A method for forming an article includes providing a sheet of material, optionally conditioning the sheet with a surface of a roller, forming the sheet to provide a web, and separating an article from the web to provide the article. An apparatus adapted to form the article from a sheet is provided.

The present invention generally relates to an eco-friendly wearable article comprising a nutrient complex capable of efficiently able to reduce or eliminate methane gas emission during biodegradation of the article, and a method of making the eco-friendly wearable article containing the nutrient complex. Preferably, the nutrient complex typically comprises anionic sulphate ions and cationic salts of iron(II) and copper(II), thereby facilitating methane oxidation in an anaerobic environment such as a landfill.

A method of manufacturing a multicolor shoe material includes the following steps. Step S1: blank molds are provided, and a mold chamber of each of the blank molds is injected by one of the foamed materials in different colors to form unfoamed semi-finished products in different colors. Step S2: the semi-finished products are put into a foaming mold, when the foaming mold is preheated and completely closed, a ratio of a total volume of the semi-finished products to a volume of the mold chamber of the foaming mold is ranged between 0.96 and 1.04. Thus, the semi-finished products could be evenly foamed. After foaming, adjacent two of the semi-finished products could be connected by heat fusion to obtain the multicolor shoe material. Additionally, a semi-finished product and a multicolor shoe material are provided in the present invention.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a coated plastic part (1) intended to be integrated into a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, the coated plastic part including a base part comprising a raised section (6), and a sheet (3) comprising a useful surface (11), the method comprising a step of creating (102, 201) at least one flap (12) in the useful surface, a positioning step (103, 202) in which the sheet is positioned opposite a shaping tool (15) comprising a raised area (14) of a complementary shape to the raised section (6), a shaping step (104, 203), in which the sheet is pressed against the shaping tool (15), and a joining step (105, 204) in which the sheet and the base part are held against each other so as to facilitate the rigid connection of the sheet and the base part.

A 3D-configured production structure of rubber products based on an intelligent manufacturing unit and a production method thereof. The structure includes a stereoscopic production warehouse used to store a mobile intelligent manufacturing unit and an ex-warehouse delivery system used to deliver the mobile intelligent manufacturing unit. The mobile intelligent manufacturing unit includes a unit functional assembly, a molding vulcanization apparatus, a blank feeder, a material-delivering apparatus, a product-collecting apparatus and a reclaimer. The molding vulcanization apparatus includes a upper heat plate, a upper mold, a lower mold, a lower heat plate and a support post. The upper mold and the lower mold are arranged on the inner sides of the upper heat plate and the lower heat plate, respectively. The upper heat plate is fixed on one end of the support post, and the lower heat plate is arranged through the support post.

A drive belt includes a foamed undercord layer having void spaces located throughout the foamed undercord layer. The void spaces extend from a backing layer of the undercord layer to an exterior surface of the backing layer, and may include some void spaces at the exterior surface that are open to the external environment. The foamed undercord layer may exhibit a 20% reduction in specific gravity as compared to an unfoamed version of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating foaming agent in the undercord layer such that the undercord layer both foams and cures when heat and pressure are applied to the undercord layer. The foamed drive belt incorporating the foamed undercord layer may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A manufacturing method of an SMC of the present invention comprises (i) forming chopped carbon fiber bundles by chopping a continuous carbon fiber bundle having a filament number of NK with a rotary cutter, (ii) fragmentation-processing the chopped carbon fiber bundles by using a fragmentation-processing apparatus comprising a rotating body, (iii) forming a carbon fiber mat by depositing the fragmentation-processed chopped carbon fiber bundles on a carrier film traveling below the rotary cutter, and (iv) impregnating the carbon fiber mat with a thermosetting resin composition, wherein N is 20 or more, and the fragmentation-processing apparatus comprises a first pin roller and a second pin roller which are disposed side by side, each having a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis direction of the rotary cutter.

A drive belt includes an undercord layer having a first region proximate a backing layer surface of the undercord layer and a second region proximate the exterior surface of the undercord layer, the first region being foamed and the second region either being foamed to a lesser extent than the first region or not being foamed. The drive belt further includes a cover layer formed over the exterior surface of the undercord layer. Alternatively, the drive belt may be foamed throughout the undercord layer thickness, with a cover layer formed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating a first quantity of foaming agent in a first sheet of undercord layer material and either a second quantity of foaming agent in a second sheet of undercord layer material, the second quantity being less than the first quantity, or including no foaming agent in the second sheet. The first sheet and second sheet are disposed in a mold, to which heat and pressure is applied to cure the sheets and foam the first sheet and the second sheet when the second sheet includes foaming agent. The mold includes an exterior portion that forms ridges in the exterior surface of the undercord layer and a cover layer disposed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The drive belt incorporating the undercord layer having a foamed first region may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A cover for a cushion includes a first panel, a second panel, and a primary receptacle defined between the first panel and the second panel. The primary receptacle may receive a primary cushioning element, such as a pillow, a pillow insert, or a fill material. At least one of the first panel and the second panel includes a secondary cushioning element. The secondary cushioning element may be defined from a compressible, resilient elastomeric material that defines a plurality of thin interconnected walls that in turn define an array of open cells or columns. Each cell or column may have a hexagonal shape, imparting the array of open cells or columns with a honeycomb appearance. Methods for assembling a primary cushioning element with such a cover are also disclosed.

A method for measuring a degree of cross-linking of a component of elastomeric material obtained as a result of a hot-forming process, includes a preliminary calibration step in which a plurality of samples are provided, made of the same material as the component. The samples have different degrees of cross-linking following respective hot-forming processes conducted for different periods of time. The preliminary calibration step includes providing a measuring device having an electrical circuit, in which a voltage generator is arranged in series with metal contacts configured to selectively receive a sample, and an ammeter, positioning a sample between said metal contacts, providing a predetermined voltage value, and detecting the corresponding current value by means of said ammeter. The aforesaid steps are repeated for each sample so as to obtain a calibration map that associates a given degree of cross-linking of the material constituting said component with each determined value of electrical conductivity.