PRODUCTION METHOD FOR PREPREG, PREPREG TAPE, AND FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIAL, AND PREPREG PRODUCTION DEVICE

The present invention relates to a method of producing a prepreg formed by applying a matrix resin to a reinforcing fiber sheet. A problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a method of producing a prepreg, wherein the method can effect continuous running without clogging of generated fuzz even at a high running speed and effect efficient impregnation of the reinforcing fiber sheet with a matrix resin. The spirit of the present invention is to apply a method of producing a prepreg, the method including: allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to obtain a matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet in which the matrix resin is applied to the reinforcing fiber sheet; and at least heating the matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet; wherein the coating section includes a liquid pool and a narrowed section which are in communication with each other, wherein the liquid pool has a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously along a running direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet, and wherein the narrowed section has a slit-like cross-section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the top side of the liquid pool; wherein the distance N from the outlet of the coating section to the starting point of the heating in the matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet is 1 m or less; and wherein the surface temperature P2 (°C) of the matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet at the completion point in the heating is equal to or higher than the temperature M (°C) of the matrix resin stored in the coating section (Formula 1).