A method and apparatus for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. Two or more materials are extruded simultaneously as a composite, with at least one material in liquid form and at least one material in a solid continuous strand completely encased within the liquid material. A means of curing the liquid material after extrusion hardens the composite. A part is constructed using a series of extruded composite paths. The strand material within the composite contains specific chemical, mechanical, or electrical characteristics that instill the object with enhanced capabilities not possible with only one material.

Very good impregnation quality is achieved by a process for production of a fiber-composite material, with introducing a fiber layer by a spreader device and thus spreading to a width greater than that of the final product, at least by a factor of 1.2, where the extent of spreading of the fiber layer is such that its average thickness is 1 to 50 times the filament diameter; applying a melt by at least one applicator nozzle to the spread material; by virtue of cross-section-narrowing, the mould brings the width of the wetted fiber layer at least to the cross section with which the product leaves the take-off die; a radius then deflects the wetted fibers by an angle of 5 to 60°; a relaxation zone renders the fiber distribution more uniform to give a uniform height; achieving the first shaping by a take-off die at the end of the mould.

Curable prepregs possessing enhanced ability for the removal of gases from within prepregs and between prepreg plies in a prepreg layup prior to and/or during consolidation and curing. Each curable prepreg is a resin-impregnated, woven fabric that has been subjected to a treatment to create an array of openings in at least one major surface. Furthermore, the location of the openings is specific to the weave pattern of the fabric.

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.

The present invention relates to an apparatus of manufacturing an aerogel sheet. The apparatus of manufacturing the aerogel sheet includes: a fixing vessel into which a blanket is inserted; and an impregnation device putting a silica sol precursor into the blanket inserted into the fixing vessel to impregnate and gelate the silica sol precursor, wherein the impregnation device includes a rotation roller moving from one end to the other end of a top surface of the blanket while rotating to put the stored silica sol precursor into the blanket and thereby to impregnate and gelate the silica sol precursor.

The method involves supplying a profile which is wound round a winding structure (13). The stresses are present in the profile as a result of the winding. The profile comprises several fibers extending along one another, which are embedded in a partially cured thermosetting matrix material. A heat treatment is carried out on the profile, by means of a heat treatment device, while the profile is wound round the winding structure. The matrix material is post-cured, during heat treatment. The glass-transition temperature of the matrix material is increased as a result of the heat treatment and the temperature to which the profile is exposed during the heat treatment remains below the glass-transition temperature. The stresses remain constant and the shape is retained both in cross-section as well as radius of curvature of the profile, in the stress-free state, despite the heat treatment and despite winding the profile round the winding structure prior to the heat treatment.

Provided is a method for producing a sheet molding compound, including impregnating a resin composition into carbon fibers. The viscosity at 25° C. of the resin composition is 300 to 20000 mPa.Math.s, the temperature Tc of the carbon fibers is 15° C. to 115° C. when sandwiched between the resin compositions on carrier films disposed on upper and lower sides, and the content of the carbon fibers in the sheet molding compound is 35% to 30% by mass. The method for producing a sheet molding compound can produce SMC having an excellent impregnation property into carbon fibers regardless of the carbon fiber content and thus can be preferably used for exteriors, structures, and the like of an automotive member, a railroad vehicle member, an aerospace vehicle member, a ship member, a housing equipment member, a sport member, a light vehicle member, a civil engineering and construction member, an OA equipment, etc.

Provided is a useful improvement in a CF-SMC manufacturing technique comprising an SMC manufacturing method using a continuous carbon fiber bundle having a filament number of NK and partially split into n sub-bundles in advance. In the SMC manufacturing method according to the present invention, a fragmentation processing using a fragmentation processing apparatus (A) below is performed on chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on a carrier film. The fragmentation processing apparatus (A) comprises a first pin roller and a second pin roller, each of which has a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter. The first pin roller is rotationally driven such that its pins move downward from above on its side facing the second pin roller, and the second pin roller is rotationally driven such that its pins move downward from above on its side facing the first pin roller.

A manufacturing method of an SMC of the present invention comprises (i) forming chopped carbon fiber bundles by chopping a continuous carbon fiber bundle having a filament number of NK with a rotary cutter, (ii) fragmentation-processing the chopped carbon fiber bundles by using a fragmentation-processing apparatus comprising a rotating body, (iii) forming a carbon fiber mat by depositing the fragmentation-processed chopped carbon fiber bundles on a carrier film traveling below the rotary cutter, and (iv) impregnating the carbon fiber mat with a thermosetting resin composition, wherein N is 20 or more, and the fragmentation-processing apparatus comprises a first pin roller and a second pin roller which are disposed side by side, each having a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter.

An apparatus for manufacturing an aerogel sheet including: a supply roller around which a blanket is wound to form a roll; a conveyor belt transferring the blanket wound around the supply roller from one side to the other side thereof; a silica sol supply member injecting the silica sol to a surface of the blanket disposed on the conveyor belt to impregnate the blanket with silica sol; a catalyst supply member injecting a gelling catalyst to the surface of the blanket impregnated with silica sol to gelate the silica sol; a collection roller winding the blanket, which is transferred up to the other side by the conveyor belt, in the form of a roll; and a reaction vessel which accommodates the roll-shaped blanket collected by the collection roller and in which the accommodated blanket is aged, modified by injecting a coating solution, or dried at a high temperature.