Strand production method, strand production apparatus, and fiber reinforced resin strand

A strand production apparatus configured to produce a fiber reinforced resin strand having one or a plurality of fiber bundles including reinforcing fibers, the strand production apparatus comprising:

• a twisting unit that rotates the one or the plurality of fiber bundles around an axis of the one or the plurality of fiber bundles to form one or a plurality of twisted fiber bundles;
• a resin bath unit comprising a resin bathtub, the resin bathtub comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall, an inlet through the first sidewall, and an outlet die through the second sidewall, wherein the resin bathtub is configured to contain a molten resin to a level that covers the inlet through the first sidewall and the outlet die through the second sidewall, the inlet is configured to permit the one or the plurality of twisted fiber bundles to be drawn into the resin bathtub and through the molten resin, and the outlet die includes an opening configured to form a fiber reinforced resin strand from the one or the plurality of twisted fiber bundles impregnated with the molten resin and allow passage of the fiber reinforced resin strand outside the resin bathtub, and an inner diameter of the opening of the outlet die is smaller than an inner diameter of the inlet;
• a cooling unit configured to cool the fiber reinforced resin strand drawn out from the resin bath unit with the fiber reinforced resin strand held linearly along a drawing direction;
• and
• a winding unit that winds the fiber reinforced resin strand,
• wherein the twisting unit is disposed on an upstream side of the resin bath unit in a conveying direction of the one or the plurality of fiber bundles.