Described is a method for producing a sandwich composite component and a sandwich composite component with a pressed two- or three-dimensional shape, having at least one structured core layer made of thermoplastic material which has two opposite core layer surfaces, each bonded to a thermoplastic cover layer. A sandwich composite component is also described.

[Problem] To suppress changes in the recess depth and shape of a three-dimensional molded shape, and to form a uniform protective layer or ornamental layer along the surface of the molded shape. Also, to provide uniform application to the entire irregularly-formed surface and to suppress air pockets and partial defects of bonding. [Solution] In an adherend W having a three-dimensional molded portion in which a plurality of concavities and/or convexities are molded in a regular arrangement, a thermoplastic coating film larger than the area of an adhesion region is integrally adhered by a three dimensional decorative molding procedure in a predetermined adhesion region that includes the three-dimensional molded portion. The predetermined adhesion region includes all of the three-dimensional molded portion and covers more than half the perimeter of the adherend W in center cross-sectional view.

In an example method, a NWM molding blank, including a non-woven material held in compression by a binder, is placed in a separable mold, and heated to a melting temperature of the binder. The molding blank expands, forming as an intermediate NWM object a NWM molded object with a 3D geometric form. The intermediate NWM object is cooled through a temperature band with an upper boundary and a lower boundary, and further cooled to a solidifying temperature of the binder. The upper boundary is above the solidifying temperature and the upper boundary is lower than the binder melting temperature. While in the temperature band, the mold is separated, rendering accessible an exposed surface of the intermediate NWM object. The object is then transported to a contoured forming surface of a forming base, by an actuatable arm having an end effector gripping the exposed surface via vacuum suction, lifting the object from the mold and placing the object on the contoured forming surface. Optionally, the end effector contact surface includes a final forming feature. The actuatable arm compresses the intermediate NWM object against the contoured forming surface, and the optional end effector final forming feature and continues compressing until cooling to the solidifying temperature.

Optical films having a curved shaped and methods of shaping optical films are described. A method of shaping an optical film includes the steps of disposing the optical film adjacent first and second rollers spaced apart along a first direction, securing opposing first and second ends of the optical film, providing a curved mold surface, and shaping the optical film by contacting the optical film with the curved mold surface while stretching the optical film along the first direction and keeping a threshold distance between closest points on the optical film contacting the first roller and contacting the curved mold surface less than the width of the optical film to reduce buckling of the optical film.

A system includes a plurality of assemblies each configured to support a dental mold and a material, a heating system configured to heat the material, a forming system configured to form a chamber encompassing the dental mold and at least a portion of the heated material, and to cause the heated material to form over the dental mold, and a conveyor system configured to move the plurality of assemblies from a loading area to the heating system, from the heating system to the forming system, and from the forming system to an unloading area.

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.

The invention relates to the use of a thermoplastic polymer having a melting point below 220° C. as additive in polybutylene terephthalate molding compositions for reducing the necking upon elongation of sheets or films of the polybutylene terephthalate molding composition, preferably wherein the polybutylene terephthalate molding composition comprises a) 50 to 95 wt % of polybutylene terephthalate as component A, b) 5 to 50 wt % of the thermoplastic polymer having a melting point below 220° C., as component B, c) 0 to 45 wt % of filler as component C, d) 0 to 20 wt % of further additives as component D, wherein the total of components A to D is 100 wt %.

Described is a shoe upper for a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe, wherein the shoe upper is laceless and comprises: (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) at least an elastic intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion, wherein the stiffness of at least one of the lateral portion and the medial portion is at least 2 times higher than the stiffness of the elastic intermediate portion.

The mould comprises a base plate and a plurality of forming areas, wherein each forming area comprises a cavity in the base plate and a forming sleeve placed in the cavity. Each forming area further comprises first heat means for heating or keeping heated the forming sleeve relative to the base plate, such that the temperature of the part of the film which lies against the forming sleeve during cooling remains above a glass temperature of the plastic long enough to obtain a product with an at least partially crystalline structure.

A method for manufacturing a rotor blade component of a rotor blade includes feeding a flat sheet of material into a thermoforming system, wherein the material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic or thermoset material. The method also includes heating the flat sheet of material via the thermoforming system. Further, the method includes shaping the heated flat sheet of material via at least one roller of the thermoforming system into a desired curved shape. Moreover, the method includes dispensing the shaped sheet of material from the thermoforming system. In addition, the method includes cooling the shaped sheet of material to form the rotor blade component.