A device having at least one pair of free-running cooling rollers for the continuous production of a fibre strip impregnated with polymer, wherein the fibres are continuous fibres and the fibres in the impregnated fibre strip are aligned unidirectionally in the direction of travel of the impregnated fibre strip. Preferably, at least one of the two rollers is equipped with a pair of sealing rings preferably of the same type. Also disclosed is a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, a process for producing a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, and a multilayer composite.

A method for producing a cladding part for vehicles with a cladding part body that forms a cladding in the mounted state. A sandwich panel is formed and extends two-dimensionally in a plane with at least one transparent thermoplastic upper layer, a prefabricated, postprocessing-free intermediate layer, and a thermoplastic base layer. The at least three-layered sandwich plate is subsequently three-dimensionally formed under the influence of heat into a sandwich element forming the cladding part body.

A vehicle interior material manufacturing apparatus includes a preheater for preheating a raw fabric, a mover for moving the preheated raw fabric and including a stretching jig movable back and forth, a first mold into which the preheated raw fabric is inserted by the mover, a second mold having an at least partially corresponding shape to the first mold, and an injection resin introduced into the second mold, wherein the first mold includes: a base member on which an embossed pattern to be transferred to the preheated raw fabric is formed, a vacuum hole through which the preheated raw fabric is adsorbed onto the base member, and a spring core protruding from the base member and contacting at least a portion of the preheated raw fabric inserted into the first mold.

A seat includes a framework; a foam body supported by the framework; and a trim cover assembly covering the foam body. The trim cover assembly includes a trim material and one or more coatings, with at least one of the one or more coatings including encapsulated silicone configured to release silicone oil upon abrasion of the at least one coating.

An automated manufacturing method and system and in-mold coated plastic article produced thereby are provided. The system includes a compression mold and a plurality of program-controlled manipulators. An automatic sprayer supported on a first manipulator sprays at least a portion of a mold surface with an in-mold coating composition. An end effector supported on a second manipulator picks up a heated blank of moldable plastic sheet material from an oven and places the heated blank between upper and lower mold halves of the mold. An inner portion of the heated blank is forced into an article-defining cavity of the mold and into contact with at least a portion of the in-mold coating composition. The in-mold coating composition and the inner portion of the heated blank cure and bond to one another so as to form the coated plastic article.

A method and assembly for forming a multi-shot panel for a vehicle including the steps of providing a mold and forming therein a main body of the panel from a first rigid material, the step of forming the main body further including forming a multi-sided recess. The rigid material is transferred to a second reconfiguration of the mold for forming thereupon at least one second softer material. The panel is then transferred to a third reconfiguration of the mold for forming the heat deflecting shield. Alternative, a two shot injection molded panel can be removed from the mold and a previously formed heat deflecting shield can be attached along edges of the main body defining the multi-sided recess. In either variant, locking features are designed into the interface geometry between the heat deflecting shield and rigid main body.

An automated manufacturing method and system and in-mold coated plastic article produced thereby are provided. The system includes a combination compression and injection mold and a plurality of program-controlled manipulators. An automatic sprayer supported on a first manipulator sprays at least a portion of a mold surface with an in-mold coating composition. An end effector supported on a second manipulator picks up a heated blank of moldable plastic sheet material from an oven and places the heated blank in the mold. An inner portion of the heated blank is forced into an article-defining cavity of the mold and into contact with at least a portion of the composition. The composition and the inner portion cure and bond to one another and a plastic compatible with the plastic of the sheet is injected into the mold so as to form the coated plastic article.

A thermoplastic forming tool includes a wand that includes a handle, a tip, and a conduit coupling the handle to the tip. The tip includes a heating element, a forming shoe, and a forming shoe support. During use, heat from the heating element heats the forming shoe to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature of a thermoplastic polymer. The thermoplastic forming tool may be used to apply a thermoplastic material to a surface.

The method for producing a skin material includes heat-pressing a raw material using an embossing die to obtain a skin material having a concave part formed on a front surface side and a flat back surface. The raw material is heat-pressed between the embossing die and an elastic mat to form, as the concave part, at least one of a plurality of concave parts for intensity display having different depths of a bottom and a concave part for gradation display in which the depth of the bottom gradually changes.

A composite article has an interior layer comprising a natural fiber and an exterior layer injection molded onto the interior layer. The exterior layer forms an outer surface over the interior layer. A method of forming the composite article includes providing a base layer comprising a natural fiber and providing a first tool and a second tool. The first and second tools are configured to cooperate to form a cavity therebetween. The first tool has an injection molding channel formed therein. The base layer is inserted into the cavity between the first and second tools and pressed into a desired shape. A liquid polymeric material is inserted through the injection molding channel of the first tool and onto a surface of the base layer to form an injection molded layer of the polymeric material on the base layer.