Preform for molding fiber-reinforced resin beam, process for producing the same, apparatus for producing the same, and process for producing fiber-reinforced resin beam

Abstract

A preform for the molding of a fiber-reinforced resin beam, the preform comprising: a reinforcing-fiber beam which has been formed from a reinforcing-fiber base made up of many reinforcing fibers and has a cross-sectional shape comprising at least one linear part and at least one curved part connected to the linear part; and a release sheet bonded and united through an adhesive resin to at least part of a surface of the reinforcing-fiber base along the lengthwise direction for the base. A process for producing a preform comprises: a step in which a continuous flat reinforcing-fiber base having a release sheet bonded and united to a surface thereof is shaped so that the cross-sectional shape of the base comes to have a curved part to thereby produce a preshaped object; and a preshaped-object uniting step in which the preshaped object is bonded and united to another preshaped object.

1 . A production method of a preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam comprising:
 (a) supplying a reinforcing fiber base comprising many reinforcing fibers, having therein matrix-resin-receiving spaces and being deposited with an adhesive resin on a surface thereof, to a position for processing,   (b) supplying a release sheet to said position for processing,   (c) laminating said supplied release sheet, at said position for processing, to at least a part of a surface of said supplied reinforcing fiber base along the lengthwise direction thereof,   (d) bonding and integrating said release sheet to the surface of said reinforcing fiber base, by said adhesive resin, by heating and pressing said reinforcing fiber base and said release sheet laminated on the surface of said reinforcing fiber base, and,   (e) molding a preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam having a cross-sectional shape comprising at least one linear portion and at least one bent portion connected to said linear portion, by heating and/or pressing, by using a shaping mold, said reinforcing fiber base to which said release sheet is bonded and integrated.   
     
     
         2 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in said release sheet laminating step, said release sheet is laminated on the surfaces except end surfaces of a thickness direction of said reinforcing fiber base or on the entire surface including the end surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein a volume fraction Vpf of said reinforcing fiber in said preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam is 45 to 65%. 
     
     
         4 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein said reinforcing fiber base is made of a reinforcing fiber cloth. 
     
     
         5 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein said reinforcing fiber base is made of a laminate of a plurality of reinforcing fiber cloths bonded with each other by an adhesive resin. 
     
     
         6 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein said release sheet is made of a polyester fiber cloth. 
     
     
         7 . The production method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) said reinforcing fiber base in said reinforcing fiber base supplying step is a continuous reinforcing fiber base sheet, said reinforcing fiber base supplying step is an intermittent reinforcing fiber base sheet supplying step comprising a supply time zone in which said continuous reinforcing fiber base sheet is continuously supplied up to a predetermined length to be processed at said position for processing and a non-supply time zone in which said supply is stopped after said predetermined length is supplied,   (b) said release sheet in said release sheet supplying step is a continuous release sheet, said release sheet supplying step is an intermittent release sheet supplying step comprising a supply time zone in which said continuous release sheet is continuously supplied up to a predetermined length to be processed at said position for processing and a non-supply time zone in which said supply is stopped after said predetermined length is supplied, wherein   (c) said supply of the reinforcing fiber base sheet in said intermittent reinforcing fiber base sheet supplying step and said supplying of the release sheet in said intermittent release sheet supplying step are carried out intermittently at least two times, and synchronously with each other.   
     
     
         8 . The production method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 (a) said supplying of the reinforcing fiber base sheet in said intermittent reinforcing fiber base sheet supplying step is carried out by plural reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding lines independent with each other,   (b) said supplying of the release sheet in said intermittent release sheet supplying step is carried out by one release sheet feeding line commonly used in correspondence to said plural reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding lines, or by plural release sheet feeding lines independent with each other,   (c) the lamination in said release sheet laminating step of the plural reinforcing fiber base sheets supplied from said plural reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding lines and said release sheet supplied from the release sheet feeding line is carried out by plural release sheet lamination lines independent with each other,   (d) an integration of said reinforcing fiber base sheet and said release sheet in said release sheet bonding step is carried out by plural release sheet bonding lines independent with each other corresponding to said plural release sheet lamination lines, and wherein   (e) said molding step comprises,   (e-1) preshaping, in said plural release sheet bonding lines, by heating and/or pressing at least one reinforcing fiber base sheet with release sheet among the reinforcing fiber base sheets with release sheet which are independent with each other by being integrated respectively and separately said reinforcing fiber base sheets and said release sheets, by using a shaping mold such that a cross-sectional shape comprising at least one linear portion and at least one bent portion connected to said linear portion is formed, and,   (e-2) preshaping said remaining reinforcing fiber base sheet with release sheet, by heating and/or pressing by using a shaping mold,   (e-3) bonding and integrating a first preshaped object obtained in the first preshaping step and said second preshaped object obtained in the second preshaping step (e-2).   
     
     
         9 . The production method according to  claim 8 , wherein
 (a) said plural reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding lines comprise a first reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line, a second reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line and a third reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line, and a continuous first reinforcing fiber base sheet is supplied from said first reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line, a continuous second reinforcing fiber base sheet is supplied from said second reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line, and a continuous third reinforcing fiber base sheet is supplied from said third reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line,   (b) for said first reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line and said second reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line, a first release sheet feeding line which supplies a first release sheet is prepared,   (c) in said release sheet laminating step, said first release sheet is laminated to said first reinforcing fiber base sheet and said second reinforcing fiber base sheet on surfaces of same one side thereof,   (d) in said release sheet bonding step, said first release sheet is bonded and integrated with said first reinforcing fiber base sheet and said second reinforcing fiber base sheet to form a first reinforcing fiber base sheet with the release sheet,   (e) in said first preshaping step (e-1), a first reinforcing fiber base sheet with the release sheet is shaped in T-shape in a manner in which the bent portion of the first reinforcing fiber base sheet and the bent portion of a second reinforcing fiber base sheet of said first reinforcing fiber base sheet with the release sheet are arranged back-to-back, and in addition, in a state in which said first release sheet locates on the inner curved surface of said bent portion, to form a first preshaped object of T-shaped cross-sectional shape,   (f) in said second preshaping step (e-2), a third reinforcing fiber base sheet is shaped into a flat plate, to form a flat-plate second preshaped object, and,   (g) in said preshaped object bonding step, the top portion surface of said T-shaped first preshaped object on which said first release sheet is not present and the bottom surface of said flat-plate second preshaped object are bonded and integrated.   
     
     
         10 . The production method according to  claim 9 , wherein a second release sheet feeding line for supplying a second release sheet is prepared for said third reinforcing fiber base sheet feeding line and, in said release sheet laminating step, said second release sheet is laminated to said third reinforcing fiber base sheet on one side surface positioned at opposite side to the surface on which said first release sheet is laminated and, in said release sheet bonding step, said second release sheet is bonded and integrated to said third reinforcing fiber base sheet to form a second reinforcing fiber base sheet with the release sheet and, in said second preshaping step, said second reinforcing fiber base sheet with the release sheet is shaped into a flat plate to form a flat-plate second preshaped object and, in said preshaped object bonding step, the top portion surface of said T-shaped first preshaped object on which said first release sheet is not present and the bottom surface of said flat-plate second preshaped object on which said second release sheet is not present are bonded and integrated. 
     
     
         11 . The production method according to  claim 10 , wherein, in the formation of said second preshaped object, any one of said release sheet bonding step and said second preshaping step is omitted, and by the remaining steps, the processing or treatment to said reinforcing fiber base sheet and said release sheet in said respective steps is carried out. 
     
     
         12 . The production method according to  claim 9 , wherein, such that a gap, formed between the top portion surface of said T-shaped first preshaped object and the bottom surface of said flat-plate of the preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam formed by bonding and integrating said top portion surface and said bottom surface of the flat-plate second preshaped object, is filled, a linear continuous filler is supplied to said gap synchronously with the intermittent supply of said reinforcing fiber base sheet. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for producing a preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam which comprises:
 (a) a reinforcing fiber base supplier which supplies a reinforcing fiber base, comprising many reinforcing fibers and having therein matrix-resin-receiving spaces and deposited with an adhesive resin on a surface thereof, to a position for processing,   (b) a release sheet supplier which supplies a release sheet to said position for processing,   (c) a release sheet laminator which laminates said supplied release sheet, at said position for processing, to at least a part of a surface of said reinforcing fiber base along the lengthwise direction thereof,   (d) a release sheet bonder which bonds and integrates said release sheet to said surface of the reinforcing fiber base by said adhesive resin by heating and pressing said reinforcing fiber base and said release sheet laminated on the surface of said reinforcing fiber base, and   (e) a mold which shapes a preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam having a cross-sectional shape comprising at least one linear portion and at least one bent portion connected to said linear portion by heating and/or pressing said reinforcing fiber base to which said release sheet is bonded and integrated by using a shaping mold.   
     
     
         14 . A production method of a fiber-reinforced resin beam comprising:
 (a) arranging a preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam in a mold for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam, in a state in which a release sheet bonded and integrated to said preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam as set forth in  claim 1  is faced to molding surface of said mold, and,   (b) arranging a resin diffusion media between a matrix resin inlet of said mold and a surface of said preform for molding a fiber-reinforced resin beam located in said resin inlet side, and   (c) injecting a matrix resin from said matrix resin inlet, via said resin diffusion media, into said matrix-resin-receiving spaces of said preform for molding the fiber-reinforced resin beam, and,   (d) taking out said preform for molding the fiber-reinforced resin beam impregnated with the matrix resin from said mold.