The present invention relates to a method for producing a decorative part for vehicle interior trim, which is characterized by comprising the following steps: I) a softened decorative film is adhered to an inner surface of a decorative part mold and molded into a decorative film having the shape of a decorative part, wherein the decorative film has a thickness of at least 0.2 mm; II) scrap edges of the decorative film having the shape of the decorative part are removed; III) the decorative film having the shape of the decorative part from which the scrap edges have been removed is placed again in the decorative part mold and adhered to the inner surface of the decorative part mold; and IV) a body material of the decorative part is injected into the decorative part mold by a physical foaming injection molding process and molded into the decorative part together with the decorative film. In the present invention, a decorative part for vehicle interior trim which has light weight and excellent appearance can be obtained by a combination of a physical foaming injection molding process and an insert-mold process.

An automated fiber bundle placement apparatus includes a supply device configured to set a plurality of bobbins, a placement head that performs placement of each of the fiber bundles supplied from the supply device on a placement die, and an articulated robot which moves the placement head. The apparatus includes a delivery mechanism provided on the placement head to send the fiber bundle toward a pressing section, and a plurality of sending mechanisms and driving motors that are provided for each sending mechanism and rotationally drive one of a pair of rollers; a tension detecting mechanism; a setting device in which a target set tension value is set; and a tension control device that controls the drive of each of the driving motors based on the set tension value set and a detection tension value of the tension detecting mechanism.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods to seal a container are provided. An apparatus for securing a film to a container includes a body portion to house film and a sealing portion. The sealing portion includes a loading zone to receive a portion of film from the body portion and an aperture to receive a top portion of the container and the portion of the film therethrough to enable positioning within a sealing volume. A plurality of near-infrared light emitting diodes (NIR LEDs) face toward and at least partially surround the top portion of the container when positioned within the sealing volume. A controller is configured to receive sensor input from a sensor indicating that the top portion of the container is within the sealing volume and cause, in response thereto, activation of the plurality of NIR LEDs to secure the portion of the film to the top portion of the container.

A method for producing a planar composite component having a core layer (B), which is arranged between and integrally bonded to two cover layers (A, A′), wherein the cover layers contain a cover-layer thermoplastic and wherein the core layer contains a core-layer thermoplastic, comprises the following steps: a) a heated stack with layer sequence A-B-A′ is provided; b) the heated stack (A-B-A′) is pressed; c) the pressed stack is cooled, whereby the planar composite component with consolidated layers integrally bonded to each other is formed.

To improve the production method including the producibility of planar 3D components, it is proposed, that at least one of the cover layers (A, A′) in unconsolidated form comprises a fibrous nonwoven layer of 10 to 100 wt.-% thermoplastic fibers of the cover-layer thermo-plastic and 0 to 90 wt-% of reinforcing fibers having an areal weight of 300 to 3′000 g/m.sup.2; the core layer (B) in unconsolidated form comprises at least one randomly-oriented-fiber nonwoven layer (D) formed from reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic fibers of the core-layer thermoplastic, and that after the pressing the consolidated core layer(s) has/have an air pore content of <5 vol.-% and the consolidated core layer has an air pore content of 20 to 80 vol-%.

Methods of producing particles of fiber and resin from fiber-resin composite materials are disclosed. The particles may be combined with a resin system and optionally combined with fillers, binders or reinforcements to produce new cured solid composite products.

A method for reworking a composite laminate comprising a plurality of tapes, comprising the following steps: detecting the occurrence of a defect on a tape of composite material while the tape is being laid up; continuing the lay-up of the defective tape until a tape length is formed which surpasses a manufacturing length of the tape; catching the part of the defective tape that surpasses the manufacturing length of the tap; cutting the defective tape in the part of the defective tape that surpasses the manufacturing length of the tape; removing from the laminate the caught defective tape by the catching system, and laying-up a replacement tape in the place of the removed defective tape.

A molding method is provided for molding composite materials. The molding method molds a stack of composite materials formed by impregnating a base material with resin. The molding method includes providing a first resin with a photocuring property and providing a second resin with a thermosetting property. The first resin contained in a first composite material is cured by irradiating the first composite material with light, then the second resin is cured by heating the second resin contained in a second composite material. The curing of the first resin contained in the first composite material is completed before starting the curing of the second resin contained the second composite material that is adjacent to the first composite material of a surface layer.

A sheet space-detecting device detects a space between a rear end of a preceding first fiber reinforced plastic sheet and a front end of a following second fiber reinforced plastic sheet in a conveyance path for fiber reinforced plastic sheets and includes: a light-detecting sensor that projects detection light on an area including the rear end of the first fiber reinforced plastic sheet, the front end of the second fiber reinforced plastic sheet, and a reference surface exposed from the space and receives reflected light thereof; and a spacer that supports the rear end of the first fiber reinforced plastic sheet and the front end of the second fiber reinforced plastic sheet in a state where the rear end and the front end are separated from the reference surface, in an area including at least a light-projected area on which the detection light is projected.

The present disclosure includes systems, apparatuses, and methods for an optical system. In some aspects, the systems and devices may produce a wafer for use in the manufacture of an optical article. The wafer includes a laminate having a first layer that includes a first matrix material having a lower surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface and a second layer that includes a second matrix material, the second layer is coupled to the first layer and covers at least a portion of the lower surface or the upper surface. The first layer includes a first thickness at a central portion that is greater than a second thickness at an edge portion.

The invention relates to an anchor for arrangement in lightweight building boards, wherein a lightweight building board has a first covering layer and a second covering layer made from compact material that is stiff in compression, and a core layer, which is arranged between the covering layers and is made from material with a low density in comparison with the covering layers, in particular paper honeycomb, foam or solid wood of low density, having a first anchor part and a second anchor part, wherein the first and the second anchor part are designed to be movable relative to one another, in which a travel between a first end position and a second end position is limited, wherein the first end position is defined by means of first stop means on the first and the second anchor part, and the second end position is defined by means of second stop means on the first and the second anchor part.