A system and method for bonding a first layer of material to a second layer of material includes a first electrically conductive plate, a second electrically conductive plate spaced apart from the first electrically conductive plate. The second electrically conductive plate is electrically grounded. A high frequency generator in electrical communication with the first electrically conductive plate supplies high frequency electrical signals to the first electrically conductive plate. An adhesive applied to one of the first and second layers of material has an electromagnetic susceptor material that when subjected to the electric field heats the adhesive to an adhesive curing temperature to bond the first layer of material to the second layer of material. A clamping mechanism applies pressure to one of the first and second layers of material to maintain contact between the first and second layers until an adhesive cure time has lapsed.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a porous midsole the method including: a cotton-beating step (S1) of forming a midsole base (10) having porous voids 16 by mixing low melting fibers (12) and high melting fibers (14); and a thermoforming step (S2) of bonding and fixing the high melting fibers into a compressed state by the melt adhesive strength of the low melting fibers (12) by compressively thermoforming the midsole base (10) at a melting point temperature of the low melting fibers (12).

A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

The pressing of an article is achieved with a closed-loop feedback press. The closed-loop feedback press is effective to measure an amount of pressure applied and adjust the pressure to achieve a prescribed amount of compression on the article. Further, the press may leverage a closed-loop feedback system to maintain a consistent temperature of one or more platens. The press is able to adjust a pressure applied one or more times during a pressing operation to accelerate a temperature change in the pressed article while reducing the pressure applied as the temperature approaches a target temperature to limit unintentional deformation and bleeding of the pressed material of the article.

A method for producing a rubber-plastic composite, including the steps of (a) shaping an unvulcanized elastomer, (b) partially vulcanizing the shaped elastomer at a temperature of at least 140° C. up to a degree of vulcanization in the range from 10% to 40%, (c) cooling the partially vulcanized elastomer to a temperature of less than 100° C. within less than 20 minutes, (d) overmolding the partially vulcanized elastomer with a plastic, and (e) heat treating the partially vulcanized elastomer overmolded with a plastic at a temperature in the range from 100° C. to 170° C. for a duration of from 5 minutes to 5 hours to complete the vulcanization and form a rubber-plastic composite. The method further relates to a rubber-plastic composite obtainable by the method according to the invention and also to a shoe comprising the rubber-plastic composite obtainable by the method according to the invention.

Provided herein according to aspects of the present invention is a method of additively manufacturing an object having a particle surface coating thereon, using an intermediate object produced in an additive manufacturing process by light polymerization of a dual cure resin, said intermediate object having residual dual cure resin from which it was produced remaining on a surface portion thereof in unpolymerized form; forming a solid particle coating adhered to the resin coating film; and then further curing the intermediate object.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

A needle shield remover for a medicament delivery device is presented that has a metal tubular body, a proximal part, a distal part, and a substantially circular cross-section, where the tubular body is arranged with a slot extending from a distal end of the body, at least half the length of the body, towards a proximal end, such that at least the distal part of the body may flex radially outwards to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force on a needle shield accommodated by the body.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

A foaming process and a method for operation of the foaming process are provided. The method includes flowing a molten polymeric material into a mold from an upstream device, receiving the molten polymeric material in a cavity of the mold, and maintaining a repeatable, uniform pressure profile as the molten polymeric material is delivered into the mold.