A plastic sheet supplying apparatus for a thermoforming machine having an adjustable pin is proposed. Such a plastic sheet supplying apparatus for a thermoforming machine having an adjustable pin according to the present invention has the technical feature in which in a process in which a plastic sheet adhering to a material of a door trim is heated, fixing pins supporting a lower portion of an edge portion of the plastic sheet are configured to have adjustable positions so as to be moved in response to the change of the size of the plastic sheet caused by heating, so that the entire portion of the plastic sheet is uniformly heated and is also uniformly stretched without wrinkling, whereby the quality of a molded product is improved, and fabric consumption is reduced.

A method for making a structural sandwich panel includes the steps of positioning a first and second thermoplastic skin elements in overlying relationship with respect to a heated male and heated female die molds respectively. A first pressure reduction is applied between the first thermoplastic skin element and the heated male die mold and a second pressure reduction is applied between the second thermoplastic and the heated female die mold. A core panel element is positioned between the heated male die mold and the heated female die mold wherein the core panel element has a first adhesive on a first side and has a second adhesive on a second opposing side. The male and female die molds are closed and exert a pressure onto the core panel element to secure the first and second thermoplastic skin elements to the core panel element and form the core panel element.

A method for forming leather and hide is used for manufacturing composite panels for automotive components, such as doors, dashboards and the like. A product is made from the method for forming leather and hide.

Stretching apparatus for automotive interior trim products and a method for forming The invention is a stretching apparatus which enables automotive interior trim products by being lifted between a lower mould and an upper mould before press, and a method for forming automotive interior trim products with this stretching apparatus.

An apparatus including: a plurality of forming molds, each mold including: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a mold face; a plurality of first recesses in the mold face positioned across the mold face, each first recess in fluid communication with a first vacuum duct; a leading face extending from the leading edge in a direction away from the mold face; a trailing face extending from the trailing edge in a direction away from the mold face; wherein at least a portion of the leading face is recessed relative to the mold face proximal the leading edge or at least a portion of the trailing face is recessed relative to the mold face proximal the trailing edge; wherein the plurality of forming molds is arranged leading edge to trailing edge as a first mold belt.

Embodiments relate to thermoforming multiple aligners simultaneously. In one embodiment, an aligner manufacturing system includes a plate, a heating section, and a thermoforming chamber. The plate is configured to secure a first mold of a first dental arch and a second mold of a second dental arch. The heating section is configured to heat a sheet of plastic to generate a heated sheet. The thermoforming chamber is configured to simultaneously thermoform the heated sheet over the first mold of the first dental arch and the second mold of the second dental arch to form a first aligner shaped to fit the first dental arch and a second aligner shaped to fit the second dental arch.

To solve the above problems, a pouch molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a seating step of seating a pouch film on a top surface of a die; a stripper descending step of allowing a stripper disposed above the die to descend; a fixing step of fixing the pouch film using the stripper; a molding preparation step of allowing a Blank holder disposed at a central portion of the die to ascend to contact one surface of the pouch film and allowing a punch disposed at a central portion of the stripper to descend to contact the other surface of the pouch film; and a molding step of allowing the punch and the Blank holder to descend along with each other to form a cup part in the pouch film.

A frame device for retaining and positioning sheet materials and possible reinforcing materials intended to be thermoformed to obtain objects made of composite material, comprises: a first tubular element defining internally a first vacuum chamber for grasping by aspiration a first sheet material, a second tubular element defining internally a second vacuum chamber, separate from, and independent of the first vacuum chamber and configured for grasping by aspiration a second sheet material, wherein said first tubular element and said second tubular element are fixed together permanently so as to define a grasping frame-structure configured as a single piece; in said grasping frame-structure a third vacuum chamber being defined, separate and independent of said first and second vacuum chambers, and configured for removing air from the zone that is interposed between said first and second sheet materials and which is intended for being possibly occupied by the reinforcing material/s.

A corresponding method is also disclosed.

A system and method for forming a part using a moveable heater to heat a pre-aligned blank and an alignment mechanism to maintain the alignment of the heated blank during the forming process. A frame receives and holds the blank in the pre-aligned position within an open press. The heater advances into the press to heat the pre-aligned blank to a forming temperature, and withdraws to allow the press to close and form the heated blank into the part. The alignment mechanism maintains the blank in the alignment while the blank is heated and the press is closed, and includes a rail extending through the press and the frame and allowing the press to move between open and closed positions, and a collapsible member which pushes the frame as the press closes and collapses to allow the press to fully close and form the heated blank into the part.

To reliably perform partial decoration forming by avoiding crush deformation of a hollow structure due to a change into a pressure-reduced state even in a case where part of the hollow structure is included in a partial decoration forming range of a formed plate material. A surrounding frame body (33) is brought into contact with an upper portion of a body to be coated to surround the decoration forming range, and the body to be coated is accommodated, and an upper space (A) in a sealed state and a lower space in a sealed state are formed. A surrounded space in a sealed state whose top and bottom are surrounded by a decorative film and the body to be coated in the decoration forming range is formed after the lower space and the upper space (A) in the sealed state are brought into a predetermined first pressure state where the pressures in the lower space and the upper space (A) are equal to each other. By instantaneously increasing the pressures in the lower space and the upper space (A) around the surrounded space from the pressure-reduced state to a second pressure state where the pressures are equal to each other while keeping the surrounded space at the first pressure state, partial decoration forming is performed on the decoration forming range in the surrounded space with the decorative film.