The toughness of a laminate is improved. A fiber-reinforced resin material contains a fiber material in a resin; and the fiber material contains high-rigidity fibers and fibroin fibers. According to the present invention, a laminate is formed by laminating and bonding a plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers. A fiber-reinforced resin layer contains the high-rigidity fibers in a resin. A fiber-reinforced resin layer contains the fibroin fibers in a resin.

One subject of the present invention is a composition that combines at least one polyamide having at least one MXD entity, MXD denoting meta-xylylenediamine or a mixture of meta-xylylenediamine and of para-xylylenediamine, with a bioresourced reinforcement. The invention also relates to the conversion of these compositions, by injection moulding or extrusion, into objects that have good mechanical properties, said objects corresponding to technical application specifications such as may be found, for example, in the automotive industry, construction, sport and in electrical or electronic fields.

One subject of the present invention is a composition that combines at least one polyamide having at least one MXD entity, MXD denoting meta-xylylenediamine or a mixture of meta-xylylenediamine and of para-xylylenediamine, with a bioresourced reinforcement. The invention also relates to the conversion of these compositions, by injection moulding or extrusion, into objects that have good mechanical properties, said objects corresponding to technical application specifications such as may be found, for example, in the automotive industry, construction, sport and in electrical or electronic fields.

A process and system are provided for introducing chopped and dispersed carbon fibers on an automated production line amenable for inclusion in molding compositions, including the debundling of many carbon fibers collectively forming a tow into dispersed chopped carbon fibers that form a filler that undergoes plasma treatment prior to introducing coating silanes to uniformly increase bonding sites for coupling to a thermoset matrix. By exposing carbon tow to a plasma discharge, the carbon tow debundles and is used to form sheets of molding compositions with chopped dispersed fibers added to the composition, as the sheets move along a conveyor belt on the automated production line and at least one plasma generator mounted above the conveyor belt ionizes the carbon fibers. With resort to deionized air to mix plasma-treated chopped fibers, still further dispersion results.

A fiber width adjusting apparatus includes a rotary body. The rotary body is configured to rotate around a rotation axis while interposing a sheet-shaped fiber, and cause, by frictional force generated between the rotary body and the sheet-shaped fiber, force to act on the sheet-shaped fiber while feeding the sheet-shaped fiber in a feed direction to vary a width and an orientation angle of the sheet-shaped fiber. The sheet-shaped fiber is impregnated with a resin or is before the impregnation with the resin. The rotation axis is parallel to a thickness direction of the sheet-shaped fiber. The force contains a component that is in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and to the feed direction.

A fiber width adjusting apparatus includes a rotary body. The rotary body is configured to rotate around a rotation axis while interposing a sheet-shaped fiber, and cause, by frictional force generated between the rotary body and the sheet-shaped fiber, force to act on the sheet-shaped fiber while feeding the sheet-shaped fiber in a feed direction to vary a width and an orientation angle of the sheet-shaped fiber. The sheet-shaped fiber is impregnated with a resin or is before the impregnation with the resin. The rotation axis is parallel to a thickness direction of the sheet-shaped fiber. The force contains a component that is in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and to the feed direction.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for the manufacture of 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, which first tool arrangement includes at least a fiber distributor, a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement, 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 manufacturing line, a method of manufacturing a rotor blade, and a wind turbine rotor blade are further provided.

A manufacturing arrangement realized for the manufacture of 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, which first tool arrangement includes at least a fiber distributor, a second gantry assembly realized to span the track pair and to carry a second tool arrangement, 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 manufacturing line, a method of manufacturing a rotor blade, and a wind turbine rotor blade are further provided.

A random mat includes a chopped fiber bundle [A] obtained by obliquely cutting a partially separated fiber bundle [B] prepared by alternately forming separation-processed sections, each of which is separated into a plurality of bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle, wherein the total cross-sectional area of reinforcing fibers exhibits a specific change amount between both tips of the chopped fiber bundle [A]; a production method produces the random mat; and a fiber-reinforced resin molding material uses the random mat.

A random mat includes a chopped fiber bundle [A] obtained by obliquely cutting a partially separated fiber bundle [B] prepared by alternately forming separation-processed sections, each of which is separated into a plurality of bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle, wherein the total cross-sectional area of reinforcing fibers exhibits a specific change amount between both tips of the chopped fiber bundle [A]; a production method produces the random mat; and a fiber-reinforced resin molding material uses the random mat.