Abstract: A belt calender for manufacturing preimpregnated composites includes a first roller, which is rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a first belt running at least partly around the first roller; and a second belt running in between the first roller and the first belt. The first belt and the second belt guide a feed of material between them. The belt calender includes auxiliary rollers which are rotatable around their longitudinal axes, and are arranged substantially parallel to the first roller around at least a part of a circumference thereof. The first and second belt run in between two adjacent ones of the plurality of auxiliary rollers, thereby defining a meandering path for the feed of material. A method for manufacturing preimpregnated composites by using such a belt calender.

Abstract: A laminating device includes two pressure rollers pressed toward each other and together defining a pinch and a first feed mechanism for guiding to the pinch a strip of a flexible first substrate provided with a thermally-activated glue layer. The first feed mechanism includes a first heater for heating the first substrate with the glue layer. The laminating device also includes a second feed mechanism for guiding a flexible second substrate to the pinch such that this second substrate and the glue layer are pressed against each other by the pressure rollers. The laminating device also includes a second heater placed in the zone of the pinch upstream thereof for heating the first substrate with the glue layer heated by the first heater and the second substrate immediately prior to the joining together thereof in the pinch, such that a laminate is formed including two substrates mutually connected by the glue layer.