Abstract: A method for producing a component assembly for a motor vehicle, wherein the component assembly has a base body for an instrument panel of the motor vehicle and at least one functional component, wherein the at least one functional component is injection-molded to the base body during the production of the component assembly and the component assembly is produced using a gas external pressure process. A component assembly for a motor vehicle is also provided, having a base body for an instrument panel of the motor vehicle and at least one functional component, wherein the base body is produced as an integral injection-molded part together with the at least one functional component using an external gas pressure process. Also, a motor vehicle having a component assembly is provided.

Abstract: A sheet of plastic to be thermoformed into an appliance liner is brought to a substantially uniform temperature, preferably to a temperature differential of less than 5° F. throughout, by directing a fluid medium upon opposing side surfaces of the sheet. In the most preferred form of the invention, the fluid medium is constituted by air which is heated, impinged upon the opposing surfaces and recirculated, with the temperature and flow rate of the air being controlled based on sensed operating parameters.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a molded article comprises injecting a quantity of molding material sufficient for the preparation of the molded article into a cavity of a mold, injecting a first portion of fluid into the mold cavity, creating a gas channel within the molding material, and forming the molded article within the mold cavity. At least a portion of the first portion of fluid is exhausted through a gas port, a second portion of fluid is injected into the mold material, and the molded article is cooled within the mold cavity to a temperature beneath a softening point of the molding material.

Abstract: In order to produce pellets or agglomerates in an economically feasible manner from clarified sludge which contains disease-causing bacteria and which is dewatered in a solid mantle worm-gear centrifuge (11) and is subsequently thermally dried in the centrifuge housing (14), and which satisfy the conditions of being hygienically unremarkable and also storage-stable, according to the invention it is proposed that the clarified sludge pellets (25), still hot or warm due to thermal clarified sludge drying, are held at their temperature in a sanitizing apparatus (26) for a dwell time of at least 10 min and thus sanitized and additionally dried.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for cooling an extruded hollow product. According to the invention, the extruder (1) is provided with means for sucking air through the pipe (2). The air to be sucked is thus in contact with the inner surface of the pipe (2), cooling the pipe from the inside. Therefore the cooling of the pipe (2) can be realized in an efficient and simple manner. By arranging the sucking to occur from the middle of the conical extruder (1), no weld line will be formed in the extruded product, and the extruder (1) can be cooled effectively from the inside. According to the invention, the heat contained by the air that has been sucked through the pipe (2) can also be utilized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of cooling molded preforms. The apparatus and method make advantageous use of air amplifiers to create a flow of cooling air over the molded preforms. In a first embodiment of the present invention, the air amplifiers are mounted to a part removal and cooling robot. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air amplifier stations are positioned about an index block to cool the molded preforms. In a third embodiment of the present invention, a vacuuming system is provided to improve the adherence of the air flow created by the air amplifiers to the exterior surfaces of the molded preforms. In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the air amplifiers are mounted to a movable plate and each amplifier has an internal bore sized to receive a molded preform to be cooled.