JP7676771B2 - Manufacturing method of molded body and filament winding device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a molded body and a filament winding device.

Fiber-reinforced composite materials (FRP), which are made by reinforcing matrix resins, including thermoplastic and thermosetting resins, with reinforcing fibers, are used in a variety of fields, including aerospace materials, automotive materials, industrial materials, pressure vessels, building materials, housings, medical applications, and sports applications. Carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials (CFRP) are widely and preferably used when particularly high mechanical properties and light weight are required. On the other hand, glass fiber-reinforced composite materials (GFRP) may be used when cost takes priority over mechanical properties and light weight.

FRP is made by impregnating reinforced fiber bundles with a matrix resin to obtain an intermediate substrate, which is then laminated, molded, and, if a thermosetting resin is used, thermally cured to produce FRP components. For the above-mentioned applications, planar objects or folded forms are often used, and two-dimensional sheet-like objects are more widely used as FRP intermediate substrates than one-dimensional strands or roving-like objects, in terms of lamination efficiency and moldability when producing components.

In the field of automotive materials, pressure tanks installed in natural gas vehicles and fuel cell vehicles use pressure vessels with metal or resin liners reinforced with fiber-reinforced composite materials.
Pressure vessels reinforced with reinforcing fibers are produced by the filament winding method (FW method), in which a thermosetting resin as a coating liquid is applied to a reinforcing fiber tape such as a bundle of reinforcing fibers, mainly using a touch roll, and then the resin is wrapped around the outside of a liner as a rotating member to form a molded body, which is then heated and cured.

At that time, in order to improve productivity, the reinforced fiber tape is usually run at a high speed of 100 m/min or more, but when applying the coating liquid to the reinforced fiber tape using a touch roll, it is difficult to apply a fixed amount of coating liquid to the reinforced fiber tape due to factors such as fluctuations in the tow width and tension of the reinforced fiber tape on the touch roll, and changes in the viscosity of the coating liquid due to temperature changes.

Furthermore, it is difficult to completely impregnate the reinforced fiber tape with the coating liquid using a touch roll. A reinforced fiber tape that is not completely impregnated has a thick coating liquid film formed on the tape, and the coating liquid on the tape surface and the coating liquid attached to the transport roll are scattered by centrifugal force on the transport roll, leading to process contamination and a decrease in raw material yield (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

As a solution to this problem, Patent Documents 3 to 5 propose a fixed amount of coating onto a reinforced fiber tape and impregnation of the coating part with the coating liquid. In this solution, the outlet of the coating part is shaped like a slit, and the amount of coating is determined by the size of the clearance between this slit and the reinforced fiber tape, making it possible to apply a stable fixed amount regardless of tow width or tension fluctuations. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the coating part where the coating liquid is stored has a portion that continuously decreases along the running direction of the reinforced fiber tape. This generates pressure (liquid pressure) in the coating part in the direction perpendicular to the tape plane, promoting impregnation of the coating liquid and resulting in a coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape with a thin coating liquid film on the tape.

JP 2007-185837 A JP 2019-107772 A Patent No. 6418356 Patent No. 6696630 Patent No. 6708311

However, the methods of Patent Documents 3 to 5 assume that the running speed of the reinforcing fiber tape is less than 100 m/min, and do not assume the high-speed continuous running of 100 m/min or more used in FW. As mentioned above, the cross-sectional area of the coating section decreases continuously along the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape, and the reinforcing fiber tape passes through a narrow slit-shaped outlet. Since large shear occurs during this process, if the production of molded bodies is continued by continuous high-speed running of 100 m/min or more, the temperature of the coating liquid will continue to rise due to shear heat, causing fluctuations in the amount of coating due to viscosity changes and the hardening of the coating liquid in the coating section to progress, raising the risk of resin runaway.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a molded body that can be continuously and stably coated by suppressing the scattering of coating liquid from the reinforced fiber tape and the transport roll during the transport process from applying the coating liquid to winding up the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape by FW, thereby suppressing deterioration of the raw material yield and process contamination, and also suppressing the rise in temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section during high-speed coating.

The method for producing a molded body of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a method for producing a molded body, which comprises applying a coating liquid to a reinforcing fiber tape, winding the obtained coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape around a rotating member to obtain a molded body,
The coating liquid is applied by passing the reinforced fiber tape through the inside of a coating section in which the coating liquid is stored,
the application section includes a liquid reservoir section and a narrowed section which are connected to each other, the liquid reservoir section has a portion whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases along the running direction of the sheet-like reinforcing fiber tape bundle, the narrowed section has a slit-shaped cross section and a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the liquid reservoir section,
This is a manufacturing method for a molded body in which, when the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section is T, the temperature of the wall member surface is T', and the temperature of the supplied resin is T'', the temperature is controlled so that T-1 ≧ T' and/or T-1 ≧ T''.

According to the manufacturing method of the molded body of the present invention, in the conveying process from the application of the coating liquid to winding up the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape by FW, scattering of resin from the reinforced fiber tape and conveying roll can be significantly suppressed and prevented. Furthermore, by suppressing the rise in temperature of the resin stored in the coating section during high-speed coating, the progress of resin hardening and viscosity changes in the liquid pool can be suppressed, enabling continuous and stable coating, improving productivity.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1b is an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view of a portion of the application portion 20 in FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the application unit 20 in FIG. 2 as viewed from a direction A in FIG. 2 . 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the coating unit 20 in FIG. 2 when viewed from the direction B in FIG. 2. 4b is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of the coating liquid 2 in the gap 26 in FIG. 4a. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of an installation of a width regulating mechanism. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a molded body and a FW apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the method being equipped with a cooling device 61. FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application portion 20b of an embodiment different from that of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application portion 20c of an embodiment different from that of FIG. 6. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application portion 20d of an embodiment different from that of FIG. 6. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application portion 20e of an embodiment different from that of FIG. 6. FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application portion 30 according to an embodiment different from the present invention. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in which a bar is provided inside a liquid reservoir. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process and an apparatus for producing a molded body using the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of another manufacturing process and device for a molded body using the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-line aspect according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-line aspect according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-line aspect according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-line aspect according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process and an apparatus for producing another molded body using the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a manufacturing process and device for a molded body different from that of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a manufacturing process and device for a molded body different from that of the present invention.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is merely an example of an embodiment of the invention, and the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereto. Various modifications are possible without departing from the purpose and effect of the present invention.

<Outline of manufacturing method of molded body>
First, the outline of the method for producing a molded body of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1a and 1b. Figure 1a is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the method and apparatus for producing a molded body according to one embodiment of the present invention. The coating apparatus 100 is equipped with transport rolls 13 and 14, which are a running mechanism for running the reinforcing fiber tape 1a in a substantially vertical downward direction Z, and a coating section 20 that is provided between the transport rolls 13 and 14 and in which a coating liquid 2 is stored.

In addition, before and after the coating device 100, there may be provided a creel 11 that unwinds the reinforcing fibers 1, an arrangement device 12 that obtains a reinforcing fiber tape 1a in which the unwound reinforcing fibers 1 are arranged in one direction (arranged in the depth direction of the paper in FIG. 1), and a FW device 15a that winds the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b around the outside of a liner 15c to form a molded body 15b. Although not shown, the coating device 100 is also provided with a coating liquid supply device. Furthermore, if necessary, a supply device that supplies a release tape, a winding device that winds up the release tape, and a dancer roll for controlling the tension in the process may be provided.

In the present invention, the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape refers to a reinforced fiber tape to which a coating liquid has been applied. The coating liquid may be present on the surface, or the coating liquid may be partially or entirely impregnated into the reinforced fiber tape. Also, while Figure 1a shows a mechanism in which the coating device runs vertically, it may also run horizontally as shown in Figure 1b, as described later.

<Reinforced fiber tape>
Examples of reinforcing fibers 1 include carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal fibers, metal oxide fibers, metal nitride fibers, and organic fibers (aramid fibers, polybenzoxazole fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyethylene fibers, etc.). From the viewpoints of the mechanical properties and light weight of FRP, it is preferable to use carbon fibers.

Examples of reinforced fiber tapes include unidirectional materials (UD substrates) in which multiple reinforcing fibers are arranged in one direction on a surface, and reinforced fiber fabrics in which reinforcing fibers are arranged multiaxially or randomly to form a tape.

The method for forming the UD substrate can be any known method, and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable from the viewpoint of process efficiency and uniform arrangement to form a reinforcing fiber bundle in which single fibers are pre-aligned, and then further align this reinforcing fiber bundle to form a reinforcing fiber tape. For example, with carbon fiber, a "tow" which is a tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle is wound on a bobbin, and the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle pulled out from this can be used as a single thread, or multiple threads can be aligned to obtain a reinforcing fiber tape.

It is also preferable to have a reinforcing fiber arrangement mechanism for neatly arranging the reinforcing fiber bundles pulled out from the bobbins hung on the creel and eliminating undesirable overlaps or folds of the reinforcing fiber bundles in the reinforcing fiber tape and gaps between the reinforcing fiber bundles. A known roller or comb-type arrangement device can be used as the reinforcing fiber arrangement mechanism.

Stacking multiple reinforcing fiber tapes that have been arranged in advance is also useful from the viewpoint of reducing the gaps between the reinforcing fibers. It is preferable that the creel is provided with a tension control mechanism when pulling out the reinforcing fibers. Any known tension control mechanism can be used, such as a brake mechanism.

The tension can also be controlled by adjusting the yarn guide. In the present invention, the reinforcing fiber bundles can be arranged to achieve the desired width of the reinforcing fiber tape.

Specific examples of reinforced fiber fabrics include woven fabrics and knitted fabrics, as well as fabrics in which reinforced fibers are arranged multiaxially in two dimensions, and nonwoven fabrics, mats, paper, and other fabrics in which reinforced fibers are randomly oriented. In this case, the reinforced fibers can be made into tape by applying a binder, entangling, welding, fusion, and other methods. As for fabrics, in addition to the basic weaves of plain weave, twill, and satin, non-crimp fabrics, bias structures, entangled weaves, multiaxial weaves, and multi-layered fabrics can be used.

A fabric that combines a bias structure with a UD base material is a preferable form, since the UD structure not only suppresses deformation of the fabric when pulled during the coating and impregnation processes, but also provides pseudo-isotropy due to the bias structure. In addition, a multi-layered fabric has the advantage that the structure and characteristics of the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric, as well as the interior of the fabric, can be designed separately. For knitted fabrics, warp knitting is preferable considering shape stability during the coating and impregnation processes, but braided fabrics, which are tubular knitted fabrics, can also be used.

When forming the reinforced fiber fabric into a tape, the reinforced fiber fabric can be made to the desired width from the beginning, or it can be cut to the desired width after it is formed.

Among these, when the mechanical properties of FRP are prioritized, it is preferable to use a UD base material, which can be produced by a known method of arranging reinforcing fibers in one direction in a tape-like shape.

<How to use the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape>
For pressure vessels, etc., a manufacturing method called FW has been used, in which a matrix resin is applied to a single thread (tow) of reinforcing fiber bundle in a resin tank, and the reinforcing fiber bundle is wound as it is around a pressure vessel liner. When used for this purpose, the width of the reinforcing fiber tape is about the same as that of a single thread tow (usually about 6 to 12 mm), but in some cases, it is possible to widen the width to 30 mm even for a single thread by performing a widening process. A wide reinforcing fiber tape is preferable because it is less likely to generate gaps between the tapes, i.e., areas without reinforcing fibers, when the reinforcing fiber tape containing the coating liquid is laminated.

<Filament Winding (FW) Equipment>
In the method for producing a molded product and the FW device of the present invention, a coating liquid is applied to a reinforcing fiber tape, and the resulting reinforcing fiber tape containing the coating liquid is then wound around a rotating member. The rotating member is not particularly limited, but is preferably a liner in the case of a pressure vessel.

Taking the example of manufacturing a molded body for a pressure vessel, a filament winding device 15a is provided that winds a long length of coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b around a liner 15c to produce a molded body 15b. The FW device 15a is provided downstream of the coating device 100, and the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b is guided to the FW device 15a by a transport roll 14.

A known device can be used as the FW device 15a. A specific example of the FW device 15a is a device that can hold the liner 15c rotatably around a central axis, and can wrap the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b around the outside of the liner 15c using the guide 118 while rotating the liner 15c around the central axis to cover the liner.

The guide 118 has a function of guiding one or more coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes 1b so that they can be easily wound around the liner 15c, and has an alignment opening that aligns one or more coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes 1b in the width direction toward the liner 15c to align their widthwise positions, and a movement mechanism that moves the alignment opening itself along the outer shape of the liner 15c. The alignment opening is moved by moving the liner 15c in the longitudinal axis direction, moving the liner 15c in the width direction, and rotating around the width direction movement axis. The method of producing multiple coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes will be described later.

The liner 15c is the core material that forms the shape of the molded product. For example, when molding a high-pressure tank, it is a tube that corresponds to the inner diameter of the tank, and is used to store a medium such as high-pressure hydrogen gas inside, and is the layer that comes into direct contact with gas such as hydrogen gas. The shape, size, and thickness of the liner 15c can be selected as desired according to the intended use, specifications, etc.

The liner 15c is composed of a resin material and/or a metal. Examples of the resin material constituting the liner 15c include thermoplastic resins and thermosetting resins. Examples of the thermoplastic resins include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, ABS resin, polystyrene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyimide, and fluororesin, and examples of the thermosetting resins include epoxy resins and polyurethane. Examples of the metal constituting the liner include metals such as aluminum alloys. The thickness of the liner and the type of material constituting the liner can be appropriately selected depending on the strength, airtightness, moldability, etc. required for the liner 15c.

The liner 15c made of a resin material is formed, for example, by injection molding of the resin. For example, a resin such as polyamide resin is poured into a mold to form two roughly semi-cylindrical bodies, which are then welded together by a laser or the like to form the resin liner 15c. This injection molding results in a liner 15c with a roughly uniform thickness.

The diameter of the liner 15c is, for example, about 30 cm, and its thickness is a few mm, for example, in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm.

Before winding the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b around the liner 15c, a resin film may be wrapped around at least a part of the outer surface of the liner 15c. After the fiber layer of the inner layer is formed, the inside of the liner 15c is heated to melt the pre-wrapped resin film, and the tension of the laminated fibers during filament winding causes the resin from the pre-wrapped resin film to seep out from the inner layer together with the matrix resin and the resin applied later, further improving the adhesion between the reinforced fibers. The resin constituting the resin film may be the same as or different from the matrix resin previously impregnated into the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b, but is usually the same. The thickness of the resin film is, for example, in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm.

The liner 15c is supported so that the longitudinal axis can rotate, and is rotated around the longitudinal axis by the rotation drive mechanism. The ends of one or more coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes 1b aligned in the width direction by the Aikuchi guide unit 118 are fixed to the winding start part of the liner 15c, and the liner 15c is rotated, so that one or more coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes 1b are aligned in the longitudinal axis direction of the liner 15c and wound around its outer periphery. The amount wound around the liner 15c is a thickness on the outer periphery of the liner 15c of several mm to 10-odd mm. The coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b is wound around the liner 15c for a predetermined number of turns to obtain the molded body 15b. Then, a curing process is performed, and the coating liquid described later is cured to form the FRP. In the process of winding the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b around the liner 15c, pressurized gas may be supplied to the inside of the liner 15c as necessary.

The obtained molded body is particularly suitable for use in high-pressure vessels. It can also be widely used in other applications, such as frames and pressure vessels for aviation and space applications, pressure vessels and drive shafts for automobiles, trains and ships, various piping and pipes for industrial and building materials, and rackets, fishing rods and shafts for sports materials.

<Tension control of reinforcing fibers>
In the manufacturing method of the present invention, in order to uniformly pull out the reinforcing fibers hung on the creel and improve the width accuracy of the reinforcing fiber tape, and further the reinforcing fiber tape containing the coating liquid, it is preferable to control the tension when pulling out the reinforcing fibers from the creel. For this purpose, there can be mentioned a method of pulling the yarns together and nipping them, controlling the tension by giving a speed difference with the equipment in the subsequent process using a driving device, a method of driving a direction-changing guide roll as described in JP-A-2005-248360, and a method of using a roll connected to a powder brake as described in JP-A-2004-162055. In addition, a creel equipped with a brake mechanism on the spindle part on which the reinforcing fiber bobbin is hung can also be used.

Brake mechanisms include band brakes and electromagnetic types. An example of an electromagnetic type is a method in which a magnetic torque control device using a permanent magnet is provided on the spindle shaft. An example of an electromagnetic brake mechanism is described in JP 2012-184076 A. Furthermore, tension control can also be performed via a dancer roll. Of these, the use of a creel equipped with an electromagnetic brake mechanism is preferable from the standpoint of precise tension control and compact manufacturing equipment.

<Smoothing of reinforced fiber tape>
In the present invention, the uniformity of the coating amount at the coating portion can be improved by increasing the smoothness of the surface of the reinforcing fiber tape. For this reason, it is preferable to smooth the reinforcing fiber tape and then guide it to the liquid pool. The smoothing method is not particularly limited, but examples include a method of physically pressing the reinforcing fibers with an opposing roll or a method of moving the reinforcing fibers using an air flow. The physical pressing method is preferable because it is simple and does not easily disturb the arrangement of the reinforcing fibers. More specifically, calendar processing can be used. The method using an air flow is preferable because it is not only less likely to cause abrasion but also has the effect of widening the reinforcing fiber tape.

<Widening of reinforced fiber tape>
In the present invention, it is also preferable to lead the reinforcing fiber tape to the coating section after widening the reinforcing fiber tape from the viewpoint of efficiently producing a wide reinforcing fiber tape containing a coating liquid. It is considered that a wide tape width has the advantage of increasing the coverage area during lamination of the prepreg tape, thereby suppressing gaps during lamination.

There are no particular limitations on the method of widening, but examples include a method of mechanically applying vibrations and a method of widening the reinforced fiber bundles with an air flow. An example of a method of mechanically applying vibrations is to bring the reinforced fiber sheet into contact with a vibrating roll, as described in JP 2015-22799 A.

As regards the vibration direction, assuming that the traveling direction of the reinforcing fiber tape is the X-axis, it is preferable to apply vibration in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction) and Z-axis direction (vertical direction). It is also preferable to use a combination of a horizontal vibrating roll and a vertical vibrating roll. It is also preferable to provide multiple protrusions on the vibrating roll surface, as this can prevent the reinforcing fibers from being rubbed by the roll. As a method using an air flow, for example, the method described in SEN-I GAKKAISHI, vol. 64, P-262-267 (2008) can be used.

<Coating Fluid>
The coating liquid used in the present invention can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose of application. As the coating liquid, examples include liquids containing agents that impart bundling properties or functionality, such as sizing agents and surface modifiers, as described above, as well as matrix resins for forming prepreg tapes.

The matrix resin used in the present invention can be used as a resin composition containing various resins, particles, a curing agent, and various additives, as described below. When the present invention is applied to the manufacture of a molded product, the reinforced fiber tape is impregnated with the matrix resin coating liquid, which is then laminated on a liner to form a molded product, after which it is cured to obtain a component made of FRP. The degree of impregnation can be controlled by the design of the coating area and by additional impregnation after coating.

The matrix resin can be selected appropriately depending on the application, but it is common to use a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. The matrix resin may be a molten resin that has been heated and melted, or a matrix resin at room temperature. It may also be a solution or varnish made using a solvent. When the present invention is used to manufacture a prepreg tape, the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape may be referred to as a prepreg tape.

As the matrix resin, resins commonly used in FRP, such as thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, and photocurable resins, can be used. Furthermore, if these are liquid at room temperature, they may be used as is, and if they are solid or viscous liquid at room temperature, they may be heated to reduce viscosity, or melted and used as a molten liquid, or may be dissolved in a solvent to make a solution or varnish.

As the thermoplastic resin, a polymer having a bond selected from carbon-carbon bonds, amide bonds, imide bonds, ester bonds, ether bonds, carbonate bonds, urethane bonds, urea bonds, thioether bonds, sulfone bonds, imidazole bonds, and carbonyl bonds in the main chain can be used. Specific examples include polyacrylate, polyolefin, polyamide (PA), aramid, polyester, polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyimide (PI), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), and polyamideimide (PAI).

In fields where heat resistance is required, such as aircraft applications, PPS, PES, PI, PEI, PSU, PEEK, PEKK, PAEK, etc. are suitable. On the other hand, in industrial applications and automotive applications, polyolefins such as polypropylene (PP), PA, polyester, PPS, etc. are suitable to increase molding efficiency. These may be polymers, or oligomers or monomers may be used for low viscosity and low temperature application. Of course, these may be copolymerized depending on the purpose, or various types may be mixed and used as polymer blends or polymer alloys.

Examples of thermosetting resins include epoxy resins, maleimide resins, polyimide resins, resins with acetylene terminals, resins with vinyl terminals, resins with allyl terminals, resins with nadic acid terminals, and resins with cyanate ester terminals. These can generally be used in combination with a curing agent or curing catalyst. It is also possible to mix these thermosetting resins as appropriate.

As a thermosetting resin suitable for the present invention, epoxy resins are preferably used because of their excellent heat resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties. In particular, epoxy resins whose precursors are amines, phenols, or compounds having a carbon-carbon double bond are preferred. Specifically, epoxy resins whose precursors are amines include various isomers of tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane, triglycidyl-p-aminophenol, triglycidyl-m-aminophenol, and triglycidylaminocresol; epoxy resins whose precursors are phenols include bisphenol A-type epoxy resins, bisphenol F-type epoxy resins, bisphenol S-type epoxy resins, phenol novolac-type epoxy resins, and cresol novolac-type epoxy resins; and epoxy resins whose precursors are compounds having a carbon-carbon double bond include alicyclic epoxy resins, but are not limited to these. Brominated epoxy resins obtained by brominating these epoxy resins may also be used.

Thermosetting resins are preferably used in combination with a curing agent. For example, in the case of epoxy resins, the curing agent can be any compound that has an active group that can react with an epoxy group. Compounds that have an amino group, an acid anhydride group, or an azide group are preferable. Specifically, dicyandiamide, various isomers of diaminodiphenyl sulfone, and aminobenzoic acid esters are suitable.

To be more specific, dicyandiamide is preferably used because it provides excellent prepreg storage stability. In addition, various isomers of diaminodiphenyl sulfone are most suitable for the present invention because they give cured products with good heat resistance. As aminobenzoic acid esters, trimethylene glycol di-p-aminobenzoate and neopentyl glycol di-p-aminobenzoate are preferably used, and although they have inferior heat resistance compared to diaminodiphenyl sulfone, they have excellent tensile strength and are selected and used according to the application. Of course, a curing catalyst can also be used as necessary. In addition, in order to improve the pot life of the matrix resin, a complexing agent capable of forming a complex with the curing agent or curing catalyst can also be used in combination.

In the present invention, it is also preferable to use a mixture of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin. A mixture of a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin gives better results than using a thermosetting resin alone. This is because thermosetting resins generally have the disadvantage of being brittle but can be molded at low pressures in an autoclave, whereas thermoplastic resins generally have the advantage of being tough but are difficult to mold at low pressures in an autoclave. These contradictory properties make it possible to balance the physical properties and moldability by using a mixture of these. When using a mixture, it is preferable to contain more than 50 mass% of thermosetting resin from the viewpoint of the mechanical properties of the FRP obtained by curing the molded body.

<Polymer Particles>
In addition, in the present invention, inorganic particles or organic particles can be contained in the coating liquid or matrix resin. The inorganic particles are not particularly limited, but for example, carbon-based particles, boron nitride particles, titanium dioxide particles, silicon dioxide particles, etc. can be suitably used to impart electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, thixotropy, etc. Organic particles are also not particularly limited, but in particular, the use of polymer particles is preferable because it can improve the toughness, impact resistance, vibration damping, etc. of the obtained FRP. At this time, it is preferable that the glass transition temperature (Tg) or melting point (Tm) of the polymer particles is 20°C or more higher than the matrix resin temperature, because the shape of the polymer particles is easily maintained in the matrix resin. The Tg of the polymer particles can be measured using a temperature-modulated DSC under the following conditions.

The Q1000 manufactured by TA Instruments is suitable as a temperature modulated DSC device, and can be used after being calibrated with high-purity indium under a nitrogen atmosphere. The measurement conditions can be a temperature rise rate of 2°C/min, and temperature modulation conditions of a period of 60 seconds and an amplitude of 1°C. The reversible components can be separated from the total heat flow obtained in this way, and the temperature at the midpoint of the step-like signal can be taken as Tg.

Tm can also be measured using a conventional DSC at a heating rate of 10°C/min, and the peak top temperature of the peak-like signal corresponding to melting can be taken as Tm.

The polymer particles are preferably not soluble in the matrix resin, and suitable polymer particles can be used, for example, by referring to the description in WO2009/142231. More specifically, polyamide and polyimide are preferably used, and polyamide is the most preferable, since it has excellent toughness and can greatly improve impact resistance.

As polyamides, polyamide 12, polyamide 11, polyamide 6, polyamide 66, polyamide 6/12 copolymers, polyamides that have been semi-IPN (polymer interpenetrating network structure) with an epoxy compound (semi-IPN polyamide) as described in Example 1 of JP-A-01-104624, and the like can be suitably used. The shape of the thermoplastic resin particles may be spherical, non-spherical, or porous, but spherical particles are particularly preferred in the manufacturing method of the present invention because they do not reduce the flow characteristics of the resin.

In addition, a spherical shape is also preferable because it provides no starting point for stress concentration and provides high impact resistance.

Commercially available polyamide particles include SP-500, SP-10, TR-1, TR-2, 842P-48, and 842P-80 (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.), ORGASOL (registered trademark) 1002D, 2001UD, 2001EXD, 2002D, 3202D, 3501D, and 3502D (manufactured by Arkema Co., Ltd.), Grilamid (registered trademark) TR90 (manufactured by Ms. Welke Co., Ltd.), and TROGAMID (registered trademark) CX7323, CX9701, and CX9704 (manufactured by Degussa Co., Ltd.). These polyamide particles may be used alone or in combination.

In addition, when the heat resistance requirements of the FRP are not strict, it is possible to use polyurethane, rubber, core-shell rubber, and other particles to adjust the rheological properties of the coating liquid or to improve the toughness and vibration damping properties of the FRP.

In order to increase the toughness of the resin layer between the reinforcing fiber layers of the FRP, it is preferable to keep the polymer particles in the resin layer between the reinforcing fiber layers. Therefore, the number average particle size of the polymer particles is preferably in the range of 5 to 50 μm, more preferably in the range of 7 to 40 μm, and even more preferably in the range of 10 to 30 μm. By making the number average particle size 5 μm or more, the particles do not penetrate into the bundles of reinforcing fibers and can remain in the resin layer between the reinforcing fiber layers of the obtained fiber reinforced composite material. By making the number average particle size 50 μm or less, the thickness of the matrix resin layer can be optimized, and thus the fiber mass content in the obtained FRP can be optimized.

<Viscoelasticity of coating fluid>
It is preferable to select an optimum viscosity for the coating liquid used in the present invention from the viewpoint of processability and stability. Specifically, when the viscosity is in the range of 0.01 to 60 Pa·s, it is possible to suppress dripping at the outlet of the narrowed portion and improve the high-speed running property and stable running property of the reinforcing fiber sheet, which is preferable. When the viscosity of the coating liquid is 2 Pa·s or less, stable running is possible even when the running speed of the reinforcing fiber tape is 100 m/min or more, which is preferable. The viscosity of the coating liquid is preferably 0.9 Pa·s or less.

Here, the viscosity refers to the viscosity of the coating liquid at the coating liquid temperature measured in the pool, and more specifically, refers to the viscosity at the coating liquid temperature measured in the pool, measured at a strain rate of 3.14 ^s using a viscoelasticity measuring device such as a parallel disk type or a cone type. The loss modulus can be measured in the same manner as the viscosity measurement described above, and is the loss modulus at the coating liquid temperature in the pool and at a strain rate of 3.14 ^s .

<Application process by running a reinforced fiber tape vertically downward>
Taking a UD substrate as an example, the coating process will be described with reference to Fig. 1a. In the method of applying the coating liquid 2 to the reinforcing fiber tape 1a in the coating device 100, one or more reinforcing fibers 1 unwound from a creel 11 are aligned in one direction (depth direction of the paper) by an alignment device 12 to obtain the reinforcing fiber tape 1a, and then the coating liquid 2 is applied to both sides of the reinforcing fiber tape 1a. In this way, a coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b can be obtained.

2a to 4, the process of applying the coating liquid 2 to the reinforced fiber tape 1a (the process of passing the coating liquid through the inside of the coating section in which the coating liquid is stored) will be described in detail. FIG. 2a is a detailed cross-sectional view of the coating section 20 in FIG. 1, which is enlarged. The coating section 20 has wall members 21a and 21b facing each other with a predetermined gap D therebetween, and between the wall members 21a and 21b, there is a liquid pool 22 (corresponding to the part where the cross-sectional area is continuously decreasing in FIG. 2a) whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases in the vertical downward direction Z (i.e., the running direction of the reinforced fiber tape), and a narrowed section 23 with a slit-like cross section located below the liquid pool 22 (the discharge side of the reinforced fiber sheet 1a) and having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the upper surface of the liquid pool 22 (the introduction side of the reinforced fiber tape 1a) is formed. In FIG. 2a, the reinforced fiber tape 1a is arranged in the depth direction of the paper. That is, the width direction of the reinforced fiber tape coincides with the depth direction of the paper.

In the coating section 20, the reinforced fiber tape 1a introduced into the liquid pool 22 travels vertically downward Z while carrying the surrounding coating liquid 2. At that time, the cross-sectional area of the liquid pool 22 decreases vertically downward Z (the direction in which the reinforced fiber sheet 1a travels) (corresponding to the part in FIG. 2a where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases), so that the accompanying coating liquid 2 is gradually compressed, and the pressure of the coating liquid 2 increases as it moves toward the bottom of the liquid pool 22. When the pressure at the bottom of the liquid pool 22 increases, the accompanying liquid flow becomes difficult to flow further downward, and flows in the direction of the wall members 21a and 21b, and then is blocked by the wall members 21a and 21b and flows upward. As a result, a circulating flow T is formed in the liquid pool 22 along the plane of the reinforced fiber tape 1a and the wall surfaces of the wall members 21a and 21b. As a result, even if the reinforced fiber tape 1a brings fluff into the liquid pool 22, the fluff moves along the circulating flow T and cannot approach the lower part of the liquid pool 22 or the narrowed part 23, where the liquid pressure is high.

Furthermore, as described below, air bubbles adhere to the fluff, causing the fluff to move upward from the circulating flow T and pass near the upper liquid surface of the liquid pool 22. This not only prevents the fluff from clogging the lower part of the liquid pool 22 and the narrowed part 23, but also makes it easy to collect the retained fluff from the upper liquid surface of the liquid pool 22. Furthermore, when the reinforced fiber tape 1a is run at high speed, the above-mentioned liquid pressure increases further, so the fluff removal effect is further improved. As a result, it becomes possible to apply the coating liquid grease 2 at high speed using the reinforced fiber tape 1a, greatly improving productivity.

The increased hydraulic pressure also has the effect of making it easier for the coating liquid 2 to penetrate into the interior of the reinforced fiber tape 1a. When the coating liquid 2 is well impregnated into the reinforced fiber tape 1a, a coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b with a small amount of resin on the tape surface can be obtained, and scattering of the surface resin during transportation and scattering of the resin transferred to the transport roll due to centrifugal force can be prevented, thereby suppressing process contamination and a decrease in raw material yield. Resin impregnation by hydraulic pressure is based on the property (Darcy's law) that when a matrix resin is impregnated into a porous body such as a reinforced fiber bundle, the degree of impregnation increases with the pressure of the matrix resin. In this regard, if the reinforced fiber tape 1a is run at a higher speed, the hydraulic pressure increases further, and the impregnation effect can be further improved.

The coating liquid 2 is impregnated with the air bubbles remaining inside the reinforced fiber tape 1a by air/liquid replacement, but the air bubbles are discharged in the fiber orientation direction (vertically upward) through gaps inside the reinforced fiber tape 1a due to the liquid pressure and buoyancy. At this time, the air bubbles are discharged without pushing aside the impregnating coating liquid 2, which has the effect of not impeding impregnation. In addition, some of the air bubbles are discharged in the out-of-plane direction (normal direction) from the surface of the reinforced fiber tape 1a, but these air bubbles are also quickly expelled vertically upward due to the liquid pressure and buoyancy, so they do not remain at the bottom of the liquid pool 22, where the impregnation effect is high, and there is also the effect of efficiently discharging the air bubbles.

These effects make it possible to efficiently impregnate the coating liquid 2 into the reinforced fiber tape 1a, and as a result, it is possible to obtain a high-quality coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b that is uniformly impregnated with the coating liquid 2.

This liquid pressure also increases in proportion to the speed. Therefore, the higher the speed, the higher the productivity and the higher the resin impregnation effect can be expected. Taking into consideration the productivity of the molded body in the FW device, it is preferable to run at 100 m/min or more, more preferably 120 m/min or more, and most preferably 200 m/min or more. Note that as the speed increases, the shear force increases, and a large force is required to pull the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape from the coating section, so it is preferable to keep the running speed at a maximum of 600 m/min or less.

Furthermore, the increased liquid pressure automatically aligns the reinforced fiber tape 1a to the center of the gap D, and the reinforced fiber tape 1a does not rub directly against the wall surface of the liquid pool 22 or the narrowed portion 23, which has the effect of suppressing the generation of fuzz here. This is because when the reinforced fiber tape 1a approaches either side of the gap D due to disturbances, the coating liquid 2 is forced into the narrower gap on the approaching side and compressed, so the liquid pressure on the approaching side increases more, pushing the reinforced fiber tape 1a back to the center of the gap D.

The narrowed portion 23 is designed to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the upper surface of the liquid pool 22. As can be seen from FIG. 2a, the cross-sectional area is small mainly because the length in the perpendicular direction of the pseudo-plane of the reinforced fiber sheet is small, i.e., the distance between the components is narrow. This is because impregnation and self-aligning effects can be obtained by increasing the liquid pressure at the narrowed portion as described above. In addition, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the uppermost surface of the narrowed portion 23 matches the cross-sectional shape of the lowermost surface of the liquid pool 22 from the viewpoint of the running property of the reinforced fiber tape 1a and the flow control of the coating liquid 2, but the narrowed portion 23 may be made slightly larger if necessary.

Here, in the application section 20 in FIG. 2a, the reinforced fiber tape 1a runs completely vertically downward Z (90 degrees from the horizontal plane), but this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to pass it substantially vertically downward within a range in which the above-mentioned effects of recovering fuzz and discharging air bubbles can be obtained and the reinforced fiber tape 1a can run stably and continuously.

The total amount of coating liquid 2 applied to the reinforced fiber tape 1a can be controlled by the gap D of the narrowed portion 23. For example, if you want to increase the total amount of coating liquid 2 applied to the reinforced fiber tape 1a (increase the basis weight), you can install the wall members 21a and 21b to widen the gap D.

As described below, the reinforcing fiber tape 1a can be passed through the application unit 20 in a substantially horizontal and/or inclined direction. Whether the reinforcing fiber tape 1a is passed vertically downward or horizontally or in an inclined direction can be determined, for example, based on the space available for installing the device and its relationship with the preceding and following processes.

In the present invention, a speed of 100 m/min or more is preferable from the viewpoints of productivity of the molded body and the effect of promoting resin impregnation at high speeds, but as described above, heat is generated by the large shear when the reinforced fiber tape 1a passes through the narrow liquid pool 22 and the constricted portion 23. At speeds of 100 m/min or more, the effect of this heat generation on the resin temperature in the liquid pool becomes significant.

If shear heating continues due to continuous running and the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the application section continues to rise, the viscosity of the resin will decrease, the coating will vary in the longitudinal direction of the reinforced fiber tape, resulting in uneven application of the amount of coating, the hardening reaction of the coating liquid will progress, and the resin will solidify and cause clogging, preventing the reinforced fiber tape from passing through the application section, or the solidified resin will disrupt the alignment and surface shape of the reinforced fiber tape, resulting in poor quality.

Therefore, in the molded body manufacturing method and FW device of the present invention, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is necessary to control so that T-1 ≧ T' and/or T-1 ≧ T". By controlling the temperature in this way, it is possible to suppress the increase in coating liquid temperature due to shear heat, and stable coating is possible. Preferably, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is T-3 ≧ T' and/or T-3 ≧ T", and more preferably, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is T-5 ≧ T' and/or T-5 ≧ T".

The temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section becomes uniform in the liquid pool due to the circulation flow T described above, so the location where the coating liquid temperature T stored in the coating section is measured is not particularly limited. The measurement method is not particularly limited, but includes measuring with a radiation thermometer from outside the coating device, and installing a thermocouple inside the coating device to measure the temperature of the coating liquid. In addition, the wall member refers to wall members 21a and 21b in Figure 2a, and the surface temperature refers to the temperature of the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the coating liquid 2. The measurement method of the wall member surface temperature is not particularly limited, but includes measuring with a radiation thermometer from outside the coating device. In addition, the resin supply temperature refers to the coating liquid temperature in the resin supply device described below.

There is no particular limitation on the method of controlling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section so that T-1 ≧ T' and/or T-1 ≧ T", where T is the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, T is the surface temperature of the wall member, and T" is the supplied resin temperature. Examples of mechanisms for cooling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section include cooling the wall surface by installing a cooling plate 28 on the wall surface as shown in FIG. 2f, adjusting the ambient temperature around the coating section 20 in FIG. 2a to be lower than the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, and adjusting the temperature of the coating liquid in the resin supply device described below to be lower than the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, and supplying the cooled coating liquid to the inside of the coating device. In this case, the temperature of the wall member may be adjusted in conjunction with the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section.

<Application process by running the reinforced fiber tape in a horizontal or inclined direction>
With reference to FIG. 1b, the process of applying a matrix resin when the reinforced fiber tape 1a runs horizontally or in an oblique direction will be described. The method of applying the coating liquid 2 in the coating device 100 to the reinforced fiber sheet 1a is to first align a plurality of reinforcing fibers 1 unwound from a creel 11 in one direction (the depth direction of the paper) by an aligning device 12 to obtain the reinforced fiber tape 1a, and then pass the reinforcing fibers 1 in a horizontal or oblique direction through a coating section 20, where the coating liquid 2 is applied to both sides of the reinforced fiber sheet 1b.

Here, the horizontal direction refers to the X direction in FIG. 1b, and the tilt direction refers to the direction halfway between the X direction and the Z direction in FIG. 1b. Furthermore, when the reinforced fiber sheet 1a is introduced horizontally into the application section 20 as shown in FIG. 1b, the running path of the reinforced fiber sheet 1a is straightened, and disturbance of the reinforced fiber sheet 1a due to its thickness is less likely to occur, which is preferable. In this case, it is preferable to have a sealing mechanism at the introduction section of the reinforced fiber sheet 1a into the application section 20 so that the coating liquid 2 does not leak out.

Next, the process of applying the coating liquid 2 to the carbon fiber tape when the reinforced fiber tape 1b runs horizontally or in an inclined direction will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2b to 2g. Figure 2b is a detailed cross-sectional view of the coating unit 20 in Figure 1b, which is enlarged. The coating unit 20 has wall members 21a and 21b that face each other with a predetermined gap D therebetween, and the wall members are integrated with the inlet side and outlet side of the reinforced fiber tape 1b. Between the upper wall member 21a and the lower wall member 21b, there are formed a liquid pool 22b (a portion where the cross-sectional area decreases continuously) whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously, and a narrowed portion 23 with a slit-like cross section that is located on the outlet side of the liquid pool 22 and has a cross-sectional area smaller than the maximum part of the liquid pool 22.

In the coating section 20, the reinforcing fiber tape introduced into the liquid pool 22 runs in the horizontal direction while carrying with it the surrounding coating liquid 2. At that time, in the same way as when the reinforcing fiber tape is run vertically downward, in the region 22b of the liquid pool 22 where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases toward the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape (the portion where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases), the entrained coating liquid 2 is gradually compressed, and the pressure of the coating liquid 2 increases toward the outlet of the liquid pool 22.
When the pressure near the outlet of the liquid pool 22 becomes high, the accompanying liquid flow has difficulty flowing further in the direction of the outlet, flows in the direction perpendicular to the reinforcing fiber tape, and is then blocked by the wall members 21 a and 21 b, and flows in the opposite direction to the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape. As a result, a circulating flow T is formed in the liquid pool 22 along the plane of the reinforcing fiber tape and the wall surfaces of the wall members 21 a and 21 b.

As a result, even if the reinforced fiber tape brings fluff into the liquid pool 22, the fluff moves along the circulating flow T and cannot approach the vicinity of the outlet of the liquid pool 22 or the narrowed portion 23, where the liquid pressure is high. If the running speed of the reinforced fiber tape is increased, the liquid pressure increases further, so that the effect of preventing the fluff from approaching the vicinity of the outlet or the narrowed portion 23 is further enhanced, greatly improving productivity.

In addition, as with the case of running the reinforced fiber tape vertically downward, the increased liquid pressure has the effect of making it easier for the coating liquid 2 to penetrate into the interior of the reinforced fiber tape. When the coating liquid 2 is well impregnated into the reinforced fiber tape 1a, a coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b with a small amount of resin on the tape surface can be obtained, and scattering of the surface resin during transportation and scattering of the resin transferred to the transport roll due to centrifugal force can be prevented, thereby suppressing process contamination and a decrease in raw material yield.

Resin impregnation using hydraulic pressure is based on the property that when a matrix resin is impregnated into a porous body such as a carbon fiber bundle, the degree of impregnation increases with the pressure of the matrix resin (Darcy's law). In this regard, too, if the reinforced fiber tape 1b is run at a higher speed, the hydraulic pressure increases further, and the impregnation effect can be further improved.

This liquid pressure also increases in proportion to the speed. Therefore, the higher the speed, the higher the productivity and the higher the resin impregnation effect can be expected. Taking into consideration the productivity of the molded body in the FW device, it is preferable to run at 100 m/min or more, more preferably 120 m/min or more, and most preferably 200 m/min or more. Note that as the speed increases, the shear force increases, and a large force is required to pull the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape from the coating section, so it is preferable to keep the running speed at a maximum of 600 m/min or less.

The coating liquid 2 is impregnated with the air bubbles remaining inside the reinforced fiber tape by gas/liquid replacement, but the air bubbles tend to gather near the boundary between the region 22a where the cross-sectional area does not decrease and the region 22b where the cross-sectional area decreases continuously due to the circulation flow T and buoyancy. For this reason, it is preferable to install a degassing mechanism 56 in this vicinity to degas the air bubbles from the coating liquid 2.

Furthermore, just as when the reinforced fiber tape is run vertically downward, the increased hydraulic pressure automatically aligns the reinforced fiber tape to the center of the gap D, and the reinforced fiber tape does not directly rub against the wall surface of the liquid pool 22 or the narrowed portion 23, which has the effect of suppressing the generation of fuzz here. This is because when the reinforced fiber tape approaches either side of the gap D due to disturbances or the like, the coating liquid 2 is forced into the narrower gap on the approaching side and compressed, so that the hydraulic pressure on the approaching side increases more, pushing the reinforced fiber tape back to the center of the gap D.

The narrowed portion 23 is designed to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the maximum portion of the liquid pool 22. As can be seen from FIG. 2b, the cross-sectional area is small because the length in the perpendicular direction of the pseudo-plane of the reinforced fiber tape is small, i.e., the distance between the components is narrow. This is because impregnation and self-aligning effects can be obtained by increasing the liquid pressure in the narrowed portion 23 as described above. In addition, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the entrance portion of the narrowed portion 23 matches the cross-sectional shape of the surface of the liquid pool 22 that contacts it from the viewpoint of the running property of the reinforced fiber tape 1b and the flow control of the coating liquid 2, but the narrowed portion 23 may be made slightly larger if necessary.

In the coating section 20 in FIG. 2b, the reinforcing fiber tape runs in a completely horizontal direction, but this is not limited to this. The reinforcing fiber tape may run in an inclined direction in the coating section 20 as long as the above-mentioned effects of collecting fuzz and discharging air bubbles can be obtained and the carbon fiber sheet 1a can run stably and continuously. It is also possible to incline the coating section 20.

The total amount of coating liquid 2 applied to the reinforced fiber tape can be controlled by the gap D of the narrowed portion 23, just as when the reinforced fiber tape is run vertically downward. For example, if you want to increase the total amount of coating liquid 2 applied to the carbon fiber sheet 1a (to increase the basis weight), you can adjust the gap D to be wider.

In the present invention, a speed of 100 m/min or more is preferable in terms of productivity of the molded body and the effect of promoting resin impregnation at high speed, but as mentioned above, heat is generated due to the large shear when the reinforced fiber tape 1a passes through the narrow liquid pool portion 22b and the narrowed portion 23. At speeds of 100 m/min or more, effects occur, and at speeds of 120 m/min or more, the effect of this heat on the coating liquid temperature in the coating area becomes significant.

If shear heat continues to be generated due to continuous running and the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the application section continues to rise, the viscosity of the resin will decrease, the coating will vary in the longitudinal direction of the reinforced fiber tape, leading to uneven application of the amount of coating, the hardening reaction of the coating liquid will progress, and the reinforced fiber tape will be unable to pass through the application section due to clogging caused by solidified resin, or the solidified resin will disrupt the alignment and surface shape of the reinforced fiber tape, resulting in poor quality.

Therefore, in the molded body manufacturing method and FW device of the present invention, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is necessary to control so that T-1 ≧ T' and/or T-1 ≧ T". By controlling the temperature in this way, it is possible to suppress the increase in coating liquid temperature due to shear heat, and stable coating is possible. Preferably, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is T-3 ≧ T' and/or T-3 ≧ T", and more preferably, when the coating liquid temperature stored in the coating section is T, the wall member surface temperature T', and the supplied resin temperature T", it is T-5 ≧ T' and/or T-5 ≧ T".

The temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section becomes uniform in the liquid pool due to the circulation flow T described above, so the location where the resin temperature T in the liquid pool is measured is not particularly limited. The measurement method is not particularly limited, but includes measuring with a radiation thermometer from outside the coating device, and installing a thermocouple inside the coating device to measure the coating liquid temperature. In addition, the wall member refers to wall members 21a and 21b in Figure 2b, and the surface temperature refers to the temperature of the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the coating liquid 2. The measurement method of the wall member surface temperature is not particularly limited, but includes measuring with a radiation thermometer from outside the coating device. In addition, the resin supply temperature refers to the coating liquid temperature in the resin supply device described below.

There is no particular limitation on the method of controlling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section so that T-1 ≧ T' and/or T-1 ≧ T", where T is the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, T is the surface temperature of the wall member, and T" is the supplied resin temperature. As a mechanism for cooling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, for example, a cooling plate 28 is installed on the wall surface as shown in FIG. 2g to cool the wall surface, the ambient temperature around the coating section 20 in FIG. 2b is adjusted to be lower than the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, or the temperature of the coating liquid in the resin supply device described later is adjusted to be lower than the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, and the cooled coating liquid is supplied to the inside of the coating device. In this case, the temperature of the wall member may be adjusted in conjunction with the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section.

Figure 2b shows a case where one piece of reinforced fiber tape is introduced into the application section from a horizontal direction, but the introduction of the reinforced fiber tape into the application section is not limited to this, and multiple pieces of reinforced fiber tape may be used as necessary, and the introduction direction may also be an inclined direction. This will be explained using Figures 2c to 2e.

In FIG. 2c, a sheet of reinforced fiber tape 1a runs diagonally downward from above and is introduced into the application section 20 through an opening 60. The direction of the reinforced fiber tape 1a is then changed to the horizontal direction by a direction changing member 61, and the tape is pulled out from the narrowed section 23.

Here, it is preferable that at least the surface of the direction-changing member 61 that comes into contact with the reinforced fiber tape 1a is curved. Also, from the viewpoint of preventing the reinforced fiber tape 1a from wrapping around it, it is preferable that the direction-changing member 61 is fixed. For these reasons, it is preferable that the direction-changing section 61 is a fixed bar having a curved surface, and examples of its cross-sectional shape include a circle, an ellipse, and a saddle shape.

The contact area between the direction change member 61 and the reinforced fiber tape 1a may be a mixture of curved and flat surfaces, but it is preferable that the ground contact start and end of the reinforced fiber tape 1a are curved, as this can prevent fuzzing. Furthermore, in particular when increasing the running speed, it is also possible to use a rotatable roller in order to prevent friction between the reinforced fiber tape 1a and the direction change member 61.

In addition, since the reinforcing fiber tape 1a is pressed against the direction-changing member 61, impregnation may occur by replacing the gas in the reinforcing fiber tape 1a with the coating liquid 2. In particular, as shown in Figure 2e, impregnation can be promoted more efficiently by contacting multiple direction-changing members 61 at an angle.

In addition, in order not to impede the flow of the circulating flow T, it is preferable that the installation position of the direction-changing member 61 is at least 1 cm away from the boundary between the region 22a where the cross-sectional area does not decrease and the region 22b where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases, on the region 22a side where the cross-sectional area does not decrease.

In FIG. 2d, two reinforcing fiber tapes 1a run diagonally downward from above and are introduced into the coating section 20 through an opening 60. The running direction of the two reinforcing fiber tapes 1a is then changed horizontally by a direction-changing member 61, and the two reinforcing fiber tapes 1a are stacked together and then drawn out of the narrowed section 23. At this time, the two reinforcing fiber tapes 1a are stacked with the coating liquid 2 contained between them, which is preferable as it makes it easier for impregnation to proceed in the region 22b where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases and in the narrowed section 23.

In FIG. 2e, two sheets of reinforced fiber tape 1a run diagonally downward from above and are introduced into application section 20 through opening 60. Impregnation of the two sheets of reinforced fiber tape 1a proceeds while passing through multiple direction change members 61, and finally, after the two sheets are stacked, they are pulled out from narrowed section 23. At this time, the shape and number of direction change members 61 for advancing impregnation can be selected in various ways according to the purpose. In addition, the contact length between direction change members 61 and reinforced fiber tape 1a and the angle (wrap angle) between both ends of the contact portion and the center of direction change member 61 can also be selected according to the purpose.

Figures 2d and 2e show an example in which there are two reinforcing fiber tapes 1a, but of course any number of tapes greater than or equal to three can be used.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the coating section 20 as viewed from the direction A in Figure 2a. The coating section 20 is provided with side wall members 24a, 24b to prevent the coating liquid 2 from leaking from both ends of the reinforcing fiber tape 1a in the arrangement direction, and an outlet 25 of the narrowed section 23 is formed in the space surrounded by the wall members 21a, 21b and the side wall members 24a, 24b. Here, the outlet 25 has a slit-shaped cross section, and the cross-sectional aspect ratio (U/D in Figure 3) may be set according to the shape of the reinforcing fiber tape 1a to which the coating liquid 2 is to be applied.

Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the coating unit 20, showing the internal structure of the coating unit when viewed from the direction B. Note that the wall member 21b has been omitted to make the drawing easier to see, and the reinforced fiber tape 1a is drawn with the reinforced fibers 1 arranged with gaps between them, but in reality, it is preferable to arrange the reinforced fibers 1 without gaps from the standpoint of the quality of the prepreg tape (one form of reinforced fiber tape containing coating liquid) and the mechanical properties of the FRP molded from it.

Figure 4b shows the flow of the coating liquid 2 in the gap 26. If the gap 26 is large, a vortex flow occurs in the coating liquid 2 in the direction of R. This vortex flow R flows outward (Ra) at the bottom of the liquid reservoir 22, which may tear the reinforced fiber tape (cause cracks) or widen the gap between the reinforced fibers, which may cause uneven alignment of the reinforced fibers when the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape is formed. On the other hand, the flow flows inward (Rb) at the top of the liquid reservoir 22, which may cause the reinforced fiber tape 1a to be compressed in the width direction and its ends to break. For example, in an apparatus that applies a coating liquid to both sides of a one-piece sheet-like substrate (especially a film) as typified by Reference 1 (Patent Publication No. 3252278), no attention has been paid to the occurrence of such a vortex flow in the gap 26 because it has little effect on quality.

Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to suppress the generation of vortex flows at the ends by restricting the width to reduce the gap 26. Specifically, it is preferable that the width L (mm) of the liquid reservoir 22, i.e., the distance L (mm) between the side plate members 24a and 24b (the width of the lower part of the liquid reservoir in the tape width direction of the reinforcing fiber tape restricted by the side plate members forming the liquid reservoir) is configured so as to satisfy the following relationship with the width W (mm) of the reinforcing fiber tape measured immediately below the narrowed portion 23 (the reinforcing fiber tape immediately below the narrowed portion).
L≦1.1×W.

This suppresses the generation of vortex flow at the ends, suppresses cracking and end breakage of the reinforcing fiber tape 1a, and produces a high-quality, highly stable coating-liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b in which the reinforcing fibers 1 are uniformly arranged across the entire width (W) of the coating-liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b. Furthermore, when this technology is applied to prepreg tape, it not only improves the grade and quality of the prepreg tape, but also improves the mechanical properties and quality of the FRP obtained using it.

The lower limit of L is preferably adjusted to be 0.9 x W or more. Controlling the distance L between the side plate members 24a and 24b in this way is also preferable from the viewpoint of improving the dimensional accuracy of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b in the width direction.

In addition, it is preferable to restrict the width at least in the lower part of the liquid reservoir 22 (position G in Figure 4a) from the viewpoint of suppressing the generation of vortex flow R due to high liquid pressure in the lower part of the liquid reservoir 22. Furthermore, it is more preferable to restrict the width over the entire liquid reservoir 22, which can almost completely suppress the generation of vortex flow R, and as a result, it is possible to almost completely suppress cracks and bent ends of the reinforced fiber tape.

The width restriction may be limited to the liquid pool portion 22 from the viewpoint of suppressing vortex flow in the gap 26, but it is preferable to restrict the width to the narrowed portion 23 as well from the viewpoint of suppressing application of excess coating liquid 2 to the side surface of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b.

<Width regulation mechanism>
In the above, the side wall members 24a and 24b are responsible for the width regulation, but as shown in FIG. 5a, width regulation mechanisms 27a and 27b can be provided between the side wall members 24a and 24b, and the width regulation can be performed by such mechanisms. This is preferable from the viewpoint that the width regulated by the width regulation mechanism can be freely changed, so that coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tapes of various widths can be manufactured by one application unit. Here, it is preferable that the relationship between the width W (mm) of the reinforced fiber tape directly below the narrowed portion and the width L2 (mm) regulated by the width regulation mechanism at the lower end of the width regulation mechanism is L2≦1.1×W. In addition, the lower limit of L2 can be adjusted to be 0.9×W or more. In this way, controlling the width L2 regulated by the width regulation mechanism is also preferable from the viewpoint of improving the dimensional accuracy in the width direction of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b.

There are no particular limitations on the shape and material of the width restriction mechanism, but a plate-shaped bush is preferred because it is simple. Also, at the top, i.e., near the liquid surface, it has a width smaller than the distance between the wall members 21a and 21b (see FIG. 5a. In the "view from the Z direction," this refers to the vertical length of the width restriction mechanism), which is preferred because it prevents the horizontal flow of the coating liquid from being impeded. On the other hand, it is preferred that the width restriction mechanism has a shape that conforms to the internal shape of the coating section from the middle to the bottom (i.e., a plate-shaped bush that conforms to the internal shape of the coating section from the middle to the bottom), which can prevent the coating liquid from stagnating in the liquid pool and thus prevent deterioration of the coating liquid. In this sense, it is preferred that the width restriction mechanism is inserted up to the narrowed section 23.

Figure 5a shows an example of a plate-shaped bush as the width restriction mechanism, with the lower part of the bush inserted into the narrowed part 23 along the tapered shape of the liquid reservoir 22. Figure 5a shows an example in which L2 is constant from the liquid surface to the outlet, but the width to be restricted may be changed depending on the part as long as the purpose of the width restriction mechanism is achieved. The width restriction mechanism can be fixed to the application part 20 by any method, but in the case of a plate-shaped bush, by fixing it at multiple parts in the vertical direction, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the restricted width caused by deformation of the plate-shaped bush due to high liquid pressure. For example, it is preferable to use a stay for the upper part and insert the lower part into the application part, as this makes it easier to restrict the width using the width restriction mechanism.

<Width precision of coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape>
As described above, in the present invention, the running stability of the reinforcing fiber tape can be improved by various width restrictions in the coating process, and this can also improve the width precision of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape. More specifically, the coefficient of variation (CV) of the width of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape is set to 5% or less.

The coefficient of variation (CV) of the tape width can be obtained as follows. First, the width (W _n ) of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape is measured at 30 or more points in the tape longitudinal direction. As a method of measuring the width, the obtained coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape may be measured discretely offline using a caliper or the like, or the tape running under the coating part may be filmed and the tape width may be measured using a caliper or the like. In this case, the measurement is also discrete. In the case of measuring discretely, the distance between the measurement points is set to 30 cm or more in the tape longitudinal direction. In addition, an optical width measuring instrument may be installed under the coating part to perform continuous width measurement. As an example of the width measuring instrument, LS-7030 manufactured by Keyence Corporation can be exemplified. In the case of continuous measurement, 10 m or more is measured in the tape longitudinal direction to obtain 30 or more points of data (W _n ). From these measured values (W _n ), the average value (W _A ) and standard deviation (σ _W ) of the tape width are obtained, and the coefficient of width variation (CV) can be calculated from equation (I).

CV (%) = (σ _W /W _A )×100 (%)...(I).

In the method using a kiss roll as in Reference 2 (JP Patent Publication 1-178412), since there is no width restriction on the reinforcing fiber tape on the roll that applies the coating liquid, the reinforcing fibers are likely to move in the width direction due to the penetration of the coating liquid, and it is considered that the width is essentially likely to fluctuate. In fact, in Reference 1, a width restriction roll is applied after the resin is applied by the kiss roll, which is considered to indicate that the width accuracy on the kiss roll, which is the application part, is insufficient. On the other hand, in the present invention, as described above, the width L of the liquid pool part is controlled and a width restriction mechanism is added, so that the tape width can be controlled in the application part, and such high tape width accuracy can be obtained. If the width is restricted after the matrix resin is applied as in Reference 1, it is predicted that there is a possibility that problems such as excess matrix resin will adhere to the width restriction part, destabilizing the process and shortening the cleaning cycle will occur. In contrast, if the width is restricted in the application part as in the present invention, the coating liquid (matrix resin, etc.) applied after the width restriction can be metered, so there is also an advantage that the excess coating liquid is less likely to contaminate the downstream of the process.

<Cooling immediately after application>
As shown in FIG. 5b, it is also possible to cool the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape by performing a cooling process consecutively to the coating process. Here, the coating process and the cooling process are consecutive, meaning that each process is performed without the presence of other devices such as a conveying roll 14 between the device performing the coating process and the device performing the cooling process. By cooling the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape immediately after coating, it is possible to increase the viscosity of the resin impregnated in the reinforcing fiber tape and suppress the resin flow in the reinforcing fiber tape, thereby maintaining a good state of width accuracy. The distance between the coating unit 20 and the cooling device 62 is not particularly limited, but the closer the distance, the higher the effect, and is preferably 500 mm or less. The form of the cooling device is not particularly limited, but for example, a method of applying air at a temperature lower than the coating liquid in the liquid pool to the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape can be mentioned.

<Shape of liquid reservoir>
As described above in detail, in the present invention, it is important that the liquid pool 22 has a portion in which the cross-sectional area decreases continuously along the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape, thereby increasing the liquid pressure in the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape. Here, the cross-sectional area continuously decreases in the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape, and there is no particular restriction on the shape of the cross-sectional area as long as the liquid pressure can be continuously increased in the running direction. In the cross-sectional view of the liquid pool, it may be tapered (straight) or may have a curved shape such as a trumpet shape. In addition, the cross-sectional area reduction portion may be continuous over the entire length of the liquid pool, and may include a portion in which the cross-sectional area does not decrease or increases conversely, as long as the object and effect of the present invention are obtained. These will be described in detail below with examples in Figures 6 to 9.

Figure 6 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an application part 20b of an embodiment different from that of Figure 2. It is the same as the application part 20 of Figure 2, except that the shapes of the wall members 21c and 21d that constitute the liquid reservoir 22 are different. As in the application part 20b of Figure 6, the liquid reservoir 22 may be divided into a region 22a in which the cross-sectional area continuously decreases in the vertical downward direction Z, and a region 22b in which the cross-sectional area does not decrease. In this case, the length H of the portion in the liquid reservoir where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases is preferably 10 mm or more. More preferably, the length H of the portion where the cross-sectional area continuously decreases is 50 mm or more.

This ensures that the coating liquid 2 entrained by the reinforced fiber tape 1a is compressed over a distance in the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid pool 22 decreases continuously, and the liquid pressure generated in the lower part of the liquid pool 22 can be sufficiently increased. As a result, it is possible to prevent the fluff from clogging the narrowed part 23 due to the liquid pressure, and also to obtain the effect of the coating liquid 2 impregnating the reinforced fiber tape 1a due to the liquid pressure. On the other hand, considering the ease of handling due to the large size of the device, it is preferable that H is 2000 mm or less.

When the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously is tapered, as in the application section 20 in FIG. 2 and the application section 20b in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the taper opening angle θ is small, and specifically, it is preferable that it is an acute angle (90° or less). This increases the compression effect of the coating liquid 2 in the region 22a (tapered section) where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously, making it easier to obtain high liquid pressure.

Figure 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the application part 20c of another embodiment different from that of Figure 6. It is the same as the application part 20b of Figure 6, except that the wall members 21e and 21f constituting the liquid reservoir 22 have a two-stage tapered shape. In this way, the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously may be configured as a multi-stage tapered section of two or more stages. In this case, it is preferable to make the opening angle θ of the tapered section closest to the narrowed section 23 an acute angle from the viewpoint of enhancing the compression effect. In this case, it is also preferable to set the length H (region 22a) of the part where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously to 10 mm or more. More preferably, the length H of the part where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir decreases continuously is 50 mm or more. Considering the handleability due to the large size of the device, it is preferable that H is 2000 mm or less.

As shown in FIG. 7, by forming the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 continuously decreases into a multi-stage tapered section, it is possible to maintain the volume of the coating liquid 2 that can be stored in the liquid reservoir 22 while making the angle θ of the tapered section closest to the narrowed section 23 smaller. This increases the liquid pressure generated at the bottom of the liquid reservoir 22, making it possible to further improve the effect of removing fuzz and the effect of impregnating the coating liquid 2.

Figure 8 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the application part 20d of another embodiment different from that of Figure 6. Except for the fact that the wall members 21g and 21h constituting the liquid reservoir 22 have a stepped shape, the application part 20b of Figure 6 is the same as that of Figure 6. In this way, if there is a region 22a in which the cross-sectional area decreases continuously at the bottom of the liquid reservoir 22, the effect of increasing the liquid pressure, which is the object of the present invention, can be obtained, so the liquid reservoir 22 may include a region 22c in which the cross-sectional area decreases intermittently in other parts. By making the liquid reservoir 22 into a shape as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to increase the volume of the coating liquid 2 that can be stored by expanding the depth B of the liquid reservoir 22 while maintaining the shape of the region 22a in which the cross-sectional area decreases continuously. As a result, even if the coating liquid 2 cannot be continuously supplied to the application part 20d, it is possible to continue applying the coating liquid 2 to the reinforced fiber tape 1a for a long time, and the productivity of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 1b is further improved.

9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the application part 20e of another embodiment different from that of FIG. 6. It is the same as the application part 20b of FIG. 6 except that the wall members 21i and 21j constituting the liquid reservoir 22 are trumpet-shaped (curved). In the application part 20b of FIG. 6, the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously is tapered (straight), but is not limited to this and may be trumpet-shaped (curved) as shown in FIG. 9. However, it is preferable that the lower part of the liquid reservoir 22 and the upper part of the narrowed part 23 are smoothly connected. This is because if there is a step at the boundary between the lower part of the liquid reservoir 22 and the upper part of the narrowed part 23, the reinforced fiber sheet 1a may get caught on the step, and fluff may occur in this part. In addition, when the region where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously is made trumpet-shaped, it is preferable to make the opening angle θ of the virtual tangent at the lowermost part of the region 22a where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir 22 decreases continuously an acute angle.

Although the above description uses an example in which the cross-sectional area decreases smoothly, the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir does not necessarily have to decrease smoothly as long as it does not impair the object of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the application section 30 of another embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the embodiment of the present invention, the liquid pool section 32 in Figure 10 does not include a region in which the cross-sectional area decreases continuously in the vertical downward direction Z, but rather has a configuration in which the cross-sectional area decreases discontinuously and suddenly at the boundary 33 with the narrowed section 23. For this reason, the reinforced fiber tape 1a is prone to clogging.

It is also possible to improve the impregnation effect by contacting the reinforced fiber tape with multiple bars in the application section. Figure 11 shows an example in which three bars (35a, 35b, and 35c) are used, but the more bars there are, the longer the contact length between the reinforced fiber tape and the bars, and the larger the contact angle, the more the impregnation rate can be improved. In the example of Figure 11, it is possible to achieve an impregnation rate of 90% or more. Note that multiple types of such means for improving the impregnation effect may be used in combination.

<Running mechanism>
As a running mechanism for transporting the reinforcing fiber tape or the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape, a known roller or the like can be suitably used. In the present invention, since the reinforcing fiber tape is transported vertically downward, it is preferable to arrange rollers above and below the coating section.

In the present invention, in order to suppress the disorder of the reinforcing fibers and fuzzing, it is preferable that the running path of the reinforcing fiber tape is as straight as possible. Furthermore, the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape is often made into a sheet-like integrated product that is a laminate with a release tape, and if there are bent parts in the transport process, wrinkles may occur due to the difference in circumferential length between the inner layer and the outer layer, so it is preferable that the running path of the sheet-like integrated product is also as straight as possible. From this perspective, it is preferable to use nip rolls in the running path of the sheet-like integrated product.

Whether to use an S-roll or a nip roll can be selected appropriately depending on the manufacturing conditions and the characteristics of the product.

<High tension take-off device>
In the present invention, a high-tension take-off device for drawing out the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape from the coating section can be disposed downstream of the coating section. This is because high friction and shear stress occur between the reinforcing fiber tape and the coating liquid in the coating section, and in order to overcome this and draw out the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape, it is preferable to generate a high take-off tension downstream of the process. As the high-tension take-off device, a nip roll or an S-shaped roll can be used, and both can prevent slipping and enable stable running by increasing the friction between the roll and the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape. For this purpose, it is preferable to arrange a material with a high friction coefficient on the roll surface, or to increase the nip pressure or the pressing pressure of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape against the S-shaped roll. From the viewpoint of preventing slipping, the S-shaped roll is preferable because the friction force can be easily controlled by the roll diameter, contact length, etc.

<Release tape supply device>
In the production of coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape or FRP using the present invention, a release tape supplying device can be used as appropriate. Any known release tape supplying device can be used, but from the viewpoint of stable running of the release tape, it is preferable that the release tape supplying device is equipped with a mechanism that can feed back the unwinding tension to the unwinding speed.

<Degree of resin impregnation of coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape>
The impregnation rate of the matrix resin before the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b is wound up by the FW device 15a is preferably 90% or more. The state of impregnation of the matrix resin can be confirmed by tearing the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b collected during the process and visually inspecting the inside, and can be more quantitatively evaluated, for example, by a peeling method. The impregnation rate of the matrix resin by the peeling method can be measured as follows. That is, the collected coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b is sandwiched between adhesive tape, which is peeled off to separate the reinforcing fiber to which the matrix resin is attached and the reinforcing fiber to which the matrix resin is not attached. Then, the ratio of the mass of the reinforcing fiber to which the matrix resin is attached to the mass of the entire reinforcing fiber tape input can be regarded as the impregnation rate of the matrix resin by the peeling method. In addition, in the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b with a high degree of impregnation, the degree of impregnation can also be evaluated by the water absorption rate due to the capillary phenomenon. Specifically, following the method described in JP-A-2016-510077, it can be calculated from the change in mass when 5 mm of the bottom end of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 1b is immersed in water for 5 minutes.

<Multiple lines>
It is preferable to prepare two or more coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tapes at the same time and guide them to one Aikuchi guide section in the FW device to manufacture a molded body, which improves productivity. Figure 14 shows an example in which five coating sections are connected in a parallel direction. At this time, the five reinforcing fiber tapes 416 may pass through five independent reinforcing fiber preheating devices 420 and coating sections 430, respectively, to obtain five coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tapes 471, or the reinforcing fiber preheating devices 420 and coating sections 430 may be integrated in a parallel direction. In this case, it is sufficient to provide five independent width regulating mechanisms and coating section outlet widths in the coating section 430.

Also, as shown in Figure 15, the entrance of a wide application section can be partitioned to obtain the desired tape width, and the tape can be passed through an application section with an adjusted width. By passing two or more reinforced fiber tapes through the application section in this way, multiple coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber sheets can be prepared with one application device, which is preferable not only because it improves productivity but also because it makes the device more compact and makes it easier to handle. Furthermore, it is also possible to arrange the application sections by shifting them horizontally or vertically, as shown in Figures 16 and 17.

<Coating liquid supply mechanism>
In the present invention, the coating liquid is stored in the coating section, but as the coating progresses, it is preferable to appropriately replenish the coating liquid. There is no particular restriction on the mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating section, and a known device can be used. It is preferable to continuously supply the coating liquid to the coating section, since the liquid level at the top of the coating section is not disturbed and the running of the reinforced fiber tape can be stabilized. For example, the coating liquid can be supplied from a tank storing the coating liquid using its own weight as a driving force, or it can be continuously supplied using a pump or the like. As the pump, a gear pump, a tube pump, a pressure pump, or the like can be appropriately used depending on the properties of the coating liquid. In addition, when the coating liquid is solid at room temperature, it is preferable to provide a melter at the top of the reservoir. In addition, a continuous extruder or the like can also be used. In addition, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for continuously supplying the coating liquid according to the amount of coating so that the liquid level at the top of the coating section of the coating liquid is as constant as possible. For this purpose, for example, a mechanism for monitoring the liquid level height and the mass of the coating section and feeding it back to the supply device can be considered.

<Online monitoring>
In addition, in order to monitor the coating amount, it is preferable to provide a mechanism capable of monitoring the coating amount online. There is no particular limitation on the online monitoring method, and a known method can be used. For example, a beta ray meter or the like can be used as a device for measuring the thickness. In this case, the coating amount can be estimated by measuring the thickness of the reinforcing fiber tape and the thickness of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber sheet and analyzing the difference between them.

The coating amount monitored online is immediately fed back to the coating section and can be used to adjust the temperature of the coating section and the gap D of the narrowed section 23 (see Figure 2). Coating amount monitoring can also be used to monitor defects. For example, in Figures 12 and 13, the thickness of the reinforcing fiber sheet 416 can be measured near the direction change roll 419, and the thickness of the prepreg can be measured between the coating section 430 and the direction change roll 441. It is also preferable to perform online defect monitoring using infrared rays, near infrared rays, a camera (image analysis), etc.

Specific examples of the present invention are described in more detail below.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of an example of a manufacturing process and device for a molded body using the present invention. Multiple reinforcing fiber bobbins 412 are hung on a creel 411, and a brake mechanism attached to the creel allows the reinforcing fiber bundles 414 to be pulled out at a constant tension. By pulling out the reinforcing fibers at a constant tension, the width precision of the reinforcing fiber tape can be improved. In order to improve width precision and make the entire device more compact, it is preferable to use a creel equipped with an electromagnetic brake mechanism on the spindle as a tension control device when pulling out the reinforcing fibers.

The pulled out reinforcing fiber bundles 414 are arranged in an orderly manner by the reinforcing fiber arrangement device 415 to form a reinforcing fiber tape 416. When using a single reinforcing fiber bundle thread as the reinforcing fiber tape, the reinforcing fiber arrangement device 414 may not be used. Although only three threads are drawn in the reinforcing fiber bundle in FIG. 12, in reality, there can be one thread to several hundred threads. The reinforcing fiber bundle is then transported vertically downward through a widening device 417, a smoothing device 418, and a direction changing roll 419. In FIG. 12, the reinforcing fiber tape 416 is transported in a straight line between the devices from the reinforcing fiber arrangement device 415 to the direction changing roll 419.

The widening device 417 and the smoothing device 418 can be skipped or not installed depending on the purpose. The arrangement order of the reinforcing fiber arrangement device 415, the widening device 417, and the smoothing device 418 can be changed depending on the purpose.

The reinforcing fiber tape 416 runs vertically downward from the direction-changing roll 419, passes through the reinforcing fiber preheating device 420 and the coating section 430, and reaches the direction-changing roll 441. When multiple reinforcing fiber tapes are to be manufactured at the same time, the reinforcing fiber tape and the coating section may be in one-to-one correspondence as shown in FIG. 14, or the inside of the wide coating section may be partitioned as shown in FIG. 15, and the reinforcing fiber tape may be passed through each of the partitions. In addition, multiple coating sections may be arranged in parallel as shown in FIG. 14, or may be arranged in a staggered manner as shown in FIG. 16. They may also be arranged in a staggered manner vertically as shown in FIG. 17.

Furthermore, the applicator 430 may have any shape as long as it achieves the object of the present invention. For example, the shapes shown in Fig. 2a and Figs. 6 to 9 may be included. If necessary, a bush may be provided as shown in Fig. 5a. Furthermore, a bar may be provided within the applicator as shown in Fig. 11.

In FIG. 12, a resin film 443 unwound from a resin film supply device 442 is laminated on one side of a coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 471 on a direction-changing roll 441, and then a resin film can be laminated on the other side of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 471. Here, the resin film is a laminate with a release tape, and it is preferable to bring the resin surface into close contact with the surface of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape. The release tape can be a release paper or a release film. The resin film and release tape can be applied as needed, and in some cases, the devices related to them can be omitted. This can be taken up by a high-tension take-up device 444.

Also, immediately after coating, a cooling device may be provided as shown in FIG. 5b. In FIG. 12, a nip roll is drawn as the high tension take-up device 444. Note that when the coating liquid has a low viscosity or when the number of lines of the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape is small, the high tension take-up device can be omitted. The sheet-like integrated body then passes through a re-impregnation device 450 equipped with a hot plate 451 and a heated nip roll 452, is cooled by a cooling device 461, is taken up by a take-up device 462, and after the upper and lower release tapes 446 are peeled off, it passes through an Aikuchi guide section 472 in a FW device 464 and is wound around a liner to obtain a molded body 473.

Re-impregnation can be performed as needed, and in some cases, the re-impregnation machine and cooling device can be omitted. Since the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 471 is basically transported in a straight line from the direction-changing roll 441 to the FW device 464, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed. Note that in Figure 12, the matrix resin supply device and online monitoring device are not shown.

Figure 12 shows an example in which the reinforced fiber tape is run vertically and applied by the application unit 430, but by configuring the application unit 430 in the format of Figures 1b and 2b to 2e as shown in Figure 13, it is possible to run the reinforced fiber tape horizontally or at an angle and apply it in the same way as in Figure 12. The same applies to the embodiment shown in Figure 18.

<FW device>
The FW device used was the one with the configuration shown in Fig. 18. The creel used was equipped with an electromagnetic brake mechanism. A high-density polyethylene container with a diameter of 300 mm and a width of 300 mm was installed in the FW device, and the coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape was wound around it in a hoop winding manner. Note that in Fig. 18, the coating liquid supply device, online measurement device, dancer roll, and Aikuchi guide unit are omitted from the illustration.

<Coating section>
The coating section 20b type coating section having the following (III) to (V) in the form of FIG. 6 was used. (III) The coating section has a liquid pool and a narrowed section that are connected to each other. (IV) The liquid pool has a portion in which the cross-sectional area continuously decreases along the running direction of the reinforced fiber tape. (V) The narrowed section has a slit-shaped cross section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the liquid pool. The coating section used stainless steel blocks for the wall members that form the liquid pool and narrowed section, and stainless steel plates for the side plate members. The running direction of the reinforced fiber sheet was vertically downward, and the taper of the liquid pool had an opening angle of 30°. In addition, as a width regulating mechanism, a plate-shaped bush that matches the internal shape of the coating section as shown in FIG. 5a was provided, and the installation position of this plate-shaped bush was freely changed so that L2 could be adjusted appropriately. The vertical height H at which the cross-sectional area continuously decreases was 20 mm. The gap D of the narrowed section was 0.2 mm. In order to prevent the coating liquid from leaking from the narrowed portion outlet, the lower surface of the narrowed portion outlet was closed outside the bush.

<Reinforced fiber tape>
As the reinforcing fiber, one strand of carbon fiber (manufactured by Toray, "TORAYCA (registered trademark)" T720S (36K)) was used as a reinforcing fiber tape.

<Matrix resin>
It is a mixture of epoxy resin (a mixture of aromatic amine type epoxy resin + bisphenol type epoxy resin), hardener, and hardener assistant. The viscosity of this mixture was measured using a TA Instruments ARES-G2 at a measurement frequency of 0.5 Hz and a temperature rise rate of 1.5°C/min, and was 0.6 Pa·s at 40°C and 3 Pa·s at 25°C.

<Evaluation of continuous running performance>
The tape was continuously run for 30 minutes at a predetermined running speed, and the time during which the reinforced fiber tape directly above the liquid pool ran uniformly without any fiber bundle cracks (parts where the sheet-like carbon fiber bundles were torn in vertical stripes) or fiber bundle end bends (parts where the carbon fiber bundles overlap) was measured. The ratio of the time during which the tape ran uniformly without any tape cracks or end bends was 90% or more of the total running time was rated as "Excellent", 70% or more but less than 90% was rated as "Better", 50% or more but less than 70% was rated as "Good", 30% or more but less than 50% was rated as "Fair", 10% or more but less than 30% was rated as "Bad", and less than 10% was rated as "Worse".

<Checking for temperature rise>
The resin temperature T0 stored in the coating section at 0 minutes before running, the resin temperature T stored in the coating section after 30 minutes of continuous running at a predetermined speed, the resin temperature measurement in the supply device, and the wall member surface temperature were each measured. Using a HORIBA radiation thermometer IT-545NH, the resin temperature stored in the coating section and the resin temperature measurement in the supply device were measured with an emissivity of 0.95, and the wall member surface temperature was measured with an emissivity of 0.20, and each was measured for 10 seconds, and the average value at that time was taken as the measured temperature. If the resin temperature (T-T0) stored in the coating section 30 minutes after running and at 0 minutes was less than 3 ° C, it was rated as "Excellent", if it was less than 6 ° C and 3 ° C or more, it was rated as "Better", if it was less than 10 ° C and 6 ° C or more, it was rated as "Good", and if it was 10 ° C or more, it was rated as "Bad".

<Check for resin scattering>
The coating device to the FW device were covered with a transparent film having a mass of Wf. The mass in the resin supply layer 0 minutes before running was measured as W0. The mass in the resin supply layer after 30 minutes of continuous running at a predetermined speed was taken as W. The transparent film was peeled off and the mass measured after 30 minutes of continuous running at a predetermined speed was taken as Wr. The resin loss rate L was calculated using the following formula (II) and evaluated according to the following criteria. L was less than 7% ("Excellent"), 7% or more and less than 15% ("Better"), 15% or more and less than 20% ("Good"), 20% or more and less than 25% ("Fair"), 25% or more and less than 30% ("Bad"), and 30% or more ("Worse").

L (%) = (Wr-Wf)/(W-W0)...(II).

<Productivity>
The time taken to reel in 5,000 m using the FW device was evaluated as follows: less than 30 minutes ("Excellent"), 30 to 45 minutes ("Better"), 45 to 60 minutes ("Good"), and 60 minutes or more ("Fair").

[Example 1]
The matrix resin temperature of the coating part was set to 25 ° C, the wall member surface temperature was set to 24 ° C, the supply resin temperature was set to 25 ° C, the running speed of the reinforcing fiber tape was set to 120 m / min, and L2 / W was adjusted to 1.1, and a molded body was produced. The results are shown in Table 1. The coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape and the reinforcing fiber tape were cut out during the process and collected. The resin amount Wj obtained by subtracting the reinforcing fiber tape mass from the mass of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape was 28% (resin content, Wj / Wt) with respect to the mass Wt of the coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape. In addition, the wall member surface temperature was measured every 30 seconds, and the atmospheric temperature of the coating part 20 was adjusted so that the relationship between the resin temperature T stored in the coating part during the run and the wall member surface temperature T' always satisfies T-1 ≧ T'. The results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Examples 1 and 2]
Using a stainless steel roll with a diameter of φ150 mm, a FW device was used as a roll coater (Comparative Example 1) and a dip coater (Comparative Example 2) as shown in Figures 19 and 20. The roll speed was adjusted so that the resin content was the same as in Example 1, and a molded body was produced in the same manner as in Example 1. The coating parts of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 do not satisfy any of the following conditions (III) to (V). (III) The coating parts have a liquid pool and a narrowed part that are connected to each other. (IV) The liquid pool has a part whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases along the running direction of the reinforcing fiber tape. (V) The narrowed part has a slit-shaped cross section and has a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the liquid pool. The results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 2]
The surface temperature of the wall member was measured every 30 seconds, and the ambient temperature of the coating section 20 was adjusted so that the relationship between the resin temperature T stored in the coating section during travel and the surface temperature T' of the wall member always satisfied T-3 ≧ T'. A molded body was produced in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[Example 3]
The surface temperature of the wall member was measured every 30 seconds, and the ambient temperature of the coating section 20 was adjusted so that the relationship between the resin temperature T stored in the coating section during travel and the surface temperature T' of the wall member always satisfied T-5 ≧ T'. A molded body was produced in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 3]
A molded body was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the wall member surface temperature was not adjusted by adjusting the atmospheric temperature. By not adjusting the atmospheric temperature, the resin temperature T stored in the application section during travel and the wall member surface temperature T" were the same temperature (i.e., T-1 ≧ T" is not satisfied). In addition, the resin temperature T stored in the application section at the start of travel and the supplied resin temperature T' were the same (i.e., T-1 ≧ T' is not satisfied). The results are shown in Table 2.

[Examples 4 to 6]
Without adjusting the wall member surface temperature, the supplied resin temperature was set as shown in Table 3, and the other conditions were the same as in Example 1 to produce a molded body. The results are shown in Table 3.

Comparing Example 1 with Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in Table 1, it can be seen that resin scattering is suppressed by making the application section the shape of the present invention. Furthermore, comparing Examples 1 to 3, it can be seen that temperature rise can be effectively suppressed by lowering the surface temperature of the wall member relative to the temperature of the resin stored in the application section. Furthermore, comparing Examples 4 to 6, it can be seen that temperature rise can be effectively suppressed even if the temperature of the resin supplied to the liquid reservoir is adjusted. Since temperature rise is not suppressed in Comparative Example 3, which is outside the scope of the present invention, it can be seen that the present invention is effective in suppressing temperature rise.

[Examples 7 to 9]
A molded body was produced under the same conditions as in Example 4, except that the FW speed was as shown in Table 4. The results are shown in Table 4. Increasing the speed improved productivity and suppressed resin scattering. It is believed that the suppression of resin scattering is due to the improved resin impregnation caused by the increase in the liquid pressure described above.

[Examples 10 to 11]
A molded body was produced under the same conditions as in Example 4, except that the position of the bush was adjusted and L2/W was changed as shown in Table 5. The results are shown in Table 5.

[Examples 12 to 14]
A molded body was produced under the same conditions as in Example 4, except that a stainless steel block was used as the wall member forming the liquid pool and the narrowed portion having the L/W ratio in Table 6, and no plate-shaped bush was used. The results are shown in Table 6.

[Examples 15 to 16]
Molded bodies were produced under the same conditions as in Example 4, except that the coating device was changed to one in which the vertical height H at which the cross-sectional area continuously decreases was changed as shown in Table 7. The results are shown in Table 7.

[Example 17]
A molded body was produced in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the structure of the coating part in the width direction of the reinforcing wire tape was prepared so that four yarn bundles could pass through as shown in Figure 15. The same results as in Example 4 were obtained. Note that when Examples 1 to 3, Examples 5 to 11, and Examples 15 to 16 were also carried out by changing the number of yarn bundles to four as in Example 17, the same results as in Examples 1 to 3, Examples 5 to 11, and Examples 15 to 16 were obtained.

The molded article obtained by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be widely used as FRP, such as CFRP, for frames and pressure vessels in aerospace applications, pressure vessels and drive shafts in automobiles, trains and ships, various piping and pipes in industrial and building materials, and rackets, fishing rods and shafts as sports materials. It can be particularly suitable for use in high-pressure vessels.

1 Reinforced fiber 1a Reinforced fiber tape 1b Coating liquid-containing reinforced fiber tape 2 Coating liquid 3 Release tape or resin film 11 Creel 12 Arrangement device 13, 14 Transport roll 15a Filament winding (FW) device 15b Molded body 15c Liner 16, 16a, 16b Supply device 20 Coating section 20b Coating section of another embodiment 20c Coating section of another embodiment 20d Coating section of another embodiment 20e Coating section of another embodiment 21a, 21b Wall member 21c, 21d Wall member of another shape 21e, 21f Wall member of another shape 21g, 21h Wall member of another shape 21i, 21j Wall member of another shape 22 Liquid pool 22a Region 22b of liquid pool where cross-sectional area continuously decreases Region 22c of liquid pool where cross-sectional area does not decrease Region 23 of liquid pool where cross-sectional area intermittently decreases Narrowed portion 24a, 24b Side plate member 25 Outlet 26 Gap 27, 27a, 27b Width restriction mechanism 28 Cooling mechanism (cooling plate)
30 Coating portion 31a, 31b of Comparative Example 1 Wall member 32 of Comparative Example 1 Liquid reservoir portion 33 of Comparative Example 1 Regions 35a, 35b, 35c of the liquid reservoir portion of Comparative Example 1 where the cross-sectional area intermittently decreases Bar 56 Deaeration mechanism 60 Opening 61 Direction change member 62 Cooling device 100 Coating device 118 Aikuchi guide portion B Depth of liquid reservoir portion 22 C Height to upper liquid level of liquid reservoir portion 22 D Gap of narrowed portion G Position for width regulation H Vertical height L where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir portion 22 continuously decreases Width R, Ra, Rb of liquid reservoir portion 22 Vortex flow T Circulation flow U Width W of narrowed portion 23 Width X of coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape measured directly below narrowed portion 23 Horizontal direction Y Direction perpendicular to X and Z Z Traveling direction of reinforcing fiber tape 1a (vertical downward)
θ: Opening angle of taper portion 411 Creel 412 Reinforced fiber bobbin 413 Direction changing guide 414 Reinforced fiber bundle 415 Reinforced fiber arrangement device 416 Reinforced fiber tape 417 Width spreading device 418 Smoothing device 419 Direction changing roll 420 Reinforced fiber preheating device 430 Coating section 433 Cooling device 441 Direction changing roll 442 Release tape or resin film supply device 443 Release tape or resin film 444 High tension take-up device 445 Direction changing roll 446 Release tape 447 Lamination roll 448 High tension take-up device 449 High tension take-up S-shaped roll 450 Additional impregnation device 451 Hot plate 452 Heated nip roll 461 Cooling device 462 Take-up device 463 Release tape take-up device 464 Filament winding (FW) device 471 Coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape 472 Aikuchi guide 473 Molded body 480 Roll coater 490 Dip coater

Claims (11)

A method for producing a molded body, comprising the steps of: applying a coating liquid to a reinforcing fiber tape; and then winding the resulting coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape around a rotating member to obtain a molded body,
The coating liquid is applied by passing the reinforced fiber tape through the inside of a coating section in which the coating liquid is stored,
the application section includes a liquid reservoir section and a narrowed section which are connected to each other, the liquid reservoir section has a portion whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases along the running direction of the reinforced fiber tape, the narrowed section has a slit-shaped cross section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the liquid reservoir section,
A method for manufacturing a molded body, in which the temperature T of the coating liquid stored in the coating section, the surface temperature T' of a wall member provided in the coating section, and the temperature T" of the supplied resin, which is the temperature of the resin supplied to the coating section as the coating liquid, are controlled so as to satisfy T-1≧T' and/or T-1≧T". The length of the portion where the cross-sectional area of the liquid reservoir continuously decreases is 10 mm or more.
A method for producing the molded body according to claim 1. The application of the coating liquid is carried out by passing the reinforcing fiber tape substantially vertically downward.
A method for producing the molded body according to claim 1 or 2. Passing the reinforcing fiber tape through the application section in a substantially horizontal and/or inclined direction;
A method for producing the molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The width L (mm) of the lower part of the liquid pool in the tape width direction of the reinforcing fiber tape regulated by the side plate member forming the liquid pool and the width W (mm) of the reinforcing fiber tape directly below the narrowed portion satisfy L≦1.1×W.
A method for producing the molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A width regulating mechanism is provided in the liquid reservoir, the width regulating mechanism being a plate-shaped bush that conforms to the internal shape of the application section from the middle to the lower part for regulating the width of the reinforced fiber tape,
The relationship between the width W (mm) of the reinforcing fiber tape directly below the narrowed portion and the width L2 (mm) regulated by the width regulating mechanism at the lower end of the width regulating mechanism satisfies L2≦1.1×W (mm),
A method for producing the molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Passing two or more reinforcing fiber sheets through the application section;
A method for producing the molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A method for producing a molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the coating speed is 100 m/min or more. A method for manufacturing a molded body according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the wall member is cooled by a cooling plate installed on the wall surface or by adjusting the atmospheric temperature around the application part. The coating liquid is applied to the reinforcing fiber tape, and the resulting coating liquid-containing reinforcing fiber tape is then wound around a rotating member to obtain a molded body.
1. A filament winding apparatus comprising:
The coating liquid is applied by passing the reinforced fiber tape through the inside of a coating section in which the coating liquid is stored,
the application section includes a liquid reservoir section and a narrowed section which are connected to each other, the liquid reservoir section has a portion whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases along the running direction of the reinforced fiber tape, the narrowed section has a slit-shaped cross section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the liquid reservoir section,
A filament winding device having a mechanism for cooling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section. The filament winding device according to claim 10, wherein the coating section includes a wall member, and the mechanism for cooling the temperature of the coating liquid stored in the coating section is a cooling plate installed on the wall surface.

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