A spreading apparatus for use with fibre-reinforced composite tapes, and related methods are disclosed. The spreading apparatus comprises an input side to receive an incoming tape to be spread, and an output side from which tape is delivered after spreading. The apparatus further comprises a tape heater (150, 250, 650) to in use apply heat to a tape; and a tape spreader (100, 1, 200, 600) to in use to apply contact pressure to the heated tape to thereby spread the tape.

A spreading apparatus for use with fibre-reinforced composite tapes, and related methods are disclosed. The spreading apparatus comprises an input side to receive an incoming tape to be spread, and an output side from which tape is delivered after spreading. The apparatus further comprises a tape heater (150, 250, 650) to in use apply heat to a tape; and a tape spreader (100, 1, 200, 600) to in use to apply contact pressure to the heated tape to thereby spread the tape.

A filament winding apparatus winds, around a workpiece, a fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of fibers. The filament winding apparatus includes a widening roller that rotates while making contact with the fiber bundle that is being conveyed. The widening roller has, provided on the peripheral surface, a plurality of projecting ridges extending in the axial direction, the projecting ridges being arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. The projecting ridges make contact with the fiber bundle to thereby widen the fiber bundle.

A filament winding apparatus winds, around a workpiece, a fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of fibers. The filament winding apparatus includes a widening roller that rotates while making contact with the fiber bundle that is being conveyed. The widening roller has, provided on the peripheral surface, a plurality of projecting ridges extending in the axial direction, the projecting ridges being arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. The projecting ridges make contact with the fiber bundle to thereby widen the fiber bundle.

[Problem]

Provided is a method for producing an opened fibre bundle which has a good opened state, excellent resin impregnation properties, and excellent compatibility with a matrix resin, with high productivity.

[Problem to be Solved]

Disclosed is an opened carbon fibre bundle, wherein particles having a volume average particle size D50 of 1 μm to 13 μm and a volume average particle size D90 of 13 μm or less are comprised in a carbon fibre bundle and a method for producing an opened carbon fibre bundle, comprising the step of bringing a carbon fibre bundle into contact with a fibre opening solution comprising the particles and an organic solvent.

A fiber reinforced resin molded body; including: resin-integrated carbon fiber sheets 20 that are stacked and unified, each of the resin-integrated carbon fiber sheets 20 including a carbon fiber sheet 21 and at least one resin 23 selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resin and thermosetting resin. The carbon fiber sheet 21 includes a unidirectional long-fiber group 21a spread and arrayed in one direction, and multidirectional fibers 22a and 22b derived from the unidirectional long-fiber group. The multidirectional fibers 22a and 22b cross carbon fibers constituting the unidirectional long-fiber group. The fiber reinforced resin molded body is a molded body of two or more stacked layers of the resin-integrated carbon fiber sheets 20, or a molded body of the resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet 20 that is stacked with a resin-integrated carbon fiber sheet including a different carbon fiber sheet. Thus, the present invention provides a fiber reinforced resin molded body including a surface-modified carbon fiber sheet and thus having high interlaminar fracture toughness, and a method for producing the carbon fiber sheet for the fiber reinforced resin molded body.

A method and system for impregnating a source of fiber tow is provided. A stream of fiber tow is drawn through a tow guide to align the fiber tow with a predetermined path. The stream is drawn in tension across a series of tow spreader pins, that include convex spreading surface aligned with the predetermined tow path. As the fiber tow is drawn over spreading surfaces, the fibers tend to spread and/or fan out along that surface. The stream of fiber tow now being spread to a greater width and reduced thickness, the spread fiber tow is drawn through an impregnation die that includes a plurality of resin supply conduits. Resin melt is applied to the spread fiber tow from one or more directions to fully impregnate the fiber tow. The prepreg fiber tow is then drawn to a converging die which removes excess resin and converge to a fiber tow product. An angled drive roller is utilized to pull the fiber tow with sufficient force to overcome dry and viscous friction in the system components.

A method and system for impregnating a source of fiber tow is provided. A stream of fiber tow is drawn through a tow guide to align the fiber tow with a predetermined path. The stream is drawn in tension across a series of tow spreader pins, that include convex spreading surface aligned with the predetermined tow path. As the fiber tow is drawn over spreading surfaces, the fibers tend to spread and/or fan out along that surface. The stream of fiber tow now being spread to a greater width and reduced thickness, the spread fiber tow is drawn through an impregnation die that includes a plurality of resin supply conduits. Resin melt is applied to the spread fiber tow from one or more directions to fully impregnate the fiber tow. The prepreg fiber tow is then drawn to a converging die which removes excess resin and converge to a fiber tow product. An angled drive roller is utilized to pull the fiber tow with sufficient force to overcome dry and viscous friction in the system components.

A method for coating a fiber tow includes moving a fiber tow across a wedge to separate the fiber tow into a plurality of sub-tows, and coating the plurality of sub-tows.

A method for coating a fiber tow includes moving a fiber tow across a wedge to separate the fiber tow into a plurality of sub-tows, and coating the plurality of sub-tows.