A flat laminate element made of thermoplastic is hot-formed in a two-stage method. In a first stage, the flat laminate which includes film(s) and/or panels(n) is placed on a flat frame-shaped pallet and is heated to a forming temperature in a heating zone between two flat heat screens in a contactless manner. The edge zone of the hot flat laminate element lies on the pallet such that the laminate piece cannot be clamped in a first laminate direction but rather can be slide on the pallet in this direction. Two non-flat rigid contours which are identical or largely identical act on two opposing parallel laminate edge sections uniaxially and perpendicularly to the laminate plane and only in the first laminate direction, i.e. monodirectionally, and shape the entire heated laminate element into a monodirectionally molded blank.

A laminating apparatus for a curved screen including a base, an elastic component, a backing plate, and a flexible pressing mold, where the backing plate is arranged above the base, the elastic component is connected to the backing plate, the flexible pressing mold covers the backing plate, and a top of the flexible pressing mold is arranged as a curved surface adapted to a shape of a screen; and the base includes a main body and two side beams connected to two sides of the main body, the side beams are higher than the main body in a vertical direction, the side beams are provided with grooves and supporting parts extending along length directions of respective side beams, and two sides of the flexible pressing mold extend outward to cover the supporting parts and reach into the grooves.

A filament winding apparatus includes a working area in which an operator performs an operation to at least one bobbin and/or liner on a conveyance path, an operation area in which a winder is driven, a buffer area between the working area and the operation area in a conveyance direction on the conveyance path, and an outside area that is neither the working area, the operation area, nor the buffer area being provided; and first fixed fences provided at borders between (i) the operation area and the buffer area and (ii) the working area and at the borders between (I) the operation area and the buffer area and (II) the outside area; and a first door provided at a border between the working area and the buffer area, and wherein the buffer area includes an accumulator portion capable of accumulating the at least one bobbin and the liner.

A curing process includes providing a hybrid material comprising a conductive filler in contact with a thermosetting resin. In addition, the curing process includes passing an electric current through the hybrid material to provide Joule heating until a temperature of the hybrid material reaches a temperature above a curing temperature of the thermosetting resin.

A method for producing a laminated moulded part comprises a pressure moulding of a blank to form a moulded part in a moulding cavity between a first moulding tool unit and a second moulding tool unit, introducing of a laminating element into the moulding cavity after the pressure moulding of the blank, and a bonding of the moulded part with the laminating element in the moulding cavity.

A construct for a hockey blade that includes a foam core. The foam core includes a first core face, a second core face, and a bottom core edge and a top core edge. Multiple pins are injected into the foam core, and one or more layers of resin preimpregnated tape are wrapped around the foam before forming a hockey blade structure in a heated mold.

The soft boot and liner include a moisture transfer system that includes an inner fabric layer carefully selected from technically advanced fabrics. A series of layers are provided outside the inner liner including foam material layers, spacer fabrics and breathable membranes, in various orders. Encapsulation technology and waterproofing are used as well. The outer fabric layer is also capable of working with the other layers to promote the transfer of moisture. Frothed foams and flocking with fibers are further characteristics of the present invention. The moisture transfer system is incorporated into a soft boot or skate or as a removable liner for a shell boot. Numerous other modifications and applications are disclosed.

Embodiments provide a lamination machine and lamination process for laminating a membrane to a three-dimensional (3D) target surface of an article, such as a footwear article, glove, clothing article, backpack, or other article. The lamination machine may include an inflatable former that is permeable to air. The inflatable former may have a shape that generally corresponds to a shape of the target surface. The membrane and target surface may be arranged on the former, with a heat-activated adhesive disposed between the membrane and the target surface. The lamination machine may further include a pump to pump heated compressed air into the former. The heated compressed air may inflate the former to press the membrane against the target surface and to activate the adhesive to bond the membrane to the target surface.

Provided are systems and apparatuses for manufacturing aircraft support structures. An example robotic end effector comprises a rotatable reel with a flat strip of material wound around the reel. The end effector further includes a forming shoe including a forming surface contacting the strip of material. A first end of the forming surface corresponds to a start shape and a second end of the forming surface corresponds to an end shape. As the strip of material passes from the first end of the forming surface to the second end of the forming surface, the strip of material transitions from the first shape to the end shape and is deposited as a formed stringer ply onto an application surface. The forming shoe may further include a vacuum system to suction air through a plurality of ports along the forming surface to urge the strip of material against the forming surface.

An optical cable and method for forming an optical cable is provided. The cable includes a cable jacket including an inner surface defining a channel and an outer surface and also includes a plurality of optical fibers located within the channel. The cable includes a seam within the cable jacket that couples together opposing longitudinal edges of a wrapped thermoplastic sheet which forms the cable jacket and maintains the cable jacket in the wrapped configuration around the plurality of optical fibers. The method includes forming an outer cable jacket by wrapping a sheet of thermoplastic material around a plurality of optical core elements. The method includes melting together portions of thermoplastic material of opposing longitudinal edges of the wrapped sheet such that a seam is formed holding the sheet of thermoplastic material in the wrapped configuration around the core elements.