Abstract: A system including a supply roll of a laminate, a mandrel for wrapping the laminate therearound, feed rollers that spool the laminate off the supply roll onto the mandrel, the feed rollers being attached to a mounting plate by an adjustable bracket that sets an angle of the laminate with respect to the mandrel, adjacent windings of the laminate being joined to one another at overlaps thereof, wherein each winding of the laminate makes at least one complete revolution around the mandrel before the laminate advances to its next adjacent winding so as to form a seal at the overlaps of the adjacent windings, and a cutting station adapted to cut cylindrical tubes formed by windings of the laminate about the mandrel.

Abstract: A thermoforming apparatus including a pallet for use with a thermoforming machine that thermoforms a plastic billet into a usable form, the pallet including a billet support surface for supporting thereon a billet, and a gripper mounted on the pallet and arranged for movement between a first position, wherein the gripper does not grip a billet placed on the billet support surface, and a second position, wherein the gripper grips the billet placed on the billet support surface.