A method and system for thermal forming an object. A mold is provided, a shape of which corresponds to a desired shape of the object. A material is inserted into a heating area, and the material is heated using a plurality of independently controllable heat sources that heat different areas of the material. The heated material is then disposed over or into at least a portion of the mold so as to deform the material. The deformed material may then be trimmed so as to form the object.

A method of folding plastic composition flooring, including but not limited to LVP, LVT, SPC or WPC, to form a desired shape, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like. The method includes the steps of incorporating a thermal insulation layer between the plastic composite flooring and a heat generator, applying heat until reaching a heat transmission coefficient to allow the plastic composite flooring to become malleable, removing the heat, applying pressure to the heated section of the plastic composite flooring to form into a desired shape using a positive and negative embossing die mold on the top and bottom heated section of the plastic composite flooring, and removing the embossing die-molds once the plastic composite flooring has cooled down to its initial temperature.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for providing a product viewing window in a container. The container has at least a body ply and a liner ply, wherein the body ply has at least one aperture therethrough. The liner ply is adhered across the aperture, forming a window into the container. A window-finishing machine that comprises at least two platens and, optionally, a machine pocket positioned between them, a heating element extending through at least one of the platens, and a pressurized air device engages a container. The heating element heats the window of the container to the desired temperature, pressurized air is injected into the container such that the window is forced at least partially through the aperture of the container (and optionally into contact with the machine pocket wall), and the container window is then cooled to the desired temperature.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for providing a product viewing window in a container. The container has at least a body ply and a liner ply, wherein the body ply has at least one aperture therethrough. The liner ply is adhered to the inner surface of the body ply and has a portion extending across the aperture, forming a window into the container. The method involves providing a window-finishing machine that comprises at least two platens and, optionally, a machine pocket positioned between them, a heating element extending through at least one of the platens, and a pressurized air device that is adapted to release pressurized air into the container through at least one of the platens. The container is engaged between the platens in an airtight manner and, optionally, the container window is positioned adjacent the inside wall of the machine pocket. The heating element heats the window of the container to the desired temperature, pressurized air is injected into the container such that the window is forced at least partially through the aperture of the container (and optionally into contact with the machine pocket wall), and the container window is then cooled to the desired temperature.

A station for feeding closing seals for containers, which includes at least one fixed magazine of seals which is provided with an outlet from which the seals can be taken individually. The station includes a carousel for feeding seals which can rotate with respect to a first central rotation axis and is provided with pickers which are radially spaced apart from the first rotation axis. The pickers are individually rotatable about a second rotation axis which is not parallel to the first axis of the carousel. During the rotation of the carousel, at least one picker can is configured to rotate about the second axis from a position for taking the seal from the magazine to a position for releasing the seal.

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.

[Problem] To suppress changes in the recess depth and shape of a three-dimensional molded shape, and to form a uniform protective layer or ornamental layer along the surface of the molded shape. Also, to provide uniform application to the entire irregularly-formed surface and to suppress air pockets and partial defects of bonding. [Solution] In an adherend W having a three-dimensional molded portion in which a plurality of concavities and/or convexities are molded in a regular arrangement, a thermoplastic coating film larger than the area of an adhesion region is integrally adhered by a three dimensional decorative molding procedure in a predetermined adhesion region that includes the three-dimensional molded portion. The predetermined adhesion region includes all of the three-dimensional molded portion and covers more than half the perimeter of the adherend W incenter cross-sectional view.

A method of making an article includes: heating a plaque formed from a thermoplastic composition; and vacuum forming the heated plaque to form the article. The thermoplastic composition includes a polypropylene polymer component and a fiber reinforcement component. The heating is implemented using one or more heaters having a maximum temperature output of between 1500-3000 C. and maximum intensity between 0.80 m and 2 m. The article may include a surgical tray having a bottom surface having side walls disposed around a periphery thereof and extending from the bottom surface.