The disclosed composite structure provides a reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite part with a high-quality surface finish. This may be used as a vehicle part or body panel, such as an interior vehicle part or exterior body panel. Additionally, the surface finish may be coloured, such that the surface does not need to be painted or wrapped to achieve a desired surface colour, and the surface may protect inner layers from UV radiation, either by virtue of the material of the surface itself, or the incorporation of a UV-absorbing additive. Specifically, the disclosed composite structure comprises a structural layer comprising reinforcing fibres, such as glass or carbon fibres, and a thermoplastic body polymer. The structure further comprises a surface layer providing a surface finish to the composite structure, the surface layer comprising a thermoplastic surface polymer substantially free from reinforcing fibres.

The invention relates to a seat for a vehicle, preferably for a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft, comprising at least one multilayer structural component (1) with at least one first (6) and at least one second ply (5) of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, and with a layer (7) which is arranged between said plies and is made of at least one foamed thermoplastic; to a method for producing same, said method having at least the following steps (A): providing at least one first and at least one second ply of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, (B) thermoforming the first ply of composite material into a lower seat shell, (C) thermoforming the second ply of composite material into an upper seat shell, (D) arranging the lower seat shell and the upper seat shell in a tool, such that a gap is formed between the two seat shells, (E) introducing foamed particles made of a thermoplastic into the gap, and (F) pressing the two seats shells and the foamed particles in order to obtain the seat; and to the use of the seat in a vehicle, preferably in a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

Films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles including thermoplastic elastomeric compositions are described, as are methods of making the films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles. These films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles can be used to make articles of apparel, footwear, and sporting equipment. When thermoformed, the thermoplastic elastomeric compositions can impart abrasion resistance, traction, and other advantageous properties to the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A process for manufacturing an undergarment having two superimposed textiles, comprising depositing on certain parts of reinforcements (8) comprising a thick layer of a shaped memory foam elastic material, the polymerization of this material and also the shaping of the textiles of the undergarment by thermoforming, characterized in that it comprises a step of depositing, on the entire surface of at least the textiles, a thin layer of an elastic adhesive-bonding material, and then a step of polymerizing this thin layer of adhesive bonding during the thermoforming for shaping, and in that it comprises a step of prior depositing, on the textile receiving the layer of reinforcement (8), of a barrier layer of an elastic material, which is polymerized before the depositing of this reinforcement.

A thermoforming method includes forming a skin comprising a plurality of plies thermoplastic resin and fiber, securing an edge of the skin to a mandrel, heating, via a heating element, the skin to a forming temperature, moving a thermoforming apparatus with respect to the mandrel, rolling at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus along the skin in a direction away from the clamped edge of the skin in response to the thermoforming apparatus moving with respect to the mandrel, and in response to the at least one roller of the thermoforming apparatus rolling along the skin, compressing the skin between the at least one roller and the mandrel, consolidating the plurality of plies of material, and bending the skin to conform to a shape of the mandrel. The consolidated and formed skin is then cooled and removed from the mandrel.

Provided are a film which can be decorated even against a three-dimensional shape, is excellent in moldability during decoration (adhesion) on an adherend, is able to reduce concaves and convexes with a variety of sizes which the adherend surface has, and makes an appearance quality favorable; and a decorative molded product having the film. The film is a film including a layer containing a thermoplastic resin, wherein when a highest temperature of glass transition temperatures of the film is designated as Tg [+ C], a temperature T [° C.] at which an elongation at break is 50% or more exists in a range of Tg to (Tg+50 [° C.]), and when, with respect to concaves and convexes of an abrasive grain surface of a polyester film sheet having, as an abrasive grain, aluminum oxide having a grain size of 12 μm coated thereon, an amplitude relative to a spatial frequency f is designated as A.sub.1(f); with respect to concaves and convexes of a film surface when adhering the film to the abrasive grain surface at any temperature of the range of Tg to (Tg+50 [° C.]) and a pressure of 0.3 MPa, an amplitude relative to the spatial frequency f is designated as A.sub.2(f); and a ratio of A.sub.2(f) to A.sub.1(f) is designated as ϕ(f)=A.sub.2(f)/A.sub.1(f), a minimum value fc of spatial frequencies where ϕ(f) is 0.1 is 2.0 mm.sup.−1 or less.

The invention relates to a method for producing a fibre composite moulded part. The method includes the steps of i) applying a gelatine-containing matrix material onto a fibre material, ii) deforming the fibre material provided with matrix material, and iii) curing the fibre material provided with matrix material.

Disclosed herein is a composite of a thermoformable fabric and an elastomer which together have been subjected to thermoformable moulding to provide a 3-dimensionally thermoformed fabric article in the form of a textile or in the form of the whole or part of a garment. The article presents an appearance that is substantially free of permanent wrinkles. Also disclosed herein is a process to make said article.

A luggage shell or case made from a sheet formed by compacting and heating a mat made of either a mixture of randomly oriented first discontinuous non-woven plastic fibers (42) having a first melting temperature and randomly oriented second discontinuous reinforcing non-woven plastic fiber (46) having a second melting temperature higher than the first melting temperature, or a bicomponent fiber having a first plastic portion having a first melting temperature and a second plastic portion having a second melting temperature. The non-woven mat is heated at a temperature between the first melting temperature and the second melting temperature, as well as by forming the compacted non-woven sheet (64) into the luggage shell.