thermplastic prepregging methods and machinery

[clandestinho]

Hi all,

Does anyone have ideas to how thermoplastic prepregs can be manufactured on a smaller scale?

I need to prepreg my own woven fabrics with various thermoplastics (from HDPE to PEEK) and I have identified 2 possible routes:

solution impregnation using thermoplastic resins dissolved in solvents such as xylene

(wet) powder impregnation using fine resin powder in water or propanol based dispersions.

complicating factors are that the fabrics are up to 60" wide so most likely too wide for a subcontractor of unidirectional tapes.

I want to set up a small acale production line that I can run one day per week to convert 500 yards or so.

The solution route probably offers the best impregnation so this might be my preferred route if I can find a safe way to handle xylene.

my questions for you are:

Does anyone know if I can convert some kind of textile machinery to handle solution impregnation?

does anyone know if the fabric needs to be exposed to the solution for a longer period of time or if it just needs a quick dip?

Any ideas as to who manufactures suitable machinery that might be viable for small scale production?

any other piece of advice will be hghly appreciated !

Thanks