An automotive vehicle includes a body with a front portion and a rear portion. The vehicle additionally includes a spoiler coupled to the rear portion. The spoiler includes a first portion, a second portion, and a cap. The first portion includes a first plastic material, the second portion includes a second plastic material, and the cap includes a third plastic material. The second plastic material is distinct from the first plastic material. The second portion is disposed between the first portion and the cap. The second portion has a through hole extending therethrough. The cap has a diameter exceeding that of the through hole. The first portion and the cap are welded together via the through hole to mechanically secure the second portion to the first portion.

An automotive vehicle includes a body with a front portion and a rear portion. The vehicle additionally includes a spoiler coupled to the rear portion. The spoiler includes a first portion, a second portion, and a cap. The first portion includes a first plastic material, the second portion includes a second plastic material, and the cap includes a third plastic material. The second plastic material is distinct from the first plastic material. The second portion is disposed between the first portion and the cap. The second portion has a through hole extending therethrough. The cap has a diameter exceeding that of the through hole. The first portion and the cap are welded together via the through hole to mechanically secure the second portion to the first portion.

A damper unit for use in a vibration-reducing assembly for a steering wheel is disclosed. The damper unit includes a slider configured, upon horn activation, to slide on a guide shaft. A damper element made from an elastomeric material is arranged on a first part of the slider. A molded horn spring element is molded directly on a second part of the slider and is configured to exert a spring force on the slider. The damper unit provides a unitary structure providing both a vibration damping function and a horn spring function in one single assembly unit, reducing the number of components to assemble. A vibration-reducing damper assembly including one or more such damper units is also disclosed, as well as a method of making such a damper unit.

Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the foamed articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating such foamed articles are provided. In one aspect, a method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable material and carbon dioxide in a vessel, maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material, optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure, and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.

An aircraft skin panel includes a laminated composite layer and a ground plane coupled to the composite layer, wherein the ground plane is an electrically conductive elastic thermoplastic.

In the process of making a hollow product, especially a deformable toy ball, two halves made from an elastomeric material, a thermoplastic material, rubber, a blend of rubbers, or a thermoplastic elastomer are formed by injection molding with mating edges that engage with each other when the halves are assembled to form the product. The edge of one of the two halves is advantageously formed with a recess centered in the edge, in which a flange formed on the edge of the other of the two halves engages to provide a form-fitting connection between the two halves. The opposing edges are then bonded with each other by fusion or melting or by an adhesive applied to at least one of the edges prior to assembling the halves together. A deformable ball produced by the process is also described.

In the process of making a hollow product, especially a deformable toy ball, two halves made from an elastomeric material, a thermoplastic material, rubber, a blend of rubbers, or a thermoplastic elastomer are formed by injection molding with mating edges that engage with each other when the halves are assembled to form the product. The edge of one of the two halves is advantageously formed with a recess centered in the edge, in which a flange formed on the edge of the other of the two halves engages to provide a form-fitting connection between the two halves. The opposing edges are then bonded with each other by fusion or melting or by an adhesive applied to at least one of the edges prior to assembling the halves together. A deformable ball produced by the process is also described.

A method of manufacturing a multicolor shoe material includes the following steps. Step S1: blank molds are provided, and a mold chamber of each of the blank molds is injected by one of the foamed materials in different colors to form unfoamed semi-finished products in different colors. Step S2: the semi-finished products are put into a foaming mold, when the foaming mold is preheated and completely closed, a ratio of a total volume of the semi-finished products to a volume of the mold chamber of the foaming mold is ranged between 0.96 and 1.04. Thus, the semi-finished products could be evenly foamed. After foaming, adjacent two of the semi-finished products could be connected by heat fusion to obtain the multicolor shoe material. Additionally, a semi-finished product and a multicolor shoe material are provided in the present invention.

A method for making teat unit including providing a support body and a securing part, the support body including a plurality of recesses, forming a teat by overmolding the teat over the support body and over the recesses of the support body so that the teat covers the recesses, and overmolding the teat over an upper edge of the securing part, thereby forming a connection between the securing part and the support body which connects the securing part to the support body. In another method, the support body and the securing part are already one single piece and the teat is overmolded at least over the support body.

A method for forming an article includes providing a sheet of material, optionally conditioning the sheet with a surface of a roller, forming the sheet to provide a web, and separating an article from the web to provide the article. An apparatus adapted to form the article from a sheet is provided.