An apparatus and method for bonding sheet metal parts to a laminated core in which sheet metal parts are punched from an electrical steel strip, the punched sheet metal parts are stacked and bonded at least integrally to form a plurality of laminated cores, and in order to facilitate the separation of the integrally bonded sheet metal parts into laminated cores, a separating agent is provided at least between two stacked sheet metal parts in that with the punching stage for punching the sheet metal part, the separating agent is both punched from a separating agent support and provided to the sheet metal part. In order to embody the application of a geometrically accurate separating agent in a reproducible and simple way, it is proposed that the separating agent be punched from the sheet-like separating agent support that is supplied below the electrical steel strip.

To provide a stacking apparatus and a stack manufacturing system having high accuracy and productivity. A stacking apparatus 10 includes: a stage unit 40 on which a first material to be stacked 91 and a second material to be stacked 92 are stacked and placed; a sandwiching member 31 that is vertically movable with respect to the stage unit 40, and between which and the stage unit 40 the first material to be stacked 91 an the second stacked 92 are sandwiched; and a press member 33 that is vertically movable with respect to the sandwiching member 31 and simultaneously presses the first material to be stacked 91 and the second material to be stacked 92.

A sheet bonding device includes a pressurization mold which is constituted of an upper mold and a lower mold and performs sealing through heating by sandwiching a sealing target portion of a bag main body and a sealing target portion of a gas barrier function sheet with pressurization surfaces; a plurality of support pins which are provided in the lower mold so as to be retractable and position the gas barrier function sheet with respect to one surface of the bag main body by penetrating the sealing target portions of the bag main body and the gas barrier function sheet; and gas spray means for making the gas barrier function sheet float by spraying inert gas to an area-enlarged portion, which does not overlap the bag main body, of the gas barrier function sheet supported by the support pins.

A method and an automatic layup system for making a stack of a plurality of composite plies are presented. The automatic layup system includes a stacking assembly located in a first plane and a layup tool located in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The stacking assembly and the layup tool are movable towards each other. The method includes the steps of (a) providing one or more composite sheets between the layup tool and the stacking assembly, (b) generating a first composite ply from the one or more composite sheets, (c) placing the first composite ply on the layup tool by the stacking assembly by bringing the stacking assembly and the layup tool close to each other, and (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) for generating and placing a second composite ply on the first composite ply, which is placed on the layup tool.

A method for making a friction plate that includes a core plate and a friction facing is disclosed. The method includes cutting a pattern of friction material segments into a friction material sheet such that each friction material segment remains integrally connected to the friction material sheet, locating a predetermined number of the friction material segments adjacent to a surface of a core plate to which a bonding material is present, separating the friction material segments from the friction material sheet, and placing the friction material segments onto the surface of the core plate over the bonding material. An apparatus for practicing this method is also disclosed.

A method for applying friction lining elements to a friction lining support is provided. The invention is characterized in that friction lining elements are applied simultaneously to opposite sides of the friction lining support.

There is provided a method of manufacturing a combustible heat source having a barrier affixed to an end face thereof, including providing a hollow die having a first opening and an opposed second opening; covering the first opening with a laminar barrier material; punching a barrier from the laminar barrier material by inserting a first punch into the hollow die through the first opening; placing one or more particulate components in the hollow die through the second opening; compressing the one or more particulate components to form a combustible heat source and affixing the barrier to an end face of the combustible heat source by inserting a second punch into the hollow die through the second opening; and ejecting the combustible heat source having the barrier affixed to the end face thereof from the hollow die.