A method to form automobile vehicle acoustic insulators includes as stages: forming a fiber mass by mixing a low melting point polymeric fiber and a high melting point polymeric fiber in predefined volumes in a mixing device; adding a water volume to the fiber mass to create a semi-solid mass; placing the semi-solid mass in a mold; internally heating the semi-solid mass in the mold using microwave energy; and expelling a first portion of the water volume through apertures created in the mold.

A method of preparing a bipolar plate for a fuel cell is disclosed. The method includes (a) using an electrically conductive filler and a polymer binder to prepare a bipolar plate blank, (b) vacuum-sealing the bipolar plate blank in a metal foil bag, (c) applying hot isostatic pressing to the bipolar plate blank vacuum-sealed in the metal foil bag at a pressure greater than 100 MPa and a temperature of 150-400° C., and (d) peeling the bipolar plate blank that has undergone the hot isostatic pressing from the metal foil bag, and thereby obtaining the bipolar plate. A bipolar plate prepared by the method is also disclosed.

The invention disclosed herein is an automotive acoustic panel including a porous sound-absorption material made from a polymer and an expanded perlite. One or more silane compounds may be coupled or coated onto the expanded perlite while a coupling agent and a chemical foaming agent may additionally be added to the automotive acoustic panel.

A large area patterned film includes a first patterned area; a second patterned area; and a seam joining the first patterned area and the second patterned area, wherein the seam has a width less than about 20 micrometers. A method for tiling patterned areas includes depositing a predetermined thickness of a curable material; contacting a first portion of the curable material with a mold; curing the first portion of the curable material; removing the mold from the cured first portion of the curable material; contacting a second portion of the curable material with the mold, such that the mold contacts a portion of the cured first portion of the curable material; curing the second portion of the curable material; and removing the mold to yield a seam between the cured first portion of the curable material and the cured second portion of the curable material, wherein the seam has a dimension less than about 20 micrometers.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a formed article of a composite material. The formed article is manufactured by heating and pressurizing a thermoplastic resin material and fabric material. The method includes a preforming process in which the material to be formed is put in a preforming mold with a release sheet arranged between the material and a part of the preforming mold. The material is heated and pressurized to impregnate the thermoplastic resin material into the fabric material, thus forming an impregnated intermediate material. Then, in a transport process the impregnated intermediate material in a heated state is taken out from the preforming mold with the release sheet left attached thereto, and transported. Finally there is a forming process in which the impregnated intermediate material is accommodated in the forming mold and the impregnated intermediate material is formed into the formed article of the composite material by pressurizing.

A process for producing a molded part from a highly filled thermosetting starting material including: introducing the starting material into a prepressing tool; producing a preform from the starting material, the starting material being brought to a prepressing temperature by the prepressing tool and being compressed with a prepressing force to form the preform; removing the preform from the prepressing tool and introducing the preform into a finish pressing tool; and producing a finished part from the preform, the preform being brought to a finish pressing temperature by the finish pressing tool and being compressed with a finish pressing force to form the finished part. Here, the prepressing temperature is lower than the finish pressing temperature and the finish pressing temperature is at least as high as an onset temperature of a curing reaction of the starting material.

Plant (2) for the production of slabs made of composite stone material from a mix (M) containing granules of stone or ceramic or glass material and a binder, comprising at least one temporary support or mould (S), a distributor for the mix (M) designed to distribute a layer of mix (M) on the temporary support or mould (S), a station (4) for performing compaction by means of vacuum vibro-compression of the mix (M) arranged on the temporary support or mould (S) and a station for hardening the mix (M) so as to form the finished slabs. The plant (2) comprises a device (1) positioned downstream of the distributor and upstream of the compaction station (4) and comprising means (16) which act on the top surface of the mix (M) for pre-compaction and levelling of the mix (M) arranged on the temporary support or mould (S). The invention also relates to a method for the production of slabs of composite stone material from a mix (M).

There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a composite component. A preform for the component is laid-up on a lay-up tool so that a first surface of the preform conforms to a lay-up profile of the tool. The preform is transferred to a forming tool comprising opposing first and second forming surfaces, each having a near net shape profile corresponding to a respective side of the component. The preform is formed in the forming tool to a near net shape of the component. The preform has a preform bulk in excess of the near net shape of the component prior to forming, and the lay-up profile is offset relative to the near net shape profile of the first forming surface to accommodate a proportion of the preform bulk. Accordingly, both the first surface and an opposing second surface of the preform displace during forming to conform to the respective near net shape profiles of the forming surfaces.

The mat of the present invention includes a main body integrally formed by a plastic material. The main body at least has a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first face. The first face and the second face have different surface physical characteristics. The first surface and the second surface are shaped into a third surface and a fourth surface respectively. The third surface and the fourth surface have a substantially same surface physical characteristic. An angle between the third surface and the fourth surface outside the main body is a specific value.

A method to form automobile vehicle acoustic insulators includes as stages: forming a fiber mass by mixing a low melting point polymeric fiber and a high melting point polymeric fiber in predefined volumes in a mixing device; adding a water volume to the fiber mass to create a semi-solid mass; placing the semi-solid mass in a mold; internally heating the semi-solid mass in the mold using microwave energy; and expelling a first portion of the water volume through apertures created in the mold.