Patent ID: 6862969

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a fiber bundle having a fiber bundle length from a required number of unbound partial bundles, the method comprising: (a) transporting at a first speed a fiber bundle strand using at least one feed element; (b) pre-cutting the fiber bundle strand into unbound partial bundles, the unbound partial bundles having a length when pre-cut equal to the fiber bundle length; (c) releasing the unbound partial bundles from the at least one feed element; (d) gripping the unbound partial bundles using at least one gripping element and moving the unbound partial bundles at a speed that is less than the first speed; (e) releasing the unbound partial bundles from the at least one gripping element; and (f) placing the unbound partial bundles in a first collection trough of a collection device; and (g) repeating steps (a) to (f) for the required number of unbound partial bundles until a required thickness of the fiber bundle is obtained in the first collection trough.