A method for forming a composite component, the method comprising: providing a first mould tool and a second mould tool, the first and second mould tools being configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between them, and the second mould tool having a moulding surface defined by at least two demountable mould bodies; attaching the first mould tool to a press at a first workstation; subsequently, at a second workstation spaced from the first workstation, loading at least part of the second mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation; moving the second mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool; causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and second tools to bring the first and second tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween; and setting in shape the reinforcement material located in the mould cavity.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes heating a female die having a receptacle and a complementary male die, heating an extruder above a melting point of a thermoplastic within chopped prepreg fiber, in order to melt chopped prepreg fiber disposed within the extruder, extruding the chopped prepreg fiber from the extruder into the receptacle of the female die while the chopped prepreg fiber remains molten, pressing the male die into the female die, causing the molten chopped prepreg fiber to fully enter receptacle, and cooling the chopped prepreg fiber in the receptacle of the female die to form a composite part.

A method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body, including heating a fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor containing thermoplastic resin as matrix resin to soften it and molding it in a molding die, where temperature unevenness between the inside and surface of the fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor can be reduced. The method includes a first step of storing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor containing thermoplastic resin as the matrix resin and containing conductive fibrous materials therein into a heating furnace with heating apparatuses while holding the precursor using a pair of holding tools, which also function as electrodes, and then actuating the heating apparatuses while supplying current to the precursor from the electrodes, thereby softening the precursor; and a second step of transferring the softened precursor to a molding die using the holding tools, and molding a fiber-reinforced resin molded body in the molding die.

A thermoplastic molding process for large parts and particularly to novel rotating elbow piping configurations used to precisely deposit prescribed amounts of thermoplastics or thermoplastic composites into large compression molds.

An assembly for feeding objects downstream into an automated machine includes a track, a tamping location on the track, a stop disposed at the tamping location, and a forward path through the track. A spring proximate to the tamping location moves between a first position and a second position. In the first position of the spring, the spring cooperates with the stop to interrupt the forward path. In the second position of the spring, the spring cooperates with the stop to open the forward path to allow objects to move downstream in the track.

A fiber block molding apparatus comprising: a mold having a lower part and an upper part forming between them a cavity for forming a fiber blank into a fiber block article upon closing the mold; a conveyor system for receiving the fiber blank to be molded at a receiving position, transporting the fiber blank via a heater for activation of a binding agent, and delivering the heated fiber blank into the lower part of the mold at a delivery end of the conveyor system, and a horizontal position shifting arrangement for shifting the horizontal position of the delivery end of the conveyor system relative to the lower part of the mold between a first and a second position to lay the fiber blank on the lower part of the mold.

A pressing machine that applies heat and pressure to a press object transported in a first direction includes a first die having a first heater, a second die having a second heater and being disposed above the first die, a support member that supports the first die and the second die, and a movement mechanism that moves the support member from a first position to a second position located in a second direction intersecting the first direction from the first position, in which the first position is the position at which the first die and the second die apply heat and pressure to the press object and the second position is the position at which the first die and the second die do not face the press object.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a container for washing and/or cleaning agents from a water-soluble material and to a container that is obtained in accordance with the method as contemplated herein.

A method for material handling and mold filling is provided which directs the flow of molten plastic material from an extruder and allocates the molten material to a plurality of nozzles through the use of independently operated, variable valves. The method therefore provides independent streams of molten plastic material having variable temperatures and flow rates or volumes to particular sections or regions of the mold. This independent temperature or flow of molten plastic material facilitates the complete, rapid and accurate filling of the molds, reducing turbulence and other temperature or flow-related imperfections in the finished components. A method of using a multiphase material handling system is also disclosed for expeditious sequential and simultaneous filling and pressing of the mold and extracting the completed component from the system.

A system includes a press, an external heater and a slipper tool. The press is moveable between an open position and a closed position, and has a mold tool. The external heater is located outside the press. The slipper tool is moveable between the external heater and a mold space of the press when the press is in an open position. The slipper tool has a surface configured to receive thereon a material of a product to be molded. The surface corresponds to a molded surface of the product. When the slipper tool is at the external heater, the external heater is configured to heat the material received on the slipper tool. When the slipper tool is in the mold space and the press is in a closed position, the mold tool is configured to press the heated material against the surface of the slipper tool to mold the product.