An intermediate base material has high handleability and shape conformity to complicated shapes and serves to perform high-yield production, even by low pressure molding, of fiber reinforced plastic material that do not suffer from significant generation of molding defects, such as creases and voids, that can cause a decrease in strength and that has good mechanical characteristics, decreased variations therein, and high dimensional stability. The prepreg includes a layer containing reinforcement fibers impregnated with a resin composition and the impregnation rate with the resin composition in the prepreg is in a predetermined range. It is characterized by being an incised prepreg having a plurality of incisions, being at least partly formed of reinforcement fibers with a predetermined fiber length, and having a reinforcement fiber content by volume Vf in a predetermined range.

A fiber-reinforced material includes a discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate of a discontinuous reinforcing fiber having a number average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a matrix resin, the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate including a plurality of discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundles having a predetermined number of unidirectionally-bundled single yarns of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber, wherein the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle has a cut surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an orientation direction of the single yarn of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle and has different fiber bundle lengths defined as a distance between both ends along the orientation direction of the single yarn of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle, the shorter the fiber bundle length of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle, the smaller a tip angle defined as an acute angle at an end of a two-dimensional plane projection of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle.

A fiber-reinforced material includes a discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate of a discontinuous reinforcing fiber having a number average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a matrix resin, the discontinuous reinforcing fiber aggregate including a plurality of discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundles having a predetermined number of unidirectionally-bundled single yarns of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber, wherein the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle has a cut surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an orientation direction of the single yarn of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle and has different fiber bundle lengths defined as a distance between both ends along the orientation direction of the single yarn of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle, the shorter the fiber bundle length of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle, the smaller a tip angle defined as an acute angle at an end of a two-dimensional plane projection of the discontinuous reinforcing fiber bundle.

Briefly, a variety of embodiments of composite materials including part fabrication using composite materials is described.

A motorcycle tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2, sidewall portions 3, bead portions 4, a carcass 6 extending between the bead portions, and a tread reinforcing layer 7 disposed radially outside the carcass in the tread portion. The tread reinforcing layer 7 is composed of a helically wound strip 10 of parallel reinforcing cords 11 coated with topping rubber 12. The winding pitch Pm of the strip 10 in middle parts Mi of the tread reinforcing layer is less than the winding pitch Pc of the strip 10 in a central part Cr, and less than the winding pitch Ps of the strip 10 in shoulder parts Sh.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for manufacturing a rotor blade, including a pair of tracks arranged along the longitudinal sides of a blade mold; a first gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a first tool arrangement including at least a fiber distributor for distributing a fiber material into the blade mold; a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement realized to carry a supply of fiber material and to provide the fiber material to the fiber distributor; and a control arrangement realized to effect a coordinated movement of the gantry assemblies along the track pair and to coordinate the operation of the second tool arrangement with the operation of the first tool arrangement is provided. A fiber mat magazine; a manufacturing line; a method of manufacturing a rotor blade; and a rotor blade, is also provided.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for manufacturing a rotor blade, including a pair of tracks arranged along the longitudinal sides of a blade mold; a first gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a first tool arrangement including at least a fiber distributor for distributing a fiber material into the blade mold; a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement realized to carry a supply of fiber material and to provide the fiber material to the fiber distributor; and a control arrangement realized to effect a coordinated movement of the gantry assemblies along the track pair and to coordinate the operation of the second tool arrangement with the operation of the first tool arrangement is provided. A fiber mat magazine; a manufacturing line; a method of manufacturing a rotor blade; and a rotor blade, is also provided.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for manufacturing a rotor blade, including a pair of tracks arranged along the longitudinal sides of a blade mold; a first gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a first tool arrangement including at least a fiber distributor for distributing a fiber material into the blade mold; a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement realized to carry a supply of fiber material and to provide the fiber material to the fiber distributor; and a control arrangement realized to effect a coordinated movement of the gantry assemblies along the track pair and to coordinate the operation of the second tool arrangement with the operation of the first tool arrangement is provided. A fiber mat magazine; a manufacturing line; a method of manufacturing a rotor blade; and a rotor blade, is also provided.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for manufacturing a rotor blade, including a pair of tracks arranged along the longitudinal sides of a blade mold; a first gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a first tool arrangement including at least a fiber distributor for distributing a fiber material into the blade mold; a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement realized to carry a supply of fiber material and to provide the fiber material to the fiber distributor; and a control arrangement realized to effect a coordinated movement of the gantry assemblies along the track pair and to coordinate the operation of the second tool arrangement with the operation of the first tool arrangement is provided. A fiber mat magazine; a manufacturing line; a method of manufacturing a rotor blade; and a rotor blade, is also provided.

A prepreg formed from a resin and unidirectionally aligned reinforcement fibers, characterized in that: the prepreg is sheet-shaped; the prepreg has cutouts of a depth for cutting the reinforcement fibers, and includes reinforcement fibers (A) cut by the cutouts to a length of 10 to 50 mm and reinforcement fibers (B) having a length of equal to or more than 50% of the sheet length of the prepreg in the alignment direction of the reinforcement fibers; the surface area of a band section including the reinforcement fibers (B) in a plan view is 1.4% to 35.0% of the entire surface area of the prepreg in a plan view; and at least one end of the reinforcement fibers (B) is positioned at an end portion of the prepreg in the alignment direction of the reinforcement fibers.