A method of producing a core for a composite panel along a continuous production line is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a thermoplastic sheet of material onto the production line and vacuum forming the thermoplastic sheet of material into alternating pairs of matching shapes, providing the thermoplastic sheet of material with alternating pairs of matching shapes onto upper and lower conveyor belts that are operating at lower speeds than the production line causing the pairs of matching shapes to bunch up and form a honeycomb structure, and cutting the honeycomb structure into discrete sections with spaces therebetween. A plurality of reinforced plastic bands with gaps therebetween are provided and the honeycomb structure is aligned with the gaps. The plurality of reinforced plastic bands and the honeycomb structure are secured together.

A composite molded cargo body panel including a core, an interior skin secured to a first side of the core having a thickness, and exterior skin secured to a second side of the core, and a plurality of recesses. The plurality of recesses are dispersed along a first direction at intervals in the interior skin, with the core thickness at each of the plurality of recesses being reduced compared to a maximum core thickness, and each of the plurality of recesses defines a support surface. A pocket is formed in each of the plurality of recesses, with the core thickness at the pocket being less than the core thickness at each of the plurality of recesses. A plurality of logistics inserts are attached to the respective support surfaces of the plurality of recesses so that, at each of the plurality of recesses, the logistics insert extends across the pocket.

A vehicle interior component includes a base member, a cover member, and an adhesive layer applied to the base member or the cover member. The cover member and the base member are attached via the adhesive layer. On corners of the base member and in the vicinity of the corners, the base member includes non-adhesive portions where an adhesive is not applied.

A method of forming an orthodontic aligner comprises: generating a teeth digital model; generating a digital dental model based thereon; assigning an identifier to the digital model; forming a dental model, marked with the identifier, corresponding to the digital model; coding a RFID chip within a pallet with the identifier; placing the dental model upon the corresponding pallet, based on the identifier, to form a model/pallet pair; placing the model/pallet pair into a model/pallet vessel; placing a biocompatible thermoplastic sheet upon a membrane stretched about a pressurizable chamber; heating the thermoplastic sheet; placing the membrane and the heated sheet adjacent the model/pallet pair; pressurizing the chamber to apply pressure to the membrane to form the sheet onto the model to form a molded aligner sheet; and cooling the molded aligner sheet to form the orthodontic aligner. The membrane creates a physical barrier between the applied pressure and the sheet.

A method of forming an orthodontic aligner comprises: generating a teeth digital model; generating a digital dental model based thereon; assigning an identifier to the digital model; forming a dental model, marked with the identifier, corresponding to the digital model; coding a RFID chip within a pallet with the identifier; placing the dental model upon the corresponding pallet, based on the identifier, to form a model/pallet pair; placing the model/pallet pair into a model/pallet vessel; placing a biocompatible thermoplastic sheet upon a membrane stretched about a pressurizable chamber; heating the thermoplastic sheet; placing the membrane and the heated sheet adjacent the model/pallet pair; pressurizing the chamber to apply pressure to the membrane to form the sheet onto the model to form a molded aligner sheet; and cooling the molded aligner sheet to form the orthodontic aligner. The membrane creates a physical barrier between the applied pressure and the sheet.

A method for producing a composite glass pane, includes placing a first glass pane having a thickness less than or equal to 1 mm on a support mould, wherein the first glass pane is curved into a shape determined by the support mould; placing at least one thermoplastic film on the first glass pane; placing a curved second glass pane having a thickness greater than or equal to 1.5 mm on the thermoplastic film; and joining the first glass pane to the second glass pane via the thermoplastic film to form a composite glass pane by lamination.

The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

Illustrated and described are a method and a device for laminating a profiled fibre moulding with a thermoplastic film. The film is laminated onto a surface of the fibre moulding to be coated by heat and differential pressure. To improve the lamination of the fibre moulding and to achieve uniform lamination thicknesses over the entire fibre moulding, the method includes the following steps: fixing at least an edge of the fed film to a base plate, heating the film, deforming the film via a moulding tool, feeding the fibre moulding, joining the fibre moulding to the pre-formed film, and removing the laminated fibre moulding.

Illustrated and described are a method and a device for laminating a profiled fibre moulding with a thermoplastic film. The film is laminated onto a surface of the fibre moulding to be coated by heat and differential pressure. To improve the lamination of the fibre moulding and to achieve uniform lamination thicknesses over the entire fibre moulding, the method includes the following steps: fixing at least an edge of the fed film to a base plate, heating the film, deforming the film via a moulding tool, feeding the fibre moulding, joining the fibre moulding to the pre-formed film, and removing the laminated fibre moulding.

Method of making golf ball comprising aligning thermoformed depressions with dimpled mold cups and applying sufficient heat and suction to the thermoformed depressions without exposing any preselected subassembly to the heat and suction to soften the polymeric material of each thermoformed depression and draw air outward from a volume located between an inner surface of the dimpled mold cup and an outer surface of the thermoformed depression to form a thermoformed pre-form half-shell having an outer surface with the size, shape and contour of the inner surface of the dimpled mold cup(s) and an inner surface with the size, shape and contour of the outer surface of a preselected subassembly. Afterwards, a preselected subassembly is loaded between a pair of thermoformed pre-form half-shells and molded under sufficient short-term heat and suction to form the golf ball. The thickness of each thermoformed depression and thermoformed pre-form half-shell may be tapered.