A thermoforming in-lay technique is discussed that uses retractable pins to hold an in-lay piece securely in place in a primary mold. The in-lay piece is fabricated prior to the primary molding process and creates multiple pin receivers in the in-lay that are retractably engaged by the retractable pins when placed into the primary mold. When the primary substrate is formed into the primary mold, the retractable pins prevent the in-lay piece from moving out of position. Once the primary substrate has cooled sufficiently, the pins are retracted allowing the finished primary carrier art to be removed from the primary mold.

A thermoforming in-lay technique is discussed that uses retractable pins to hold an in-lay piece securely in place in a primary mold. The in-lay piece is fabricated prior to the primary molding process and creates multiple pin receivers in the in-lay that are retractably engaged by the retractable pins when placed into the primary mold. When the primary substrate is formed into the primary mold, the retractable pins prevent the in-lay piece from moving out of position. Once the primary substrate has cooled sufficiently, the pins are retracted allowing the finished primary carrier art to be removed from the primary mold.

A system includes a press, an external heater and a slipper tool. The press is moveable between an open position and a closed position, and has a mold tool. The external heater is located outside the press. The slipper tool is moveable between the external heater and a mold space of the press when the press is in an open position. The slipper tool has a surface configured to receive thereon a material of a product to be molded. The surface corresponds to a molded surface of the product. When the slipper tool is at the external heater, the external heater is configured to heat the material received on the slipper tool. When the slipper tool is in the mold space and the press is in a closed position, the mold tool is configured to press the heated material against the surface of the slipper tool to mold the product.

A system includes a press, an external heater and a slipper tool. The press is moveable between an open position and a closed position, and has a mold tool. The external heater is located outside the press. The slipper tool is moveable between the external heater and a mold space of the press when the press is in an open position. The slipper tool has a surface configured to receive thereon a material of a product to be molded. The surface corresponds to a molded surface of the product. When the slipper tool is at the external heater, the external heater is configured to heat the material received on the slipper tool. When the slipper tool is in the mold space and the press is in a closed position, the mold tool is configured to press the heated material against the surface of the slipper tool to mold the product.

The present invention is directed to a system for thermoforming a batch of dental appliances simultaneously. An embodiment of the invention includes a vacuum plate having an upper surface and a plurality of cups for receiving dental models. A polymer sheet extends over the upper surface of the vacuum plate and over the cups. A heater cap that is movable in proximity to the cups is provided to heat the polymer sheet to be formed onto the dental models. The vacuum plate is configured to create a vacuum seal between an upper edge of the cups and the polymer sheet. A vacuum source is provided to apply a vacuum to the cups below the polymer sheet wherein the pressure contained in said cups is lower than atmospheric pressure whereby at least a portion of the polymer sheet is drawn into each of the cups and drawn over the dental models to form an aligner over each of the dental models. The invention includes the process of drawing a vacuum in a series of steps, or phases, to the cups below the polymer sheet to form the polymer effectively around the dental model.

The present invention is directed to a system for thermoforming a batch of dental appliances simultaneously. An embodiment of the invention includes a vacuum plate having an upper surface and a plurality of cups for receiving dental models. A polymer sheet extends over the upper surface of the vacuum plate and over the cups. A heater cap that is movable in proximity to the cups is provided to heat the polymer sheet to be formed onto the dental models. The vacuum plate is configured to create a vacuum seal between an upper edge of the cups and the polymer sheet. A vacuum source is provided to apply a vacuum to the cups below the polymer sheet wherein the pressure contained in said cups is lower than atmospheric pressure whereby at least a portion of the polymer sheet is drawn into each of the cups and drawn over the dental models to form an aligner over each of the dental models. The invention includes the process of drawing a vacuum in a series of steps, or phases, to the cups below the polymer sheet to form the polymer effectively around the dental model.

A method and system for producing a dental implant surgical guide is disclosed. A patient-specific virtual model is generated using image data specific to a patient and virtual dental implants. The virtual model aligns the image data with the virtual dental implants using modeling software. A virtual mold is generated from the virtual model, and a physical mold is generated from the virtual mold. The physical mold is covered with a thermoplastic sheet via a thermoforming process. Excess thermoplastic material is trimmed off after the thermoforming process to produce a thermoformed piece. Metal tubes corresponding to each the virtual dental implants are placed onto the physical mold denoting the position, trajectory, and depth of the one or more virtual dental implants. A dental implant surgical guide that contains the thermoformed piece with the one or more tubes is produced.

Embodiments of the provided technology relate to methods, devices, and systems that drive a transfer of the digital profile of residual limb contours to a thermoplastic article such as a prosthetic socket strut. A method of reforming a thermoplastic article to assume a desired shape, such as a contour that replicates or is complementary to the contour of a body portion, may include heating a thermoplastic article to render the article malleable. The method may further include placing the thermoplastic article against a molding surface having a desired shape that replicates the portion of the body part. Next, the thermoplastic article may be pressed against the molding surface with a compliant molding press to reform at least a portion of the article into the desired shape. The reformed thermoplastic article may then be removed from the molding surface, the article retaining the desired shape after removal.

Embodiments of the provided technology relate to methods, devices, and systems that drive a transfer of the digital profile of residual limb contours to a thermoplastic article such as a prosthetic socket strut. A method of reforming a thermoplastic article to assume a desired shape, such as a contour that replicates or is complementary to the contour of a body portion, may include heating a thermoplastic article to render the article malleable. The method may further include placing the thermoplastic article against a molding surface having a desired shape that replicates the portion of the body part. Next, the thermoplastic article may be pressed against the molding surface with a compliant molding press to reform at least a portion of the article into the desired shape. The reformed thermoplastic article may then be removed from the molding surface, the article retaining the desired shape after removal.

A resin sheet material 2 in a state of being stretched in a longitudinal direction is held by a stretching and bending mechanism 3, and heated and softened by a heating unit 5. The softened resin sheet material 2 is stretched by pulling the ends in the longitudinal direction and ends in a transverse direction of the resin sheet material by the stretching and bending mechanism 3. The stretched resin sheet material 2 is bent by the stretching and bending mechanism 3, and molded by vacuum forming by a resin molding unit 6.