A method of manufacturing a medical component includes preparing a first sheet of an elastomeric material, arranging at least one electronic device in the first sheet of elastomeric material to obtain an elastomeric preform, and arranging the elastomeric preform in a mold and molding the elastomeric preform therein to cure the elastomeric material and form the medical component having the at least one electronic device embedded therein.

A compression molding device configured for the production of a part in composite material starting from a plate in composite with a thermoplastic matrix is described. The device comprises: a fixed support structure; an upper half-die provided with a first contoured surface corresponding to the profile of an upper surface of the part to be made; a lower half-die provided with a second contoured surface corresponding to the profile of a lower surface of the part to be made; holding means carried by the support structure and configured to hold the plate in a position interposed between the half-dies; and moving means for moving at least one of the half-dies from and towards the plate. The holding means comprise two or more releasable grippers gripping by friction distinct portions of the peripheral edge of the plate and configured to completely release or allow the complete release of the plate.

Provided is a method of molding, by using a mold, a component including a metal plate and a thermoplastic resin containing a thermoplastic resin arranged on a surface on one side of the metal plate, the mold including at least a movable mold and a fixed mold including a support portion. Specifically, the molding method includes: an arranging step of arranging a premolded metal plate within the mold; a fixing step of fixing the metal plate by pressing the metal plate against the movable mold with use of the support portion; and a molding step including forming a cavity between the fixed mold and the metal plate by closing the mold, bringing the thermoplastic resin into close contact with the metal plate, and forming an exposed portion by exposing the metal plate out of the softened thermoplastic resin with use of the support portion. With this, without leakage of the thermoplastic resin, a joint region to a metal surface of another component can be reliably secured.

A die assembly for forming finished parts from blanks includes an upper die section and a lower die section. The upper die section includes an upper segmented die having a plurality of upper die segments releasably coupled to each other. The lower die section includes a lower segmented die having a plurality of lower die segments releasably coupled to each other. The die assembly is usable with a movable gantry press configured to move to a location of the die assembly and operate the die assembly.

An interior trim panel for a vehicle includes a leather layer defining a feature having a radius of less than five millimeters, and a backing layer adhered to the leather layer and providing a support structure for the leather layer. A method of forming the interior trim panel includes clamping the leather layer in a frame to securely fix the edges of the leather layer, positioning the leather layer between compression mold dies defining a complementary surface having a feature with a radius of less than five millimeters, and compressing the leather layer between the dies.

A method for preparing a part using a rigid tool surface having a shape. The method includes applying a breather sheet comprising gas-permeable material over the rigid tool surface. A vacuum bag is applied over the breather sheet, and a vacuum pressure is applied underneath the vacuum bag to conform the breather sheet and the vacuum bag to the shape of the rigid tool surface. A resin pre-impregnated ply is applied over the vacuum bag, and the part is positioned over the ply.

There is disclosed an in-mould labelling process for the manufacture of a labelled article comprising the steps of: feeding a labelstock web into a mould; forming an article in the mould such that the formed article contacts and effectively adheres to a label of the labelstock web; detaching the adhered label from the labelstock web; and removing the formed and labelled article from the mould.

A modular highway warning strip system which comprises a modular warning strip segment having first and second ends, a length extending between the first and second ends, two opposing lengthwise sides, a width extending between the opposing lengthwise sides of the segment, top and bottom surfaces, and a thickness. Each of the first and second ends comprise at least one male protrusion and at least one female receptacle, wherein the at least one male protrusion is configured to engage the at least one female receptacle for joining a plurality of the segments together end-to-end. A segmented metallic plate is disposed between upper and lower rubber layers, the segmented plate comprising a plurality of segments separated by slits comprising living hinges.

The method includes placing a block-shaped second resin on a backside of a composite sheet within outer edges, the composite sheet being made up of a plurality of stacked fiber sheets impregnated with a first resin and pressing the composite sheet and the second resin by a heated mold, to produce a resin molded article having the composite sheet embedded in a part of a surface of a resin layer of the second resin that extends to sides of the composite sheet. The composite sheet is formed such that a first fiber sheet of the plurality of fiber sheets positioned closest to a front side of the composite sheet is larger than other fiber sheets and covers the other fiber sheets entirely from the front side, when placed inside the mold.

Some embodiments of a compression mold for forming a rib-and-sheet part includes a mold cavity and a mold insert. A sheet is placed in the mold cavity, and the mold insert is placed on the sheet. A preform assemblage is placed in a gap that is formed between the mold insert and the wall of the mold cavity. A mold core is biased above the preform assemblage, prior to molding operations, via a compression spring.