Arrays of male fastener elements are formed by molding preforms in cavities defined in one or more adjacent plates and shaped to mold preform arms that extend to a plate side, such as in a cross-machine direction of a continuous molding process. The preforms may be deformed to flatten their upper surfaces and lengthen the arms. Stems of preforms have molded side surfaces and each have width, measured in the longitudinal direction of the strip, that narrows with distance from the strip surface, and also narrows with distance from a parting line extending from the strip surface to the head between the arms.

An apparatus is provided for forming recesses in a calender roll. The apparatus includes a rotational drive for rotating the calender roll around a rotational axis. The apparatus further includes a knurling wheel with knurling spikes projecting there from. The knurling wheel is rotatable about an axis that is aligned an acute angle to a plane that contains the rotational axis of the calender roll so that the knurling spikes produce a helical array of recesses in the outer surface of the calender roll. The calender roll then can be used to form a landfill liner with projections that are offset from one another to avoid having the projections form grooves and thereby preventing slippage of the landfill liner.

A molding apparatus defining a processing direction includes multiple molding modules spaced apart in a lateral direction perpendicular to the processing direction and a common reaction surface. Each molding module includes a frame and a mold roll that defines molding cavities. Each mold roll defines a respective pressure zone in cooperation with the reaction surface and each mold roll is movable with respect to the reaction surface by controlled operation of the frame. Molten resin is introduced into the pressure zones and forced into the molding cavities to form arrays of fastener elements extending from base layers of resin formed on the surfaces of the mold rolls. The fastener elements are withdrawn from the cavities while stripping the base layers from the peripheral surfaces.

Arrays of male fastener elements are formed by molding preforms in cavities defined in one or more adjacent plates and shaped to mold preform arms that extend to a plate side, such as in a cross-machine direction of a continuous molding process. The preforms may be deformed to flatten their upper surfaces and lengthen the arms. Stems of preforms have molded side surfaces and each have width, measured in the longitudinal direction of the strip, that narrows with distance from the strip surface, and also narrows with distance from a parting line extending from the strip surface to the head between the arms.

A process for producing an eyelet for a biomedical electrode (e.g. an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode) involves: hot pressing an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin to produce a film having a web of eyelets, each eyelet having a post protruding from a first face of the film and a flange at a second face of the film; applying a coating of a non-polarizable conductive material (e.g. a silver-containing material) on to a contact face of the flange; and, cutting the film to produce the eyelets separated from the web. Preferably, the process involves extrusion replication. A web of eyelets for biomedical electrodes has a film of an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin possessing a plurality of posts protruding from a first face of the film, and preferably a layer of a non-polarizable conductive material on a second face of the film. The process may be a one-step continuous process that is cheaper and simpler than current commercial processes.

A surface fastener molding apparatus includes a supporting structure and a second supporting structure for axially supporting a mold roll in a rotatable manner at a first end side and a second end side of the mold roll which is opposite to the first end side. The mold roll includes a circumferential surface in which a plurality of mold cavities for molding engaging elements of the surface fastener is provided. A first linear driving means and second linear driving means are provided which are for, respectively, advancing or retracting the first supporting structure and the second supporting structure. The degree of closeness between the extruding nozzle and the mold roll is regulatable across the first end side and the second end side of the mold roll, based on at least one activation of the first driving means and the second driving means.

A process for producing an eyelet for a biomedical electrode (e.g. an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode) involves: hot pressing an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin to produce a film having a web of eyelets, each eyelet having a post protruding from a first face of the film and a flange at a second face of the film; applying a coating of a non-polarizable conductive material (e.g. a silver-containing material) on to a contact face of the flange; and, cutting the film to produce the eyelets separated from the web. Preferably, the process involves extrusion replication. A web of eyelets for biomedical electrodes has a film of an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin possessing a plurality of posts protruding from a first face of the film, and preferably a layer of a non-polarizable conductive material on a second face of the film. The process may be a one-step continuous process that is cheaper and simpler than current commercial processes.

A method of molding resin on a flexible substrate includes forming discrete regions of resin and forcing resin of at least some of the regions into molding cavities to form a respective array of resin projections extending from a resin base of the regions. Forming the discrete regions of resin includes depositing molten resin directly onto either the substrate or a surface in which the cavities are defined. The resin is deposited as the substrate moves in a processing direction, and the resin is deposited by resin sources spaced from each other along the processing direction.

A process for producing an eyelet for a biomedical electrode (e.g. an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode) involves: hot pressing an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin to produce a film having a web of eyelets, each eyelet having a post protruding from a first face of the film and a flange at a second face of the film; applying a coating of a non-polarizable conductive material (e.g. a silver-containing material) on to a contact face of the flange; and, cutting the film to produce the eyelets separated from the web. Preferably, the process involves extrusion replication. A web of eyelets for biomedical electrodes has a film of an electrically conductive thermoplastic or elastomeric resin possessing a plurality of posts protruding from a first face of the film, and preferably a layer of a non-polarizable conductive material on a second face of the film. The process may be a one-step continuous process that is cheaper and simpler than current commercial processes.

A molding apparatus defining a processing direction includes multiple molding modules spaced apart in a lateral direction perpendicular to the processing direction and a common reaction surface. Each molding module includes a frame and a mold roll that defines molding cavities. Each mold roll defines a respective pressure zone in cooperation with the reaction surface and each mold roll is movable with respect to the reaction surface by controlled operation of the frame. Molten resin is introduced into the pressure zones and forced into the molding cavities to form arrays of fastener elements extending from base layers of resin formed on the surfaces of the mold rolls. The fastener elements are withdrawn from the cavities while stripping the base layers from the peripheral surfaces.