| abstract |
A pultrusion apparatus and process for impregnation of multiple fiber tows with a thermoplastic resin wherein an impregnation vessel having an entrance and an exit end is provided with a fiber control insert formed of spaced cylindrical rings suspended therein, with a resin flow control device being suspended horizontally within the rings. A combined resin meter and profile die is attached to the impregnation vessel exit end with a cooling die connected thereto. A pulling mechanism pulls the fiber tows through melted resin contained within the impregnation vessel and into a stepped decreasing diameter passageway in the resin meter and profile die to remove excess resin and shape the impregnated fiber into a useful structure before it is cooled below the melting point of the resin by the cooling die. In one embodiment, a cut-off station is provided adjacent the pulling mechanism to cut the cooled impregnated fiber structure into the desired lengths. In another embodiment, the pulling mechanism includes a winding spool with separate compartments therein to accommodate up to five separate impregnated fiber structures received from a five passageway resin metering and profile die. |