A method for producing a
fiber-reinforced
composite material is provided. By satisfying particular conditions, this method is capable of suppressing the problem of poor appearance caused by the release film in the production of the
fiber-reinforced
composite material having a three-dimensional shape by heat-press molding to enable production of the
fiber-reinforced
composite material having a high quality appearance in high cycle.A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material wherein a fiber-reinforced substrate containing a reinforcing fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B) is sandwiched between release films (C) to constitute a layered material, and the layered material is pressed in a mold heated to molding temperature to thereby cure the thermosetting resin (B), whereinthe method satisfies the following (i), (ii), and (iii) or (i), (ii), and (iv):(i) the fiber-reinforced composite material has at least 1 bent part,(ii) the molding temperature is 130 to 180° C., and pressure
application time is 0.5 to 20 minutes,(iii) the release film (C) has a
thermal contraction rate satisfying the following expressions (1) and (2):0<Ta≤20 expression (1), and1≤Ta−Tb≤20 expression (2),Ta: the
thermal contraction rate (%) of the release film (C) measured by using a thermomechanical analyzer at the temperature the same as the molding temperatureTb: the
thermal contraction rate (%) of the release film (C) measured by using a thermomechanical analyzer at a temperature 30° C. lower than the molding temperature, and(iv)
hardness of the fiber-reinforced substrate and the
hardness of the release film (C) measured by using a durometer corresponding to JIS-K-7215, type A satisfy the following expressions (3) and (4):0.8≤Hrc / Hrf≤1.2 expression (3),1<Hhc / Hhf≤1.5 expression (4),Hrc:
hardness of the release film (C) at 30° C.,Hrf: hardness of the fiber-reinforced substrate at 30° C.,Hhc: hardness of the release film (C) at the molding temperature,Hhf: hardness of the fiber-reinforced substrate at the molding temperature.