A process for the production of fiber-reinforced components or semifinished products is provided, where fibers are saturated with monomer. The process includes at least one of adding flakes including fibers and adding individual fibers. For this, the fibers, the monomer, and the flakes including fibers and/or the individual fibers are added to an injection-molding machine and forced into an injection mold, whereupon polymerization of the monomer is completed in the injection mold. Alternatively a fiber structure on a conveyor belt is saturated with a solution including a monomer, optionally including an activator, and optionally including a catalyst. In a following step, individual fibers and/or flakes including fibers are distributed on the saturated fiber structure, the fiber structure is passed through a roll pair in which pressure is exerted onto the fiber structure, and finally the saturated fiber structure is cooled so that the monomer solidifies.

A process for the production of fiber-reinforced components or semifinished products is provided, where fibers are saturated with monomer. The process includes at least one of adding flakes including fibers and adding individual fibers. For this, the fibers, the monomer, and the flakes including fibers and/or the individual fibers are added to an injection-molding machine and forced into an injection mold, whereupon polymerization of the monomer is completed in the injection mold. Alternatively a fiber structure on a conveyor belt is saturated with a solution including a monomer, optionally including an activator, and optionally including a catalyst. In a following step, individual fibers and/or flakes including fibers are distributed on the saturated fiber structure, the fiber structure is passed through a roll pair in which pressure is exerted onto the fiber structure, and finally the saturated fiber structure is cooled so that the monomer solidifies.

Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as bending regions, where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).

Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as bending regions, where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).

An apparatus for forming pre-shaped insulating sheets comprises first bending station and a second bending station. The first bending station is used for bending a flat sheet of insulating material into a Z-shaped sheet (5). The second bending station is used for bending the Z-shaped sheet into an S-shape. The first and second bending stations comprise pairs of first (13a, 13b) 13b and second bending operators for creating bending movements.

An apparatus for forming pre-shaped insulating sheets comprises first bending station and a second bending station. The first bending station is used for bending a flat sheet of insulating material into a Z-shaped sheet (5). The second bending station is used for bending the Z-shaped sheet into an S-shape. The first and second bending stations comprise pairs of first (13a, 13b) 13b and second bending operators for creating bending movements.

A pultruded strip (50) of reinforcing material for stacking with one or more similar strips (50) to form a spar cap for a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The pultruded strip comprises a core (56) comprising fibres (58) disposed in a resin matrix (60) and a sacrificial layer (52) at least partially covering one or more surfaces of the core (56). The sacrificial layer (52) is a resin layer defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip. A pultrusion process for making such a strip (50) comprises drawing resin-coated reinforcing fibres (58) through a pultrusion die (80) in a process direction to form a core (56) of the strip (50) and applying further resin (53) to one or more surfaces of the core (56) to form a sacrificial resin layer (52) defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip (50).

A pultruded strip (50) of reinforcing material for stacking with one or more similar strips (50) to form a spar cap for a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The pultruded strip comprises a core (56) comprising fibres (58) disposed in a resin matrix (60) and a sacrificial layer (52) at least partially covering one or more surfaces of the core (56). The sacrificial layer (52) is a resin layer defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip. A pultrusion process for making such a strip (50) comprises drawing resin-coated reinforcing fibres (58) through a pultrusion die (80) in a process direction to form a core (56) of the strip (50) and applying further resin (53) to one or more surfaces of the core (56) to form a sacrificial resin layer (52) defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip (50).

A method for producing a foamed particle molded article provided with a skin, includes: forming a hollow molded article; filling a hollow part of the hollow molded article with polypropylene-based resin foamed particles; and heating and fusing the particles to each other. A melt elongation at 190 C. of the polypropylene-based resin forming the hollow molded article is 100 m/min or more. A half-crystallization time at 100 C. of the polypropylene-based resin is between 25 to 80 seconds. In heat flux differential scanning calorimetry, a melting peak temperature of the polypropylene-based resin is between 130 to 155 C., a partial heat of fusion at 140 C. or more of the polypropylene-based resin is between 20 to 50 J/g, and a ratio of the partial heat of fusion of the polypropylene-based resin to the total (partial heat of fusion/total heat of fusion) is between 0.2 to 0.8.

A method for producing a foamed particle molded article provided with a skin, includes: forming a hollow molded article; filling a hollow part of the hollow molded article with polypropylene-based resin foamed particles; and heating and fusing the particles to each other. A melt elongation at 190 C. of the polypropylene-based resin forming the hollow molded article is 100 m/min or more. A half-crystallization time at 100 C. of the polypropylene-based resin is between 25 to 80 seconds. In heat flux differential scanning calorimetry, a melting peak temperature of the polypropylene-based resin is between 130 to 155 C., a partial heat of fusion at 140 C. or more of the polypropylene-based resin is between 20 to 50 J/g, and a ratio of the partial heat of fusion of the polypropylene-based resin to the total (partial heat of fusion/total heat of fusion) is between 0.2 to 0.8.