An apparatus for perforating a carbon fiber substrate material comprises a support structure including a first side support and a second side support and a cylindrical anvil rotatably connected between the first side support and the second side support. The anvil is configured to move the carbon fiber substrate material in response to rotation of the anvil. The apparatus further comprises a cylindrical cutting wheel rotatably connected to the support structure between the first side support and the second side support and positioned adjacent to the anvil. The cutting wheel includes a plurality of blades projecting outward from an outer surface of the cutting wheel wherein the blades of the cutting wheel are configured to perforate the carbon fiber substrate material when the carbon fiber substrate material moves between the anvil and the cutting wheel.

A process of preparing carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) intermediate products is described wherein the carbon fibers are prepared from a carbon fiber precursor and then in-line impregnated with a polymeric resin as part of a continuous process. The process can provide cost savings compared to processes wherein carbon fibers are prepared and then impregnated with polymeric resins in a separate process, thereby making the use of CFRP materials more economically feasible. Also described is a system for preparing carbon fiber from a carbon fiber precursor and impregnating the carbon fiber with polymeric resin to provide CFRP intermediate products, such as continuous tapes or rods or discontinuous flakes or pellets.

A method may include placing a dry fabric over a tool; pressing a first resin film over the dry fabric while the dry fabric is draped over the tool to create an outer layer of the laminate composite structural component; repeating the placing and pressing process until a desired thickness of the outer layer is achieved; compressing a second resin film and a dry fiber fabric between two rollers to tack the second resin film to the dry fiber fabric to create a resin-fabric sheet comprising a resin film layer and an dry fiber fabric layer; cutting the resin-fabric sheet to a pre-determined shape to create at least one resin-fabric preform; and draping a first resin-fabric preform over at least a portion of the outer layer, wherein one or more edges of the first resin-fabric preform overlap the outer layer to create an internal edge.

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.

Disclosed are: a reinforcing fiber bundle with excellent mechanical property and handling property, which contains a propylene-based resin (A), a propylene-based resin (B) comprising at least a carboxylic acid salt bonded to the polymer chain, and a reinforcing fiber (C) wherein the propylene-based resin (A) comprises more than 70% by mass but not more than 100% by mass of a component (A-1) having a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 or more, the amount of the propylene-based resin (B) is 3 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the propylene-based resin (A), and the total content rate of the propylene-based resin (A) and the propylene-based resin (B) is 0.3 to 5% by mass in the whole reinforcing fiber bundle; and a molding material comprising the reinforcing fiber bundle and a matrix resin.

Disclosed are: a reinforcing fiber bundle with excellent mechanical property and handling property, which contains a propylene-based resin (A), a propylene-based resin (B) comprising at least a carboxylic acid salt bonded to the polymer chain, and a reinforcing fiber (C) wherein the propylene-based resin (A) comprises more than 70% by mass but not more than 100% by mass of a component (A-1) having a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 or more, the amount of the propylene-based resin (B) is 3 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the propylene-based resin (A), and the total content rate of the propylene-based resin (A) and the propylene-based resin (B) is 0.3 to 5% by mass in the whole reinforcing fiber bundle; and a molding material comprising the reinforcing fiber bundle and a matrix resin.

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.

Provided is a prepreg capable of attaining thermal expansion coefficient reduction and elastic modulus increase without increasing the filling ratio of an inorganic filler therein and/or without using a resin having a low thermal expansion coefficient, and thereby capable of reducing warpage thereof. Specifically, provided is a prepreg containing glass fibers and a thermosetting resin composition, and containing a layer of plural glass fiber filaments aligned to run nearly parallel to each other in one direction. Also provided are a production method for the prepreg, a laminate containing the prepreg and its production method, a printed circuit board containing the laminate, and a semiconductor package having a semiconductor device mounted on the printed circuit board.

A team of robots may fabricate a tubular structure. Each robot may fabricate a tube by winding resin-covered fiber around an inflated, cylindrical mandrel of the robot. The resin may cure, resulting in a hardened tube segment The robot may extend the tube by fabricating additional segments of the tube, one segment at a time. After a first segment cures, the mandrel may deflate, then the robot may move up inside the tube, then the mandrel may inflate, and the robot may begin fabricating another tube segment. After completing a tube segment, the robot may tilt relative to that segment, before starting the next segment. By doing so, the robot may cause the tube to be curved. A computer may guide the team of robots during fabrication of the tubes, by executing a flocking algorithm. The algorithm may prevent collisions with already fabricated tube segments.