A system for controlling the temperature of a film before and/or during application, the system including: a heat source for heating a film; and stretch rollers; wherein the heat source heats the film from an ambient temperature to a temperature from about 2° C. to about 40° C. above the ambient temperature, wherein the film is heated prior to or simultaneous to being stretched by the stretch rollers, and wherein the ambient temperature is below 15° C. A system for improving the application of film by transfer of electrostatic charge is also described. The preheating system and/or electrostatic charge system may be used to enhance binding and sealing properties of stretch films used for wrapping palletized products in a reduced temperature environment. Other embodiments of the preheating film system and electrostatic charge system, and methods for their use, are described herein.

A method for producing shape memory anti-counterfeiting identifier includes the following steps: a high polymer material with a shape memory function without the need of sunshine cross-linking or chemical cross-linking is directly extruded to become sheet in an extruder or is injected to be molded in an injection molding machine, and the extruded sheet can be a planar sheet or a sheet having a surface on which concave-convex patterns or characters are formed; the above sheet is then heated to the temperature higher than the vitrification temperature and lower than the melting point temperature, and the patterns or characters are pressed on the planar sheet, or the sheet on which the concave-convex patterns or characters are already formed is pressed to become planes or other patterns and characters; the sheet is then cut into small sheets, wherein one pattern or one group of characters is implied on every small sheet, and when the small sheets are again heated to the temperature higher than the vitrification temperature and lower than the melting point temperature, they will return to the extruded state.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a outermost nonwoven layer, forming a structural nonwoven layer, needling the structural nonwoven layer and the outermost nonwoven layer together from both the outer surface of the outermost nonwoven layer and the second surface of the structural nonwoven layer, applying an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C. to the second surface of the structural nonwoven layer, and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite. Heat and pressure may be applied to form the moldable, uncured composite. A moldable, uncured nonwoven composite and a molded, cured nonwoven composite are also disclosed.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer, at least partially impregnating the structural nonwoven layer with an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C., and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite such that the temperature at the inner plane is less than about 130° C. forming an moldable, uncured composite. The structural nonwoven layer contains a plurality of bi-component binder fibers and a plurality of reinforcing fibers, the bi-component fibers containing a core and a sheath. The core contains a polymer having a melting temperature of at least about 180° C. and the sheath contains a polymer having a melting temperature less than about 180 ° C. A process for forming a molded, cured composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer and a molded cured nonwoven composite are also disclosed.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer, at least partially impregnating the structural nonwoven layer with an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C., and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite. The structural nonwoven layer contains a plurality of binder fibers and a plurality of reinforcing fibers which are cellulosic fibers. Heat and pressure are applied to the moldable, uncured composite to a temperature of at least about 160° C. at least partially melting the binder fibers, curing the water-based thermosetting resin, and bonding at least a portion of the reinforcing fibers to other reinforcing fibers forming the molded, cured composite. The reinforcing fibers react with and form covalent bonds with the thermosetting resin.

A method is for manufacturing a honeycomb structure including a core material in which a hole is formed to penetrate in a thickness direction and is arranged in a plane direction, and a skin material that is stacked on a surface of the core material. The skin material includes a thermosetting resin. The method includes half-curing the thermosetting resin by placing the skin material in a bag and heating the skin material in a state where an inside of the bag is evacuated and an outside of the bag is under an atmospheric pressure; stacking the skin material in which the thermosetting resin is half-cured onto a side of the surface of the core material; and bonding and integrating the core material and the skin material with each other by pressurizing and heating the stacked core material and skin material with the use of a sealing pressurizing heating facility.

Assisted magnetic forming uses a magnetic field to assist in the forming or molding of metallic and non-metallic materials. For example, such a forming process may form a blank of ferromagnetic metals like high-strength steel and high-hard armor, non-ferromagnetic metals like aluminum and magnesium, as well as non-metals like ceramics, plastics, and fiber-reinforced composites into formed or molded parts. The magnetic field is generated to partially or completely saturate the blank during the forming process, which increases the blank's formability and/or moldability while in the presence of the magnetic field.

A system and method for thermoforming of non-woven fabric is presented. The system includes an air supply, a heating system in fluid communication with the air supply, a pressure and flow equalization element in fluid communication with the heating system, electrical controls in communication with the heating system and the pressure and flow equalization element, a pneumatic element in fluid communication with the pressure and flow equalization element, and a forming head for receiving a thermoformable non-woven fabric and for thermoforming said thermoformable non-woven fabric into a desired shape. The thermoforming process is a two-stage process, a first stage comprises a pre-heat stage wherein a heated flow of air is directed onto the thermoformable non-woven fabric and the second stage comprises flowing a continuous amount of air to increase an amount of heat available to the thermoformable non-woven fabric during thermoforming.

A thermoregulation system of rotating metal cylinders in plants for the extrusion and conversion/transformation of plastic films includes heating elements applied to each rotating cylinder, wherein the heating elements are infrared heating elements, and wherein the rotating cylinder includes a metal tube rotating around a fixed shaft, which is rigidly connected to two side plates.

A method for shaping a preform made from thermoplastic material, and a facility for implementing the method, comprising the following steps: a) providing a preform made from thermoplastic material having a surface; b) supplying thermal energy to the preform by radiation in such a way as to make it ductile; and c) shaping the ductile preform inside a forming mould. Step b) further involves simultaneously spraying a gaseous fluid onto the surface of the preform in order to preserve the surface.