	US 7,524,447 B2
	Method for manufacturing formable thermoplastic laminates
Himanshu Asthana, Evansville, Ind. (US); M. Shoen Davis, Mt. Vernon, Ind. (US); Hari K. Harikumar, Bangalore (India); Martin J. Lindway, Waxhaw, N.C. (US); Aniruddha Moitra, Kolkata (India); Chetan J. Parikh, Newburgh, Ind. (US); Om Prakash, Bangalore (India); Michael T. Roland, Evansville, Ind. (US); Robert A. Schiff, Evansville, Ind. (US); Robert W. Walker, Mt. Vernon, Ind. (US); and Georgios S. Zafiris, Evansville, Ind. (US)
Assigned to Sabic Innovative Plastics IP B.V., (Netherlands)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/895,522.
Prior Publication US 2006/0017193 A1, Jan. 26, 2006
Int. Cl. B29C 47/06 (2006.01); B29C 47/90 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 264—173.12 [264/173.14; 264/173.15; 264/173.19; 264/174.1; 264/260; 425/133.5; 425/328; 425/363]

37 Claims

1. A method for making a laminate material, comprising a first surface layer comprising resorcinol arylate polyester chain members and a second surface layer suitable for bonding to a substrate, the method comprising:

co-extruding a polymeric first surface layer material and a polymeric second surface layer material through a die and into the first nip of a calender roll stack comprising a first surface roll and a second surface roll that define the first nip, to form the laminate material;

applying a nip load in the first nip of greater than or equal to about 400 N/cm onto the laminate; and

collecting the laminate material from the calender roll stack;

wherein the first surface layer comprises a material having a cleanliness level that yields less than or equal to about 2050 particulates per square meter in the first surface layer of the laminate, wherein the particulates have an average size, measured along the major axis of each particulate, of less than or equal to about 350 μm;

wherein the first roll and the second roll each have a surface smoothness of less than or equal to about 5 micrometers and temperatures of about 40° C. to about 150° C.