A method for joining at least two plastic parts (1, 5) along a predeterminable common joining point using infrared radiation (IR), is characterized in that each of the plastic parts (1, 5) to be joined is heated using infrared radiation at least along the joint by radiation sources without touching the respective plastic parts (1, 5). One radiation source is operated independently and spatially separated from the other radiation source. The radiation sources emit their respective infrared radiation to the respective plastic parts (1, 5) without contact and following the contour of the joint. The degree of heating by the respective infrared radiation is selected such that the joint is formed when the plastic parts (1, 5) are brought together.

A system for forming material includes a housing including at least one wall defining an interior space. The housing is configured to contain a pressurized fluid in the interior space. The system also includes at least one tool configured to shape the material. The at least one tool is movable along a path from a first position external to the housing to a second position at least partially within the interior space. The system further includes a membrane extending at least partially in the path of the at least one tool.

A deep-drawing packaging machine that includes a sealing station and a method for changing the sealing frame together with the sealing plate at the sealing station. The sealing station includes a sealing plate and a sealing frame. The sealing plate may be releasably coupled to an upper sealing tool part, and the sealing frame may be slidably removable at a lower sealing tool part. The sealing frame may be slidable on rails. The sealing frame may include one or more centering aids for aligning the sealing plate with respect to said sealing frame during removal thereof. The centering aids may be displaceable underneath a film web by the upper sealing tool part during the clamping of the film web between the sealing frame and the upper sealing tool part.

A method for producing a component from two or more sub-components includes the steps of: producing each of the sub-components using an additive manufacturing process in which a resin, which is radiant-energy-curable, is partially cured using a selective application of radiant energy, wherein each sub-component includes a joint surface in which the resin is partially cured which is cured to a lesser degree than the remainder of the respective sub-component, so as to leave the joint surfaces in a condition suitable for bonding; assembling the sub-components with their respective joint surfaces in mutual contact; and performing a secondary cure of the partially-cured resin at the joint surfaces using an application of radiant energy, so as to further cure the partially-cured resin and bond the sub-components to each other, thereby forming the component.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various novel dispensing devices can be provided. Such devices can involve a range of sprayer heads and sprayer/foamer systems incorporating such heads. Novel sprayer/foamer heads can include buffers of various types. By using a buffer, a user need not continually be pumping the device in order for the device to be spraying or foaming. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such a buffer can be spring loaded, spring loaded combination, elastomeric or gas. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the buffer can be in line or adjacent to a piston chamber. If adjacent, it can be connected to the piston chamber with a one way valve, to provide for spray after a downstroke of the piston has been completed, or without, to allow spraying to cease once a user releases the trigger or other actuator. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such novel sprayers and foamers can be mounted upside down, in various “Flairomop” devices, used to clean floors or the like. When using a buffer, a piston chamber can be designed to deliver greater amount of liquid per unit time than can be possibly dispensed through the nozzle or nozzles. The fraction of liquid that cannot be sent through the nozzle(s), due to their inherent restriction, can thus be sent to the buffer for dispensing after the piston downstroke has been completed. A volume of the piston chamber, a volume of the buffer, a pressure response of the buffer, the throughput of the nozzle, and the minimum opening pressure of the outlet valve can be arranged to restrict the outlet pressures of liquid droplets exiting the nozzle within a defined range.

A portion unit of a cleaning agent, having a cleaning agent composition and a chamber which receives the cleaning agent composition and includes a chamber wall that delimits the chamber and has a layer thickness D. The chamber includes a main volume and at least one auxiliary volume, and the cleaning agent composition can freely enter the at least one auxiliary volume from the main volume and vice versa, wherein the chamber wall is formed in a transition region between the main volume and the at least one auxiliary volume in a substantially stepped manner. The invention additionally relates to a method for producing such a portion unit.

A packaging device, particularly for packaging trays containing food products or technical materials in a controlled atmosphere and by means of a film of plastic material, comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber, which can be fastened by mutually superimposing them and are each provided internally with a plurality of heat-sealing and/or cutting and/or die-cutting elements arranged concentrically, the lower chamber being provided centrally with a plurality of supporting elements for a tray.

A process for packaging a product (P) arranged in a support (4) comprising unrolling a film (10a), transversely cutting the unrolled portion of film (10a) and preparing cut film sheets (18), moving the cut film sheets (18) to a packaging assembly (8) defining at its inside a packaging chamber (24), progressively moving a number of supports (4) inside the packaging chamber (24) of a packaging assembly (8), keeping the packaging chamber (24) open for a time sufficient for a number of supports (4) and for a corresponding number of film sheets (18) to properly position inside said packaging chamber (24), hermetically closing the packaging chamber (24) with the film sheets held above the respective support (4) and at a distance sufficient to allow gas circulation inside the support (4), optionally causing one or both of: a gas withdrawal from the hermetically closed packaging chamber (24) and gas injection of a gas mixture of controlled composition, heat sealing the film sheet (18) to said support (4), wherein the cutting of the film (10a) into film sheets (18) takes place outside the packaging chamber (24) at a station remote from the location where the film sheets are coupled to the supports. An apparatus (1) for performing the above process is also disclosed.

A process for welding porous membranes, the process containing i) providing first and second porous membranes; ii) at least partially superimposing the first and second porous membranes to obtain an at least partial superimposition region; iii) welding the first and second porous membranes at least in a portion of the at least one superimposition region at a temperature in the range from 100 to 300° C. to obtain an at least partially welded composite of the first and second porous membranes, wherein the first and second porous membranes are made of at least one thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane elastomer, a polyester elastomer, a polyetherester elastomer, a polyesterester elastomer, a polyamide elastomer, a polyetheramide elastomer, a polystyrene elastomer, and an ethylene-vinyl acetate elastomer, and wherein the first and second porous membranes have pores having an average pore diameter of less than 2000 nm.

A process for thermo-adhesive bonding of semi-finished products includes preparing an inner sock, an outer sock and an impermeable membrane provided with a thermo-adhesive disposed on an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the membrane; fitting the inner sock onto a rigid reference shape; fitting the membrane over the inner sock; fitting the outer sock over the membrane; heating the outer sock, the membrane and the inner sock arranged on the rigid reference shape in an oven until at least partial melting of the thermo-adhesive; cooling the outer sock, the membrane and the inner sock arranged on the rigid reference shape until cross-linking of the thermo-adhesive and stable bonding of the membrane to the outer sock and/or the inner sock. Also, exerting a substantially uniform pressure on the outer sock, the membrane and the inner sock disposed on the rigid reference shape during cooling, so as to compact them.