Optical films having a curved shaped and methods of shaping optical films are described. A method of shaping an optical film includes the steps of disposing the optical film adjacent first and second rollers spaced apart along a first direction, securing opposing first and second ends of the optical film, providing a curved mold surface, and shaping the optical film by contacting the optical film with the curved mold surface while stretching the optical film along the first direction and keeping a threshold distance between closest points on the optical film contacting the first roller and contacting the curved mold surface less than the width of the optical film to reduce buckling of the optical film.

The mould comprises a base plate and a plurality of forming areas, wherein each forming area comprises a cavity in the base plate and a forming sleeve placed in the cavity. Each forming area further comprises first heat means for heating or keeping heated the forming sleeve relative to the base plate, such that the temperature of the part of the film which lies against the forming sleeve during cooling remains above a glass temperature of the plastic long enough to obtain a product with an at least partially crystalline structure.

Disclosed are a composite panel having improved vibration characteristics, and a method for manufacturing the same. The composite panel includes a hybrid layer formed at a neutral axis of the composite panel, the hybrid layer including a vibration damping layer and an intermediate material layer. The composite panel also includes structural material layers laminated on both surfaces of the hybrid layer and surface layers laminated on outer surfaces of the respective structural material layers to form outermost layers of the composite panel.

Articles of footwear including a thermo-molded upper having a skin composed of one or more low melting point thermoplastic polymers. The skin may include at least one of: a base layer composed of a low melting point thermoplastic polymer and a grid layer including a yarn composed of a low melting point thermoplastic polymer. The uppers may be formed by placing a skin and an inflatable bladder into a mold cavity and heating the mold to a predetermined temperature. The inflatable bladder may be inflated such that the skin is pressed against an interior surface of the heated mold cavity to cause the skin to take on the shape of the internal surface of the mold cavity, thereby forming an upper for an article of footwear.

Improved separator film compositions, methods and systems for use in producing thermoformed dental appliances are disclosed.

A molding method of crystalline plastics includes: providing a raw material; executing a thermoforming step; executing a cooling crystallization step; and executing a cooling and demolding step to form a crystalline plastic product, and a staged cooling technology is used to achieve the effect of simultaneously performing the cooling crystallization step and the cooling and demolding step in a mold. The molding method does not require an expensive cooling system, nor require an additional crystallizer, and the method can improve the process yield, lower the required equipment and labor costs and expenses, and reduce the total process time significantly.

A forming station for producing a packaging trough by thermoforming at least an area of a film web positioned between a forming tool upper part and a forming tool lower part of the forming station. A male die part of the forming tool upper part may be moved in a vertical direction and inserted into a forming space of a female die part of the forming tool lower part. The packaging trough is produced by deforming the film web between the male die part and an inner wall of the forming space of the female die part. In an inserted condition of the male die part within the female die art, a push-in unit is extended from the male die part towards the inner wall of the forming space at an angular orientation relative to the vertical direction.

Described herein are microplates having wells with ultra-thin walls and methods of forming thereof. The microplates can be made by thermoforming processes that use ultrasound, electricity, etc., to heat a thin polymer sheet or film prior to molding. Vacuum can be optionally applied to help form or shape the wells.

An instrumented mold formed by an assembly of strata includes, within the assembly of strata, a measurement structure provided with at least one pressure sensor and/or at least one temperature sensor or any other sensor capable of measuring a physical quantity, the structure typically being in the form of a flexible support housed between two strata.

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.