A method for manufacturing a panel including a reinforcement sheet having the steps of: providing a first layer of thermoplastic material, providing a reinforcement sheet, laying the reinforcement sheet and the first layer onto each other, applying a second layer of thermoplastic material on top of the reinforcement sheet at a side facing away from the first layer, at least partially melting the thermoplastic materials of the first layer and the second layer, adhering the at least partially melted first layer, the at least partially melted second layer and the reinforcement sheet to each other so as to form the panel. Additionally, the reinforcement sheet and the first layer are adhered to each other by pressing them together after at least partially melting the thermoplastic material of the first layer, but before applying the second layer of thermoplastic material onto the reinforcement sheet.

Continuous compression molding machines (CCMMs) and methods of continuous compression molding a consolidated thermoplastic matrix composite material are disclosed herein. The CCMMs include a mold, a heat zone heating structure, a consolidation zone heating structure, and a stress relaxation zone heating structure. The CCMMs also include a press structure, a demold structure, and a supply structure. The methods include providing a thermoplastic matrix composite material (TMCM) that includes a thermoplastic material to a CCMM. During the providing, the methods also include heating the TMCM within a heat zone of the CCMM, cooling and consolidating the TMCM within a consolidation zone of the CCMM, relaxing stress within the TMCM within a stress relaxation zone of the CCMM, demolding the TMCM within a demold zone of the CCMM at a mold temperature that is greater than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material, and periodically compressing the TMCM.

A method for manufacturing a panel, the panel having a thickness in a range of 1.5 to 6.5 mm and including at least one substrate layer and a printed decoration layer covered by a protection layer. The method includes the steps of providing a granulate containing PVC and fillers, and having a cylindrical shape with a cylinder diameter in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 mm and a cylinder height in the range of 0.2-2.0 mm, melting the granulates and forming the substrate layer by means of molten granulates. The layer have a thickness of 1 to 3.5 mm. The method also includes forming a laminated complex by applying the printed decoration layer and the protection layer to at least the substrate layer by laminating or coating.

A press for making a continuous sheet from composite material has upper and lower press belts having respective lower and upper reaches that vertically spacedly confront one another across a press gap having an upstream inlet end and a downstream outlet end, and that have transversely spaced outer edges extending in the direction. The belts are advanced direction and thereby draw a mat of the composite material in the inlet end, compress it into the sheet, and expelling the sheet from the downstream end. Two transversely spaced elastic seal strips extend in the direction in the gap and are each engaged between a respective one of the outer edges of the upper belt and the respective outer edge of the lower belt. Each belt has at each of the edges a surface in engagement with the respective edge strip and having an average peak-to-valley height of less than 1 m.

A method for manufacturing a panel including a reinforcement sheet having the steps of: providing a first layer of thermoplastic material, providing a reinforcement sheet, laying the reinforcement sheet and the first layer onto each other, applying a second layer of thermoplastic material on top of the reinforcement sheet at a side facing away from the first layer, at least partially melting the thermoplastic materials of the first layer and the second layer, adhering the at least partially melted first layer, the at least partially melted second layer and the reinforcement sheet to each other so as to form the panel. Additionally, the reinforcement sheet and the first layer are adhered to each other by pressing them together after at least partially melting the thermoplastic material of the first layer, but before applying the second layer of thermoplastic material onto the reinforcement sheet.

A method is provided for manufacturing a composite body. A first longitudinal portion of a continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using a first die of a compression molding tool to provide a shaped first longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped first longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a first portion of the composite body. The first portion of the composite body is moved out of the compression molding tool. The first die is swapped for a replacement first die. A second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material is shaped using the replacement first die of the compression molding tool to provide a shaped second longitudinal portion of the continuous length of prepreg material. The shaped second longitudinal portion is consolidated using the compression molding tool to provide a second portion of the composite body.

An air/gas filter medium is comprised of a substantially homogeneous core layer of feather down clusters held together by a binder to form a 3-dimensional interconnected filament structure throughout the core. The filament structure forms air pocket and connect and trap the feather down clusters which form minute air pockets between its filaments and hairs in which undesirable substances from an air/gas flow therethrough are captured. An air permeable scrim sheet is retained on a surface of the down cluster core. The down cluster core is compressed to a predetermined density to modify the average size of said minute air pockets to trap known undesirable substances from the air/gas flow.

A method for manufacturing a panel including a reinforcement sheet comprises the steps of: providing a first layer of thermoplastic material, providing a reinforcement sheet, laying the reinforcement sheet and the first layer onto each other, applying a second layer of thermoplastic material on top of the reinforcement sheet at a side facing away from the first layer, at least partially melting the thermoplastic materials of the first layer and the second layer, adhering the at least partially melted first layer, the at least partially melted second layer and the reinforcement sheet to each other so as to form the panel, wherein the reinforcement sheet and the first layer are adhered to each other by pressing them together after at least partially melting the thermoplastic material of the first layer, but before applying the second layer of thermoplastic material onto the reinforcement sheet.

A method includes processing multiple macromolecular staples to successively produce a macromolecular sheet body, multiple silks and multiple sheet particles. The macromolecular sheet body contains multiple district camouflages and is processed by edge cutting to form multiple color strips. The color strips, the silks and the sheet particles are processed and attached to the surface of the macromolecular sheet body, so that the surface of the macromolecular sheet body forms the district camouflages, the thread camouflages and the spot camouflages. Finally, the macromolecular sheet body is vulcanized or solidified in a foam molding zone, to form an elastic mat with a mixed color type.

Continuous compression molding machines (CCMMs) and methods of continuous compression molding a consolidated thermoplastic matrix composite material are disclosed herein. The CCMMs include a mold, a heat zone heating structure, a consolidation zone heating structure, and a stress relaxation zone heating structure. The CCMMs also include a press structure, a demold structure, and a supply structure. The methods include providing a thermoplastic matrix composite material (TMCM) that includes a thermoplastic material to a CCMM. During the providing, the methods also include heating the TMCM within a heat zone of the CCMM, cooling and consolidating the TMCM within a consolidation zone of the CCMM, relaxing stress within the TMCM within a stress relaxation zone of the CCMM, demolding the TMCM within a demold zone of the CCMM at a mold temperature that is greater than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material, and periodically compressing the TMCM.