Provided is a process for thermoforming a gas and liquid permeable layer (10) of thermoplastic material having an average thickness of less than 1.0 mm, the process comprising the steps of bringing the layer of thermoplastic material, at a temperature below that required for thermoforming, into contact with a mould (16) at a temperature above that of a thermoforming temperature of the thermoplastic material; pressing the mould into contact with the layer of thermoplastic material, the contact between mould and thermoplastic material causing heat to transfer from the mould to the thermoplastic material and raising the temperature of the thermoplastic material to a thermoformable temperature; such pressing thereby causing thermoforming of the thermoplastic material to conform to the shape of the mould.

The present invention relates to a mould system for a thermoforming device and to a thermoforming device with such a mould system (1, 2). The invention further relates to a method for thermoforming a product. According to the invention, the mould system is provided with a punching nipple (6) and a cutting plate (5) whereby a product can be at least partially formed and punched in one operating run.

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.

The disclosure relates to a deep-drawing packaging machine comprising a work station for heating a lower film for a forming process and lateral transport chains configured to grip the lower film laterally and to transport the lower film intermittently through the work station in a working direction. The work station has a height-adjustable tool lower part, a tool upper part with a heating body for heating the lower film, and a punching device with a punching unit for producing a perforation in an edge strip area of the lower film. The punching unit comprises a punch provided on the tool lower part and a hold-down device for interacting with the punch and provided on the tool upper part. The punch has a punch body with an outer edge area facing a lateral transport chain and with an inner edge area facing the heating body.

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 deflection can include curling the spacer at or near the peripheral edge.

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 method of forming a thermoformed article may include melt extruding polyethylene to form an extruded sheet. The rheological breadth parameter of the polyethylene may change by no more than about 5% after extrusion relative to the rheological breadth parameter of the polyethylene prior to extrusion. The extruded sheet may be thermoformed within a mold to form the thermoformed article. During thermoforming, the extruded sheet may be subjected to solid-state stretching in one or more directions. The thermoformed article may be retrieved from the mold. The polyethylene may have a rheological breadth parameter of from 0.20 to 0.40, a multimodal molecular weight distribution, a polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of from 5 to 18, a density ranging from 0.940 to 0.970 g/cc, may exhibit tensile strain-hardening, or combinations thereof.

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 deflection can include curling the spacer at or near the peripheral edge.