A pressing machine that applies heat and pressure to a press object transported in a first direction includes a first die having a first heater, a second die having a second heater and being disposed above the first die, a support member that supports the first die and the second die, and a movement mechanism that moves the support member from a first position to a second position located in a second direction intersecting the first direction from the first position, in which the first position is the position at which the first die and the second die apply heat and pressure to the press object and the second position is the position at which the first die and the second die do not face the press object.

A fiber block molding apparatus comprising: —a mold having a lower part and an upper part forming between them a cavity for forming a fiber blank into a fiber block article upon closing the mold; —a conveyor system for receiving the fiber blank to be molded at a receiving position, transporting the fiber blank via a heater for activation of a binding agent, and delivering the heated fiber blank into the lower part of the mold at a delivery end of the conveyor system, and —a horizontal position shifting arrangement for shifting the horizontal position of the delivery end of the conveyor system relative to the lower part of the mold between a first and a second position to lay the fiber blank on the lower part of the mold.

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 fiber block molding apparatus comprising: —a mold having a lower part and an upper part forming between them a cavity for forming a fiber blank into a fiber block article upon closing the mold; —a conveyor system for receiving the fiber blank to be molded at a receiving position, transporting the fiber blank via a heater for activation of a binding agent, and delivering the heated fiber blank into the lower part of the mold at a delivery end of the conveyor system, and —a horizontal position shifting arrangement for shifting the horizontal position of the delivery end of the conveyor system relative to the lower part of the mold between a first and a second position to lay the fiber blank on the lower part of the mold.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit configured to defibrate in an atmosphere a raw material that contains a fiber, a mixing unit configured to mix in the atmosphere a defibrated material that the defibrating unit has defibrated and a resin, an accumulating unit configured to accumulate a mixture of the defibrated material and the resin that the mixing unit has mixed, a liquid application unit configured to apply a liquid to a portion of an accumulation of the mixture that the accumulating unit has accumulated, and a heating unit configured to form a sheet by heating the accumulation to which the liquid application unit has applied the liquid.

Disclosed are methods for utilizing reclaimed carpet materials in the manufacture of high density composites. Also disclosed are products manufactured by the disclosed methods.

A method for starting up a production line for manufacturing extruded plates, wherein an extruded semi-finished product comprising a free end is pressed towards a conveying device, wherein the conveying device is configured to pull the semi-finished product to a separating device, wherein a conveyor belt extending in the conveying direction is placed on the conveying device, the free end of the semi-finished product is pressed onto the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is pulled together with the semi-finished product towards the separating device, and the free end of the semi-finished product arriving at the separating device is introduced into the separating device, while the conveyor belt is pulled away from the semi-finished product upstream of the separating device. This enables a cost-effective production of panels made from the plates.

A method for starting up a production line for manufacturing extruded plates, wherein an extruded semi-finished product comprising a free end is pressed towards a conveying device, wherein the conveying device is configured to pull the semi-finished product to a separating device, wherein a conveyor belt extending in the conveying direction is placed on the conveying device, the free end of the semi-finished product is pressed onto the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is pulled together with the semi-finished product towards the separating device, and the free end of the semi-finished product arriving at the separating device is introduced into the separating device, while the conveyor belt is pulled away from the semi-finished product upstream of the separating device. This enables a cost-effective production of panels made from the plates.

A powder application apparatus for an at least partially meltable powder to be applied onto a feeding element for producing reinforcing elements comprises a powder container. In the area of an outlet of the powder container a template for defining a basic shape of a reinforcing element to be produced is provided. Further, a closing device for opening and closing the outlet is provided. For producing reinforcing elements having different stiffness, barrier elements in particular connected with the template are provided. The barrier elements reduce the powder supply to the feeding element such that a reinforcing element with areas of different material thickness are created. A method for producing such a reinforcing element.

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.