Ways for simultaneously forming and filling a container with a product are provided that include a mold cavity, a two-stage injection unit, and a blow nozzle. The mold cavity defines an internal surface and is configured to accept a preform. The two-stage injection unit receives and dispenses the product where a first stage includes an extruder and a second stage includes an accumulator. The extruder imparts mechanical energy to the product to reduce a viscosity of the product and transfers the reduced-viscosity product to the accumulator. The accumulator receives the reduced-viscosity product from the extruder and dispenses a charge of the reduced-viscosity product. The blow nozzle transfers the charge of the reduced-viscosity product dispensed from the accumulator into the preform to urge the preform to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity and form a resultant container.

In blow mold apparatus, the emergence of a parison from an extruder may be controlled (the parison supported), such as by pulling on the parison or resisting gravity pull to tailor parison wall thickness, overall and locally. The process may proceed discontinuously, such as by stopping extrusion before a parison has achieved its full desired length and continuing pulling. After molding the parison, it may be filled with a material (solid, liquid or gas). A subsequent parison may be molded onto a previously formed parison. Various elements or devices (such as needles, caps, stoppers, valves, plungers) may be incorporated into the part during the molding process.

A vehicle running board includes opposing vertical walls extending along a length of a tubular structure and including a carbon-fiber component. Opposing horizontal walls extend between the opposing vertical walls and include a glass component. The opposing vertical and opposing horizontal walls form the tubular structure having a generally rectilinear cross section. A polymer outer covering extends over the opposing vertical and opposing horizontal walls.

Disclosed is a hollow molded article which has an opening portion communicating with a flow channel and which can be manufactured simply. The hollow molded article includes a panel and flow channels. The panel includes a first resin sheet and a second resin sheet partly welded with the first resin sheet. The flow channels are disposed between the first resin sheet and the second resin sheet, and include connection portions for external connection which are disposed on a peripheral edge of the panel. The connection portions are formed by the first resin sheet and the second resin sheet.

An accumulation extruder head comprises a head body (10) which has an accumulation chamber (13a) with a vertical axis, designed to be filled with a load of thermoplastic resin, and a bottom outlet mouth (11) for expulsion of the load of thermoplastic resin in the form of a tubular parison. A piston (18) is coaxially inserted inside the accumulation chamber (13a) and is movable in a reciprocating manner inside the accumulation chamber along the vertical axis in an expulsion direction and an upward direction. A mechatronic assembly (30) comprises an output element (31), which is linearly displaceable along the vertical axis between a raised position and a lowered position, and a plurality of electric actuators, each able to rotationally drive a respective rotating element coupled to the output element (31) so as to displace the output element in the vertical direction. The output element (31) cooperates with a pusher assembly (40), which is rigidly coupled to the piston (18) for displacement therewith so as to push the piston (18) in the expulsion direction.

A system for blow-molding a three-dimensional part or article. The system comprises at least one regrind extruder system and at least one color extruder system, a forming system for forming a blank from the viscous mixtures released by the extruder systems and a blow mold configured to receive the blank. The blank has a layered configuration characterized by a number of layers across a cross-section of the blank. Each one of the layers is formed by one of the viscous mixtures released by the extruder systems. The blank is inflated inside the blow mold to form the three-dimensional part or article. The three-dimensional part or article retains the layered structure of the blank.