The disclosure provides an interior trim part for a motor vehicle having a sliding or panoramic roof comprising a headliner and a stiffening frame attached to the headliner and enclosing and stabilizing an opening in the headliner enclosing the sliding or panoramic window, the stiffening frame being made of a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a fiber mat and a textile lattice material, the textile lattice material being applied over a surface of the fiber mat and impregnated together therewith.

Process and relative machine for moulding a thermoplastic material for producing a finished article having a shape, wherein the process comprises: providing a mould (99) comprising a first (1) and a second half-mould (2) each having a respective conformation surface (3, 4) which define, with closed mould, a cavity (5) having, in a conformation configuration, the shape; making a semi-finished product (70) made of the thermoplastic material; closing the mould (99) with the semi-finished product (70) interposed between the conformation surfaces (3, 4); admitting a heating fluid into the cavity (5) for heating the semi-finished product (70) permeable to the heating fluid; arranging the cavity (5) in a compacting configuration in which the cavity (5) coincides with a sub-portion of the cavity (5) in the conformation configuration; with the cavity (5) in the compacting configuration and the heating fluid into the cavity (5), compressing the semi-finished product (70) between the conformation surfaces (3, 4); subsequently to compressing the semi-finished product (70), arranging the cavity (5) in the conformation configuration while keeping the heating fluid into the cavity (5), wherein the semi-finished product (70) elastically expands for completely occupying the cavity and assuming the shape; subsequently, evacuating the heating fluid from the cavity (5) for cooling the semi-finished product (70) for obtaining the finished article with the shape; opening the mould (99) and extracting the finished article from the mould (99).

A method of forming a headliner for a vehicle includes forming the headliner into a desired shape from one or more materials. The headliner includes a headliner cutout portion corresponding to an opening through the headliner. A reinforcement bracket preform is formed into the headliner cutout portion during the step of forming the headliner. The headliner cutout portion is removed from the headliner. The reinforcement bracket preform is removed from the headliner cutout portion and a shaped reinforcement bracket is formed.

A joining material for laser welding, a laser welding method using the same, and a laser joined body using the laser welding method. The joining material includes a polymer matrix and a needle-shaped inorganic filler. The polymer matrix includes a polypropylene resin having a melt index of 80 g/10 min or more to 95 g/10 min or less as measured at a temperature of 230° C. and a load of 2.16 kg, and the needle-shaped inorganic filler has an aspect ratio of 10:1 to 20:1.

Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a headlining, using a moisture-curing adhesive that can be molded at a relatively low temperature and enables energy saving by not requiring a condition in which bonding surfaces are preheated to an excessively high temperature. A headlining manufactured thereby the same method is also disclosed. The method includes coating a fabric with a moisture-curing adhesive, curing the moisture-curing adhesive by spraying water onto the moisture-curing adhesive, forming a headlining member by putting the fabric coated with the moisture-curing adhesive on a substrate after the curing, and pressing the headlining member so that the fabric and the substrate are bonded to each other and the headlining is shaped at the same time, after the forming.

A vehicle headliner includes a two-piece headliner body made up of first and second headliner pieces that are secured together in a mechanical joint. Each of the first and second headliner pieces is comprised of a molded polymer substrate having first and second sides and a fabric on the first side. The molded polymer substrate is partially impregnated into the fabric such that the fabric is fused to the first side. The first piece defines an opening for receipt of a console. There is at least one bridge that spans across the opening and has a molded-in attachment feature for securing the console.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a outermost nonwoven layer, forming a structural nonwoven layer, needling the structural nonwoven layer and the outermost nonwoven layer together from both the outer surface of the outermost nonwoven layer and the second surface of the structural nonwoven layer, applying an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C. to the second surface of the structural nonwoven layer, and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite. Heat and pressure may be applied to form the moldable, uncured composite. A moldable, uncured nonwoven composite and a molded, cured nonwoven composite are also disclosed.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer, at least partially impregnating the structural nonwoven layer with an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C., and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite such that the temperature at the inner plane is less than about 130° C. forming an moldable, uncured composite. The structural nonwoven layer contains a plurality of bi-component binder fibers and a plurality of reinforcing fibers, the bi-component fibers containing a core and a sheath. The core contains a polymer having a melting temperature of at least about 180° C. and the sheath contains a polymer having a melting temperature less than about 180 ° C. A process for forming a molded, cured composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer and a molded cured nonwoven composite are also disclosed.

A process for forming a moldable, uncured nonwoven composite containing forming a structural nonwoven layer, at least partially impregnating the structural nonwoven layer with an uncured, water-based thermosetting resin having a cure temperature of at least about 160° C., and at least partially drying the uncured, wet nonwoven composite. The structural nonwoven layer contains a plurality of binder fibers and a plurality of reinforcing fibers which are cellulosic fibers. Heat and pressure are applied to the moldable, uncured composite to a temperature of at least about 160° C. at least partially melting the binder fibers, curing the water-based thermosetting resin, and bonding at least a portion of the reinforcing fibers to other reinforcing fibers forming the molded, cured composite. The reinforcing fibers react with and form covalent bonds with the thermosetting resin.

A composite foam article comprises a foam core layer presenting a first surface and a second surface facing opposite the first surface. A first polymeric bonding layer is disposed on the first surface, one or more first reinforcing layers comprising a plurality of fibers and a polymeric binder are disposed on the first polymeric bonding layer, and a first polymeric containment layer is disposed on the one or more first reinforcing layers. A second polymeric bonding layer is disposed on the second surface, one or more second reinforcing layers comprising a plurality of fibers and a polymeric binder are disposed on the second polymeric bonding layer, and a second polymeric containment layer is disposed on the one or more second reinforcing layers. At least one catch layer comprising particles of carbon is dispersed in and/or disposed between any of the aforementioned layers.