1410 results about "Thermoforming" patented technology

An apparatus has a communications device associated therewith. In another aspect of the present invention, a pallet is made from thermoformed polymeric sheets with an attached communications device. A further aspect of the present invention provides a radio frequency identification device attached to an apparatus. In still another aspect of the present invention, a communications device is incorporated into one or more sheets of a pallet or other container prior to forming. Methods of making and using a thermoformed pallet and container, having a communications device, are also provided.

A robotic system for forming features in orthodontic aligners includes a control system, a platen for three-dimensional positioning of the aligner, a heating station for selectively heating a small region of the aligner, and a thermoforming station for manipulating the heated region to form a desired feature in the aligner. Optionally, a laser cutting and trimming station can also be included to trim excess material from the aligner or to cut features into the aligner. The control system can include a processor with CAD software to enable a user to design features for aligners.

An interior trim component such as a vehicle dashboard includes a substantially rigid and form-stable substrate of polypropylene and natural fibers, a supporting halo skeleton and other frame components heat fused onto the backside of the substrate, and a polyolefin foam layer as well as a decorative polyolefin cover film laminated onto the front side of the substrate. The foam layer has an increased thickness and a decreased foam density at sharply contoured or curved areas of the trim component, in comparison to the flat surfacial areas. As a result, the trim component has a desirable soft-touch characteristic and impact absorbing properties at all areas including protruding curves and edges. A method for forming such a trim component involves steps of pre-molding the foam layer and cover film by vacuum thermoforming, pre-molding the substrate by vacuum thermoforming, and then heat laminating the pre-heated, pre-molded substrate onto the pre-molded foam layer and cover film. The sharply curved or contoured areas of the component are provided with a greater tolerance spacing between the substrate and the cover film, which are held to the respective mold contours by vacuum. Under the effect of heat and the applied vacuum, the foam layer expands to have a greater thickness and a lower density in these sharply contoured areas.

A reclosable package and method having an integral reclosable door adjacent one end that permits article removal from the end of the package. The package is comprised of a thermoformed blister body joined to a thermoformed backing body. The blister body has sidewalls, endwalls and a peripheral flange broken into a first section adjacent the door where the height of the sidewalls decrease and a second section opposite the door with the first section angled relative to the second section. The backing body carries the door and has an integral peripheral rib inboard of a peripheral flange with the flange having a first section about the door and a second section disposed away from the door. The rib has a pair of longitudinally-extending sections divided by a notch that preferably is a transverse rib that causes the door to bend about a desired fold line that runs generally through or adjacent the ribs or notches when urged away from a closed position. In a preferred method, after performing a multilevel trim operation to trim the multiplanar flanges of one or both the blister body and the backing body, the two bodies are joined at the flange sections about a portion of the periphery to adjacent the fold line using an energy welding process, preferably RF welding, that produces a narrow tear seam that enables finished package flange width to be minimized to thereby also minimize package width.

The invention discloses a steel plate for stamping and quenching and a thermoforming method of the steel plate. The steel plate comprises the following chemical components in percentage by weight: 0.14-0.28% of C, less than 0.40% of Si, 0.4-2.0% of Mn, less than or equal to 0.010% of P, less than or equal to 0.004% of S, 0.016-0.040% of Al, 0.15-0.8% of Cr, 0.015-0.12% of Ti, 0.0001-0.005% of B, less than or equal to 0.005% of N, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities. The thermoforming method comprises the following steps: blanking by shearing the steel plate, and heating at Ac3 to (Ac3+80) DEG C to carry out austenization; after insulating for 5-10 minutes in the heating furnace, immediately transferring the steel plate to a metal mold the inside of which is cooled by introducing water, and stamping at the high temperature of 650-850 DEG C; cooling the formed workpiece in the closed mold, and cooling the mold by water circulation in the mold, wherein the cooling rate is greater than the critical cooling rate when austenite forms martensite, and the temperature of the workpiece leaving the hot stamping production line is below 150 DEG C; and carrying out air-cooling to room temperature. The steel plate has the advantages of simple component system and favorable hardenability; and the substrate tissues, which are ferrite and pearlite, are processed by hot stamping andquenching to obtain the all martensitic structure. The tensile strength of the steel plate can be higher than 1300 N/mm<2>.

[Problems] The present invention provides a-polyester-film superior in heat resistance, chemical resistance, insulation property and thermal dimensional stability, and suitable for application to fields associated with boiling or retort treatment, which require tenacity, pinhole resistance, bending resistance, bag breakage resistance on dropping, impact resistance and the like, fields requiring thermoforming or vacuum forming, and various uses such as packaging bags for water-containing food, pharmaceutical products and the like. [Solving Means] The polyester film characteristically shows an initial elastic modulus in at least one direction of 2.5-10 GPa, an impact strength of 40-10000 J/mm, a thermal shrinkage in at least one direction at 150° C. of −0.5% to 6%, a haze of 0.001% to 7%, and an absolute value of the difference in the thermal shrinkage between the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of not more than 1.1%.

A bumper system includes a tubular beam and a thermoformed energy absorber with crush boxes formed into a base flange, such as by vacuum or thermal forming processes. The crush boxes have planar energy-absorbing sidewalls a depth of about 10 mm to 35 mm, wall thicknesses of about 1 mm to 3 mm, and are formed from polyethylene or other thermoform materials having a memory. The base flange can include thermoformed features engaging recesses in the beam, and is combinable with injection-molded or foam energy absorbers for design flexibility. In one form, the energy absorber includes a thermoformed first sheet forming crush boxes and a second sheet bonded to the first sheet to define apertured air pockets. Related methods of manufacture and impacting are also disclosed.

Fluoropolymer films which combine the attributes of outdoor durability, chemical resistance and thermoformability with paint-like aesthetics are formed into film structures which have at least one surface coated with a primer of amine functional polymer and an overcoat of a thermoplastic adhesive of acid modified polyolefin. Fluoropolymer films so coated are securely bonded to a variety of thermoplastic substrates forming a laminated film structure which resists delamination when exposed to moisture and humidity.

Polymeric compositions and methods of making and using such compositions are provided. The compositions incorporate at least one component that is a polymer including propylene-derived units and at least one component that is a styrenic block copolymer. The polymeric compositions are found to have desirable elastomeric properties while at the same time exhibiting beneficial processabilty characteristics. The unique combination of processability and performance attributes result in the polymeric compositions useful in a variety of applications such as films, fibers, woven and non-woven fabrics, sheets, molded objects, extruded forms, thermoformed objects, and all products made from such application materials.

Polishing pads are provided having a polishing surface formed from a hydrophilic material. The polishing surface has a topography produced by a thermoforming process. The topography consists of large and small features that facilitate the flow of polishing fluid and facilitate smoothing and planarizing.

A blister package consists of a backing sheet (16) of cardboard, paper or plastic adhered to a blister (17) in which at least one or both of the backing sheet and the blister is made from a transparent water soluble thermoformable polymer composition. A tooth brush, cleaning utensil or garden utensil enclosed in the water soluble packaging material can be opened by placing it under running water. The packaging material is a starch or modified starch based polymer by direct contact with water, and that biodegrades in waste water. The preferred starch is a high amylose maize starch. The starch can also be derived from wheat, potato, rice, oats, arrowroot and pea sources. The backing sheet is adhered to water and applying the backing sheet with the use of a press plate (24).

A method is disclosed utilizing off the shelf constant cross section thickness sandwich panels comprised of Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic (FRTP) resin skins and low density thermoplastic (TP) core material wherein the steps of selectively and controllably exposing the panels to heat and incrementally thermoforming the skin-core into a consolidated composite edge or intra-panel area in consideration of subsequent mating and attachment of the FRTP sandwich panel to other structures is achieved. The exact configuration of articles so thermoformed is design optimized to overcome manufacturing, assembly, weight, in-service and structural performance shortcomings of prior art and FRP sandwich panel structures. Further disclosed is an improved, load-bearing, modular design container structure assembled from such thermoformed FRTP sandwich panels in which is utilized the unique core-skin edge configuration of the present invention in consideration of improved: load bearing performance, useful load volume, reduced manufacturing costs, structural weight savings, impact and damage tolerance and repair and replace issues.

A method is disclosed of controlling the thermohysteresis of a homogeneous or layered fibrous pre-form, comprised at least in part of thermoplastic staple length fibers, such that the physical properties of the resulting molded three-dimensional compound construct are significantly enhanced. In particular, the thermohysteresis is the result of a specific thermal history comprising the treatment of a fibrous pre-form with an elevated temperature incubation period followed by a cooling period. A so-treated fibrous pre-form can be subsequently molded by conventional thermomolding methods to render improved toughness, strength and structural stability to a resulting molded construct.

A method of decorating a molded article is provided in which a mold insert, the mold insert, comprising a plurality of flock fibers, a heat resistant release sheet, a release adhesive, a permanent adhesive layer, and a forming film is thermoformed. During thermoforming, the heat resistant release sheet is positioned between a surface of a forming mold and the flock fibers to protect the flock fibers from overheating.

A microstructure is formed in a viscous glass or plastic substrate by pressing a structured surface of a forming tool corresponding to a negative of the microstructure to be produced in the viscous glass or plastic substrate. After the microstructure has been formed, the forming tool is removed from the surface. In order to help form the microstructure and remove the forming tool from the substrate the forming tool has an at least partially porous base body (1) and an operative layer (2) structured with a negative structure consisting of grooves (11) extending to the porous base body (1). The forming of the microstructure in the substrate is assisted by applying suction to the porous base body (1) so that the grooves (11) fill more easily and completely with melted glass or plastic material. The removal of the forming tool after forming the microstructure is assisted by applying an overpressure to the porous body to help release the solidified glass or plastic material from the forming tool.

The invention discloses thermoforming steel with tensile strength of 1,700MPa level, which consists of the following components in percentage by weight: 0.27-0.50% of C, 0.28-0.50% of Si, 1.20-1.60% of Mn, 0.32-0.60% of Cr, 0.025-0.055% of Ti, 0.002-0.005% of B, 0.010-0.06% of Als, less than or equal to 0.012% of P, 0.010-0.035% of Nb or 0.30-0.45% of Mo or less than or equal to 0.50% of the mixture of Nb and Mo, less than or equal to 0.008% of S, less than or equal to 0.005% of N and less than or equal to 0.005% of O. A production method comprises the following steps of: molten iron desulphurization, converter smelting and blank casting; heating of the cast blank; rough rolling; finish rolling; laminar cooling; reeling; acid pickling and cold rolling; annealing; flattening; finishing and shearing; heating in protective atmosphere; moulding; quenching; and low-temperature tempering for later use. According to the thermoforming steel disclosed by the invention, the tensile strength is greater than 1,700MPa, and the yield ratio is not over 0.70; when used for manufacturing structural parts and safety parts of an automobile, the thermoforming steel not only can reduce the body weight of the automobile, but also can realize yield deformation in the case of automobile accidents to absorb energy and impact force; and therefore, the thermoforming steel is not broken immediately, and the safety of a driver and passengers is effectively protected.

A moldable composite sheet having enhanced sound absorption characteristics and attenuation of transmitted sound intensities. In one aspect, the composite sheet may be a porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic comprising discontinuous reinforcing fibers, expandable polymeric beads such as microspheres, and, optionally, one or more thermoplastic skins. Generally, the composite sheet may have a void content or porosity from greater than 0% to about 95% by volume of the sheet, an areal weight between about 400 g/m² to about 4000 g/m² (gsm), a fiber content from about 20% to about 80% by weight, and an expandable polymeric bead content from greater than 0 gsm to about 25 gsm. The composite sheet can be molded via low pressure processes, such as thermoforming, match metal molding on stops, vacuum forming and pressure forming, to produce durable automotive interior trim parts and construction articles having enhanced sound absorption capabilities in addition to other beneficial characteristics.

A solid state process utilizes gas impregnation to enhance thermoforming of thermoplastic material. If the gas is plasticizing, the article is thereby plasticized for thermoforming. In some embodiments, the invention provides foaming the polymer prior to or during thermoforming by creating high levels of dissolved gas during gas exposure. Foaming may proceed spontaneously upon decompression from gas pressure, or foaming may be enhanced by heating the polymer sheet near to or above the polymer's glass transition temperature, thereby producing plasticized foamed polymer for thermoforming. When objects of unfoamed polymer are desired, foaming may be suppressed by thermoforming gas saturated articles under gas pressure. This process may be used to enhance the thermoforming performance of articles that have been previously foamed, including articles foamed by prior art processes. In some embodiments, polymer is sufficiently plasticized so that it may be thermoformed without heating. Plasticization of the polymer is reversible.

To provide a lactic acid polymer composition excellent in transparency, heat resistance and productivity, a molded article, a sheet and a multilayer sheet each of which comprises the composition, a thermoformed article obtained by secondary-forming the sheet or the multilayer sheet, and a process for producing the thermoformed article with excellent productivity. The lactic acid polymer composition of the invention comprises 100 parts by weight of a lactic acid polymer (A), 0.1 to 3 parts by weight of an organic crystal nucleating agent (B) comprising an aliphatic carboxylic acid amide having an amide bond, and 0.1 to 7 parts by weight of a crystallization accelerator (C). The thermoformed article of the invention is obtained with excellent production efficiency by thermoforming the sheet comprising the composition of the invention at a temperature of 60 to 130° C.