A method of forming a material includes presenting a formable material to a space between opposing forming surfaces of opposed forming tools from when said material is carried as said opposing forming surfaces advance in a machine direction. The method includes pressurizing, as said opposing forming surfaces advance, said material between said opposing forming surfaces in a reduced space between said opposing forming surfaces defining at least in part a pressure forming zone, said reduced space between said opposing forming surfaces being maintained constant until a form of at least one of said opposing forming surfaces is profiled into said material and is retainable thereon. The method also includes releasing the profiled material from between the said opposing forming surfaces, as the space of the pressure forming zone increases between said opposing forming surfaces as the opposing forming surfaces advance.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

A trailing edge protective cap for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes infusing a first material onto a first mold so as to form a first part having a length. While the first part is still in the first mold, the method may also include placing a second mold onto the first part. The method may then include infusing a second material onto the second mold and at least a portion of the first part so as to form a second part having a length. The first and second parts may then be joined or infused together along a portion their respective lengths so as to form the protective cap, wherein the protective cap includes a joined section and an open section.

A trailing edge protective cap for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes infusing a first material onto a first mold so as to form a first part having a length. While the first part is still in the first mold, the method may also include placing a second mold onto the first part. The method may then include infusing a second material onto the second mold and at least a portion of the first part so as to form a second part having a length. The first and second parts may then be joined or infused together along a portion their respective lengths so as to form the protective cap, wherein the protective cap includes a joined section and an open section.

A system for the continuous extrusion, molding, and curing of tread for tires. An elongated strip of rubber material can be molded and cured shortly after extrusion such that the material retains much of the heat energy of extrusion and does not have to be stored. A plurality of discrete mold assemblies are conveyed adjacent to each other. As the mold assemblies are advanced sequentially, the uncured and unmolded strip of rubber material are extruded and positioned onto the mold assemblies. While the rubber strip advances, individual portions are sequentially molded and cured by passing through a mold press and then a curing press. A plug assembly is used to prevent the backflow of rubber material during the molding and curing.

A large area patterned film includes a first patterned area; a second patterned area; and a seam joining the first patterned area and the second patterned area, wherein the seam has a width less than about 20 micrometers. A method for tiling patterned areas includes depositing a predetermined thickness of a curable material; contacting a first portion of the curable material with a mold; curing the first portion of the curable material; removing the mold from the cured first portion of the curable material; contacting a second portion of the curable material with the mold, such that the mold contacts a portion of the cured first portion of the curable material; curing the second portion of the curable material; and removing the mold to yield a seam between the cured first portion of the curable material and the cured second portion of the curable material, wherein the seam has a dimension less than about 20 micrometers.

The invention relates to a method for the production of form parts from multi-component reactive plastic material, especially from polyurethane, wherein a plurality of moulds are moved by means of mould carriages (1) at least temporarily along a closed, preferably oval, production line (2). To allow a simple and quick import and export of mould carriages in the respectively out of the production line the invention proposes that the mould carriages (1) are provided with rolls (3) and are moved on a stationary ground (4) by the same and that a plurality of supply carriages (6) are arranged along the closed production line (2) at a conveying element (5), which supply carriages (6) are moved by means of the conveying elements (5), wherein a mould carriage (1) is approached to a not occupied supply carriage (6) and is coupled with the same to introduce the mould carriage (1) into the production line (2), wherein for the movement along the production line (2) the mould carriage (1) is guided and moved by the supply carriage (6) in a coupled state between the mould carriage (1) and the supply carriage (6) and wherein the mould carriage (1) is decoupled from the supply carriage (6) and is moved away from the production line (2) for taking the mould carriage (1) out of the production line (2), wherein here the mould carriage (1) is moved with its roils (3) on the stationary ground (4). Furthermore, the invention relates to a respective device.

A reconfigurable and reusable flexible membrane mold by which architectural panels and the like can be cast into a variety of different sizes and shapes. The membrane mold includes a pair of mirrored sides that are arranged in spaced, opposing alignment so that a gap between the sides can be filled with casting material. Each side of the mold has a flexible forming membrane with a plurality of receiving cups extending therefrom. An array of actuating pins is coupled to each of the forming membranes by way of ball joints standing atop the actuating pins and ball joint connector heads within which the ball joints are received and retained. The ball joint connector heads are received by and embedded within the receiving cups. The flexible forming membranes are responsive to pushing and pulling forces applied thereto by the actuating pin in order to shape the forming membranes.

So that insulating bars for composite profiles made from a thermoplastic plastics material may be manufactured economically with the respectively required dimensions and cross sectional shapes, in particular also having a corrugated structure of the base body, it is proposed that, in a first step, a strip-like extrudate having a substantially rectangular cross section should be produced from the plastics material and, in a subsequent step, an insulating bar arrangement having the shape of an individual insulating bar or the shape of a plurality of insulating bars that are joined together and are arranged parallel next to one another should be produced from the strip-like extrudate, and where appropriate the insulating bar arrangement should be severed in its longitudinal direction to give mutually separated insulating bars.