Processes and material compositions are disclosed for applying polymer additive manufacturing to producing press dies, such as for sheet metal forming. As disclosed in various embodiments, material compositions comprise a thermoplastic, a first filler having low aspect ratio particles and a second filler having high aspect ratio. In at least one embodiment, composites according to the disclosed teachings have a compressive modulus greater than 3500 MPa and a compressive strength greater than 70 MPa, such that the composites have sufficient mechanical properties for press tooling and are amenable to extrusion-type additive manufacturing processes. In at least one embodiment, the use of the disclosed composites with additive manufacturing enables reduced overall mass of tooling by inclusion of voids inside the die.

A method for making a container, wherein in a positioning step a tray (2) constituted of a single sheet of material, folded and shaped with wrinkled zones (3) is positioned in a thermoforming mould (7), and wherein in a covering step a sheet of thermoplastic material (1) is thermoformed on the tray (2), the covering step being carried out while preventing the thermoforming mould (7) from making contact with the layer of thermoplastic material (9) at the wrinkled zones (3) of an annular flange (6) of the tray (2). Also claimed is an apparatus (13) which comprises a thermoforming mould (7) in which there are present a first peripheral portion (8) configured to support in use the annular flange (6) of the tray (2) and a second peripheral portion (17) which, in the operating position, is facing the first peripheral portion (8), wherein in the operating position, the second peripheral portion (17) is at a distance from the first peripheral portion (8) in such a way that it does not make contact with the layer of thermoplastic material (9) stuck to the tray (2), at the wrinkled zones (3) of the annular flange (6).

A method for manufacturing a closure constructed for being inserted and securely retained in a portal-forming neck of a product-retaining container is provided. Such method may include intimately combining a plurality of particles comprising cork and having a specified particle size distribution with a plastic material including one or more thermoplastic polymers, optionally in combination with other constituent(s) to form a composition, heating the composition to form a melt, extruding or molding a closure precursor from the melt to provide a specified water content range, and optionally cutting and/or finishing the closure precursor. A composition for use in manufacturing a closure for a product-retaining container includes a plurality of particles comprising cork and having a specified particle size distribution with a plastic material including one or more thermoplastic polymer, optionally in combination with other constituent(s). Methods for producing particulate material, cork composite material, and additional methods for producing closures are also provided.

A thermoplastic surfacer for providing lightning strike protection to a composite component of an aircraft, methods of manufacturing the surfacer, and methods of applying the surfacer to a composite part. The thermoplastic surfacer includes a broadgood having a thermoplastic resin, one or more fillers embedded into the broadgood, and a lightning strike protection mesh or foil embedded into the broadgood. When applying the surfacer to a composite part of an aircraft, the method includes draping the surfacer on an at least partially unconsolidated composite part, consolidating the at least partially unconsolidated composite part by heating the part to a temperature at or above a melt temperature of a resins used in the part and in the surfacer, and filling at least one surface defect in the consolidated part using the thermoplastic polymer resin and milled fibers provided in the thermoplastic surfacer.

A process for producing a molded article involves providing a thin-walled, gas-permeable shell; filling the shell with a foamed pelletized material composed of a polymer; and welding the foamed pelletized material to obtain the molded article. Molded articles are obtainable or obtained by such a process, and can be used as a footwear sole, part of a footwear sole, a mattress, a seat cushion, an underlay, a grip, a protective film, a component in automobile interiors and exteriors, a gymnastics mat, a body protector, a trim element in automobile construction, a sound insulator, a vibration damper, a cushion, a bicycle saddle, a toy, a tire or part of a tire, a covering for a track and field surface, a covering for a sports hall or a pathway, a damping layer or a damping core in a sandwich element, or a packaging.

Process and relative machine for moulding a thermoplastic material for producing a finished article having a shape, wherein the process comprises: providing a mould (99) comprising a first (1) and a second half-mould (2) each having a respective conformation surface (3, 4) which define, with closed mould, a cavity (5) having, in a conformation configuration, the shape; making a semi-finished product (70) made of the thermoplastic material; closing the mould (99) with the semi-finished product (70) interposed between the conformation surfaces (3, 4); admitting a heating fluid into the cavity (5) for heating the semi-finished product (70) permeable to the heating fluid; arranging the cavity (5) in a compacting configuration in which the cavity (5) coincides with a sub-portion of the cavity (5) in the conformation configuration; with the cavity (5) in the compacting configuration and the heating fluid into the cavity (5), compressing the semi-finished product (70) between the conformation surfaces (3, 4); subsequently to compressing the semi-finished product (70), arranging the cavity (5) in the conformation configuration while keeping the heating fluid into the cavity (5), wherein the semi-finished product (70) elastically expands for completely occupying the cavity and assuming the shape; subsequently, evacuating the heating fluid from the cavity (5) for cooling the semi-finished product (70) for obtaining the finished article with the shape; opening the mould (99) and extracting the finished article from the mould (99).

Methods and materials to fabricate laminated devices are disclosed, particularly the laminates where the interlayer is deposited by 3d printing (or also called additive manufacturing process). In particular, emphasis is placed on the fabrication of electrooptical devices, including electrochromic, thermochromic and liquid crystal devices. In the electrochromic devices at least the electrolytic interlayer or optionally some of the other layers are deposited by this process, and for the other two the interlayer contains thermochromic and the liquid crystalline material respectively. In one embodiment printing is used to form both an interlayer and a sealant located at the perimeter of the interlayer. Laminated glass and plastic objects using this invention have many applications including their use in windows for building and transportation.

A method for manufacturing an aeronautical panel with improved impact and damping behaviors. The method is applicable not only to flat panels but also to curved or highly curved panels, whatever their size and the shape of their core. The manufactured sandwich panels comprise dry fiber mats made from fabric material and/or non-crimp fabric material. In a particular embodiment, the fabric material and/or the non-crimp fabric material comprise dry fibers which are recycled and/or reused fibers.

A computer-implemented method for calculating a nominal profile for the movement of an injection actuator of a molding machine includes defining a simulation domain comprising at least one cavity of a mold installed on the molding machine. At least one simulation is performed in the simulation domain, and injection of a molding material into the at least one cavity of the mold is simulated by predefining at least one volume flow profile through an inlet face at the edge of the simulation domain and/or by predefining at least one pressure profile at the inlet face as boundary condition. A volume flow profile calculated using the simulation and/or the at least one volume flow profile is converted into a nominal profile for the movement of an injection actuator, in particular a plasticizing screw, and a compressibility of the molding material is taken into account in the conversion.

A tray having: an annular sidewall having upper and lower annular peripheral edges, an upper annular peripheral rim which is integral with the upper annular peripheral edge, and a base having an annular peripheral edge which is integral with the lower annular peripheral edge of the sidewall, wherein the rim, the sidewall and the base are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and the sidewall and the base define a central concavity for packaging a product, wherein the base has a lattice structure of elongate foam ribs interconnected by foam junctions, wherein each foam rib has opposite ends, and each end is integrally connected to either the annular peripheral edge of the base or one of the foam junctions, wherein each foam rib and each foam junction has opposed upper and lower unfoamed solid skins of the thermoplastic polymer on opposite sides of a central cellular foam core of the thermoplastic polymer