Molded article manufacturing method, resin impregnating apparatus, and 3D printer

A method for manufacturing a molded article, the molded article consisting of a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising:

• a cured product of a thermosetting resin composition;
• and a continuous reinforcing fiber, the method comprising, in this order, the following Steps (I) to (III):
• Step (I):
• a coating step of coating a surface of a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the thermosetting resin composition, wherein the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle is fed from a feeding roll;
• Step (II):
• a resin impregnating step of twisting the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle after the Step (I) and obtaining a prepreg impregnated with the thermosetting resin composition, wherein the twisting direction is a circumferential direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle;
• and
• Step (III):
• a heating and molding step of disposing the prepreg obtained in the Step (II) and subsequently heating the disposed prepreg to cure the thermosetting resin composition,
• wherein the thermosetting resin composition comprises a two-part thermosetting resin composition comprising a main agent (A) and a curing agent (B);
• wherein the main agent (A) comprises an epoxy resin (A1), and the curing agent (B) comprises an epoxy resin curing agent (B1) comprising a reaction product (X) of a component (x1) and a component (x2):
• (x1) at least one selected from the group consisting of meta-xylylenediamine and para-xylylenediamine, and
• (x2) at least one selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids represented by General Formula (1) below and derivatives thereof:
• where in Formula (1), R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbons, an aryl group having from 6 to 12 carbons, or an aralkyl group having from 7 to 13 carbons;
• or
• wherein the main agent (A) comprises an epoxy resin (A1), and the curing agent (B) comprises an epoxy resin curing agent not containing the reaction product (X),
• wherein the epoxy resin curing agent is a polyamine compound comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of 1,2 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, 1,3 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, 1,4 bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane, isophoronediamine, ortho-xylylenediamine, meta-xylylenediamine, and para-xylylenediamine;
• wherein the Step (I) comprises a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the main agent (A) or a composition thereof by ejecting from a nozzle;
• and a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the curing agent (B) or a composition thereof by ejecting from another nozzle;
• or
• wherein the Step (I) comprises a step of coating the surface of the continuous reinforcing fiber bundle with the thermosetting resin composition by ejecting from a nozzle after subjecting the main agent (A) or a composition thereof and the curing agent (B) or a composition thereof to collisional mixing.