The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for laminating a substrate (12) with a thermoplastic film (11), the apparatus (1) comprising the following: —a laminating unit (2) for laminating the substrate (12) with the thermoplastic film (11), —a feed device (4) for the thermoplastic film (11) to the laminating unit (2), wherein the feed device (4) for the thermoplastic film (11) has devices (14) for heating a first side (16) of the film (11) and devices (15) for cooling a second side (17) of the film (11), as well as a number of controllably driven rollers (10) via which the film (11) is guided past the devices (14) for heating and the devices (15) for cooling, wherein a tension of the film (11) can be regulated via the speed of the driven rollers (10).

An elastomeric laminate is extensible in a first direction and has a first laminate surface; a second laminate surface substantially opposite the first laminate surface; and a laminate thickness, T, extending between the first and second laminate surfaces. A pre-SELFed coverstock layer forms the first laminate surface. The pre-SELF coverstock layer has a primary activation pattern, wherein the primary activation pattern includes SELF-specific land areas that extend in the first direction and one or more activation thicknesses. Each activation thickness is less than the laminate thickness, T. The elastomeric laminate also has an elastomeric layer joined to the pre-SELFed coverstock layer. The elastomeric layer forms the second laminate surface. The elastomeric laminate may be a zero strain laminate, a gathered laminate, or a hybrid gathered laminate.

A laminated surface covering including a facing material made of vinyl and a backing material comprising a rubber component. The rubber component comprising at least a matrix of bonded rubber granules. A bonding material disposed between the facing material and the backing material. The facing material configured to melt at a temperature between 165° F. and 248° F. infiltrating the backing material thereby essentially encasing the rubber granules of the matrix and providing fire retardation and smoke suppression qualities.

Disclosed is a stretchable, three-dimensional tubular structure formed due to processing-induced wrinkles to result in a platform for stretchable interactive electronics. The three-dimensional tubular structure is fabricated simply by releasing a pre-stretched two-dimensional film-substrate precursor, and the resulting wrinkled surface shows a strong directional dependence that drives the tube formation.

A method and system for the production of a web the fibers of which form a mean angle with respect to the longitudinal direction. The method and system include the passage of the web through a looping system, the passing of the web over a conveyor provided with brushes, the deposition of a first pre-needle-punched layer of fibers over the accumulated undulations, the assembling of the accumulated undulations with the first pre-needle-punched layer by needling, the assembling of the structure with a second pre-needle-punched layer of fibers, so as to obtain a sandwich structure, and the separation of the sandwich structure so as to obtain two symmetrical velour coverings. The web is a card web with a mean angle between 5 and 10° and an area density between 80 and 120 g/m.sup.2. The method includes a longitudinal drawing of the web, with a stretch ratio between 1.5 and 2.

Embodiments herein describe automated systems and methods to assemble a garment, such as a T-shirt. Some embodiments provide for systems and methods for transferring and manipulating fabrics and joining garment components during garment manufacturing in a way that is more suitable to automation. Some embodiments provide for garment manufacturing systems and methods that are reconfigurable to enable both mass production of customized garments and small batch processing with reduced human intervention.

A pipe insulation product including a core of insulating material and a laminate surrounding the core and bonded to the core. The core may include an outer surface; an inner surface; and a wall extending between the outer and inner surfaces. The laminate may include a foil or metallized polymeric film sheet, a scrim, a porous media sheet, and a polymeric film sheet bonded together via an adhesive. The laminate may include a closure flap that is configured to adhesively seal opposite ends of the laminate together to form a cylindrical tube with the core enclosed therein. The closure flap may be configured to include a curl that provides a greater closure flap adhesive seal.

The present disclosure provides a curved-surface laminating device and a curved-surface laminating method, for realizing lamination of a curved-surface cover plate and a flexible panel. The curved-surface laminating device comprises: a flexible profiling jig comprising a laminating surface with a shape matched with the curved-surface cover plate; a bearing film arranged between the laminating surface and the flexible panel and extending to two sides of the laminating surface, the bearing film being configured to be attached to the flexible panel; and a tensioning device in contact with the bearing film extending to the two sides of the laminating surface and configured to tension the bearing film, so that the bearing film and the laminating surface are profiled.

A method to manufacture an elastic laminate is disclosed. Thermoplastic Elastomeric Material (TEM) is selected from a polymer supply and fed into an extruder. The TEM film is extruded by the extruder by passing the TEM polymer through an extrusion die head to form a TEM film layer on a carrier web provided by a carrier supply. The TEM film layer is allowed to solidify on the carrier web, thereby forming a first laminate. The first laminate is stored in a first storage prior to being delivered to a delamination unit, which delaminates the first laminate by separating the TEM layer from the carrier web. The delaminated TEM layer is stretched at least in its Machine Direction (MD) in a stretching station via a plurality of web guide means. The stretched TEM layer is positioned between a first envelope web and optionally a second envelope web prior to being delivered to a bonding unit, which connects them to form a second bonded laminate. The second bonded laminate is unstretched and stored in a second storage for a predetermined time. The stored second bonded laminate is wound under controlled tension to form a roll or spool, thereby forming the elastic laminate.

A transversely extensible continuous elastic laminates includes a continuous elastic tape sandwiched between two continuous webs, and at least one row of tabs extending transversely outside the two webs, wherein the tabs are made of a non-woven material and have respective micro-hook formations integrally formed in the non-woven material forming the tabs.