A thermoforming device is described. It relates to a mold assembly including a first and second mold, and to a mold that can be used in a thermoforming device. It also relates to a method for thermoforming a product. The thermoforming device is characterized in that the thermoforming device comprises a second pre-stretcher, in addition to a first pre-stretcher and a calibration element (19, 20), and that the second pre-stretcher is at least partially and moveably arranged in a second mold body (12, 43). A movement relative to the second mold body (12, 43) and towards the same forming cavity of the first pre-stretcher, the second pre-stretcher, and the calibration element (19, 20), can be individually controlled, arid the second pre-stretcher at least partially surrounds the first pre-stretcher and the calibration element (19, 20).

Method of forming, in particular a thermoforming method, a foil into a container, in particular a brewing container, especially a coffee capsule, using a plug assist and/or pressure difference in axial main forming direction, directing the foil into a forming tool creating a blank with a cavity and pressing the foil towards the forming tool bottom in order to create a floor for the blank and characterising the method in that the floor of the blank experiences a material distribution, especially a material shifting and/or material compression, during which a constant pressure difference within the blank's cavity is guaranteed and a circumferential annular gap is created.

A deep-drawn paper tray made of paper material, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the tray, and a closed product package comprising the tray. The tray having a bottom and upwardly expanding side walls around the bottom, the side walls of the tray being shaped to expand through a plurality of circumferential steps dimensioned low enough for obtaining wrinkle-free side walls for the tray. The outermost step is a flat, wrinkle-free rim flange, which enables liquid and gas proof heat-sealing of a lid to form the package. The apparatus may comprise upper and lower moulding tools with concentric movable frames for forming the tray bottom and side wall steps from paper blanks, and moulding tools may be mounted onto a rotating turret carrying a paper blank through working stations arranged along the turret circumference, to shape the tray bottom and the side wall steps at the consecutive stations.

Format change method for a thermoforming machine and a thermoforming machine. A station of the machine includes an upper tool and a lower tool, at least one of the upper and lower tools being suitable for moving in a substantially vertical actuating direction during the operation of the machine. In the method, the upper tool is supported on the lower tool and both tools are subsequently withdrawn from the station and are replaced with new tools. When withdrawing the upper and lower tools from the station and when introducing the new tools therein, the tools are moved simultaneously and jointly in a replacement direction different from the actuating direction.

A method for making objects by forming a thermoformable sheet material includes forming the objects by interaction of a die assembly and a forming assembly. The method further includes, compressing and crushing a first portion of the sheet material by a crushing punch device before forming the objects and maintaining the first portion crushed during the forming operation to reduce the thickness thereof and to orientate chains of molecules that compose a structure of the sheet material at the first portion, in order to weaken the structure and the first portion. The first portion is thus easily perforable, tearable and breakable.

Cap wrinkling in a contoured composite hat stringer is reduced by constraining the cap as the hat stringer is being formed from a flat composite charge. The cap is constrained by an inflatable bladder placed in a tool set used to form the composite charge.

Cup or cartridge that is deep-drawn from a plastic film or a plastic cutout has a bottom and a circumferential wall, wherein the deep-drawing contour ensures a predetermined material distribution. A reinforcement, in terms of design, may be provided at the transition between the bottom and the wall. The transition between the bottom and the wall may have an approximately identical or greater material thickness than the bottom or the wall or than both the bottom and the wall.

A deep-drawn paper tray made of paper material, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the tray, and a closed product package comprising the tray. The tray having a bottom and upwardly expanding side walls around the bottom, the side walls of the tray being shaped to expand through a plurality of circumferential steps dimensioned low enough for obtaining wrinkle-free side walls for the tray. The outermost step is a flat, wrinkle-free rim flange, which enables liquid and gas proof heat-sealing of a lid to form the package. The apparatus may comprise upper and lower moulding tools with concentric movable frames for forming the tray bottom and side wall steps from paper blanks, and moulding tools may be mounted onto a rotating turret carrying a paper blank through working stations arranged along the turret circumference, to shape the tray bottom and the side wall steps at the consecutive stations.

A crisscross thermoforming assist plug assembly having a pair of oppositely outwardly facing thermoforming assist plugs each carried by a respective one of a pair of thermoforming assist plug linkage arrangements, where at least one link of the linkage arrangement is used to extend one of the assist plugs in one direction crosses but does not contact in a side view or profile of the thermoforming assist plug assembly, and at least one link of the other linkage arrangement is used to extend the other one of the assist plugs in an opposite direction. The links of the linkage arrangement preferably pivot about a common pivot axis that preferably is an elongate pivot shaft extending transversely between elongate upper rails of a frame of the assembly. At least one of the links of the linkage arrangement is a drive link that extends or retracts one of the plugs that crosses a drive link that extends and/or retracts the other one of the plugs. The drive links preferably form a crisscross arrangement when actuated in a manner that substantially simultaneously extends the respective plugs into the mold cavity and/or substantially simultaneously retracts the respective plugs from the mold cavity.

A mold structure has a first mold, a second mold relatively connectable to and disconnectable from the first mold, a heater on at least one of the first and second molds, a transfer member on at least one of the first and second molds, that is relatively movable and separable from the at least one of the first and second molds on which the transfer member is disposed, a transfer surface formed on the transfer member that is placed in contact with a resin sheet fed between the first and second molds to perform transfer molding onto the resin sheet, and a moving mechanism that moves the at least one of the first and second molds on which the transfer member is disposed and the transfer member relative to each other.