The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cellulose product having a flat or non-flat product shape by a pressure moulding apparatus comprising a forming mould. The forming mould has a forming surface defining said product shape, The method comprises the steps of:

arranging a cellulose blank containing less than 45 weight percent water in said forming mould; heating said cellulose blank to a forming temperature in the range of 100° C. to 200° C.; and pressing said cellulose blank by means of said forming mould with a forming pressure acting on the cellulose blank across said forming surface, said forming pressure being in the range of 1 MPa to 100 MPa.

A hot press cushioning material includes a base material layer that is in the form of a plate and that contains fibers; and an end face seal covering an outer end face of the base material layer. The end face seal includes a heat resistant elastic body having penetrated the outer end face of the base material layer and a heat resistant resin attached to an outer surface of the heat resistant elastic body.

A hot press cushioning material includes a cushioning material body in the form of a plate; and surface materials provided on the front and back sides of the cushioning material body. The surface material includes a core layer composed of a heat resistant fiber material for a nonwoven structure, and a front-side resin layer covering the entire front side of the core layer. The core layer has an air permeability of 5 cm.sup.3.Math.cm.sup.−2.Math.s.sup.−1 or less and a bulk density of 0.8 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

One embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure may use a fixture with one or more boot recesses formed therein. An embedded member may be engaged with a boot and placed in a boot recess. Substrate lay-up may be placed around all or a portion of the embedded member and an outer member may be positioned over the substrate lay-up. A cover may be positioned over the outer member and engaged with the fixture. The pressure within an interior portion of the fixture may be reduced to less than ambient pressure and resin may be introduced to interact with the substrate lay-up and allowed to cure.

An example apparatus for fabrication of a co-cured composite assembly includes a layup tool body with a cavity, a thermal expansion insert inserted into the cavity of the layup tool body and a first uncured composite part of the composite assembly is positioned onto the thermal expansion insert, and a solid internal mandrel configured for insertion onto the first uncured composite part. During curing, the first uncured composite part compacts and reduces in thickness while the solid internal mandrel and the thermal expansion insert each increase in size to apply pressure to the first uncured composite part.

A device for producing an edgefold on a component is suggested, wherein the component includes a support and a cover layer. The component may be an inner lining part of a motor vehicle, without limitation thereto. The device comprises an elastic body, which is set up to pull the cover layer over an edge of the support by deforming the elastic body.

A material forming apparatus comprises: a support which is positioned at a side of a forming tool with respect to a material arranged on the forming tool to have a first part covered by the forming tool and a second part separated from the forming tool, and which supports the forming tool; a diaphragm which presses the second part of the material while the outer surface of the expanded diaphragm comes in close contact therewith, in a state in which the first part of the material is compressed by the forming tool and the outer surface of the diaphragm; and a volume-varying member which is disposed near the forming tool between the diaphragm and the support so that at least a portion thereof is positioned on the second part of the material.

A mold core for producing a component of fiber composite material with a cavity. The mold core makes a particularly simple and efficient demolding process possible by a mold core extending along a longitudinal axis and which is in the form of a hybrid core and which includes, viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a first core portion and a second core portion, wherein the first core portion is formed from a first material with high stiffness and low coefficient of thermal expansion, and wherein the second core portion is formed from a second material that differs from the first material, and is configured such that, under predetermined conditions, its form changes in a predetermined manner such that removal of the mold core from a cavity in the cured component is made easier.

The disclosed forming apparatus includes a frame. The frame defines a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and a longitudinal axis. A carriage is movably connected to the frame. A first stomp foot is movably connected to the carriage such that it may move along the vertical axis. A first end effector is movably connected to the carriage. The first end effector is controlled by an actuator. The disclosed method for forming a composite part includes applying at least one ply of composite material over a forming surface of a forming tool and deforming the at least one ply of composite material over the forming surface of the forming tool with a forming apparatus.

Methods of manufacturing a structural component each include providing a preformed layered structure including a plurality of layers each having reinforcing fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix material, heating the layered structure in a cavity formed between a contour surface and an abutment member to a first temperature, which is greater than a melting point of the thermoplastic matrix material, and cooling the layer structure in the cavity to a solidification temperature which is, e.g., less than the melting point of the thermoplastic matrix material, while applying a compression pressure. According to a method, the compression pressure is generated by using a magnet device to generate a magnetic field directed transversely to the contour surface, which pulls or compresses the abutment member and the contour surface relative to each other. According to a further method, inductive heating of the cavity occurs.