Damped laminates with improved fastener force retention, a method of making, and novel tools useful in making

A laminate article comprising:

• a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer:
• at least one layer of vibration damping material comprising a viscoelastic material positioned between said first and second substrate layers;
• optionally one or more additional substrate layers positioned between said first and second substrate layers;
• optionally 1 or more bonding material layers bonded between a substrate layer and a vibration damping layer, wherein the storage modulus of each bonding material layer is higher than the storage modulus of the viscoelastic material contained in a vibration damping layer to which it is bonded;
• wherein the storage modulus of each substrate layer is greater than that of the viscoelastic material in any vibration damping material layer with which it is in contact;
• wherein at least one deformation area is present in said article, wherein a deformation area is an area of the article wherein at least one substrate layer is plastically deformed such that at least two substrate layers are touching or positioned closer to each other than in an area of the article in which none of the substrates are plastically deformed;
• wherein in at least 1 vibration damping material layer, within at least a 5% area of the deformation area, the vibration damping material is non-existent or, if present, has a mass that is 90% or less than the average mass of the vibration damping material layer of an equal area in an area of the article which is not in a deformation area;
• wherein at least one substrate has a variable thickness in a deformation area;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first and second substrates contains protrusion(s) and/or depression(s) in a deformation area.