber reinforced strands using a conventional shaping die.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus equipped with a shaping die according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus 2 includes a feeder 4, a fiber opening bar 6, an extruder 8, an impregnation die 10, a shaping die 12, a water tank 14, a forming roll 16, and a take-up machine 18. , and a cutter portion 20 .

Here, a plurality of carbon fiber rovings 4a around which fibers 32 are wound are housed in the feeding machine 4. As shown in FIG. In addition, the feeding machine 4 includes a feeding roll 4b for feeding the fibers 32 from the carbon fiber roving 4a. Glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like is used for the fiber 32, for example.

The fiber-spreading bar 6 is a roll bar for performing a fiber-spreading step of spreading the fibers 32 delivered from the delivery roll 4b.
The extruder 8 is a device that supplies molten thermoplastic resin to an impregnation die 10, and the impregnation die 10 is a device that performs an impregnation step of impregnating a bundle of spread fibers 32 with the molten thermoplastic resin. be. A continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is created in the impregnation process. In addition, polypropylene, polyamide, etc. are used for a thermoplastic resin, for example.

The shaping die 12 is a device for reducing the diameter of the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34, and is attached to the impregnation die 10 on the side from which the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 are discharged. Here, if the shaping die 12 is placed away from the impregnation die 10 , the thermoplastic resin will be cooled and solidified, making it difficult to shape the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 . need to be placed. The structure and action of the shaping die 12 will be described later in detail.

The water tank 14 is a device for immersing the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 whose diameter has been reduced by the shaping die 12 in a liquid such as water and cooling it.
The forming roll 16 is a roll bar for forming the outer diameter shape of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 cooled in the water tank 14 .

The take-up machine 18 is a roll for carrying out the take-up process of taking the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 .
The cutter unit 20 is a device for cutting the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 taken by the take-up machine 18 into a predetermined length. By cutting the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 with the cutter unit 20, a long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin 38 is produced.

Next, the shaping die 12 that constitutes the main part of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin manufacturing apparatus 2 in the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of the shaping die 12. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , three die plates 42 forming through holes 46 through which the continuous fiber-reinforced strands 34 pass are arranged side by side in the running direction of the continuous fiber-reinforced strands 34 in the shaping die 12 .

Each die plate 42 comprises a first plate 42u positioned above in FIG. 2 and a second plate 42d positioned below in FIG. , and a plurality of second semi-holes 44d are formed in the upper edge of the second plate 42d. Each die plate 42 has a through hole 46 formed between the first semi-hole portion 44u and the second semi-hole portion 44d by abutting the first plate 42u and the second plate 42d.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the size of the through-holes becomes smaller with distance from the impregnation die 10, and becomes smaller in the order of the die plate 42a, the die plate 42b, and the die plate 42c. Further, the first semi-hole portion 44u and the second semi-hole portion 44d are semicircular notches, and the inner periphery thereof is subjected to a hardening treatment. As the hardening treatment, for example, plating, nitriding treatment, or the like is performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the shaping die 12 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the shaping die 12 includes a control section 52 that controls each section in an integrated manner. The control unit 52 includes a measurement unit 54 for measuring the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 discharged from the impregnation die 10, and a control unit 54 for adjusting opening and closing of the first plate 42u and the second plate 42d, and measuring the continuous fiber in the closed state. A sandwiching portion 56 (inserting portion) that sandwiches the reinforcing strand 34 in the through hole and a detection portion 59 that detects fluff of the continuous fiber reinforcing strand 34 that has passed through the through hole are connected. Here, the control unit 52 also has functions as a determination unit for determining the amount of resin, which will be described later, and a selection unit (selection unit).

Next, a method for shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 using the shaping die 12 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the case where the largest through-hole 46 is initially formed by the die plate 42a will be described as an example.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, when the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is discharged from the impregnation die 10, the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 passes through the through hole 46 formed by the die plate 42a. Here, the control unit 52 measures the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 discharged from the impregnation die 10 by the measurement unit 54 (measuring step, step S1).

For example, first, the measurement unit 54 measures the weight per unit length of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 using a weighing scale (not shown). Next, the measurement unit 54 reads the weight per unit length of the fiber bundle 33 before being impregnated with the thermoplastic resin from a storage unit (not shown). Note that the weight per unit length of the fiber bundle 33 is measured in advance. Moreover, the unit length of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 and the fiber bundle 33 can be freely set by the operator. Next, the measurement unit 54 calculates the weight per unit length of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 with respect to the weight per unit length of the fiber bundle 33 . As a result, in the impregnation die 10, how much the fiber bundle 33 is impregnated with the thermoplastic resin, that is, the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is measured. The amount of resin is an index used in place of the resin thickness of the outer peripheral portion of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 that does not contain fibers (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

Next, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 measured by the measuring unit 54 exceeds a predetermined resin amount (determination step, step S2). Here, the predetermined amount of resin is the amount of resin that the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 has when the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 has a thin resin thickness at which no fluff is generated. This predetermined amount of resin is stored in a storage unit (not shown) and can be freely set by the operator in advance.

Here, if the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 passing through the through-holes 46 does not exceed the predetermined resin amount (step S2: no), the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 are directly formed by the die plate 42a. Holes 46 continue to be shaped. On the other hand, if the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 passing through the through-holes 46 exceeds the predetermined resin amount (step S2: yes), the control unit 52 determines that the through-hole is one step smaller than the die plate 42a in use. A die plate 42b for forming a hole is selected (selection step, step S3). Next, the first plate 42u and the second plate 42d of the die plate 42b are butted against each other by the sandwiching portion 56 to form a new through hole. The continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 passes through this new through hole (sandwiching step, step S4).

In this state, the control unit 52 repeats the above-described measurement process, determination process, selection process, and sandwiching process until it is determined that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 is equal to or less than the predetermined resin amount. As a result, the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is formed with through-holes that form the minimum critical diameter at which fluff does not occur.

As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, in parallel with the above-described steps, the control unit 52 uses the detection unit 59 to detect whether fluff is generated in the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 that have passed through the through holes (detection step , step S11). If fluff is not detected (step S11: no), the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 continues to be shaped with the through holes formed by the current die plate 42 as it is. For example, when a through hole is currently formed by the die plate 42c, the through hole formed by the present die plate 42c continues to be shaped.

On the other hand, if fluff is detected (step S11: yes), the control unit 52 selects the die plate 42b that forms a through hole that is one step larger than the die plate 42c (selection step, step S12). For example, if the through hole is currently formed by the die plate 42c, the die plate 42b is selected. Next, the control unit 52 causes the first plate 42u and the second plate 42d of the die plate 42b to abut against each other using the sandwiching portion 56 (insertion portion) to form a new through hole (inserting step, step S13).

In this state, the control unit 52 repeats the above-described detection process, selection process, and inserting process to continue widening the through-hole until fluff is no longer detected. In this way, when fluff occurs, the fluff can be eliminated by changing the die plate 42 to widen the through hole.

If the amount of fluff generated exceeds a predetermined amount, the first plate 42u and the second plate 42d may be separated from each other to release the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 from the through holes. As a result, the fluff can be easily removed without interrupting the production process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin.

According to the shaping die 12 according to this embodiment and the method of shaping the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 using the shaping die 12, the plurality of die plates 42 are operated to appropriately switch the size of the through hole. Thus, the diameter of the through-hole can be changed without interrupting the manufacturing process of the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin 38 and without generating fluff.

In addition, since the inner peripheries of the first semi-hole portion 44u and the second semi-hole portion 44d of the die plate 42 are hardened, the die plate 42 is not damaged by the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 during shaping. can do.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the shaping die 12 has three die plates 42 is illustrated, but the number of die plates 42 is not necessarily limited to three as long as there are a plurality of die plates 42 .
In the above-described embodiment, one or more first semi-holes 44u may be formed in one first plate 42u, and one or more second semi-holes 44d may be formed in one first plate 42u. It is sufficient if it is formed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first semi-hole portion 44u and the second semi-hole portion 44d may each have a semi-polygonal shape. At least one of the first semi-hole portion 44u and the second semi-hole portion 44d may be subjected to the hardening treatment.

Further, in the selection process of the above-described embodiment, the control unit 52 only needs to select the die plate 42 that forms a through hole smaller than the die plate 42 in use. It is not necessary to select a die plate 42b that forms a through hole that is one step smaller. For example, a die plate 42 that is two or more steps smaller than the die plate 42a in use may be selected. As a result, when the through hole of the die plate in use is too large, it is possible to select the die plate 42 that forms an appropriate through hole.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the size of the through-hole becomes smaller as the distance from the impregnation die 10 increases. You may arrange|position the die plate 42 so that it may become.

In the above-described embodiment, the controller 52 measures and detects the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 and the presence or absence of fluff. good too.

Also, in the above embodiment, the temperature of the die plate 42 may be adjusted.
Further, in the shaping method of the above-described embodiment, the case where the through holes are made smaller when the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 exceeds a predetermined resin amount is described as an example. The through holes may be enlarged when the amount of resin in the strands 34 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount of resin.

For example, in the determination process of step S2, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is within a predetermined resin amount range. Here, when the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands 34 is less than or equal to the predetermined amount of resin, the control unit 52 selects the die plate 42b that forms a through hole that is one step larger than the die plate 42c in use, for example. selection (selection step, step S3), and the above-described measurement step, determination step, selection step, and sandwiching step are repeated until it is determined that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is within the predetermined resin amount range. .

In this case, basically, in the determination step, both the case where the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 exceeds the predetermined resin amount range and the case where the resin amount is equal to or less than the predetermined resin amount are judged. The determination may be made only when the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand 34 is within a predetermined resin amount range.

2 Long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin production device 4 Feeding machine 4a Carbon fiber roving 4b Feeding roll 6 Spreading bar 8 Extruder 10 Impregnation die 12 Shaping die 14 Water tank 16 Forming roll 18 Take-up machine 20 Cutter part 32 Fiber 33 Fiber bundle 34 Continuous fiber reinforced strand 38 Long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin 42 Die plate 42a Die plate 42b Die plate 42c Die plate 42d First plate 42u Second plate 44d First half hole 44u Second half hole 46 Through hole 52 Control unit 54 Measuring portion 56 Clamping portion 58 Impregnation die 59 Detection portion 60 Thermoplastic resin 62 Fiber 64 Continuous fiber reinforced strand 64s Peripheral portion 64t Fiber core portion 66 Die plate 66a Die plate 66b Die plate 66c Die plate 68 Nozzle 68a Large diameter nozzle 68b medium diameter nozzle 68c small diameter nozzle 82 upper plate 84 lower plate

Claims (18)

A shaping die for reducing the diameter of a continuous fiber reinforced strand in which fibers are impregnated with a molten thermoplastic resin when manufacturing a long fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin,
a first plate having at least one first semi-hole formed therein;
a second plate having at least one second half hole formed therein;
a plurality of die plates for forming through-holes through which the continuous fiber reinforced strands pass between the first semi-hole portion and the second semi-hole portion by abutting the first plate and the second plate;
The size of the through-holes formed in each of the die plates is formed so as to decrease with distance from the impregnation die that creates the continuous fiber reinforced strands,
Of the plurality of die plates, the first plate and the second plate of the die plates capable of forming the through holes having a size that allows the continuous fiber reinforced strands in a predetermined resin amount range to pass are brought into contact with each other. A shaping die characterized by: 2. The shaping die according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first semi-hole portion and said second semi-hole portion is subjected to a hardening treatment. 3. The forming die according to claim 1, wherein the first semi-hole portion and the second semi-hole portion are semicircular or half polygonal. a measuring unit that measures the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole;
a determination unit that determines whether the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands measured by the measurement unit is within a predetermined resin amount range;
When the judging unit judges that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands is not within the range of the predetermined amount of resin, the through hole having a size different from that of the die plate in use is formed. a selection unit that selects a die plate;
The through hole is formed by the next die plate in place of the die plate in use based on the selection result by the selection unit, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. The shaping die according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a sandwiching portion that sandwiches the fiber reinforced strand. The selection unit forms the through hole smaller than the die plate in use when the determination unit determines that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand exceeds a predetermined resin amount range. 5. The shaping die according to claim 4, wherein said die plate is selected from: The selection unit forms the through-holes larger than the die plate in use when the determination unit determines that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands is equal to or less than a predetermined resin amount range. 6. A forming die according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the next die plate is selected. Repeating the processing by the measuring unit, the determining unit, the selecting unit, and the sandwiching unit until it is determined that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands passing through the through-hole is within a predetermined resin amount range. The shaping die according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by: The shaping die according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber-reinforced strand passing through the through-hole. a selection unit that selects, when fluff is detected by the detection unit, another die plate that forms the through hole that is larger than the die plate that is in use;
The through hole is formed by another die plate instead of the die plate in use based on the selection result by the selection unit, and the continuity between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion is formed. 9. The shaping die according to claim 8, further comprising a sandwiching portion for sandwiching the fiber reinforced strand. 10. The forming die according to claim 9, wherein the processing by the detection unit, the selection unit, and the inserting unit is repeated until the detection unit no longer detects fluff. 9. The shaping die according to claim 8, wherein the first plate and the second plate are separated to release the continuous fiber reinforced strands from the through holes when fluff is detected by the detection unit. A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using the shaping die according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a measuring step of measuring the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands passing through the through holes;
a determination step of determining whether the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands measured in the measurement step is within a predetermined resin amount range;
In the determination step, when it is determined that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber reinforced strands is not within the range of the predetermined amount of resin, the through hole having a size different from that of the die plate in use is formed. A selection process for selecting a die plate;
Based on the selection result of the selection step, the through hole is formed by the next die plate instead of the die plate in use, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. and a step of sandwiching the fiber reinforced strand. In the selecting step, when it is determined in the determining step that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strand exceeds a predetermined resin amount range, the through hole is formed to be smaller than the die plate in use. 13. The method of shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand according to claim 12, wherein the die plate of . The selecting step forms the through-holes larger than the die plate in use when it is determined in the determining step that the resin amount of the continuous fiber reinforced strands is equal to or less than a predetermined resin amount range. 14. A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the next die plate is selected. The measuring step, the determining step, the selecting step, and the sandwiching step are repeated until it is determined that the amount of resin in the continuous fiber-reinforced strands passing through the through holes is equal to or less than a predetermined amount of resin. The method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand according to any one of claims 12 to 14. A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using the shaping die according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a detection step of detecting the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole;
a selection step of selecting, when fluff is detected in the detection step, another die plate that forms the through hole larger than that of the die plate in use;
Based on the selection result of the selection step, the through hole is formed by another die plate instead of the die plate in use, and the continuous hole is formed between the first half hole portion and the second half hole portion. A method for shaping a continuous fiber-reinforced strand, comprising a sandwiching step of sandwiching the fiber-reinforced strand. 17. The method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand according to claim 16, wherein the detecting step, the selecting step, and the inserting step are repeated until fluff is no longer detected in the detecting step. A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand using the shaping die according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A detection step of detecting the presence or absence of fluff in the continuous fiber reinforced strand passing through the through hole,
A method for shaping a continuous fiber reinforced strand, wherein when fluff is detected in the detection step, the first plate and the second plate are separated to release the continuous fiber reinforced strand from the through hole.

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