# US 2018/0022045 A1 · Continuous sheet press and method of operating same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022045 A1 - Document ID: US20180022045A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/638,008 - Filed: 2017-06-29 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH - Inventors: Lothar SEBASTIAN; Klaus SCHUERMANN; Michael SCHOELER; Joerg Heinz HUENEKE; Horst WEISS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022045A1 ## CPC - B29C 70/508: {and first forming a mat composed of short fibres} - B29C 33/0038: {with sealing means or the like (seals on envelopes used in tyre retreading B29D30/542; for injection moulding footwear B29D35/0045)} - B29C 43/228: {using endless belts feeding the material between non-rotating pressure members, e.g. vibrating pressure members} - B29C 43/265: {for making multilayered articles} - B29C 70/021: {Combinations of fibrous reinforcement and non-fibrous material} - B29C 70/504: {using rollers or pressure bands (for corrugating B29C53/22)} - B30B 5/06: co-operating with another endless band - B30B 5/062: {urged by directly-acting fluid pressure} - B29C 63/02: using sheet or web-like material (B29C63/26 {and B29C63/38} take precedence) - B29C 63/22: using layers or sheathings having a shape adapted to the shape of the article (B29C63/26 {and B29C63/38} take precedence) - B32B 37/1027: {Pressing using at least one press band} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)} - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM ## Abstract A press for making a continuous sheet from composite material has upper and lower press belts having respective lower and upper reaches that vertically spacedly confront one another across a press gap having an upstream inlet end and a downstream outlet end, and that have transversely spaced outer edges extending in the direction. The belts are advanced direction and thereby draw a mat of the composite material in the inlet end, compress it into the sheet, and expelling the sheet from the downstream end. Two transversely spaced elastic seal strips extend in the direction in the gap and are each engaged between a respective one of the outer edges of the upper belt and the respective outer edge of the lower belt. Each belt has at each of the edges a surface in engagement with the respective edge strip and having an average peak-to-valley height of less than 1 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A press for making a continuous sheet from composite material, the press comprising: upper and lower press belts having respective lower and upper reaches that extend horizontally in a travel direction, that vertically spacedly confront one another across a press gap having an upstream inlet end and a downstream outlet end, and that have outer edges extending in the direction and spaced apart transversely to the direction; means for advancing the belts in the travel direction and thereby drawing a mat of the composite material in the inlet end, compressing it into the sheet, and expelling the sheet from the downstream end; and two elastic seal strips extending in but spaced apart transversely to the direction in the gap and each engaged between a respective one of the outer edges of the upper belt and the respective outer edge of the lower belt, each of the belts having at each of the edges a surface in engagement with the respective edge strip and having an average peak-to-valley height of less than 1 μm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The press defined in claim 1, wherein the peak-to-valley height is less than 0.1 μm at the edges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The press defined in claim 2, wherein the surfaces of each of the edges have a width dimension measured perpendicular to the travel direction than a similarly measured width dimension of the respective strips. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The press defined in claim 1, wherein a central region of each of the belts between the respective edges has a peak-to-valley height greater than that of the respective edges. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The press defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic seal strips are elastomeric plastic and/or polymer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The press defined in claim 5, wherein the elastic seal strips are of silicone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The press defined in claim 1, wherein the seal strips are endless like the belts and each move synchronously with the belts in the gap. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The press defined in claim 1, further comprising: means for heating the composite material in the gap. ### Claim 9 A method of operating a press having upper and lower press belts having respective lower and upper reaches that extend horizontally, that vertically spacedly confront one another across a press gap having an upstream inlet end and a downstream outlet end, and that have outer edges extending in the direction and spaced apart transversely to the direction; and two elastic seal strips extending in but spaced apart transversely to the direction in the gap and each engaged between a respective one of the outer edges of the upper belt and the respective outer edge of the lower belt the method comprising the steps of: supplying to the upstream end of the gap a mat of composite material having a fusible matrix material; advancing the belts in a travel direction and thereby drawing the mat of the composite material in the inlet end, compressing it into the sheet, and expelling the sheet from the downstream end; maintaining the mat in a first upstream region of the gap immediately downstream of the inlet end and in a third downstream region of the gap immediately upstream of the outlet end at a low temperature below a melting point of a matrix material; and heating the mat in the gap in a second central region downstream of the upstream region and upstream of the downstream region to a temperature above a melting point of the matrix material such that the matrix material liquefies in the central region and leakage from the gap transverse to the direction is impeded by the seal strips. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method defined in claim 9, wherein the first region is below 80° C., the second region is above 120° C., and the third region is below 100° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method defined in claim 10, wherein the first region is below 50° c and the second region is above 150° C. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method defined in claim 9, where a length in the direction of the first region is 0.5 m to 2 m, a length in the direction of the second region 2 m to 6 m, and a length of the third region is 0.5 m to 2 m. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method defined in claim 9, further comprising the step of: compressing the strips in the gap between the belts with a pressure of less than 10 N/cm2. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method defined in claim 9, further comprising the step of: compressing the strips in the gap between the belts by at most 10%.