The present invention relates to a method for making an aperture web. The method includes the steps of: moving a micro-textured web through a first member having male elements and a second member having discontinuous female elements, wherein the male elements are arranged in a staggered pattern.

A deep-drawing apparatus includes an arrangement of die plates, wherein each die plate has a plurality of frame vacuum holes and at least one female die having at least one die vacuum hole. At least one vacuum channel connects a vacuum source to the die vacuum hole of the female die and to the frame vacuum holes of the die plate. The deep-drawing apparatus includes for each die plate a closing device for closing and opening the vacuum channel. The die plate is fed a single foil sheet. The closing device opens the connecting channel at the corresponding die plate and the foil sheet is laid onto the die plate. Thereafter, the foil is held on the frame vacuum holes by a holding vacuum and is deep-drawn by a deep-drawing vacuum at the die vacuum holes in the female die. A method for the deep-drawing of foil is also disclosed.

A vacuum insulated structure includes a multi-layer sheet of material comprising at least one layer of barrier material that is disposed between first and second outer layers. The barrier material and the first and second outer layers comprise thermoplastic polymers or elastomeric or hybrid material systems. The multi-layer sheet of material is thermoformed or vacuum formed to form a non-planar first component having a central portion and four sidewalls extending transversely from the central portion. A second component having a central portion and four sidewalls extending transversely from the central portion is secured to the first component to form an interior space therebetween. Porous filler material is positioned in the interior space, and a vacuum is formed in the interior space by removing gasses and moisture (water vapor). The first and second components are sealed together to form a vacuum insulated structure.

An assembly useful for thermoforming a dental aligner from polymer sheet material includes (a) a custom dental model having a planar bottom surface and a receptacle formed in said planar bottom surface; and (b) a reusable die removably received in said receptacle.

The disclosure relates to forming shaped thermoplastic articles having smooth peripheries. Many thermoplastic articles have sharp edges formed upon molding or cutting the article from a feedstock sheet. Such sharp edges can damage thin plastic films or flesh which they contact, and smoothing the edges is desirable. Described herein are methods of forming a smooth periphery for such sharp-edged articles by rolling over the sharp edge. The smoothing operation is performed by forming a deflectable flange including a bend region separated from the potentially sharp peripheral edge by a spacer, deflecting a portion of the deflectable flange, and softening at least one bent portion of the deflectable flange to yield a smooth periphery upon cooling.

The disclosure relates to forming shaped thermoplastic articles having smooth peripheries. Many thermoplastic articles have sharp edges formed upon molding or cutting the article from a feedstock sheet. Such sharp edges can damage thin plastic films or flesh which they contact, and smoothing the edges is desirable. Described herein are methods of forming a smooth periphery for such sharp-edged articles by rolling over the sharp edge. The smoothing operation is performed by forming a deflectable flange including a bend region separated from the potentially sharp peripheral edge by a spacer, deflecting a portion of the deflectable flange, and softening at least one bent portion of the deflectable flange to yield a smooth periphery upon cooling. A liner sheet may be attached to the feedstock sheet prior to, during, or after forming and can be peelable therefrom.

Methods, plate elements and heat/enthalpy exchangers, a) perforating an unformed plate element with defined outer dimensions in any desired area and in any desired dimension; b) covering at least one side of the unformed plate element with a thin polymer film with latent energy exchange characteristics and; c) forming the plate element into a desired shape and a pattern of corrugations and/or embossing. The operations b) and c) may be performed in a different order. For instance, when the plate element is made out of plastic, b) may be performed before c) whereas, when the plate element is made out of aluminum (or plastic), c) may be performed before b). Operations a) and/or b) and/or c) may also, in certain embodiments, be combined.

A resin molding apparatus provided with a first mold and a second mold or 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.

Disclosed herein are a thermoplastic resin sheet having excellent mechanical strength and excellent conformability during molding, a laminated sheet using such a thermoplastic resin sheet, and a molded body. The thermoplastic resin sheet includes a thermoplastic resin containing a polyolefin resin, a polyamide resin, and a compatibilizer, wherein the compatibilizer is a modified elastomer having a reactive group that reacts with the polyamide resin. The laminated sheet includes a base layer containing a polyolefin resin and the thermoplastic resin sheet bonded to one surface of the base layer. The molded body includes a base body containing a polyolefin resin and the thermoplastic resin sheet or the laminated sheet bonded to one surface of the base body.

The invention relates, among other things, to a method of making a thin panel (10) for outdoor applications, comprising, among other things, the following steps: a) providing a deep-drawable film (10) of a transparent plastic, b) deep-drawing the film (11) in a mold (34), c) mounting a structure (19) having solar cells (32) on an inner face (16) of the deep-drawn film (12), d) placing the deep-drawn film (12) with mounted structure (19) in a cavity (33) of a mold (34) having in particular at least two mold halves (13, 14), e) introducing a liquid polyurethane casting compound (24) into the cavity (33) of the mold (34) and spreading the polyurethane casting compound (24) over an inner face (18) of the structure (19) and/or over the inner face (16) of the film (12), f) curing the polyurethane casting compound, in particular with the mold closed, to form a reinforcement layer (30), or comprising the following steps j) and k) instead of the steps e) and f): j) introducing a granular particle foam mass into the cavity (33) of the mold (34) and spreading over an inner face (18) of the structure (19) and/or over the inner face (16) of the film (12), k) baking and curing the particle foam mass, in particular with the mold closed, to form a reinforcement layer (30).