Method for recycling scraps of prepreg materials

Method for manufacturing a recycled prepreg material in strip form, composed of fibre sections embedded in a resin matrix, said method comprising the following steps:

• supplying an input charge of flat scraps from a prepreg starting material composed of continuous fibres embedded in a tack resin matrix, recording the overall area of the scraps of said input charge;
• fragmenting said scraps by cutting so as to obtain cut fragments of predetermined size;
• supplying a strip of backing material and a strip of protective material, which are fed at a controlled feeding speed;
• distributing in a random manner said cut fragments on said strip of backing material, the feeding speed of said strip of backing material being adjusted depending on the recorded area of the incoming scraps, so that said cut fragments form a substantially homogeneous layer in which the fibres are distributed in a near-isotropic manner with respect to the surface of the strip of backing material;
• arranging said strip of protective material over the cut fragments distributed on the strip of backing material;
• and
• compacting said strip of protective material, cut fragments and strip of backing material so as to form a strip of recycled prepreg material which has a substantially constant area weight and thickness.