Systems and methods for forming 3D plastic parts that are cost effective in low volume, have excellent fit and finish, and use many components from 2D construction are disclosed. The systems and methods involve selecting a design and modelling the design. The design comprises 2D and 3D components of plastic parts. A 3D forming buck corresponding to the 3D component is manufactured. At least one of a 2D part and the 3D forming buck may be heated. The 2D part may be loaded onto the 3D forming buck for a predefined period of time. The 3D part formed after the loading may be separated from the 3D forming buck. The 3D part is the 2D part generally having taken the shape of the 3D forming buck. The 3D part may be cooled to obtain an end product.

Parts (10) for connection to at least one further part (30, 30′). The part (10) has at least two weld sections (11, 11′) to be welded individually to at least one of the further parts (30, 30′) by vibration welding. Each weld section (11, 11′) has at least one weld surface (13, 13′), for connection to the corresponding further part (30, 30′), and is spatially separated from each other weld section (11, 11′) by at least one vibration decoupling zone (14, 14′,23, 26). The part (10) has a particular arrangement of the weld section (11, 11′) with respect to the center of gravity (S) or has a particular mass distribution with respect to the weld section (11, 11′). Methods for connecting a part to at least one further part (30, 30′) and a composite part (90) containing a part (10) and a further part (30, 30′) are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for producing a part made of plastic material for a motor vehicle, said part comprising at least one first section to which at least one second section is applied, in which the first section is produced. The second section of the part made of plastic material is produced by three-dimensional printing directly onto the first section of the part.

The invention relates to a punching and/or welding machine for acting on a piece of motor vehicle bodywork that is made of plastics material, the machine having movable punching and/or welding tools, each of which is adjusted to perform a punching and/or welding operation and that are transferred from a waiting position to a working position for performing the punching and/or welding operation, the punching and/or welding operation being performed in three stages: a) transferring from a waiting position at a distance from a skin of the piece in order to come into a working position in contact with the skin; b) performing the punching and/or the welding; and then c) returning to the waiting position;
the device further comprising a support for receiving the skin in a determined position. The support and the movable tools are arranged in such a manner that, once the skin has been positioned on the support, it defines, possibly in association with a protective screen, a safety volume within which the movable tools move in order to perform the punching and/or welding operations on the skin.

A method of providing a tool with a conformal cooling passage includes rough machining a cavity generally corresponding to a manufactured part shape using CAD data. Conformal cooling slots are cut in the cavity using the CAD data. The conformal cooling slots are welded shut using the CAD data to provide conformal cooling passages. A class A surface is machined over the conformal cooling passage and corresponds to a finished manufactured part shape using the CAD data.

A molding method for a synthetic resin molding reduces a disturbed flow of molten resin at a side edge of a molding body during injection molding, and allows the design surface of the molding body to have aesthetic appearance. The synthetic resin molding includes a bend arranged on a side edge of the molding body and bending toward its back surface, and a flange protruding laterally from the bend and including a notch. The molding method includes arranging a gate at a position corresponding to an end of one side of the flange in a longitudinal direction and performing injection molding using a colored resin material containing a luster agent kneaded in the material, and forming a thin portion of the bend in a longitudinal direction of the bend to form a groove on a back surface of the bend.

A process for the production of manufactured articles in composite material comprises at least one supply phase of a plurality of layers and at least one coupling phase of the layers. The coupling phase comprises at least one step of arrangement of the layers overlapped onto each other to create at least one stratified body. The coupling phase comprises at least one step of positioning the stratified body inside a mould. The coupling phase comprises at least one firing step of the layers positioned inside the mould. The supply phase comprises at least one supply step of at least one basic layer and at least one supply step of at least one reinforcement layer.

A method of manufacturing, packing and shipping a vehicle bumper having the steps of dispensing into a bumper mold a shape-memory composition to form an original shape of an integral shape-memory vehicle bumper having a middle portion and a first end and a second end both extending from opposite ends of the middle portion, the shape-memory vehicle bumper having the original shape fitting in a first shipping box; applying force to the shape-memory vehicle bumper such that to cause a conversion of the original shape into a deformed shape of the shape-memory vehicle bumper, the deformed shape fitting into a second shipping box that is a fraction by volume of the first shipping box; placing the shape-memory vehicle bumper having the deformed shape into the second shipping box; and sealing and shipping the second shipping box.

A two different process continued performance type product assembly device may include a punching jig having a punch and configured to ascend and descend, a punching tool located on a lower portion of the punching jig and having a punching die that is located below the punch during a punching work, a fusion tool located on the lower portion of the punching jig and having a fusion horn that is located below the punch during a fusion work, and a tool exchange cylinder configured to push the punching die so that the fusion horn secedes from a position below the punch during the punching work and to pull the punching die so that the fusion horn comes into the position below the punch during the fusion work.

The invention relates to an arrangement with a mounting support for a motor vehicle front end, wherein the arrangement has two supporting elements for supporting a panel/fascia element, wherein the supporting elements are each arranged on one side of the motor vehicle relative to the vehicle center in the transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the supporting elements are fixed to the mounting support and each extend over a portion of the mounting support in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein the supporting elements project forward relative the mounting support in the vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein a panel/fascia element, which is an external skin element of the front of the motor vehicle and extends predominantly in the vehicle transverse direction, can be supported on at least one of the supporting elements.