The invention relates to a decorative part (11) for a motor vehicle and a method for the production thereof, having a carrier part (18) and having a covering part (12) made of a single-pane safety glass, which are connected to each other, wherein a bonding agent layer (17) is applied over the entire surface on a fixing side (16) of the covering part (12) opposite the visible side (14) of the decorative part (12), and a layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer (26) is provided over the entire surface on the bonding agent layer (17), by means of which the carrier part (18) is fixedly connected to the covering part (12), wherein at least one sealing lip (34, 51) is moulded on the TPE layer (26).

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a laminate. One method includes laying up a first set of layers comprising tows of unidirectional thermoplastic fiber-reinforced material for the laminate, and laying up a second set of layers comprising tows of braided thermoplastic fiber-reinforced material for the laminate.

Lightweight, structurally reinforced thermoplastic objects comprising at least one reinforcement zone are manufactured by providing a heatable rigid forming chamber with a chamber volume. At a temperature below the thermoplastic softening temperature, the chamber is loaded with a plurality of thermoplastic lofting bodies and a plurality of thermoplastic reinforcement bodies wherein the lofting bodies are heat-loftable bodies comprising a thermoplastic matrix containing an elastically compressed assembly of reinforcement fibers embedded therein, lofty non-woven bodies comprising an elastically compressible assembly of reinforcement fibers and thermoplastic fibers. Upon closing the chamber, lofting bodies of lofty non-wovens are elastically compressed, producing an internal pressure. After heating the chamber above softening temperature, reinforcement bodies and lofting bodies are ow thermoplastically formable, and lofting bodies configured as heat-loftable bodies produce a second internal pressure. After a predetermined processing time, the chamber is cooled yielding a structurally reinforced object.

A method for making an object (2) from plastic material, having a wall (21) and a through hole (22) formed in the wall (21), comprises the following steps: preparing a dose (20) of extruded plastic material; preparing a mould (1), having a first half mould (11) and a second half mould (12), mutually movable along a longitudinal axis (A1), wherein the first half mould (11) includes a body (111) and a plunger (112), the plunger (112) being movable relative to the body (111) between a retracted position and an advanced position; positioning the dose (20); closing the mould (1) to form a closed moulding space (V); moving the plunger (112) from the retracted position to the advanced position to squeeze the dose (20) so that the plastic material is forced to occupy the moulding space (V).

A fiber-reinforced resin molded article is produced by pressing a plurality of thermoplastic base material sheets, each of which contains a plurality of reinforcing fibers, in a stacked state where the base material sheets are stacked so that the fiber directions (orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers) are alternated. Each base material sheet is provided with a cut including: a plurality of lengthwise cut lines extending parallel to the fiber direction; and a plurality of crosswise cut lines extending parallel to a direction that is perpendicular to the fiber direction. A plurality of cut interruption parts for interrupting the lengthwise cut lines in the fiber direction are formed. The cut interruption parts are arranged in a staggered manner so as to be displaced from each other in the fiber direction.

A molding system capable of reducing molding defects including first and second parison forming devices; first and second molds configured to be opened and closed; and a control unit. The first parison forming device comprises a first extruder, a first accumulator, and a first injection head, the first parison forming device is configured to form a first parison by injecting a first molten resin from the first injection head after the first molten resin extruded from the first extruder is accumulated in the first accumulator, the second parison forming device comprises a second extruder, a second accumulator, and a second injection head, the second parison forming device is configured to form a second parison by injecting a second molten resin from the second injection head after the second molten resin extruded from the second extruder is accumulated in the second accumulator.

Annular structures formed using composite materials and systems and methods for forming annular structures using composite materials are provided. The composite materials can include fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials. The annular structures include a number of component parts. Each component part can be in the form of a strip of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material that extends around all or a portion of a circumference of the structure. The ends of the component parts can be staggered, so that they a placed at different locations about the circumference of the structure. Methods for forming annular composite structures include wrapping one or more strips of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material having one or more layers about a mandrel, and fusing the strips to form an integral annular structure.

A printer unit (100) for a 3D-printing apparatus. The printer unit comprises a printer head (105) comprising a nozzle (110) arranged to deposit printing material from the printer unit, a pressure sensor (120) configured to sense a pressure exerted on the printer head from the printing material, and a control unit (130) coupled to the pressure sensor. The control unit is configured to control the speed of the printer head based on a transfer function from the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor to a desired speed of the printer head, in order to maintain a constant deposition of the amount of printing material per length unit of deposited printing material.

A method for cooling a mold used in the production of plastic parts is described. A capillary feeds liquid carbon dioxide to a channel present in the mold typically used in making plastic parts having thin gaps or thin open sections in the plastic part. The channel will be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the capillary but will increase in size either stepwise or progressively as it passes through the mold, particularly at the location where cooling is desired therefore providing more effective cooling to the mold and slides and lifters present therein.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.