A fiber-reinforced resin molding material molded product includes a fiber-reinforced resin molding material prepared by impregnating chopped fiber bundles obtained by cutting a reinforcing fiber bundle with a matrix resin, wherein in a region excluding 30 mm from an edge of the molded product, when an arbitrary rectangular region having an area of 40 mm.sup.2 or more and defined by a thickness of the molded product and a width in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the molded product is set in a cross section in an arbitrary thickness direction of the molded product, with respect to a bundle thickness of the chopped fiber bundles present in the set rectangular region.

There are provided a sheet material pressing device, a sheet material pressing method, and a pressing roller. A sheet material pressing device includes: a pressing roller having a plurality of free rollers for pressing a sheet material in which resin and fibers are mixed, and a free roller support unit disposes the plurality of free rollers in an annular shape and fixes and supports the plurality of free rollers so as to rotate freely; a driving control unit that rotates the free roller support unit in a first rotation direction in order to revolve the plurality of free rollers; and a sheet material conveying unit on which the sheet material is placed and conveyed. The first rotation direction is a direction in which a moving direction of the free roller at a pressing position of the sheet material is a direction opposite to a conveying direction of the sheet material.

There are provided a sheet material pressing device, a sheet material pressing method, and a pressing roller. A sheet material pressing device includes: a pressing roller having a plurality of free rollers for pressing a sheet material in which resin and fibers are mixed, and a free roller support unit disposes the plurality of free rollers in an annular shape and fixes and supports the plurality of free rollers so as to rotate freely; a driving control unit that rotates the free roller support unit in a first rotation direction in order to revolve the plurality of free rollers; and a sheet material conveying unit on which the sheet material is placed and conveyed. The first rotation direction is a direction in which a moving direction of the free roller at a pressing position of the sheet material is a direction opposite to a conveying direction of the sheet material.

Additive fabrication methods for 3D composite objects having preform fiber reinforcements embedded in a matrix material include providing local heat and mechanical energy to at least partially melt, impregnate and solidify the matrix material forming at least one reinforced composite layer of the object. Successive layers are added in accordance to a computer generated tool path to form a three dimensional object with useful features.

A method of separating carbon fiber tows. The method includes separating two or more first carbon fiber tows from a first tow band onto a second elevation to form two or more second carbon fiber tows from a second tow band. The two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band leave gaps next to first adjacent tows of the two or more first carbon fiber tows remaining from the first tow band after the separating step. The first adjacent tows from the first tow band leave gaps next to second adjacent tows of the two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band.

A method of separating carbon fiber tows. The method includes separating two or more first carbon fiber tows from a first tow band onto a second elevation to form two or more second carbon fiber tows from a second tow band. The two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band leave gaps next to first adjacent tows of the two or more first carbon fiber tows remaining from the first tow band after the separating step. The first adjacent tows from the first tow band leave gaps next to second adjacent tows of the two or more second carbon fiber tows from the second tow band.

A prepared mold tool having a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating on the mold surface of the mold tool or prepared prepreg having a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating on the surface of the thermoplastic fiber reinforced prepreg are described that enhance first ply laydown of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite prepregs onto mold tools for prepreg forming or in situ tape placement. Resulting thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite parts from a thermoplastic fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material having structural reinforcement fibers with one or more high performance polymers, and a thermoplastic surface layer polymer coating which forms a polymer blend with the high performance polymers of the thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material thereby imparting improved properties, and methods for making and using same, are provided herein.

A molding method for a composite sheet used for manufacturing a thermosetting resin prepreg sheet in which a thermosetting resin material is impregnated into a fiber sheet includes: bringing a resin transfer sheet in which the thermosetting resin material of a predetermined thickness is carried on one surface of a transfer sheet into contact with one surface of the fiber sheet to be stacked on the fiber sheet. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the stacked state are subjected to a heating treatment or heating and pressurizing treatment. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the heated and stacked state is subjected to a cooling treatment or cooling and pressurizing treatment so that the thermosetting resin material is transferred to the fiber sheet and the thermosetting resin material is made to adhere to one surface side of the fiber sheet.

A molding method for a composite sheet used for manufacturing a thermosetting resin prepreg sheet in which a thermosetting resin material is impregnated into a fiber sheet includes: bringing a resin transfer sheet in which the thermosetting resin material of a predetermined thickness is carried on one surface of a transfer sheet into contact with one surface of the fiber sheet to be stacked on the fiber sheet. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the stacked state are subjected to a heating treatment or heating and pressurizing treatment. The resin transfer sheet and the fiber sheet in the heated and stacked state is subjected to a cooling treatment or cooling and pressurizing treatment so that the thermosetting resin material is transferred to the fiber sheet and the thermosetting resin material is made to adhere to one surface side of the fiber sheet.

A method for producing a prepreg in which a reinforcing fiber base material is impregnated with a resin to produce a prepreg, wherein said method comprises: a step for preparing a first resin, which is the resin containing a filler, and a second resin, which is the resin not containing a filler; a step for arranging the second resin adjacent to the reinforcing fiber base material; a step for arranging the first resin adjacent to the reinforcing fiber base material and/or the second resin; and a step for impregnating the reinforcing fiber base material with the resin of the first resin and the second resin.