Abstract: A film is extruded from plastic material by an extruder. The film is orientated after extrusion. Material is mixed into the plastic so that when the plastic film is stretched, cavitation bubbles are formed in the material particles mixed into the plastic. During the orientation, gas is arranged to the plastic film under high pressure so that the gas diffuses in the cavitation bubbles and causes overpressure in them. Thus, it is possible to make a thin foamed film with a foaming degree over 70%.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a composite article that includes a soft trim component employs a pair of mold halves, wherein a suitable skin material is sprayed onto a first mold cavity surface to obtain an in-mold coating, and a substrate is positioned between the mold halves such that a first area of one side of the substrate is located in opposition with the in-mold coating. A sprue defined in the second mold half, in opposition with the other side of the substrate, directs injected foam through an aperture in the substrate and into a gap defined between the one side of the substrate and the in-mold coating. A portion of the first mold half includes a layer of a sealing material that is harder than the substrate material to thereby eliminate the need to otherwise trim the overmolded soft trim component upon release from the mold.

Abstract: A vacuum-insulated container for transporting and dispensing beverages or food products has a stainless steel vacuum-insulated liner surrounded by a body. The body includes several cylindrical sections attached together. Expanding foam is sprayed between the liner and the body, and the expanded foam helps to prevent the cylindrical sections from detaching. A weight is placed between the body and the liner for adjusting a center of mass of the container. The center of mass is adjusted to be spaced radially away from a central longitudinal axis of the container, below a mid-plane of the container, and 180° away from a handle around the central longitudinal axis. Thus, if the container falls into water or tips on its side, it will come to rest in a position with the handle standing substantially upright. The handle can fold flush with the container and can extend away from the container for grasping. A locking means is provided to releasably lock the handle in the extended position.

Abstract: A resin (61) as a material of a resin mold is injected in a second resin filling space (57) from a resin injection hole (51) provided in a second back surface reinforcing member (50). When the resin overflows from a resin overflow hole (52), the injection of the resin is stopped, followed by curing of the resin. During the operation of the resin filling step, since a downward load equivalent to a total of a weight of the resin injected in the second resin filling space and the injection pressure is applied to the master model (30), there is a possibility that the master model be deflected downwardly; however, in actual, since the back surface of the master model is overall supported by the temporary filler (59), the master model is not deflected downwardly.

Abstract: A custom-fitting prosthetics liner is made without mixing silicone and without making a mold. A thermoformable liner is made by preparing a negative cast from a patient's residual limb, preparing a positive cast from the negative cast, and placing a thermoformable tubular liner over the positive cast. The positive cast and liner are heated in an oven for a predetermined time and temperature. Having acquired a new geometry, the cast and liner are removed from the oven and allowed to cool to room temperature. The liner is then removed from the cast. Alternatively the liner is heated, placed over the positive cast, cooled and removed. The interior surface of the liner conforms to the shape of the cast. The liner is elastic so that it returns to its new geometry when stretched and released. It therefore holds on to a residual limb even when the residual limb shrinks.

Abstract: According to this invention, thermal expansion microcapsules can be substantially evenly mixed with a base resin and an expected expansion coefficient for the thermal expansion microcapsules can be obtained during resin molding in a mold. Specifically, this invention provides a method for manufacturing a synthetic resin molding using thermal expansion microcapsules in which the thermal expansion microcapsules are mixed with a base resin and the mixture undergoes resin molding in a mold, wherein the thermal expansion microcapsules are granulated with a given binder resin under a temperature condition in which the thermal expansion microcapsules are not thermally expanded; then the mixture is mixed with the base resin; and the mixture undergoes resin molding.

Abstract: A method for making a composite panel includes the step (26) of providing a panel having elongated channels (14) that are positioned along areas of anticipated point compression loading. The panel (10) has a reinforcing fabric layer (41) attached to a non-woven fabric layer (43) forming an outside layer (12). The composite panel has foam core (8,9) within the outside layer. The method further comprises the step (27) of providing structural foam channel inserts (16) having an outer fabric layer (18), wherein the channel inserts have a cross section which matches the cross-sectional profile of each of the elongated channels of the panel. Resin is then applied to the outside layer of the panel and outer fabric layer of the channel inserts such the channel inserts are positioned within the channels of the panel (29 and 31). The resin is then allowed to cure (33) forming a composite structure.

Abstract: A method for recycling wasted tires comprises the steps of: A. Mixing pellets of the wasted tires and natural rubber and pressing the mixture repeatedly till the mixture is heating. B. Stirring the mixture to make it well mixed. C. Rolling the mixture to a piece-like element. D. Adding some sulfur into the mixture and foaming the mixture to a foamed pad, whereby an air pressure is produced in the foaming procedure to force the pellets of the wasted tires fixedly fastening to the foamed rubber. E. Cooling the foamed pad.

Abstract: A mold used to form a magnetic member includes a mold body having a mold opening, a mold support that supports the mold cavity, and a mold insert. The mold insert is disposed in the mold opening of the mold body to form a mold cavity. The mold insert is coated with a coating to protect the mold body from chemical attack and abrasive wear of the mold material. The coating comprises an electroless nickel layer formed on or over the mold insert, and a chromium nitride layer formed on or over the electroless nickel layer. The mold insert can be formed of beryllium-copper (Be—Cu).

Abstract: A method of making a shoe sole. The method comprising introducing a sheet portion of a thermoplastic material into a first mold, introducing a quantity of an outsole material into the first mold, and using the first mold to form an outsole member comprised of the outsole material and the sheet portion with the sheet portion being secured to the outsole material. The method further comprises introducing the outsole member into a second mold, introducing a quantity of a midsole material into the second mold, the midsole material being in liquid form when introduced in the second mold, and allowing the liquid midsole material to cure to a resilient condition to form a midsole portion secured to the sheet portion. The midsole portion and outsole member constitute the shoe sole.

Abstract: A forming method of a foam board includes a hard plastic top plate and a hard plastic bottom plate provided respectively on and under a foam board placed in a mold. In a forming process by heating, the peripheral edges of the hard plastic top and the bottom plate respectively bend downward and upward automatically and extend to stick on the peripheral side edge of the foam board and fusing and adhering with each other to make up an integral peripheral edge so as to elevate the rigidity and safety of the foam board and enable it endure grinding.

Abstract: An automobile interior trim component includes a molded substrate laminated onto a cover sheet including a foam backing and a skin film having a surface texture. The cover sheet is preheated so the skin film is in a melted viscous liquid state above its melting temperature, and the foam backing remains in a solid elastic foam state below its melting temperature. The preheated cover sheet is mechanically pre-molded by a back mold into a front mold. Pressurized air is applied through the back mold, to blow-mold the cover sheet against the front mold, so the melted skin film reproduces a surface texture of the front mold surface while the solid foam backing acts as a buffer and air barrier layer. Vacuum is applied through the front mold surface. The mold is opened, a substrate is introduced, and the back mold then molds and thermally laminates the substrate against the foam backing of the cover sheet.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a wear-resistant three-dimensional foamable structure includes the steps of: a) preparing a retractable heat deformable wear-resistant substrate; b) working the substrate by a forming mold to form a housing having a three-dimensional shape, the housing having an inside formed with a receiving space; c) placing or directly forming a foamable body in the receiving space of the housing, so that the foamable body is combined with the substrate integrally, so that the wear-resistant substrate is mounted on an outer layer of the foamable body, thereby protecting the foamable body and enhancing an outer appearance of the foamable body; and d) cutting and trimming an edge of the substrate or the foamable body, thereby forming a foamable product.

Abstract: An improved method of machining slots and material feed holes in a molding die such as an extrusion die designed to form a honeycomb structure of ceramics employed as a catalyst carrier of a catalytic converter for automotive vehicles. In one of the preferred embodiments, shallow holes are drilled in a die material and subjected to electrochemical machining to remove material from the bottoms of the shallow holes so that they communicate with the material feed holes without any burrs. In the other embodiment, the slots are cut using a rotary cutter in a given order which will balance reaction forces exerted on the cutter from both side walls of each slot to minimize deformation of the cutter during cutting of the slots, thereby preventing the slots from being curved undesirably.

Abstract: A plastic foamed synthetic closure for use with liquid bearing containers which closely simulates natural cork products is realized by incorporating color concentrates into the polymer melt and forming the color concentrates into elongated streaks. The desired emulation is further enhanced by arcuately pivoting the foamed plastic material during the production to form curved or sinusoidal-shaped streaks. This invention also provides manufacturing methods for mass producing individual products in a continuous motion casting system wherein fully complete products are formed in polymer casting members, which receive foam material exiting from the die and allow the foamed material to be formed in a continuous operation in the casting members. Finally, the present invention also teaches a unique system for maintaining and delivering carbon dioxide in its supercritical phase for use as a blowing agent.

Abstract: The present invention is a high performance microcellular polyurethane foam suitable for numerous applications normally considered outside the realm of conventional solid systems. Also included in the present invention is a method of manufacturing the high performance microcellular polyurethane foam using controlled water addition, foam surfactant addition, a modified catalyst system, the addition of a delayed action tin catalyst and a reduced NCO/OH ratio. The present invention has special application for industrial parts, especially the bowling equipment industry and the cardboard manufacturing industry.

Abstract: The invention provides a blow molding and a method for producing it. The blow molding is lightweight; its strength and rigidity per the unit weight thereof are high; and its heat resistance, sound absorption, heat insulation and sound insulation are all good. The blow molding is produced inexpensively, and is useful for the parts of inlet systems for internal-combustion engines, etc. The blow-molding method is for fiber-containing thermoplastic resins, and comprises holding a parison made of an inorganic fiber-containing, melt-expandable thermoplastic resin, between a pair of facing splits of a mold, blowing the parison to shape it, and thereafter optionally reducing the gaseous pressure inside it to thereby expand the wall of the shaped article. The blow molding is made of a thermoplastic resin, and it contains from 15 to 70% by weight of inorganic fibers having a mean fiber length of from 1 to 20 mm, and has a porosity of from 10 to 90%.

Abstract: A process for the production by a moulding process of a micro-cellular or non-cellular elastomeric polyurethane skin layer or, more generally, to a process for the production of a composite comprising a first layer shaped part, which is made by a moulding process from a polyurethane reaction mixture, and a second layer shaped part which is adhered to the first part to form the composite. In order to avoid the use of release agents on the back side of the first layer shaped part, and thus the negative effect on the adhesion of the second layer shaped part, and the penetration of reaction mixture on this back side between the slides (9-10) of the mould, the mould surface (4) is covered on the back side of the moulding with a removable flexible covering, such as a film (12) or a membrane, with a removable rigid pre-shaped covering or with a permanent non-stick coating layer.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing a foamed article of a thermoplastic resin composition having a relatively thicker solid skin layer exhibiting better appearance without occurrence of a swirl mark and having a foam structure of relatively uniform foam cell size with better foam cell configuration, which is light-weighing and superior in stiffness, in an easy and efficient manner, by causing the resin composition to foam up in a cavity of a mold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the step of plasticizing a thermoplastic resin material by rotatably driving a screw (20). Also included in the method is the step of injecting an inert gas into a screw cylinder (1) to permeate the melted resin and injecting the melted resin into a mold by driving the screw (20) in the direction of injection. Here, the inert gas has a pressure, at least in pressure, equal to or greater than a supercritical pressure or is under a supercritical state. To provide a thermoplastic resin foam by the method, electric servomotors (31, 32) are employed to drive the screw (20). After the step of plasticizing the resin material has been completed, brakes are applied to the electric servomotors (31, 32) to prevent the screw (20) from retreating. Alternatively, even after the step of plasticizing the resin material has been completed, the screw (20) is driven at low speeds in the direction of plasticization until immediately before the step of injecting the melted resin is initiated.