A PVB film for HUD, a forming mold and a forming method thereof are presented. The accuracy error of HUD imaging achieved by the PVB film for HUD is ±0.1 mrad. The forming mold includes an upper mold and a lower mold, the two of which can form an enclosed mold cavity when clamped together, wherein protective films are disposed on inner surfaces of the upper mold and the lower mold, respectively, for supporting PVB material and preventing the PVB material from bonding with the upper mold and the lower mold, and wherein shapes of the protective films match shapes of the upper mold and the lower mold.

A forming station for a thermoform packaging machine comprising a forming tool upper part with a die lid and a tool lower part. The forming tool upper part may comprises a male die part holding plate that has at least one male die part fixed thereto and which is displaceable along at least one rail provided on or in the die lid. The forming station may comprise a male die part drive drivingly connected to the male die part holding plate for generating a stroke movement of the male die part holding plate relative to the die lid. A guide element may be provided on the male die part holding plate, the guide element being movable relative to the male die part holding plate between an engagement position for engagement with an associated rail and a retracted position in which the guide element is disengaged from the rail.

A composite article assembly arrangement includes mechanized assembly station tooling for supporting certain composite article assembly methodologies with a view toward a preferred lid assembly application. First assembly station tooling includes a stationary main base plate, opposed intermediate compactor plates, and opposed outer plates, which compactor plates and outer plates are movable relative to the stationary main base plate. One or more continuous webs bearing thermoformed first and second workpieces are directed through the mechanized assembly station tooling, which operates to both separate the first and second workpieces from the web(s) as directed therethrough and assemble the first and second workpieces in one clapping movement of the compactor plates and outer plates relative to the main base plate. Alternative assembly station tooling operates to direct first composite elements into assembled relation with stationary second composite elements for forming basic composites to which successive composite elements are similarly added.

A resin molding apparatus provided with a first mold and a second mold for pressing a flat thermoplastic resin sheet into a molded article, wherein the molded article has a shape provided with a flat plate part and a concave-convex part continuous with the flat plate part, and a heating part is provided to locally heat a concave-convex molding region corresponding to the concave-convex part in the thermoplastic resin sheet when the thermoplastic resin sheet is pressed.

A system for making a garment includes a molding body configured to exhibit different heat profiles when contacting a continuous piece of fabric. The different heat profiles cause asymmetrical and/or non-eccentric deformations of the continuous piece of fabric.

A thermoforming method includes heating a thermoplastic panel to a forming temperature, and compressing the thermoplastic panel between a first tool and a second tool, wherein the thermoplastic panel is bent about a first axis extending along a first direction with respect to the thermoplastic panel in response to being compressed between the first tool and the second tool. The thermoplastic panel may then be cooled to a hardened temperature and disposed between a third tool and a fourth tool. The method further includes heating the thermoplastic panel to the forming temperature, and compressing the thermoplastic panel between the third tool and the fourth tool, wherein the thermoplastic panel is bent about a second axis extending along a second direction with respect to the thermoplastic panel in response to being compressed between the third tool and the fourth tool.

Thermoplastic composite preforms for continuous fiber thermoplastic composite structural profiles and a system and method of manufacture for structural profiles utilizing thermoplastic filaments comingled with high strength fibers such as carbon fibers and braided into complex preforms suitable for automated press forming is disclosed. Utilizing flexible preforms in lieu of conventional rigid thermoplastic pre-preg material forms allows for manufacture of complex shapes, including both straight and curved shapes by an automated process.

A method for producing a three-dimensional fiber-reinforced resin molded body by press-molding a heated and softened plate-like molding matrix using a mold, the method sequentially including: setting the matrix on a lower mold including a pad and mold main bodies by mounting a central portion of the matrix on the pad and supporting at least one end side of the matrix by at least one support protruding upward from a molding surface of at least one of the mold main bodies; bringing an upper mold and the lower mold close together to sandwich the central portion of the matrix by the pad and the upper mold; bringing the upper and lower molds still closer together to reduce the protrusion amount of the at least one support; and pressing the matrix by using the lower and upper molds to form the molded body.

A system and method for forming plastic sheet into a three-dimensional shape. The plastic sheet may include one or more sheet-mounted components, such as electronics, that must be shielded from excessive heat, pressure, and/or crushing when the formation of the sheet occurs. A recess will be formed to protect against directly contacting sheet-mounted component. The recess may be aligned along the heating plate and/or the form core and/or along a protective blanket which may be set over (and under) sheet prior to heating/forming. The sheet is registered (with or without a blanket) onto a base plate, and preferably over a form core. The sheet is then raised to contact with a heating plate, and then placed downward over the (optionally heated) form core. Recess(es) align in locations corresponding to mounted component to protect same.

A three-dimensional vacuum thermal insulation element having a compressed three-dimensional porous structure and a shell closed in an airtight manner. The shell includes a thermoformable barrier wall and encloses the porous structure arranged between two major surfaces of said barrier wall. The porous structure has a pressure of between less than 105 Pa and more than 10-2 Pa at ambient external temperature and pressure. The barrier wall is thermoformed at the site of said two major surfaces, between which the porous structure has a curved shape and/or reliefs and/or depressions.