Abstract: Apparatus and methods for manufacturing compostable, biodegradable drink straws from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material are disclosed herein. Such apparatus may include a hopper that contains raw PHA material, an extruder that receives the raw PHA material from the hopper and produces extruded PHA material, one or more waters baths that cool the extruded PHA material, a puller that pulls a tubular stream of PHA material through the system, and a cutter that is configured to cut the stream of PHA material into finished straws. The finished straws may be soil- and marine-biodegradable, as well as home- and industrial-compostable.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a rounder or rounding machine having one or more conveyor(s) having a horizontal conveyor surface with a support frame. One or more rounder bars are coupled to the support frame by one or more rounder bar height adjustment systems above the conveyor at a set height and at a camber angle set by one or more camber adjustment systems. A rounder bar seal on the rounder bar is provided having a rounder bar seal channel and a rounder bar seal channel contour. The rounder bar seal having a first body member having one or more semi-spherical contours and a second body member extending down at an angle from the first body member, and third body member extending from the first body member and extending in an opposed direction from the second body member. The rounder bar seal channel contour mates with, at least in part, the first body member through the one or more semi-spherical contours, the first body member being coupled and retained within the channel, rotating freely therein.

Abstract: A method of preparing an inorganic binder for medical use according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes preparing a starting material using a-TCP powder and phosphate powder each of which has a predetermined particle size, producing a paste having a predetermined viscosity that is suitable for formation of a molded article having a predetermined shape by homogeneously mixing the starting material, adding water or saline to the homogeneously mixed starting material, and kneading the resulting mixture, subjecting the molded article to hydration reaction, and washing and drying the molded article having undergone the hydration reaction to obtain an inorganic binder containing OCP and HA crystal phases.

Abstract: The disclosed and claimed concept provides for an overmold that is applied to substantially all of the exposed portions of a wood handle for a tool.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for connecting a connection piece to a U-shaped ring anchor for a head module for rail vehicles, the head module consisting predominantly of fiber-reinforced plastic material and having an outer shell and the ring anchor consisting of fiber-reinforced plastic material and being arranged in the roof region of the outer shell as a stiffening means. According to the method, connecting elements are fed through the dry or matrix-material-impregnated, unconsolidated fiber reinforcement structure of the ring anchor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for producing a cell-culturing polyvinyl alcohol-based nanofiber structure, the method comprising: electrospinning an electrospun solution to form a nanofiber mat, wherein the electrospun solution contains polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylic acid (PA) and glutaraldehyde (GA); crosslinking the nanofiber mat via a hydrochloric acid (HCl) vapor treatment; and treating the crosslinked nanofiber mat with dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent to crystallize the nanofiber mat.

Abstract: Recycled carbon fibers are processed by rotational tumbling in a mixture with binder material to prepare fiber-containing particles having a dual-tapered shape and general alignment of fibers with a longitudinal direction of the particles. Bulk products including such fiber-containing particles are compounded with polymer and pelletized to prepare fiber-reinforced composite pellets, which are useful for applications such as injection molding to prepare molded products of carbon fiber-reinforced composite material with recycled carbon fibers.

Abstract: A method for post-processing part obtained by additive manufacturing through sintering of a plastic powder, in order to remove particles detached from the part or partially sintered, the method including, consecutively, stripping (S1) and ionizing blowing (S2). Such a method makes it possible to remove particles having a largest dimension greater than a given dimension. The invention also relates to a corresponding manufacturing method of a plastic material part, and to a corresponding production method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing a wafer cup, comprising a mold core and a die. The die has a base and a plurality of wall segments which are connected to the base in an articulated manner. A mechanism is provided for pivoting the wall segments from a first position, in which the base forms a support for receiving a wafer sheet that extends over the base (32), into a second position, in which the wall segments form a wall that surrounds the base and extends substantially perpendicularly from the base, thereby setting the wafer sheet sections extending over the region of the base against the mold core.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an interface for a body part using an additive manufacturing process is described. The method obtaining a digital model of the body part and modifying the digital model to create a plurality of compression areas. The compression areas are spaced circumferentially around a long axis of the digital model to create a compression pattern. The compression pattern is sized and dimensioned to compress soft tissue of the body part against the skeletal structure such that motion of the skeletal structure towards a wall of the interface is reduced.

Abstract: Techniques for producing at least one PLA strip involve: a) providing a strip-shaped extruded PLA film, b) heating the PLA film provided according to step a) to a temperature in the range from 40 to 70° C., c) cutting the PLA film heated according to step b) into the at least one PLA strip, and d) stretching the PLA film cut according to step c).

Abstract: A method is disclosed for 3D printing of soft polymeric material such as a hydrogel or elastomer for scaffolds or devices with embedded channels with tunable shape and size such as a channel inner diameter). The method utilizes extrusion based printing of polymer solutions usually referred as direct ink writing (DIW) or BioPlotting, and requires sequential printing of a photocurable polymer solution, herein, referred as the matrix material, and a sacrificial polymer solution that may dissolve in an aqueous media.

Abstract: An integral geogrid includes a plurality of interconnected, oriented strands having an array of openings therein that is produced from a coextruded multilayer polymer sheet starting material. By virtue of the construction, the coextruded multilayer sheet components provide a crystalline synergistic effect during extrusion and orientation of the integral geogrid, resulting in enhanced material properties that provide performance benefits to use of the integral geogrid in soil geosyuthetic reinforcement.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polymer-based fibrous scaffold is disclosed. The method includes the following step: providing an electrospinning device comprising a collector; and injecting a polymer solution into the electrospinning device to produce a single jet fiber, wherein the single jet fiber is piled on the collector to form a fibrous scaffold.

Abstract: A polymer composition capable of being additively manufactured includes a polymer matrix and a magnetically receptive additive. The polymer composition may be additively manufactured or extruded to form a tool which may be used to form a composite part.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imprinting method, which includes the steps of: adding a soluble material to a master mold; solidifying the soluble material to form a soluble mold having a mold pattern; adhering a taking device to the soluble mold to separate the soluble mold from the master mold; placing the soluble mold on a polymer layer of a workpiece for imprint; applying a high temperature and a pressure to the soluble mold to allow the polymer layer having an imprint pattern corresponding to the mold pattern and being solidified, and to remove the taking device from the soluble mold; and providing a solvent to dissolve the soluble mold to obtain an imprint workpiece having the imprint pattern.

Abstract: A synthetic nonwoven fabric having bonded fibers forming channels surrounding unbonded fibers forming raised slip resistant spots. The fabric is made by extruding hot polymer through a spinneret die onto a moving belt to form a sheet of random fibers, which sheet undergoes a calendering process between a pair of heated rollers, one of which rollers having a plurality of cavities defined in its surface. The resulting fabric can be laminated and otherwise combined with other layers as desired to provide an end product having good slip resistant properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional component 14 by means of an additive construction method in which the component 14 is constructed by solidifying construction material 9 that can be solidified using radiation 18, especially a selective laser melting method or a selective laser sintering method, in which the component 14 is produced by successively solidifying construction material 9 that can be solidified using the impact of radiation 18 by melting or sintering, comprising the following features: providing an additive construction apparatus 1, especially an SLM apparatus or an SLS apparatus, comprising a process chamber 3, a construction platform 7 for carrying the construction material 9, and a radiation source arranged above the construction platform 7 for generating a point-type or linear energy input for creating a melting or sintering section in the construction material 9, providing a sensor apparatus 31 for selective detection of created melting or sintering secti

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to hollow profiles and methods of preparing the same for joining operations. A method herein can include placing a dam within a channel defined by the hollow profile, fitting a die block over an end of the channel, and injecting a flowable composition through an injection port into the channel. Another method can include defining a volume within a first member using at least one flow control device, filling the defined volume with a flowable polymeric composition, allowing the flowable polymeric composition to solidify to form a solid portion in the first member, and mechanically modifying the solid portion to define a joining surface suitable for joining to the second member. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a multi-layered sole directly on the upper, of the type that employs the technique known as “direct injection on the upper”, by which soles are made of a plastic material and consist of a plurality of layers with different colour, density, softness and physical-mechanical properties. Said layers form at least an external sole, called “outsole”, an internal sole, called “insole” that adheres and extends only partially or totally on the surface of the upper, and an intermediate sole, called “midsole”, that is intended to hold the other two above-said soles. Said process provides for the use of a single mould which is brought, when suitably equipped, in a well-defined sequence, in front of at least three distinct injectors (I1, I2, I3) in order to obtain, also in sequence, by at least a first moulding operation (P1) the lower portion of the sole, i.e. the “outsole”, by at least a second moulding operation (P2) the upper part of the sole, i.e.