A method of producing a headliner with a unitary body includes the steps of thermoforming a blank into a headliner substrate, simultaneously injection molding a secondary component onto the headliner substrate and laminating a surface covering to the headliner substrate.

A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.

Disclosed embodiments describe a method for manufacturing a staple fiber based on natural protein fiber. The method may include: providing a protein suspension, the protein suspension comprising fibrils of the natural protein fiber; directing the protein suspension through a nozzle onto a surface for forming a protein based fiber; drying the protein suspension on the surface; extracting the fiber from the surface; and providing the staple fiber. Disclosed embodiments may further describe a fiber based raw wool. The raw wool may include staple fibers, wherein the staple fibers are reconstructed on the basis of protein fibrils and are mechanically subdivided from natural protein fibers, wherein the protein fibrils are interlocked by hydrogen bonds, and wherein the raw wool comprises an unoriented, entangled, fluffy network of staple fibers.

This invention relates to a cutter device for automated composite material placement equipment, including cutter component, drive mechanism that drives the cutter component to slide, and guide mechanism that provides slide room for the cutter component, the said guide mechanism comprises: cutter stop, base, cover plate arranged on the base, and cutting board arranged between the base and the cover plate; guide groove for accommodating cutter component slide is provided at the said base's contact side with the cutting board; the said cutter stop is arranged at the outer side of the guide groove to limit the cutter component from sliding out; the said cutting board has a protruding part relative to the base and the cover plate, a first tow guide hole is provided on the said protruding part; a second tow guide hole coaxial with the first guide hole is provided at the said cutter stop, a cutter avoidance groove is further provided at the said cutter stop's side close to the cutting board, and the second tow guide hole goes through the said cutter avoidance groove. The cutter device comes in robust and compact construction to guide the cutter to realize accurate movement.

An oriented plastic composition (OPC) shaped article having a length, width and thickness dimension in which the width and thickness dimensions are less than that of the length dimension, having at least one surface that can be machined so that a portion of the OPC shaped article is reduced in the width or thickness dimension along at least a portion of the length of the article and a process for making and machining an OPC shaped article.

The application relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a natural fiber based staple fibers. The application further relates to the staple fibers, staple fiber based raw wool and products comprising such. A method comprises providing a cellulose suspension (101, 310, 510) including water, refined cellulose fibrils and at least one rheology modifier, directing the cellulose suspension through a nozzle (102, 320, 520) onto a surface (300, 400, 500), drying the cellulose suspension onto the surface (103, 300, 400, 500) for forming a fiber (350, 550), and cutting the cellulose suspension on the surface for forming staple fibers (105).

A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing a fiber preform, wherein: at least one dry and textile fiber material is provided; the fiber material is assembled into a plurality of individual layers; the plurality of individual layers is provided with a binder; the plurality of individual layers is layered to form a package; and a plurality of interconnected fiber preforms is formed by pressing the package. A separation of the plurality of interconnected fiber preforms and activation of the binder occur in a common process step. The disclosure furthermore relates to a corresponding system.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fiber-foam composite (FSV1), wherein a first fiber material (FM1) is applied to a first foam body (SK1) to give a first structured fiber surface (FO1) to which a second foam body (SK2) is subsequently applied to give the fiber-foam composite (FSV1).

The present disclosure provides a method for transferring an image to a substrate that includes providing a transfer medium having at least one registration mark; printing an image on the transfer medium; covering the image with a backing layer, the backing layer not covering the registration mark; covering the backing layer with an adhesive layer; penetrating the adhesive layer and the backing layer with a cutting device at locations around the image, the penetrating of the adhesive layer and backing layer not penetrating the transfer medium; removing portions of the adhesive layer and backing layer from the locations around the image; and transferring the image to the substrate.