A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

Method for production of articles and semi-finished products made of cellulose acetate, comprising the steps of recover-mg waste material consisting of cellulose acetate derived from previously made cellulose acetate articles and/or semi-finished products, distributing or positioning a mixture of at least one polymeric material inside a mould, heating and pressing the mixture inside the mould in order to form the articles or semi-finished products. The mixture is formed at least partially by the waste material consisting of cellulose acetate and the articles and/or semi-finished products may be subjected to a cooling and pressing step. The mixture is formed at least partially by fragments of cellulose acetate.

A method for producing a hologram on a curved substrate plate includes providing a curved substrate plate having a substrate surface, the actual geometry of which is subject to a tolerance deviation with respect to a predetermined desired geometry; providing an inflatable cushion with a cushion surface that can be deformed under the effect of pressure and is preformed into the predetermined desired geometry or with a predetermined deviation therefrom; applying a holographic master in the form of a flexible thin layer to the deformable cushion surface and applying a hologram-recording layer to the substrate surface; pressing or placing the holographic master onto the hologram-recording layer by way of the cushion surface deformed to the actual geometry, thereby achieving full surface-area contact between them with a substantially constant predetermined layer thickness of the hologram-recording layer, and exposing the hologram-recording layer to form a hologram.

A method for producing a hologram on a curved substrate plate includes providing a curved substrate plate having a substrate surface, the actual geometry of which is subject to a tolerance deviation with respect to a predetermined desired geometry; providing an inflatable cushion with a cushion surface that can be deformed under the effect of pressure and is preformed into the predetermined desired geometry or with a predetermined deviation therefrom; applying a holographic master in the form of a flexible thin layer to the deformable cushion surface and applying a hologram-recording layer to the substrate surface; pressing or placing the holographic master onto the hologram-recording layer by way of the cushion surface deformed to the actual geometry, thereby achieving full surface-area contact between them with a substantially constant predetermined layer thickness of the hologram-recording layer, and exposing the hologram-recording layer to form a hologram.

A workstation for a film-processing packaging machine defines a film transport plane in which the packaging film can be transported. In addition, the workstation comprises an electrically operable heating assembly. The latter in turn comprises an electrically conductive planar resistance heating element which in a plane parallel to the film transport plane has dimensions that are greater by a factor of at least 5, preferably at least 10, than in a direction perpendicular to the film transport plane. The resistance heating element is arranged between a heating plate and a clamping plate. The disclosure also relates to a packaging machine with such a workstation and to a method for operating such a workstation.

The pressing of an article is achieved with a closed-loop feedback press. The closed-loop feedback press is effective to measure an amount of pressure applied and adjust the pressure to achieve a prescribed amount of compression on the article. Further, the press may leverage a closed-loop feedback system to maintain a consistent temperature of one or more platens. The press is able to adjust a pressure applied one or more times during a pressing operation to accelerate a temperature change in the pressed article while reducing the pressure applied as the temperature approaches a target temperature to limit unintentional deformation and bleeding of the pressed material of the article.

The present invention falls within the scope of thermo-laminated and compact high-pressure composites, namely it relates to a method for the manufacture of a post-deformable high-pressure composite, which can be used in the automotive, aircraft, railway and naval industries, as well as in the architecture and design sector, both in indoor and outdoor environments, comprising the steps of formation of a composite (1) by the arrangement of at least two layers of material, including a layer of Kraft paper sheets (3) coated with thermoplastic resin and a layer of decorative coating; the composite formed in a flat shape, when subjected to a certain temperature and pressure in a mould (4), changes in its geometry according to the shape of that mould (4). It is also an object of this invention the product obtained with the aforementioned manufacturing method.

Disclosed are a dental material with transmittance and color gradients and a method of preparing the dental material. The method includes (1) preparing at least three types of composite resin material precursor powders; (2) sequentially adding the precursor powders into a mold and performing dry pressing to obtain a preform body; alternatively, (2′) dry pressing the first type of precursor powder into a first green body, wrapping the first green body with the second type of precursor powder and then performing dry pressing to obtain a second green body, and repeating the wrapping and dry pressing operations until all types of precursor powder are dry pressed to obtain a preform body; and (3) performing hot-pressing consolidation on the preform body to obtain the desired dental material.

Disclosed are a dental material with transmittance and color gradients and a method of preparing the dental material. The method includes (1) preparing at least three types of composite resin material precursor powders; (2) sequentially adding the precursor powders into a mold and performing dry pressing to obtain a preform body; alternatively, (2′) dry pressing the first type of precursor powder into a first green body, wrapping the first green body with the second type of precursor powder and then performing dry pressing to obtain a second green body, and repeating the wrapping and dry pressing operations until all types of precursor powder are dry pressed to obtain a preform body; and (3) performing hot-pressing consolidation on the preform body to obtain the desired dental material.