A tool for thermoforming a container having a base and an upstanding sidewall walls or walls. The tool includes a mould having a profile shaped to form the exterior shape of the container and a plug adapted to be inserted in the mould to define the interior of the container. The plug has a lower face adapted to define the profile of the base of the container. The profile of the lower face of the plug has at least one groove therein defining, in use, a rib upstanding in the interior of the base of the container.

The disclosure relates to a film transportation plate and a film transportation system for transporting a film web through processing stations of a film packaging machine. The film transportation plate has two opposite lateral edges and, therebetween, at least one mold impression for thermoforming the film web. Retainers for the film web are arranged on the two lateral edges. The retainers are each formed by a fixed clamping surface and at least one clamping jaw, which is movable relative to the clamping surface, for pressing the film web so as to clamp it against the clamping surface. The retainers also each have at least one retaining magnet for attracting the clamping jaw against the clamping surface, and an actuating extension for lifting the clamping jaw off the clamping surface. The film transportation system also includes actuating means which act on the actuating extensions of the clamping jaws.

Provided are a sheet material in which a skin material can be adhered to a base material. A sheet material 2 for forming a design surface of a product by being adhered to base materials 68a, 68b includes a sheet-like skin material 20, and a sheet-like stretchable material 25 laminated on a rear surface side of the skin material 20 and having higher stretchability than the skin material 20. The stretchable material 25 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and include grippable areas 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d on which the skin material 20 is not laminated and which are respectively provided in portions including four edge sides 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d facing each other in plan view. In the skin material 20, five linear cut portions 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e are formed in a non-design area 23 other than the design areas 22a, 22b.

A deep-drawing apparatus includes an arrangement of die plates, wherein each die plate has a plurality of frame vacuum holes and at least one female die having at least one die vacuum hole. At least one vacuum channel connects a vacuum source to the die vacuum hole of the female die and to the frame vacuum holes of the die plate. The deep-drawing apparatus includes for each die plate a closing device for closing and opening the vacuum channel. The die plate is fed a single foil sheet. The closing device opens the connecting channel at the corresponding die plate and the foil sheet is laid onto the die plate. Thereafter, the foil is held on the frame vacuum holes by a holding vacuum and is deep-drawn by a deep-drawing vacuum at the die vacuum holes in the female die. A method for the deep-drawing of foil is also disclosed.

A clamping apparatus of a soft film and a mounting fixture thereof are described. The clamping apparatus includes a first bar, a second bar, a third bar, and at least one elastic element. The first bar and second bar are respectively configured to fix a first side portion and a second side portion of a soft film. The third bar is adjacent and connected to the second bar. The third bar and the first bar are respectively located on two opposite sides of the second bar. The third bar is configured to pull the soft film from the second side portion of the soft film through the second bar. The elastic element has a first end and a second end opposite to each other and respectively disposed on the second bar and the third bar. The elastic element is configured to provide the soft film with pull buffer.

A flat laminate element made of thermoplastic is hot-formed in a two-stage method. In a first stage, the flat laminate which includes film(s) and/or panels(n) is placed on a flat frame-shaped pallet and is heated to a forming temperature in a heating zone between two flat heat screens in a contactless manner. The edge zone of the hot flat laminate element lies on the pallet such that the laminate piece cannot be clamped in a first laminate direction but rather can be slide on the pallet in this direction. Two non-flat rigid contours which are identical or largely identical act on two opposing parallel laminate edge sections uniaxially and perpendicularly to the laminate plane and only in the first laminate direction, i.e. monodirectionally, and shape the entire heated laminate element into a monodirectionally molded blank.

A process for making a hermetically sealed package, which includes forming a sheet of wrapping made of plastic material, in particular having a thickness of less than or equal to 140 μm. The process envisages: forming on the sheet a first, hollow, portion and a second, perimetral, portion, which delimits at least partially the first portion; inserting the product into the hollow portion obtained in the sheet of wrapping; applying a second sheet of wrapping in contact with the perimetral portion so as to close the hollow portion with the product inside; and welding the second sheet on the first sheet along the perimetral portion. Forming the first sheet includes providing on the second, perimetral, portion a series of pleats of the sheet, which are then sealed.

A mounting fixture of an apparatus for clamping a film includes a platform, a barricade, and fixing members. A surface of the platform includes a first fixing portion, and second and third fixing portions which are opposite to the first fixing portion. The second fixing portion is adjacent to the third fixing portion and located between the first and third fixing portions. The barricade is disposed on the surface between the second and third fixing portions and has channels. The fixing members are disposed on the surface. First, second, and third bars of the apparatus are disposed on the first, second, and third fixing portions, the barricade is located between the second and third bars, and the channels receive elastic elements of the apparatus. Each elastic element has two ends disposed on the second and third bars. The fixing members can fix the first and third bar.

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 clamping apparatus of a soft film and a mounting fixture thereof are described. The clamping apparatus includes a first bar, a second bar, a third bar, and at least one elastic element. The first bar and second bar are respectively configured to fix a first side portion and a second side portion of a soft film. The third bar is adjacent and connected to the second bar. The third bar and the first bar are respectively located on two opposite sides of the second bar. The third bar is configured to pull the soft film from the second side portion of the soft film through the second bar. The elastic element has a first end and a second end opposite to each other and respectively disposed on the second bar and the third bar. The elastic element is configured to provide the soft film with pull buffer.