According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a web or mesh of fibers in which the web or mesh of fibers includes chopped fibers. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic material that fully impregnates the web or mesh of fibers so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 5%. The thermoplastic material is polymers that are formed by in-situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers in which greater than 90% of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic prepreg includes between 5 and 95 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and the chopped fibers that form the web or mesh of fibers are un-bonded.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a web or mesh of fibers in which the web or mesh of fibers includes chopped fibers. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic material that fully impregnates the web or mesh of fibers so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 5%. The thermoplastic material is polymers that are formed by in-situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers in which greater than 90% of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic prepreg includes between 5 and 95 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and the chopped fibers that form the web or mesh of fibers are un-bonded.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40 C. and 100 C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40 C. and 100 C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

A device for lacquer transfer is disclosed including a frame, a transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, and a nozzle for dispensing lacquer, wherein the nozzle is connected to the frame, wherein an outside contact surface of the lateral wall comprises several depressions, wherein the transfer roller is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation at the frame, wherein the nozzle is arranged contactless to or in direct contact with the outside contact surface of the lateral wall for dispensing lacquer into respective depressions in the lateral wall while the transfer roller is rotated about the axis of rotation, and wherein the transfer roller is configured to roll with the outside contact surface on a work surface of a work piece for transferring the lacquer from the depressions to the work surface of the work piece.

A device for lacquer transfer is disclosed including a frame, a transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, and a nozzle for dispensing lacquer, wherein the nozzle is connected to the frame, wherein an outside contact surface of the lateral wall comprises several depressions, wherein the transfer roller is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation at the frame, wherein the nozzle is arranged contactless to or in direct contact with the outside contact surface of the lateral wall for dispensing lacquer into respective depressions in the lateral wall while the transfer roller is rotated about the axis of rotation, and wherein the transfer roller is configured to roll with the outside contact surface on a work surface of a work piece for transferring the lacquer from the depressions to the work surface of the work piece.

A steel sheet coating apparatus includes a cleaner configured to apply cleaning liquid to thereby clean a surface of a steel sheet, a polisher that applies polishing liquid to the cleaned surface of the steel sheet and that includes at least one polishing wheel configured to polish the surface of the steel sheet, a coater that includes a plurality of coating rollers that are configured to coat the polished surface of the steel sheet with coating liquid, and a curing furnace that includes curing chambers that are configured to heat the steel sheet coated with the coating liquid, that have different heating temperatures, and that are configured to cure the coating liquid on the steel sheet based on heating the steel sheet in one chamber having a first temperature and then heating the steel sheet in another chamber having a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

A device and method for lacquer transfer includes a lacquer application unit and at least one of a masking application unit and a masking removal unit, the application unit for applying lacquer to a work surface, wherein the masking application unit is configured to apply a masking to the work surface and is attached to the lacquer application unit so the masking application unit is moved in the application direction ahead of the lacquer application unit across the work surface when the lacquer application unit is moved across the work surface in the application direction. The masking removal unit can remove a previously applied masking from the work surface and is attached to the lacquer application unit such that the masking removal unit is moved in the application direction behind the lacquer application unit across the work surface when the lacquer application unit is moved across the work surface in the application direction.