Abstract: A 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece layer-by-layer includes a first side having a removal area in which a workpiece is built up by the printing device, wherein the removal area provides manual removability of the workpiece therefrom; a second side having a workpiece output from which the workpiece is removable; and a conveying device configured to remove the workpiece from the removal area in an automated way.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the production of a solid molded article comprising non-wood plant material, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing one or more fresh non-wood plant materials having a moisture content from 20% w/w to 99 w/w; (b) heating the fresh non-wood plant material at a temperature from 40° C. to 250° C., in particular, at a temperature from 60° C. to 140° C., and a pressure from 40 KPa to 750 KPa, in particular, for at least 0.5 h, maintaining the moisture content of the material equal to or higher than 20% w/w; (c) molding the heated material obtained in step (b); and (d) drying the molded material obtained in step (c). The invention also provides solid molded articles obtainable by the method of the invention.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for recycling urea-formaldehyde (UF) from a wood-based panel. In the present disclosure, the UF is depolymerized by an ultrasonic treatment, and depolymerized UF can be reused for UF manufacture and wood-based panel production. The recycled and treated UF can be repeatedly used in wood-based panel manufacture without affecting performances of the wood-based panel. UF-glued wood-based panels can be recycled, and a recycled wood-based panel raw material can replace at least 50% of a non-recycled wood-based raw material for particle board production without affecting performances of the wood-based panel.

Abstract: Processes of making a non-woven glass fiber mat are described. The process may include forming an aqueous dispersion of fibers. The process may also include passing the dispersion through a mat forming screen to form a wet mat. The process may further include applying a carbohydrate binder composition to the wet mat to form a binder-containing wet mat. The binder compositions may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a thickening agent. The binder compositions may have a Brookfield viscosity of 7 to 50 centipoise at 20° C. The thickening agents may include modified celluloses such as hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and starches. The process may include curing the binder-containing wet mat to form the non-woven glass fiber mat.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for tabletting a powdered, liquid, pasty, encapsulated or granular active ingredient composition, having a magazine which has a plurality of active ingredient containers each with an individually controllable dosing device and a nozzle for the active ingredient outlet, wherein the magazine is adjustable between a plurality of setting positions relative to at least one die chamber, wherein in each of the setting positions at least one of the nozzles faces an opening of the die chamber. A corresponding method is further described.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing cushioning elements for sports apparel are described. A method is provided for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material. The method includes positioning a functional element within a mold and loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold and/or wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for applying slurries, comprising a doctor blade body with at least one separation element that subdivides the doctor blade body into different compartments, and to a method for producing a three-dimensional object using the apparatus according to the invention.

Abstract: A process for the production of elemental sulphur-urea fertilizer products is described, comprising the preparation of molten urea; preparing a suspension of micronized sulphur particles with water; mixing the molten urea with suspension of micronized sulphur particles with water wherein the micronized sulphur particles substantially remain in micronized solid state; and spraying the mixture of molten urea and suspension of micronized sulphur particles with water into a granulator, wherein the water in the mixture is flashed off, resulting in the formation of sulphur-urea granules with an even distribution of urea and micronized sulphur particles. An elemental sulphur-urea fertilizer composition obtained by the process is also described.

Abstract: Textile nonwovens are produced without formaldehyde by employing a polymer binder which is a copolymer of vinyl acetate, ethylene, (meth)acrylamide, (meth)acrylic acid and maleic acid or anhydride or maleamic acid.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing formulation can include polymeric powder. The polymeric powder can include high aspect ratio composite particles including glass fibers coated with an encapsulating polymer in an amount from about 5 wt % to about 80 wt % based on a total weight of the polymeric powder, and low aspect ratio filler particles in an amount from about 20 wt % to about 95 wt % based on a total weight of the polymeric powder. The high aspect ratio composite particles can have an aspect ratio from about 7:1 to about 30:1 and the low aspect ratio filler particles can have an aspect ratio from 1:1 to less than 7:1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-spray-drying, dry-granulation process for making a ceramic particulate mixture comprising from 4 wt % to 9 wt % water, wherein at least 90 wt % of the particles have a particle size of from 80 ?m to 600 ?m, wherein the process comprises the steps of: (a) forming a precursor material; (b) subjecting the precursor material to a compaction step to form a compacted precursor material; (c) subjecting the compacted precursor material to a crushing step to form a crushed precursor material; and (d) subjecting the crushed precursor material to at least two air classification steps, wherein one air classification step removes at least a portion of the particles having a particle size of greater than 600 ?m from the crushed precursor material, and wherein the other air classification step removes at least a portion of the particles having a particle size of less than 80 ?m from the crushed precursor material.

Abstract: A process for producing particles of a thermoplastic polymer in spherical form involves providing at least one thermoplastic polymer in a molten state and providing an aqueous solution of at least one surface-active substance. The aqueous solution is in a temperature range from 100 to 300° C. The process also involves dispersing the thermoplastic polymer in the aqueous solution to obtain an aqueous solution containing dispersed thermoplastic polymer, which is cooled down to a temperature below the solidification point of the thermoplastic polymer to obtain a suspension containing an aqueous solution and particles of the thermoplastic polymer suspended in a solid state and in spherical form. The particles can be separated from the suspension and, optionally, dried. The particles obtained from the process have a particle size distribution having a d[4,3] value of more than 10 ?m and a d90.3 value of more than 20 ?m.

Abstract: A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus including: an accumulation portion that accumulates a material containing a resin and a fiber in air to generate a fiber web; a transport portion that transports the generated fiber web in a transport direction; and a heating and pressurizing portion that pressurizes the transported fiber web with a heated lower flat plate and an upper flat plate to melt the resin, in which a liquid absorbent having a first region where pressurization by the heating and pressurizing portion is performed the predetermined number of times and a second region where the pressurization is performed more than a predetermined number of times is formed by alternately repeating transport at a predetermined pitch shorter than a length of the flat plate in the transport direction by the transport portion and the pressurization.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a composite material including about 10 to 80 wt. % of a polymer phase, the polymer phase comprising a thermoplastic polymer with a density of less than about 1.9 g-m-2; and about 20 to 90 wt. % of a dispersed mixed particulate phase, the dispersed mixed particulate phase comprising a mixed particulate and about 0.005 to 8 wt. % of a coating of at least one interfacial modifier. The mixed particulate including a portion of a reinforcing fiber and a portion of a particle. The composite material having a Young's modulus of greater than 700 MPa. In various embodiments, structural building components made from the composite are included as well as additive manufacturing components made from the composite. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a method for producing granules for ceramic production, the method having high productivity and making it possible to obtain a ceramic which, when produced by press molding the granules and firing the resulting press molded product, has physical properties kept from lowering. The present invention is characterized by including: a slurry preparation step of preparing a slurry including a mixture containing a powder of an inorganic compound, a binder, and a solvent; a granulation step of introducing the slurry into a spray drying device to form a granulated substance containing the inorganic compound; an exhaust step of exhausting an atmospheric gas within the spray drying device via a cyclone having a surface made of ceramic; and a step of mixing a fine powder, which has been recovered by the cyclone during the exhaust step, with the granulated substance obtained in the granulation step.

Abstract: A system for forming a product with different size particles is disclosed. The system comprises at least one print head region configured to retain a first group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a first portion of the product with a first material and a second group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a second portion of the product with a second material. The described system may also comprise a processor configured to regulate the first group of print heads and the second group of print heads to distribute the first material and the second material. A method of making an object by ink jet printing using the disclosed system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing a shaped article comprising: a) providing a binder, which has been produced by a process of: (i) mixing (A) fungi or glucan and (B) starch with an alkaline agent to form an alkaline composition; and mixing the alkaline composition with an acidic agent to form the binder; or (ii) mixing (A) fungi or glucan and (B) starch with an acidic agent to form an acidic composition; and mixing the acidic composition with an alkaline agent to form the binder; (b) forming a binder composition by mixing the binder with filler material; (c) shaping the binder composition into a three-dimensional shape; and (d) curing the binder composition to form a shaped article having said three-dimensional shape, wherein steps c) and d) can be carried out simultaneously or separately, and wherein during one or both of steps c) and d) pressure is applied to the binder composition.

Abstract: A method for additive manufacturing is provided, including: mixing a hardener with a sand material, so that the hardener is evenly coated on a surface of the sand material, and then spraying a binder through a nozzle, reacting the binder sprayed through the nozzle with the surface of the sand material evenly coated with the hardener to harden a sand mold. Therefore, the problem of nozzle clogging may be overcome, and a solid with a particle size of less than 0.6 ?m may be obtained by the additive manufacturing. In addition, the hardening speed can be adjusted according to the size of the sand mold. Compared with a general sand mold product, the hardening speed may be increased and the storage life of the binder may be prolonged when the sand mold has a large size.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are directed to the use of vapor phase change in binder jetting processes for forming three-dimensional objects. In general, a vapor of a first fluid may be directed to a layer of a powder spread across a build volume. The vapor may condense to reduce mobility of the particles of the powder of the layer. For example, the condensing vapor may reduce the likelihood of particle ejection from the layer and, thus, may reduce the likelihood of clogging or otherwise degrading a printhead used to jet a second fluid (e.g., a binder) to the layer. Further, or instead, the condensing vapor may increase the density of the powder in the layer which, when repeated over a plurality of layers forming a three-dimensional object, may reduce the likelihood of slumping of the part during sintering.

Abstract: A process for producing particles of a thermoplastic polymer in spherical form involves providing at least one thermoplastic polymer in a molten state and providing an aqueous solution of at least one surface-active substance. The aqueous solution is in a temperature range from 100 to 300° C. The process also involves dispersing the thermoplastic polymer in the aqueous solution to obtain an aqueous solution containing dispersed thermoplastic polymer, which is cooled down to a temperature below the solidification point of the thermoplastic polymer to obtain a suspension containing an aqueous solution and particles of the thermoplastic polymer suspended in a solid state and in spherical form. The particles can be separated from the suspension and, optionally, dried. The particles obtained from the process have a particle size distribution having a d[4,3] value of more than 10 ?m and a d90.3 value of more than 20 ?m.