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 vacuum insulated appliance structure includes a molded first layer of a first polymer material. A second layer of a second polymer material is molded to (e.g. over) at least a portion of the first layer, and a third layer of a third polymer material is molded to (e.g. over) at least a portion of the second layer to form a first component. At least one of the layers is impervious to one or more gasses. One or more additional components are secured to the first component to form a vacuum cavity. The vacuum cavity is filled with a porous material, and the vacuum cavity is evacuated to form a vacuum.

Stretching apparatus for automotive interior trim products and a method for forming The invention is a stretching apparatus which enables automotive interior trim products by being lifted between a lower mould and an upper mould before press, and a method for forming automotive interior trim products with this stretching apparatus.

The invention relates to a method for forming a dimensionally stable three-dimensional shape into a sheet-like substrate (3) of thermoplastic material comprising the steps of: a.) providing a mould including a first die (1) with a first template surface (11) for contacting an upper surface (31) of the substrate (3) and a second die (2) with a second template surface (21) for contacting a lower surface (32) of the substrate (3) opposite the upper surface (31) of the substrate (3); each template surface (11, 21) having an inverse of a desired shape to be transformed to the upper and lower surfaces (31, 32) of the substrate (3); and at least one of the first die (1) and the second die (2) being transparent to electromagnetic waves of a predetermined wavelength; b.) providing at least one absorption layer (5, 5) being able to be heated by absorption of an electromagnetic irradiation (4, 4) of the predetermined wavelength and thereby heating the thermoplastic substrate (3) to or above its glass transition temperature; c.) placing the substrate (3) between the first and the second die (1, 2) of the mould and closing the mould; d.) irradiating the absorption layer (5, 5) with the electromagnetic irradiation (4, 4) in order to heat the thermoplastic substrate (3) to or above its glass transition temperature during a sufficient time to transform the thermoplastic substrate into the three-dimensional shape.

A method is provided for producing a composite part, in particular a flat composite part, having a foam core that has a first and second cover layer which are bonded to the foam core on a first surface and a second surface, respectively. The method has the following steps: (a) heating the cover layers and the foam core (b) positioning the cover layers on the surfaces of the foam core, (c) positioning the foam core and the cover layers in a press or a mold which forms the completed composite part, (d) reshaping the foam core and the cover layers in the press or in the mold, wherein the cover layers can be positioned on the surfaces of the foam core, (e) cooling and bonding the cover layers and the foam core in the press or in the mold, and (f) removing the composite part from the press or from the mold.

Described are methods for manufacturing an outer layer for a panel of a ball, in particular of a football, an outer layer manufactured with such a method as well as a panel and a ball comprising such an outer layer. The method includes shaping a sheet of material in a mold, wherein the mold is formed in such a way that during shaping, the sheet of material assumes a three-dimensional shape of the outer layer of the panel. Moreover, the method includes creating first textures in at least a first partial region on a first side of the sheet of material and creating second textures in at least a second partial region of the sheet of material.

A system and method for forming a part using a moveable heater to heat a pre-aligned blank and an alignment mechanism to maintain the alignment of the heated blank during the forming process. A frame receives and holds the blank in the pre-aligned position within an open press. The heater advances into the press to heat the pre-aligned blank to a forming temperature, and withdraws to allow the press to close and form the heated blank into the part. The alignment mechanism maintains the blank in the alignment while the blank is heated and the press is closed, and includes a rail extending through the press and the frame and allowing the press to move between open and closed positions, and a collapsible member which pushes the frame as the press closes and collapses to allow the press to fully close and form the heated blank into the part.

A device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).

A station for feeding closing seals for containers, which includes at least one fixed magazine of seals which is provided with an outlet from which the seals can be taken individually. The station includes a carousel for feeding seals which can rotate with respect to a first central rotation axis and is provided with pickers which are radially spaced apart from the first rotation axis. The pickers are individually rotatable about a second rotation axis which is not parallel to the first axis of the carousel. During the rotation of the carousel, at least one picker can is configured to rotate about the second axis from a position for taking the seal from the magazine to a position for releasing the seal.

An insulating element for thermally insulating spaces, including closed cells, in which a first and a second group of closed cells are formed by first or second recesses in a first or second flat element and the first and the second flat elements form first or second connection regions between recesses adjacent to the edges of the openings, to which respectively a flat covering element closing the openings of a plurality of first recesses is bonded on a front side of the flat element. The second recesses are arranged between the first recesses on a rear side of the first flat element and the first recesses are arranged between the second recesses on a rear side of the second flat element such that the space remaining of the first and second recesses between the first and the second flat elements amounts to less than 50% of the space enclosed by the first and second recesses.