The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

Continuous adjustment appliances are provided that can store a large number of geometries that can be successively accessed throughout orthodontic treatment, with each geometry can correspond to an arrangement of the patient's teeth. An appliance according to the present disclosure can be stimulated to transition among the myriad geometries, which can include changes to the overall shape of the appliance as well as the position and geometry of the cavities corresponding to a patient's teeth. Methods of creating the continuous adjustment appliances and methods of treatment using the continuous adjustment appliances are also revealed.

A multilayer composite structure is disclosed. The multilayer composite structure has at least one polymer-based cap layer containing, for example, an acrylic, styrenic or acrylonitrile polymer and at least one polyester-based inner or substrate layer. Also disclosed are methods of forming the multilayer composite structure to improve and control the level of adhesion between the layers. Optional tie layers can be used to improve and control the level of adhesion between the layers. An optional exterior layer over the cap layer can contain polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymers. The multilayer composite structure combines the attributes of both polymersthe high UV stability, scratch resistance, and excellent appearance of the polymer-based outer cap layer and the strength and impact resistance of the polyester-based interior layer.

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.

Apparatus and methods of forming selected portions of integral sheets of material are disclosed. Unformed portions of the sheets may remain undistorted during the forming process, allowing them to contain text, art work, or other desired information without material risk of the information being degraded or becoming unintelligible during the forming process. This result may be accomplished, moreover, with less trim than usually occurs in conventional forming processes.

A method for the crystallization of a film made of a thermoplastic film material, in particular a CPET material, to form a product in which a crystallization process is initiated by shaping the thermoplastic film material within a molding tool. A main crystallization of the crystallization process is carried on outside of the molding tool.

Apparatus and methods of forming selected portions of integral sheets of material are disclosed. Unformed portions of the sheets may remain undistorted during the forming process, allowing them to contain text, art work, or other desired information without material risk of the information being degraded or becoming unintelligible during the forming process. This result may be accomplished, moreover, with less trim than usually occurs in conventional forming processes.

The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

An assembly for manufacturing containers by thermoforming, which includes a magazine of thermoplastic sheet-like blanks, a feeding station for feeding the blanks, a heating station for heating the blanks, and a station for thermoforming containers starting from the blanks. The feeding station includes a closed-loop path and at least two conveyor elements, which move, following each other, along the path between a loading position, in which the conveyor element faces the blank magazine, and an unloading position, in which the conveyor element faces the heating station. The heating station includes a heating carousel, wherein, in the active condition, the conveyor element in the unloading position moves with a substantially linear motion with a speed that is substantially equal to a peripheral speed of the heating carousel.

A method for continuously manufacturing a complex acoustic multi-element panel for an acoustic attenuation structure, the method including supplying a thermoplastic resin film at the entry of a stamping system including at least one pair of complementary cylinders, a heating of the thermoplastic resin film upstream of the entry of the stamping system, and a passage of the thermoplastic resin film between the at least one pair of complementary cylinders, the pair of complementary cylinders including a male cylinder with teeth radially protruding from the cylinder and a female cylinder with cavities on its radial surface, the cavities of the female cylinder being of shapes complementary to the shapes of the teeth of the male cylinder and a separation of the stamped film at the exit of the stamping system using a separator disposed at the exit of the stamping system between the stamped film and the female cylinder.