A thermoforming device is described. It relates to a mold assembly including a first and second mold, and to a mold that can be used in a thermoforming device. It also relates to a method for thermoforming a product. The thermoforming device is characterized in that the thermoforming device comprises a second pre-stretcher, in addition to a first pre-stretcher and a calibration element, and that the second pre-stretcher is at least partially and moveably arranged in a second mold body. A movement relative to the second mold body and towards the same forming cavity of the first pre-stretcher, the second pre-stretcher, and the calibration element, can be individually controlled, and the second pre-stretcher at least partially surrounds the first pre-stretcher and the calibration element.

A thermoforming device according to the present invention has a masking plate and a heater block. A plurality of the heater blocks are disposed with a space therebetween in a planar direction of the masking plate. The thickness of the masking plate is 0.2-3.0 mm. The distance of the space is 1-15 mm, and the distance of the space is set at least five times larger than the thickness of the masking plate. Heat to be transmitted to the masking plate from a high temperature heater block is more easily transmitted in the thickness direction of the masking plate than in the surface direction of the masking plate, and is more easily transmitted to the sheet than to a portion, of the masking plate, corresponding to a low temperature heater block, whereby a temperature difference is provided between different zones of the masking plate.

A three-dimensional decorative piece that is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin and can retain bulkiness and shape by a core and a method of producing the same. The three-dimensional decorative piece includes an upper layer molded body made of an upper layer material with a metal vapor-deposited layer and having a three-dimensional shape with a convex portion formed on its front surface side through a high-frequency dielectric heating, a core formed by curing a flowable synthetic resin filled in the convex portion of the upper layer molded body, and a substrate bonded a back surface side of the core by fusion.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

Mineral-filled polymer compositions and methods of forming such polymer compositions into a thermally stable article are provided. Methods of forming a polymeric article include providing a polymer composition comprising a crystallizable polymer, a mineral filler in an amount of more than about 15 wt-% based on the total weight of the polymer composition, and an impact modifier, wherein the polymer composition is at a temperature less than a crystallization temperature of the crystallizable polymer. The methods further include disposing the polymer composition in a mold, forming the polymer composition into an article within the mold, and releasing the article from the mold. The methods can include thermoforming the polymer composition in a mold, or injection molding the polymer composition in a molten form in a mold.

A method of folding plastic composition flooring, including but not limited to LVP, LVT, SPC or WPC, to form a desired shape, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like. The method includes the steps of incorporating a thermal insulation layer between the plastic composite flooring and a heat generator, applying heat until reaching a heat transmission coefficient to allow the plastic composite flooring to become malleable, removing the heat, applying pressure to the heated section of the plastic composite flooring to form into a desired shape using a positive and negative embossing die mold on the top and bottom heated section of the plastic composite flooring, and removing the embossing die-molds once the plastic composite flooring has cooled down to its initial temperature.

The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

A thermoplastic forming tool includes a wand that includes a handle, a tip, and a conduit coupling the handle to the tip. The tip includes a heating element, a forming shoe, and a forming shoe support. During use, heat from the heating element heats the forming shoe to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature of a thermoplastic polymer. The thermoplastic forming tool may be used to apply a thermoplastic material to a surface.

Thermoformed article including poly(ethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polyester, which polyester has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of at least 50,000, determined by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene as standard and which polyester is semicrystalline, is prepared in a process including: providing a sheet that includes poly(ethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) polyester, which polyester has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of at least 50,000, determined by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene as standard and which polyester is semicrystalline; heating the sheet to a temperature above its glass transition temperature to obtain a pliable sheet; shaping the pliable sheet in a mold to a desired shape to obtain a pliable shaped article; cooling the pliable shaped article; and releasing the thus cooled shaped article from the mold.

A thermoforming machine and device are described. The thermoforming device relates to a mold assembly comprising a first and second mold, and to a mold that can be used in a thermoforming process. A method for thermoforming a product is also described. It is noted that the thermoforming device comprises a second pre-stretcher, in addition to a first pre-stretcher and a calibration element, and that the second pre-stretcher is at least partially and moveably arranged inside a second mold body. Movements of the first pre-stretcher, the second pre-stretcher, and the calibration element are configured to be individually controlled.