Herein are disclosed apparatus and methods for impinging heated fluids onto the surfaces of substrates to heat the surfaces of the substrates so as to facilitate melt-bonding the substrates to each other to form a laminate. Also are disclosed are laminates in which a fibrous web is bonded to a substrate in a surface-bonded manner and/or is bonded in a loft-retaining manner. The substrate may comprise protrusions on the surface of the substrate opposite the surface that is bonded to the fibrous web.

According to a method or an apparatus for fastening bristles in a bristle carrier (10) without using an anchor a heating (39) is provided in a tool part configured to transport the bristles. After inserting the bristles into anchoring openings (12) in the bristle carrier (10), the anchoring openings are closed by applying pressure.

According to a method or an apparatus for fastening bristles in a bristle carrier (10) without using an anchor a heating (39) is provided in a tool part configured to transport the bristles. After inserting the bristles into anchoring openings (12) in the bristle carrier (10), the anchoring openings are closed by applying pressure.

A method for improving the heat sealability of a packaging material and a method for manufacturing a heat-sealed container or package are described. The material can be polymer-coated packaging paper or cardboard, or a polymeric packaging film. The material includes a polymer layer that contains polyester, particularly polylactide, the heat sealability of which is improved by ultraviolet radiation. Polylactide is useful as such or when blended, for example, with other biodegradable polyester. The containers and packages thus manufactured include disposable drinking cups and cardboard carton and box packages.

A flat strip 1, suitable for forming a tube flexible skirt, comprising a decorative film 15 superimposed on a primary film 16, said primary film 16 consisting of a series of polymeric layers and comprising a sealable inner layer 14 at the lower surface 20 of the strip 1, said decorative film 15 comprising a sealable outer layer 7 at the upper surface 19 of the strip 1 and a decorative layer 8, 9.

The primary film 16 comprises means for stabilizing the strip 1 and protecting the decorative layer 8,9 against heating.

A method for producing a tube skirt for a flexible tube, said tube skirt being manufactured from a flat strip 1 comprising a decorative film 15 superimposed on a primary film 16, said primary film 16 comprising a sealable inner layer 14 at the lower surface 20 of the strip 1 as well as two stabilizing layers 11, 13, said decorative film 15 comprising a sealable outer layer 7 at the upper surface 19 of the strip 1, and a decorative layer 8, 9.

This method comprises the following steps: winding the flat strip 1 into the form of a sleeve to shape the tube skirt; superimposing a first side border 2 of the strip 1 on a second side border 2 of the strip 1 to form an overlapping area 3, the sealable inner layer 14 of the primary film 16 of the first side border 2 overlapping the sealable outer layer 7 of the decorative film 15 of the second side border 2; applying a heating temperature T2 to the inside of the tube skirt at the inner face 22 of the overlapping area 3 to produce the side weld of the tube skirt; simultaneously with the application of the heating temperature T2, applying compression between the outer 21 and inner 22 faces of the overlapping area 3 so as to finalize the side weld of the tube skirt.

A device for manufacturing a tube skirt from a flexible strip, comprising a housing, a cylindrical elongated mandrel 30, means used to advance and guide this flexible strip to shape it in the form of a sleeve around the mandrel 30, one of the side borders of this strip overlapping the other side border to form an overlapping area to be welded, an inner heating means 32 located in the mandrel 30 to heat the inner face of the overlapping area, and inner cooling means 33 located in the mandrel 30 to cool the inner face of the overlapping area and downstream from the inner heating means 32.

The device is characterized in that said cooling means 33 is arranged across from the overlapping area and configured to be in direct contact with the overlapping area.

A seal head assembly includes a plurality of heat seal plates defining a corresponding plurality of heating areas, each heat seal plate including a heating element to independently control the temperature of the corresponding heating area.

A method for improving the heat sealability of a packaging material and a method for manufacturing a heat-sealed container or package are described. The material can be polymer-coated packaging paper or cardboard, or a polymeric packaging film. The material includes a polymer layer that contains polyester, particularly polylactide, the heat sealability of which is improved by ultraviolet radiation. Polylactide is useful as such or when blended, for example, with other biodegradable polyester. The containers and packages thus manufactured include disposable drinking cups and cardboard carton and box packages.

A film-closure apparatus is provided which is suitable for closing plastic film material using heat. The apparatus comprises a guide path along which at least part of a plastics film material can pass; a drive means for moving the film material along the guide path; and a printed circuit board comprising a circuit substrate having first and second major board surfaces and a perimeter edge surface, and an electrically conductive heating element which is provided on the circuit substrate along at least part of the perimeter edge surface. The electrically conductive heating element is positionable on the guide path to apply heat to the film material thereon.