Abstract: A press pad is provided for use in a laminate press. The pad comprises a woven fabric of heat resistant strands wherein at least a proportion of the weft comprises a core made up of a bundle of strands within a sheath of an elastomeric material and at least a proportion of the warp comprises metal strands. The strands forming the bundle are dose-packed prior to extrusion of the sheath around them. The transverse cross-sectional profile of the sheath is a regular geometric profile that is other than a circular profile prior to weaving of the fabric of the press pad. Preferably, the transverse cross-sectional profile of the sheath is a splined profile or a regular polygonal profile that is composed of straight lines or arcs.

Abstract: A press pad is provided for use in a laminate press. The pad comprises a woven fabric of heat resistant strands wherein at least a proportion of the weft comprises a core made up of a bundle of strands within a sheath of an elastomeric material and at least a proportion of the warp comprises metal strands. The strands forming the bundle are dose-packed prior to extrusion of the sheath around them. The transverse cross-sectional profile of the sheath is a regular geometric profile that is other than a circular profile prior to weaving of the fabric of the press pad. Preferably, the transverse cross-sectional profile of the sheath is a splined profile or a regular polygonal profile that is composed of straight lines or arcs.

Abstract: A press pad is provided for use in a laminate press. The pad includes a woven fabric of heat resistant strands wherein at least either the warp or the weft has a core made up of a plurality of strands within a sheath of an elastomeric material, and the other is made up of metal strands. Within the scale of the press pad, the strands making up the core lie substantially parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of the core. In use, therefore, when pressurized in the laminate press, the core structure collapses as the strands making up the core move relative to one another and the core tends to flatten out. This increases the springiness and compensation ability of the press pad without any loss of heat transfer ability.

Abstract: A press pad is provided for use in a laminate press. The pad includes a woven fabric of heat resistant strands wherein at least either the warp or the weft has a core made up of a plurality of strands within a sheath of an elastomeric material, and the other is made up of metal strands. Within the scale of the press pad, the strands making up the core lie substantially parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of the core. In use, therefore, when pressurized in the laminate press, the core structure collapses as the strands making up the core move relative to one another and the core tends to flatten out. This increases the springiness and compensation ability of the press pad without any loss of heat transfer ability.

Abstract: A press pad for use in a laminating press comprises a woven fabric of heat resistant strands. A substantial proportion of either the warp (B) or the weft (A) comprises a silicone elastomer. Preferably, the silicone elastomer has a specific gravity within the range of 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 to 1.4 g/cm.sup.3 inclusive but advantageously, the silicone elastomer has a specific gravity of 1.20.+-.0.02 g/cm.sup.3. In preferred embodiments the weft (A) comprises silicone covered copper wire whilst the warp (B) comprises at least one of stainless steel wires, copper wires, copper alloy wires, copper wires wrapped with an aromatic polyamide yarn, stainless steel wires wrapped with an aromatic polyamide yarn, aromatic polyamide yarn, and polyester yarn.