The invention pertains to a sliding surface for a continuously operating double-belt press for manufacturing endless material strips such as laminates, particularly copper laminate, decorative laminate, fiber-reinforced plastic laminates and/or other technical laminates, wherein the double-belt press comprises an upper and a lower endless press belt (04) that are guided over deflection rollers, wherein a reaction zone (13), in which the material strip is guided and pressed together under a surface pressure, is formed between the opposing outer sides of the press belts, wherein the double-belt press furthermore has a pressure chamber (08) that generates at least part of the surface pressure and is formed in the reaction zone (13) between a base element (07), particularly a heating plate, and an inner side (11) of the press belt (04), wherein said pressure chamber can be acted upon with a fluidic pressure medium and is laterally bounded and sealed by the at least one annular, closed sliding surface (01), wherein the sliding surface (01) has a sealing surface (12) for abutting on the inner side (11) of the press belt (04) in a sealing manner, wherein the sliding surface (01) comprises a sealing element (02) that forms the sealing surface (12) and a sealing frame (03) that at least partially accommodates the sealing element (02) and serves for movably supporting the sliding surface (01) in the base element (07), particularly in the heating plate, wherein a compression element (17) is arranged between the sealing frame (03) and the sealing element (02) at least in a pressing direction, and wherein said compression element allows a motion of the sealing element (02) relative to the sealing frame (03) due to an elastic compression, especially in reaction to a pressure application on the sliding surface (01) in the pressing direction.

Articles and methods of manufacture of poly(vinyl chloride)-based substrates are described. The substrates may be utilized in various consumer, industrial, transportation, building and construction, and agricultural applications and may include reclaimed poly(vinyl chloride).

Floor panel, wherein this floor panel comprises at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of thermoplastic material and/or filler materials, wherein the substrate encloses one or more glass fiber cloths, wherein the total weight of glass fiber cloths is more than 85 grams per square meter. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing floor panels which enclose a glass fiber cloth.

This disclosure involves a method of controlling a safety critical control device, the method comprising: sending user inputs to a first state machine, identifying user inputs by the first state machine, determining the correct state to communicate to a second state machine, the correct state being determined by selecting one state of a plurality of states depending on the user inputs, communicating the correct state to a second state machine through a control bus, and determining the correct state for the second state machine based on communication from the control bus.

An extendible mast (1) for deploying equipment comprises a composite member formed from plural fibre reinforced layers (75) laminated together in a matrix material in the form of a shell that is constructed and arranged so as to be configurable between a coiled form and an extended form. When extended the member is resiliently biased in the form of an elongate tube having a slit along its length formed by longitudinal edges of the member. One or more electrical conductors (50) extend along at least part of the longitudinal extent of the member for making connection to the equipment. The conductors are integrated between two or more layers within the laminate.

A carrier material for producing a decorated wall or floor panel, as well as the corresponding wall or floor panel, may comprise a matrix material and a solid material. The matrix material is present from 25 wt.-% to 55 wt.-% and the solid material is present from 45 wt.-% to 75 wt.-% of the carrier material. The matrix material and the solid material together may be present in an amount of 95 wt.-% of the carrier material. The solid material is formed to at least 50 wt.-% of a solid composition consisting of at least a first layered silicate powder and a second layered silicate powder. The matrix material is formed to at least 50 wt.-% by a plastic composition consisting of a homopolymer and at least a first copolymer and a second copolymer.

A panel that includes at least a substrate of thermoplastic material and a top layer with a printed decor and a translucent or transparent wear layer. The substrate substantially consists of three layers, including a lowermost layer, a central layer and an uppermost layer, all made from thermoplastic material. Additionally, the thermoplastic material of the lower most layer and the uppermost layer is more rigid than the thermoplastic material of the central layer.

A method for producing a decorated wall or floor panel comprises providing a pourable carrier material, placing the carrier material between two belt-like conveying means, forming the carrier material under the action of temperature to form a web-shaped carrier, compressing the carrier, treating the carrier under action of pressure using a twin belt press, wherein the carrier is cooled within or upstream of the twin belt press, optionally cooling the carrier, optionally applying a decorative subsurface onto at least a portion of the carrier, applying a decoration reproducing a decorative template onto at least a portion of the carrier, applying a protective layer onto at least a portion of the decoration, optionally structuring the protective layer in order to introduce pores and/or the edge region of the carrier in order to form connecting elements, and optionally treating the carrier for electrostatic discharge prior to any one of the above steps.

A pressing device, comprising: a lower presser (10), provided with a pressing surface (10a) facing upwards; an upper presser (11), provided with a pressing surface (11a), facing downwards; at least one of the two pressers is movable towards and away relative to the other in order to perform pressing of a layer (L) of a ceramic material; a pressing space (V) delimited inferiorly and superiorly by the lower presser (10) and by the upper presser (11); a lower belt (2), movable along a forward direction (Y) and comprising an active portion (3) arranged at least partially between the upper presser (11) and the lower presser (10); an upper belt (4), movable along the forward direction (Y) and comprising an active portion (5) arranged at least partially between the lower belt (2) and the upper presser (11); two side barriers (13,14,15), arranged to laterally contain the layer (L) within the pressing space (V).

A method for making a floor or wall panel has a foamed polymer core. A foamable polymer powder is foamed between two conveyor belts in the forming zone of a steel belt press. The sum of the thicknesses of the two conveyor belts and the total thickness of the layers at the entrance of the steel belt press is less than or equal to the opening of the steel belt press at the entrance of the steel belt press. The sum of the thicknesses of the two conveyor belts and the total thickness of the substrate at the outlet of the steel belt press is equal to the opening of the steel belt press at the outlet of the steel belt press and greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the two conveyor belts and the total thickness of the layers at the entrance of the steel belt press.