Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the foamed articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating such foamed articles are provided. In one aspect, a method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable material and carbon dioxide in a vessel, maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material, optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure, and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.

The present technology discloses a system, for joining workpieces using energy, such as ultrasonic energy, where the energy concentrates at a location within a weld area, promoting sequential melting of a plurality of energy directors. The system can be configured so that the sequential melting begins at the center of the weld area and progresses outwards. Sequential melting may occur through use of a welding tip configured to reduce air pockets, a tapering the height of a plurality of energy directors, and/or tapering the energy directors themselves, all of which reduce the size of an energy transfer area produced by thermal energy. The present technology also includes a method for joining workpieces using energy such as ultrasonic energy that concentrates at a location within a weld area causing sequential melting of a plurality of energy directors using the aforementioned features.

The present technology discloses a system, for joining workpieces using energy, such as ultrasonic energy, where the energy concentrates at a location within a weld area, promoting sequential melting of a plurality of energy directors. The system can be configured so that the sequential melting begins at the center of the weld area and progresses outwards. Sequential melting may occur through use of a welding tip configured to reduce air pockets, a tapering the height of a plurality of energy directors, and/or tapering the energy directors themselves, all of which reduce the size of an energy transfer area produced by thermal energy. The present technology also includes a method for joining workpieces using energy such as ultrasonic energy that concentrates at a location within a weld area causing sequential melting of a plurality of energy directors using the aforementioned features.

Microporous structures in face films are described for improving printability of the films. Also described are laminates and pressure sensitive adhesive laminates including the microporous structured face films. Various related methods are additionally described.

A method for manufacturing an encapsulating material sheet for a solar battery of the invention includes a step of producing an additive-containing pellet by soaking an additive A into a pellet including a polyolefin-based resin as a main component, a step of injecting the additive-containing pellet into a cylinder from a supply opening in an extrusion molder, and melting and kneading a resin composition including the polyolefin-based resin and the additive A in the cylinder, and a step of molding by extrusion the resin composition from a die in the extrusion molder into a sheet shape.

This invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomer composition having a type A hardness (i.e., the momentary value) of 55 or less in accordance with JIS K6253, which comprises 35 to 65 parts by weight of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (A) having a type A hardness (i.e., the momentary value) of 75 or less in accordance with JIS K6253 and 65 to 35 parts by weight of a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (B) having a type A hardness (i.e., the momentary value) of 60 or less in accordance with JIS K6253 (with the total amount of components (A) and (B) being 100 parts by weight) and a molded thermoplastic elastomer product obtained via molding of such composition.

A tool for marking the location of a bonding plate concealed beneath a roof membrane. The tool has a magnetic attraction to the bonding plate and causes a marking assembly to vertically lower toward the roof membrane and rotate on an axle. Rotation of the marking assembly and vertical lowering causes the marking implement to come into contact with the roof membrane at a location corresponding to the location of the bonding plate beneath the roof membrane. A brake restricts the rotation of the marking assembly on the axle by coming into contact with an inner edge of a chassis. Contact between the marking implement and the roof membrane and the restriction of rotation of the marking assembly by the brake cause the marking implement to create a visible mark at a position corresponding to the location of the bonding plate beneath the roof membrane.

A tool for marking the location of a bonding plate concealed beneath a roof membrane. The tool has a magnetic attraction to the bonding plate and causes a marking assembly to vertically lower toward the roof membrane and rotate on an axle. Rotation of the marking assembly and vertical lowering causes the marking implement to come into contact with the roof membrane at a location corresponding to the location of the bonding plate beneath the roof membrane. A brake restricts the rotation of the marking assembly on the axle by coming into contact with an inner edge of a chassis. Contact between the marking implement and the roof membrane and the restriction of rotation of the marking assembly by the brake cause the marking implement to create a visible mark at a position corresponding to the location of the bonding plate beneath the roof membrane.

The invention relates to an elongate profiled object having a cross section, the object comprising a peripheral wall, forming a hollow profile extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein at least part of the peripheral wall is provided with a reinforcement layer extending in at least the longitudinal direction of the elongate profiled object, wherein the reinforcement layer comprises a tape or a laminate of tapes, wherein the reinforcement layer has a thickness of at least 0.6 mm and the tape is made of a first thermoplastic composition, which is a fiber reinforced thermoplastic composition comprising a flame retardant, wherein the elongate profiled object is made of a second thermoplastic composition.

To provide a production method with which a molded article excelling in surface appearance can be produced. The method for producing a molded article containing a thermoplastic resin and reinforcing fibers having a number-average fiber length of 1 mm or longer, wherein the method includes molding a material containing a thermoplastic resin and reinforcing fibers having a number-average fiber length of less than 30 mm using a first closed mold, and then molding only the molded material once again using a second closed mold.