Design of a melt impregnation mechanism for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes

Thermoplastic fiber composites are produced by uniformly integrating reinforcing resins into existing organic polymers through various methods, such as melt impregnation, solution impregnation, powder impregnation, and hybrid fiber yarn techniques. Although China has made rapid progress in developing preparation technologies for continuous fiber reinforced high-performance thermoplastic composite prepregs, there remains a gap compared to international standards due to a later start in research. This paper presents the design and calculation of a melt impregnation device for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes, encompassing five main components: feeding, traction, impregnation, temperature control (heating and cooling), and winding. The design includes the overall structure, motor selection, transmission mechanism, key component design, and 3D modeling. A standard cylinder (D=160 mm, d=40 mm) is selected. A comma blade is selected in this design. Structural optimizations have been implemented to enhance impregnation efficiency and quality, simplify the overall setup, reduce production costs, and address issues such as high porosity, inadequate impregnation, and insufficient product strength.