Abstract: A reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus that includes a hitting mechanism (40) that comes into contact with a reinforcing fiber bundle to split the reinforcing fiber bundle into a plurality of pieces, and, disperses the plurality of pieces. The hitting mechanism (40) includes a rotation shaft (41), a pair of rotation plates (42) attached to portions of the rotation shaft (41) apart from each other, and a plurality of hitting pieces (43) arranged to extend in parallel to the rotation shaft (41) between the pair of rotation plates (42). The reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a simple apparatus that reliably hits a reinforcing fiber bundle to split the fiber bundle into thin bundles, and disperses the thin bundles to a wide range without causing air turbulence to manufacture a reinforcing fiber mat having a uniform fiber basis weight.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a chopped fiber bundle includes a cutter roll provided with one or more disk blades on a circumference of a roll core having a center axis coinciding with a rotation axis of the roll core and a nip roll provided in parallel with the rotation axis of the roll core, to feed a reinforcing fiber yarn to be continuously cut between the nip roll and the cutter roll, further including a rotary drive mechanism that rotates the cutter roll and at least one of: a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the cutter roll along the rotation axis of the roll core; and a traverse guide that traverses the reinforcing fiber yarn along the rotation axis of the roll core.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin molding material containing at least bundled aggregates [A] of discontinuous reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin [M], wherein each of the bundled aggregates [A] is obtained by cutting a partially-separated fiber bundle, prepared by forming separation treatment sections separated into a plurality of bundles and non-separation treatment sections alternately along a lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle including a plurality of single fibers, at an angle ? (0°<?<90°) with respect to the lengthwise direction of the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus that includes a hitting mechanism (40) that comes into contact with a reinforcing fiber bundle to split the reinforcing fiber bundle into a plurality of pieces, and, disperses the plurality of pieces. The hitting mechanism (40) includes a rotation shaft (41), a pair of rotation plates (42) attached to portions of the rotation shaft (41) apart from each other, and a plurality of hitting pieces (43) arranged to extend in parallel to the rotation shaft (41) between the pair of rotation plates (42). The reinforcing fiber mat manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a simple apparatus that reliably hits a reinforcing fiber bundle to split the fiber bundle into thin bundles, and disperses the thin bundles to a wide range without causing air turbulence to manufacture a reinforcing fiber mat having a uniform fiber basis weight.

Abstract: A reinforcing fiber sheet manufacturing apparatus configured to place a reinforcing fiber bundle on a table includes a fiber bundle supply mechanism configured to feed the reinforcing fiber bundle and equipped with a fiber bundle pressing portion that is configured to press the reinforcing fiber bundle against the table; and a cutting blade located independently of the fiber bundle supply mechanism and configured to cut the reinforcing fiber bundle that is pressed by the fiber bundle pressing portion.

Abstract: A partially separated fiber bundle includes separation-processed sections, each divided into a plurality of bundles of at least three bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, that are alternately formed along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle that comprises a plurality of single fibers. The partially separated fiber bundle is characterized in that, at any width-direction cross-section taken along the lengthwise direction thereof, a rate of single fibers contained in a region at which adjacent divided fiber bundles are joined by a not-separation-processed part is 67% or less relative to the total single fibers in the width-direction cross-section.

Abstract: A partially separated fiber bundle includes separation-processed sections, each divided into a plurality of bundles of at least three bundles, and not-separation-processed sections, that are alternately formed along the lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle that comprises a plurality of single fibers. The partially separated fiber bundle is characterized in that, at any width-direction cross-section taken along the lengthwise direction thereof, a rate of single fibers contained in a region at which adjacent divided fiber bundles are joined by a not-separation-processed part is 67% or less relative to the total single fibers in the width-direction cross-section.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin molding material containing at least bundled aggregates [A] of discontinuous reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin [M], wherein each of the bundled aggregates [A] is obtained by cutting a partially-separated fiber bundle, prepared by forming separation treatment sections separated into a plurality of bundles and non-separation treatment sections alternately along a lengthwise direction of a fiber bundle including a plurality of single fibers, at an angle ? (0°<?<90°) with respect to the lengthwise direction of the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a chopped fiber bundle includes a cutter roll provided with one or more disk blades on a circumference of a roll core having a center axis coinciding with a rotation axis of the roll core and a nip roll provided in parallel with the rotation axis of the roll core, to feed a reinforcing fiber yarn to be continuously cut between the nip roll and the cutter roll, further including a rotary drive mechanism that rotates the cutter roll and at least one of: a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the cutter roll along the rotation axis of the roll core; and a traverse guide that traverses the reinforcing fiber yarn along the rotation axis of the roll core.

Abstract: A reinforcing fiber sheet manufacturing apparatus configured to place a reinforcing fiber bundle on a table includes a fiber bundle supply mechanism configured to feed the reinforcing fiber bundle and equipped with a fiber bundle pressing portion that is configured to press the reinforcing fiber bundle against the table; and a cutting blade located independently of the fiber bundle supply mechanism and configured to cut the reinforcing fiber bundle that is pressed by the fiber bundle pressing portion.

Abstract: A process for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg includes: a fiber bundle introduction step in which tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are disposed in a multilayer arrangement in the thickness direction and introduced into a die to which a molten thermoplastic resin has been supplied; a fiber bundle thickness reduction step in which each of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is widened by means of spreading to reduce the thickness; a resin impregnation step in which the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are impregnated with the molten resin in the die; and a lamination step in which the plurality of resin-impregnated tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are laminated in the die.

Abstract: A gate valve is configured to have a first fluid flow path. In a state where a gate valve pin is at a first pin position, a front end section on an injection hole side of the gate valve pin closes an injection hole. In a state where the gate valve pin is at a second pin position that is more distant from the injection hole than the first pin position, a front end section opens the injection hole to make communication between the first fluid flow path and the injection hole and thereby form a resin supply line. In a state where a sleeve is at a first sleeve position and the gate valve pin is at the first pin position, a second fluid flow path is formed in the gate valve to connect an injection hole-side end of the first fluid flow path to outside of the gate valve and is made to communicate with the first fluid flow path and thereby form a cleaning line.

Abstract: A method produces a reinforcing fiber sheet in which a plurality of bundles of reinforcing fibers lined up into one direction to form a plane are adhered to one another through a binder in an amount far smaller than that of the bundles. This method includes step (a) of placing a plurality of reinforcing fibers each having any length at any position on a flat plate, and fixing the reinforcing fibers onto the flat plate, step (b) of placing a binder onto the reinforcing fibers to be adhered onto the fibers, and step (c) of separating the reinforcing fibers from the flat plate.

Abstract: A gate valve is configured to have a first fluid flow path. In a state where a gate valve pin is at a first pin position, a front end section on an injection hole side of the gate valve pin closes an injection hole. In a state where the gate valve pin is at a second pin position that is more distant from the injection hole than the first pin position, a front end section opens the injection hole to make communication between the first fluid flow path and the injection hole and thereby form a resin supply line. In a state where a sleeve is at a first sleeve position and the gate valve pin is at the first pin position, a second fluid flow path is formed in the gate valve to connect an injection hole-side end of the first fluid flow path to outside of the gate valve and is made to communicate with the first fluid flow path and thereby form a cleaning line.

Abstract: A process for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg includes: a fiber bundle introduction step in which tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are disposed in a multilayer arrangement in the thickness direction and introduced into a die to which a molten thermoplastic resin has been supplied; a fiber bundle thickness reduction step in which each of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is widened by means of spreading to reduce the thickness; a resin impregnation step in which the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are impregnated with the molten resin in the die; and a lamination step in which the plurality of resin-impregnated tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are laminated in the die.