Importance

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Abstract

A method of manufacturing a sheet molding compound (SMC) according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: (i) drawing out a carrier film from a roll to travel on a conveyance path such that the surface of the carrier film is horizontal; (ii) cutting a continuous carbon fiber bundle into short carbon fiber bundles with a chopper disposed above the conveyance path; (iii) allowing the short carbon fiber bundles to fall onto the carrier film traveling on the conveyance path while dispersing them using a dispersing roll disposed below the chopper to deposit a carbon fiber mat on the carrier film; (iv) impregnating the carbon fiber mat with a thermosetting resin composition to obtain a resin-impregnated carbon fiber mat; and v) concurrently with the deposition of the carbon fiber mat, removing fiber dust generated from the short carbon fiber bundles due to contact with the dispersing roll using a dust collector.

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First Claim