Systems and methods are provided for a caul plate having a feature for removal. One embodiment is a caul plate for forming a composite part. The caul plate includes a body that includes a lower surface which faces the composite part, and an upper surface that is opposite to the lower surface. The caul plate also includes a groove in the upper surface to accept a tool to slide the caul plate laterally from the composite part.

An intensifier mechanism for forming stacked material includes a support, a first body coupled to the support, and a second body having a main portion, a pivoting portion, and a joint. The main portion is coupled to the support and the joint movably couples the main portion to the pivoting portion. The joint allows the pivoting portion to pivot in relation to the main portion when the membrane moves towards the bottom wall.

A method for producing a hologram on a curved substrate plate includes providing a curved substrate plate having a substrate surface, the actual geometry of which is subject to a tolerance deviation with respect to a predetermined desired geometry; providing an inflatable cushion with a cushion surface that can be deformed under the effect of pressure and is preformed into the predetermined desired geometry or with a predetermined deviation therefrom; applying a holographic master in the form of a flexible thin layer to the deformable cushion surface and applying a hologram-recording layer to the substrate surface; pressing or placing the holographic master onto the hologram-recording layer by way of the cushion surface deformed to the actual geometry, thereby achieving full surface-area contact between them with a substantially constant predetermined layer thickness of the hologram-recording layer, and exposing the hologram-recording layer to form a hologram.

A method for positioning wrinkling of a cured composite material at a predetermined location in fabricating a composite part, which includes positioning a caul plate in contact with an uncured composite material. The uncured composite material has a geometric change in shape and the caul plate has a first slit which extends through and along the caul plate. The method further includes positioning a fiber and a resin of a portion of the uncured composite material within the first slit and curing the uncured composite material positioning a wrinkle within the first slit of the caul plate.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to apparatuses and methods that employ a press pad for forming shoe parts, or subassemblies, for example a sole subassembly. The adaptive pad may conform to a topography of a pattern of recesses of a shoe part and provide sufficient rigidity to facilitate formation of a bond during pressing of the one or more shoe parts to form the sole subassembly.

A tooling element includes a flexible sleeve defining an interior cavity. The flexible sleeve includes a sealable access port extending through the flexible sleeve from the interior cavity to an exterior of the flexible sleeve. The tooling element further includes vacuum-packed tooling particulate disposed within and filling the interior cavity of the flexible sleeve.

A hot press cushioning material includes a cushioning material body in the form of a plate; and surface materials provided on the front and back sides of the cushioning material body. The surface material includes a core layer composed of a heat resistant fiber material for a nonwoven structure, and a front-side resin layer covering the entire front side of the core layer. The core layer has an air permeability of 5 cm.sup.3.Math.cm.sup.−2.Math.s.sup.−1 or less and a bulk density of 0.8 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

A method of forming a fibre article, comprising: providing a former having a contoured forming surface; locating a fibre preform between a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm, the second diaphragm being offset from the forming surface; drawing a vacuum between the first and second diaphragms so as to hold the preform captive between the diaphragms; displacing the second diaphragm towards the former so as to bring the second diaphragm into partial contact with the former; drawing a vacuum between the second diaphragm and the former so as to bring at least a part of the second diaphragm adjoining the preform into conformity with the forming surface; and setting the preform in its configuration; wherein: the fibre preform comprises one or more substantially inextensible fibres extending linearly in a first direction; the forming surface comprises a concavity and prominences on either side of the concavity; and the step of bringing the second diaphragm into partial contact with the former comprises bringing the second diaphragm into contact with the prominences whilst the second diaphragm does not fully contact the concavity and with the substantially inextensible fibres extending from one of the prominences to the other.

Systems and methods are provided for composite part fabrication. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part. The method includes selecting an end caul comprising a structure of sintered material surrounding volumes of unsintered particles, creating a laminate comprising fibers within a resin matrix, placing the end caul in contact with an end of the laminate, and processing the laminate.

A flexible caul for applying pressure to a part comprises a caul member having a plurality of spaced apart gaps therein to provide the caul member with flexibility, and a flexible covering that limits flexing of the caul member.