The disclosure is to improve quality of a processed molded product. A processing apparatus is a processing apparatus for a composite material in which fibers and a thermoplastic resin are compounded. The processing apparatus includes a heating device configured to heat the composite material to a temperature higher than or equal to the melting point of the resin contained in the composite material; a mold configured to press the composite material; and a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust the temperature of the mold. While the mold presses the composite material, the temperature adjustment unit maintains the temperature of the mold at a predetermined temperature at which a time required for solidification of the resin contained in the composite material matches a desired time.

To provide a novel material that maintains suppleness which is the advantage of a material using fibers and has a low thermal shrinkage ratio, and a method for producing the material, a partially welded material using the material, a composite material, and a method for producing a molded product. A material including: a first region, a fiber region, and a second region continuously in a thickness direction; the first region and the second region being each independently a resin layer including from 20 to 100 mass % of a thermoplastic resin component and from 80 to 0 mass % of reinforcing fibers; the fiber region including from 20 to 100 mass % of thermoplastic resin fibers and from 80 to 0 mass % of reinforcing fibers; the thermoplastic resin component included in the first region and the thermoplastic resin component included in the second region each independently having a crystallization energy during temperature increase of 2 J/g or greater, measured by differential scanning calorimetry; and the thermoplastic resin fibers included in the fiber region having a crystallization energy during temperature increase of less than 1 J/g, measured by differential scanning calorimetry; wherein the crystallization energy during temperature increase is a value measured by using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) in a nitrogen stream while heating is performed from 25° C. to a temperature that is 20° C. higher than a melting point of the thermoplastic resin component or the thermoplastic resin fibers at a temperature increase rate of 10° C./min.

A prepreg and an integrally molded article are described, the prepreg including a thermoplastic resin existing on one face of a layer in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with a thermosetting resin, wherein the prepreg exhibits, in injection molding or press molding, thermal weldability with a member containing a thermoplastic resin, and wherein the thermosetting resin has a specific peak on a loss tangent (tan δ) curve obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), so that the prepreg exhibits suitable flexibility and adhesiveness, excellent formability on a complicated mold face, and adhesion to a mold face, causes no positional shift, and can be efficiently reinforced and stiffened at an intended position.

Method for producing an automotive panel with the steps of (a) providing a first extrudate of polycarbonate and additives (mixture A), and providing endless filament glass rovings (Component C), (b) feeding mixture A, and component C into the main extruder, and forming a final extrudate, (d) compression moulding the final extrudate into an automotive panel whereby a second mixture of polycarbonate and a short length glass fibers (mixture B) is fed together with mixture A and component C.

In an embodiment, an energy-absorbing device can comprise: a polymer reinforcement structure, wherein the polymer reinforcement structure comprises a polymer matrix and chopped fibers; and a shell comprising 2 walls extending from a back and forming a shell channel, wherein the shell comprises continuous fibers and a resin matrix; wherein the polymer reinforcement structure is located in the shell channel.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising: reducing a bulk factor of chips of chopped fiber while forming the chips into a pre-consolidated charge; shaping portions of the pre-consolidated charge into shaped volumetric charges that fit within a die; and compression molding the shaped volumetric charges within the die.

A forming device includes: a forming jig extending along an axial direction; a forming die having a shape corresponding to a top part region and a wall part region of the forming jig; and a movement mechanism that moves the forming die so as to approach a bottom part region along a height direction HD. The forming die includes: a body part; a plate-shaped forming part that is attached to the body part so as to be swingable around a swing shaft; and a pressurization part that generates a pressurization force which causes a distal end part of the forming part to push a layered body against the wall part region when the forming die is moved by the movement mechanism so as to approach the bottom part region. In accordance with the distal end part, the part causes a contact surface to contact a region of the layered body.

An apparatus for molding a part includes a plunger cavity, a plunger, and a mold cavity, wherein the plunger is oriented out-of-plane with respect to a major surface of the mold cavity, and first and second vents couples to respective first and second portions of the mold cavity. In a method, resin and fiber are forced into the mold cavity from a plunger cavity, and at least some of the fibers and resin are preferentially flowed to certain region in the mold cavity via the use of vents.

A pressure vessel and a method for producing a pressure vessel are provided. The pressure vessel has a liner and a fiber-reinforced laminate, which surrounds the liner and has a first fiber layer and a second fiber layer, which are incorporated in a matrix material. The method includes: a) providing the liner for storing a fluid, having a cylindrical region and two cap regions at opposite ends of the cylindrical region, b) wrapping a fibrous material impregnated with matrix material around the liner at the cap regions and the cylindrical region to produce the first fiber layer, which is already permeated with matrix material, c) arranging the second fiber layer around the first fiber layer, wherein the second fiber layer is formed by at least one braided sleeve of dry fibers, and d) curing or consolidating the matrix material without supplying additional matrix material to produce the fiber-reinforced laminate.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by consolidating and forming a composite preform to a desired shape. The preform comprises plies of a high melt temperature thermoplastic prepreg that are tacked together by a low melt temperature thermoplastic adhering the plies together in fixed registration.