According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

An apparatus and method for coating a substrate includes preheating a first portion of the substrate to a first temperature. The method includes ejecting a first material from a material applicator so that the first material is applied to the preheated first portion of the substrate. The first material includes a first solvent component and a first coating component. The first temperature is greater than an ambient temperature and less than a boiling point of the first coating component.

A system for manufacturing a thermoplastic prepreg includes a double belt mechanism that is configured to compress a fiber mat, web, or mesh that is passed through the double belt mechanism, a resin applicator that is configured to apply monomers or oligomers to the fiber mat, web, or mesh, and a curing oven that is configured to effect polymerization of the monomers or oligomers and thereby form the thermoplastic polymer as the fiber mat, web, or mesh is moved through the curing oven. The double belt mechanism compresses the fiber mat, web, or mesh and the applied monomers or oligomers as the fiber mat, web, or mesh is passed through the curing oven so that the monomers or oligomers fully saturate the fiber mat, web, or mesh. Upon polymerization of the monomers or oligomers, the fiber mat, web, or mesh is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer.

An improved can drying and curing technology is provided.

The present invention provides a machine and method for applying multiple coatings around a segment of the pipe. The machine includes a frame with a carriage that is rotatable around a periphery of the pipe segment, a heating element mounted on the frame for heating the pipe segment, an anti-corrosion applicator mounted on the carriage for applying an anti-corrosion coating onto the pipe segment, and a polymer applicator mounted on the carriage sequentially adjacent to the anti-corrosion applicator for applying a polymer coating onto the pipe segment. The anti-corrosion applicator and the polymer applicator apply their respective coatings onto the pipe segment as the carriage rotates in one direction.

A system for applying a powder coating to a heat-sensitive substrate that may include at least one radiative oven, at least one convective oven, and a powder application system. The powder application system may include a plurality of powder application devices configured to apply powder to at least a top surface of the heat sensitive substrate while the heat sensitive substrate is oriented in a horizontal orientation.

Methods of thermal spraying polymeric coatings are disclosed. A powder polymeric coating material is introduced into a thermal spray applicator. Particles of the polymeric coating material are heated by the thermal spray applicator, and the heated coating particles are directed toward a substrate to form a deposited coating. The deposited coating may be post-heated onto the substrate to form the polymeric coating with desirable surface characteristics. Thermal spray coating systems are also disclosed for thermally spraying the polymeric coatings. The thermal spray applicator may include a combustion chamber and an injection nozzle assembly that transfers coating powders to a heated zone generated from the combustion chamber.

A process for coating a profile or panel is provided. The process comprises the following steps: a) removal of dust from the profile or panel; b) heating the profile or panel to a temperature between 30 and 70 degrees Celsius using infrared halogen lamps or similar, controlled by an automatic control system; c) exposing the profile or panel to jets of ionized air by means of electric discharges with an emission frequency between 18 Hz and 25 Hz; d) coating the profile or panel with a film of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), paper, or other desired material, previously treated with a low-isocyanate emission adhesive; e) heating the profile or panel to a temperature between 45 and 65 degrees Celsius for a time depending on the mass of material in the profile or panel. The invention also relates to a coated product obtained through the aforementioned process.