A method is provided for manufacturing a composite body. A first longitudinal portion of a continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using a first die of a compression molding tool to provide a shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped first longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a first portion of the composite body. The first portion of the composite body is moved out of the compression molding tool. The first die is swapped for a replacement first die. A second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using the replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped second longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a second portion of the composite body.

An insulation board assembly, having: a foam insulation board; a top facer attached onto a top side of the foam insulation board, the top facer being made of woven material; and a bottom facer attached onto a bottom side of the foam insulation board, the bottom facer being made of woven material. The top and bottom woven facers may have upper and lower coatings and non-woven layers on either side and woven and non-woven layers may be held together with a tie layer.

A method and apparatus for a continuous compression molding machine. The continuous compression molding machine comprises a tooling die, extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone, a tooling sleeve, and a biasing system. The tooling sleeve corresponds to the tooling die and is for use in forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone. The biasing system is configured to hold the thermoplastic charge at a first angle within the heating zone and hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone with the thermoplastic composite charge. The first angle is different from the second angle.

A method and apparatus for a continuous compression molding machine. The continuous compression molding machine comprises a tooling die, extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone, a tooling sleeve, and a biasing system. The tooling sleeve corresponds to the tooling die and is for use in forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone. The biasing system is configured to hold the thermoplastic charge at a first angle within the heating zone and hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone with the thermoplastic composite charge. The first angle is different from the second angle.

A process for producing an eyelet for a biomedical electrode (e.g. an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode) involves: hot pressing an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin to produce a film having a web of eyelets, each eyelet having a post protruding from a first face of the film and a flange at a second face of the film; applying a coating of a non-polarizable conductive material (e.g. a silver-containing material) on to a contact face of the flange; and, cutting the film to produce the eyelets separated from the web. Preferably, the process involves extrusion replication. A web of eyelets for biomedical electrodes has a film of an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin possessing a plurality of posts protruding from a first face of the film, and preferably a layer of a non-polarizable conductive material on a second face of the film. The process may be a one-step continuous process that is cheaper and simpler than current commercial processes.

A packaging machine is for forming a product cavity in a web including a forming die box defining a recess into which the product cavity is formed. An insert is axially movable in the recess to thereby vary a depth of the recess. A variable depth mechanism selectively moves the insert to vary the depth of the recess. The packaging machine includes a latching mechanism that moves the forming die box into and between a first position in which the forming die box is spaced apart from the die box base and a second position in which the forming die box is supported by the die box base.

A packaging machine is for forming a product cavity in a web including a forming die box defining a recess into which the product cavity is formed. An insert is axially movable in the recess to thereby vary a depth of the recess. A variable depth mechanism selectively moves the insert to vary the depth of the recess. The packaging machine includes a latching mechanism that moves the forming die box into and between a first position in which the forming die box is spaced apart from the die box base and a second position in which the forming die box is supported by the die box base.

A composite material component manufacturing method includes a molding step of applying, by a pressing device, heat and pressure to a prepreg to mold the prepreg, and a transfer step of transferring the prepreg. The transfer step includes moving the prepreg together with the pressing device in a state in which a pressing force is applied to the prepreg by the pressing device.

A composite laminate structure includes a cellular core and a first laminate layer coupled to the cellular core. The first laminate layer includes a first thermoplastic layer and a first fiber-reinforced polymer layer, where a first surface of the first fiber-reinforced polymer layer is thermally consolidated to a second surface of the first thermoplastic layer. A first surface of the first thermoplastic layer is directly in contact with and bound to a first surface of the cellular core by temperature reduction of the first thermoplastic layer below a glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic layer while the cellular core is pressed against the first thermoplastic layer when the first thermoplastic layer is above the glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic layer and the cellular core is below a temperature where materials of the cellular core flow or degrade.

A process for producing an eyelet for a biomedical electrode (e.g. an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode) involves: hot pressing an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin to produce a film having a web of eyelets, each eyelet having a post protruding from a first face of the film and a flange at a second face of the film; applying a coating of a non-polarizable conductive material (e.g. a silver-containing material) on to a contact face of the flange; and, cutting the film to produce the eyelets separated from the web. Preferably, the process involves extrusion replication. A web of eyelets for biomedical electrodes has a film of an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin possessing a plurality of posts protruding from a first face of the film, and preferably a layer of a non-polarizable conductive material on a second face of the film. The process may be a one-step continuous process that is cheaper and simpler than current commercial processes.