CPC B29C 51/10 (2013.01) [B29C 51/14 (2013.01); B29C 51/264 (2013.01); B29C 2791/006 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0032 (2013.01); B29K 2995/002 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3005 (2013.01)] | 10 Claims |
1. A method of forming a thermoplastic plastic component comprising: introducing a sheet of thermoplastic into an oven; heating the sheet of thermoplastic to a selected temperature in the oven; removing the sheet of thermoplastic from the oven and applying an amount of pigmented powder to the sheet of thermoplastic; returning the sheet of thermoplastic coated with the amount of pigmented powder back to the oven; heating the sheet of thermoplastic and the amount of pigmented powder in the oven; bonding the pigmented powder to the sheet of thermoplastic by melting and partially curing the amount of pigmented powder on the sheet of thermoplastic to form a bonded coating of pigmented powder in the oven; re-heating the sheet of thermoplastic and the bonded coating of pigmented powder to another selected temperature; positioning the sheet of thermoplastic over a pattern in a vacuum forming system; and vacuum forming the sheet of thermoplastic after bonding the pigmented powder to form the sheet of thermoplastic into the pattern.
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