抄録
Continuously running double belt press is an efficient way for high-volume production of thermoplastic composite laminates. The double belt press enables direct impregnation process of multiple layers of reinforcement fabrics with thermoplastic resin. Several kinds of press module design have been developed for the double belt press. The design and specification of press modules determines the ability of heating and pressing the materials. Thus, the processing parameters need to be optimized based on understanding of the characteristic of press modules. In this study, composite laminates consisting of carbon fiber woven fabrics and polyamide 6 films were fabricated using two kinds of double belt press system. The effects of different press modules such as fixed roller module (FRM), circulating roller module (CRM) and isobaric pressure module (IPM) on the consolidation properties and flexural properties were evaluated. The results showed that each press module had peculiar pressure distribution, which affected the impregnation phenomena and resulting flexural properties of composites. Finally, the efficient combination of press modules was discussed in order to produce thermoplastic composite laminates using the double belt press.
