A method for producing a thermoformed product on a single machine with several stations and with different tools includes the following steps: (a) melting and homogenizing plastic granules and providing the plastic melt at a preform station; (b) producing a preform at the preform station in a preform cavity; (c) transferring the preform by a transfer carrier to a thermoforming station at the same machine, the thermoforming station having a thermoforming tool having a thermoforming cavity; (d) preferably heating the preform during the transfer; (e) thermoforming of the thermoformed product in the thermoforming cavity. Advantageously, the final thermoformed product is produced directly from the plastic granules using only a single machine, and in particular without any waste, when the preform is dimensioned in such a way that it does not present any excess with respect to the final shape of the product to be produced.

A method for producing a thermoformed product on a single machine with several stations and with different tools includes the following steps: (a) melting and homogenizing plastic granules and providing the plastic melt at a preform station; (b) producing a preform at the preform station in a preform cavity; (c) transferring the preform by a transfer carrier to a thermoforming station at the same machine, the thermoforming station having a thermoforming tool having a thermoforming cavity; (d) preferably heating the preform during the transfer; (e) thermoforming of the thermoformed product in the thermoforming cavity. Advantageously, the final thermoformed product is produced directly from the plastic granules using only a single machine, and in particular without any waste, when the preform is dimensioned in such a way that it does not present any excess with respect to the final shape of the product to be produced.

A molded automotive textile nonwoven and its associated method of manufacturing includes flat staple fibers exhibiting a width to thickness ratio of 2 to 10 and a denier in the range of 2 to 30. The molded automotive textile non-woven is a three-dimensional (3D) structure that includes one or a plurality of protrusions or recesses which fits to the metallic vehicle floor pan of the vehicle.

A method and apparatus is presented. A portion is cut from a thermoplastic sheet of a first thermoplastic material based on a three dimensional model. The portion is secured to a mold. The portion and the mold are heated under vacuum to form a structure. The structure may take the form of a protective covering. In some illustrative examples, the mold may be formed of a second thermoplastic material based on the three dimensional model using additive manufacturing.

A method and apparatus is presented. A portion is cut from a thermoplastic sheet of a first thermoplastic material based on a three dimensional model. The portion is secured to a mold. The portion and the mold are heated under vacuum to form a structure. The structure may take the form of a protective covering. In some illustrative examples, the mold may be formed of a second thermoplastic material based on the three dimensional model using additive manufacturing.

A system and method are provided for implementing a process by which printed rolls of substrate material web have additional material layers interleaved between the rolled material web layers to substantially eliminate back transfer or roll offset of printed images on the back sides of the rolled material substrates. In a process for pre-printing thermoforming grade plastic materials to produce rolls of substrate material for use in a thermoforming process, ink compositions, particularly adapted for the thermoforming process, are deposited on substantially continuous webs of substrate material. The webs of substrate material are then re-rolled with separate layers of low surface energy substrate material interleaved between the layers of the printed substrate material in order to substantially eliminate imaging defects produced by back transfer of printed images on to the backs of layers of the printed substrate material stored in rolls.

A system and method are provided for implementing a process by which printed rolls of substrate material web have additional material layers interleaved between the rolled material web layers to substantially eliminate back transfer or roll offset of printed images on the back sides of the rolled material substrates. In a process for pre-printing thermoforming grade plastic materials to produce rolls of substrate material for use in a thermoforming process, ink compositions, particularly adapted for the thermoforming process, are deposited on substantially continuous webs of substrate material. The webs of substrate material are then re-rolled with separate layers of low surface energy substrate material interleaved between the layers of the printed substrate material in order to substantially eliminate imaging defects produced by back transfer of printed images on to the backs of layers of the printed substrate material stored in rolls.

A transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is provided for use in storing food and beverages, personal care products, health care products, and other applications that require excellent transparency and barrier properties. The transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle includes first and second outer layers formed using a transparent polyester or polyester copolymer; an inner nanolayer sequence including a plurality of nanolayers a) including ethylene vinyl alcohol, alternating with nanolayers b) including at least one of ethylene ethyl acrylate, low density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene, each of the nanolayers b) having a degree of crystallinity less than about 45%; and adhesive layers between each of the two outer layers and the inner nanolayer sequence. A method for producing a transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is also provided.

This invention provides a food container which can be manufactured cheaply by using inexpensive general PET resin or further inexpensive PET resin for fiber or recovered PET flakes, and nevertheless, which has a high heat resistance up to 250° C., and the container is obtained by adding a chain extender and a compatibilizer and talc to PET resin, charging the mixture into an extruder 30 having two or more vent holes, degassing under a condition where the PET resin is melted with heating by sucking at a high vacuum of −99.99 kPa or lower from the vent holes 33, 34, thereafter, forming a sheet by extrusion molding, pressure-forming with vacuum the sheet by a thermoforming machine, forming the container by keeping in a mold at 100-220° C. The container has a total of the content of crystal portion represented by the following formula and the content of talc being 25% by weight or more.

This invention provides a food container which can be manufactured cheaply by using inexpensive general PET resin or further inexpensive PET resin for fiber or recovered PET flakes, and nevertheless, which has a high heat resistance up to 250° C., and the container is obtained by adding a chain extender and a compatibilizer and talc to PET resin, charging the mixture into an extruder 30 having two or more vent holes, degassing under a condition where the PET resin is melted with heating by sucking at a high vacuum of −99.99 kPa or lower from the vent holes 33, 34, thereafter, forming a sheet by extrusion molding, pressure-forming with vacuum the sheet by a thermoforming machine, forming the container by keeping in a mold at 100-220° C. The container has a total of the content of crystal portion represented by the following formula and the content of talc being 25% by weight or more.