Prepreg tape slitting apparatus and method

An apparatus for producing slit tapes of thermosetting prepreg sheet materials comprising fibrous materials impregnated or infused with a thermosetting resin composition matrix having a reduced presence of voids and/or unwetted fiber tows, said apparatus comprising 1) an unwinding means for accepting and unwinding a master roll or stock roll of thermosetting prepreg sheet material, 2) a void mitigation/elimination component comprising a) a heating element, which is a conductive heat source or a radiant heat source, positioned and aligned to heat and, in use, adapted to continuously heat a cross-sectional length of the prepreg sheet material as the prepreg sheet material continuously passes by or through the heating element to a temperature at which the matrix resin i) becomes tacky and is subject to plastic deformation under minimal pressure or force or ii) becomes flowable and, optionally, b) a pressure means adapted to apply pressure or a force to the so heated prepreg sheet material across its width as it continuously passes by or through the pressure means 3) a slitter for slitting the prepreg sheet material into slit tapes, 4) a plurality of winding apparatus for individually winding the slit tapes and 5) a plurality of conveyors for continuously conveying the sheet materials along a path from the unwinding means, to and through or past the void mitigation/elimination component, to and through the slitter means and, finally, to the plurality of winding apparatus.