A process is capable of producing a high-quality fiber-reinforced plastic with good yield in a short molding cycle time despite being atmospheric pressure molding. The process characterized uses local contact heating to give different temperature conditions to produce a fiber-reinforced plastic by atmospheric pressure molding from a fiber-reinforced material which contains a reinforcing fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition.

A method of moulding (10; 20) and apparatus (108; 208; 308) therefor, in which a workpiece (100) is preheated and/or post-cooled before and/or after a moulding process, allowing optimal use of the tool for high precision moulding operations.

The invention relates to a tool insert for a primary shaping tool, comprising a thermal insulator disposed on a main part having a molding surface contacted by the molten material to be shaped, said surface being at least partly spaced from the main part of the tool insert by a thermal insulator. The thermal insulator comprises bulk metallic glass.

A method and apparatus for a continuous compression molding machine. The continuous compression molding machine comprises a tooling die, extending through a heating zone and a cooling zone, a tooling sleeve, and a biasing system. The tooling sleeve corresponds to the tooling die and is for use in forming a thermoplastic composite part from a thermoplastic composite charge when the tooling sleeve with the thermoplastic composite charge is moved with respect to the tooling die through the heating zone and the cooling zone. The biasing system is configured to hold the thermoplastic charge at a first angle within the heating zone and hold the thermoplastic composite charge at a second angle within the cooling zone, as the tooling sleeve moves through the heating zone and the cooling zone with the thermoplastic composite charge. The first angle is different from the second angle.

A method of moulding and apparatus therefor, in which a workpiece is preheated and/or post-cooled before and/or after a moulding process, allowing optimal use of the tool for high precision moulding operations.

A hot press assembly is provided that comprises an upper die plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The hot press assembly further includes a punch with an attachment surface that is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the upper die plate and a pressing surface that is positioned opposite the attachment surface. The hot press assembly also includes one or more conductive inserts that extend through the punch from the attachment surface to a predetermined distance away from the pressing surface, where each conductive insert has a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the punch. Methods of manufacturing a brake pad using the hot press assembly are also provided.

Disclose herein is a degassing apparatus for a pouch including a body part. The degassing apparatus can include a lower mold placed on a bottom surface of the body part, an upper mold configured to press a top surface of the body part placed on the lower mold, and a cooling member. At least one of the lower mold or the upper mold is cooled by the cooling member to cool an electrolyte injected into the body part when the body part contacts the lower or upper molds. A method for degassing a pouch can include seating a body part of the pouch on a lower mold, pressing the pouch with an upper mold, cooling a body part to lower the temperature of an electrolyte in an electrode assembly of the pouch, and suctioning a gas by inserting a gas inhaler into a gas pocket part.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a formed article of a composite material. The formed article is manufactured by heating and pressurizing a thermoplastic resin material and fabric material. The method includes a preforming process in which the material to be formed is put in a preforming mold with a release sheet arranged between the material and a part of the preforming mold. The material is heated and pressurized to impregnate the thermoplastic resin material into the fabric material, thus forming an impregnated intermediate material. Then, in a transport process the impregnated intermediate material in a heated state is taken out from the preforming mold with the release sheet left attached thereto, and transported. Finally there is a forming process in which the impregnated intermediate material is accommodated in the forming mold and the impregnated intermediate material is formed into the formed article of the composite material by pressurizing.

A compression molding system includes a first extruder configured to output melted plastic, a second extruder downstream from the first extruder and configured to mix the melted plastic with wood chips to output a composite material, a splitter downstream from the second extruder and configured to split a flow of the composite material between a first flow and a second flow, and an inner and outer block transfer valve downstream from the splitter and configured to receive the first flow and the second flow of the composite material. An inner block transfer valve and an outer block transfer valve may be configured to alternately direct the composite material between an inner block accumulator and an outer block accumulator.

A compression press is provided, comprising: a frame; a movable lid carried by said frame and having an opening extending therethrough; an enclosure carried by said frame and comprising a core movable between a retracted position and an extended position, with said core aligned with the opening in said lid; a first hydraulic stage carried by said frame; and a second hydraulic stage carried by said frame and configured to apply additional pressure on said lid and said core in the extended position within the cavity. The first hydraulic stage is configured to perform the following: move said core from the retracted position to the extended position and move said lid and said core in the extended position to contact a mold having a cavity with material deposited therein, with pressure being applied to said lid and said core in the extended position within the cavity.