Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. Aspects of the methods for assembling elastomeric laminates may utilize elastic strands supplied from beams that may be joined with first and second substrates, and may be configured to carry out various types of operations, such as bonding and splicing operations.

Abstract: A method of producing lipid-encapsulated RNA nanoparticles includes flowing an aqueous solution comprising an RNA through a 1st tube having a first inner diameter (ID); the RNA comprises from about 6,000 to about 13,000 nucleotides; flowing an ethanol solution comprising lipids through a 2nd tube having a second inner diameter (ID), at a flow rate of about 0.2 to about 1 times relative to the aqueous solution through the 1st tube, the lipids comprise a cationic lipid; and mixing the ethanol solution with the aqueous solution; the first ID and second ID and flow rates through the 1st tube and 2nd tube are selected to produce a shear force sufficiently low to preserve the integrity of the RNA; the mixing produces an output solution flowing in the 1st tube comprising a turbulent flow of the RNA and the lipids in between about ethanol, the lipid-encapsulated RNA nanoparticles having a bilayer structure.

Abstract: A system for holding and controlling medical instruments during procedures includes an end effector configured to hold a medical instrument and a rotational and translational (RT) mechanism configured to rotate and translate the medical instrument along an insertion axis. The system further includes a platform coupled to the RT mechanism and a pair of parallel five-bar planar linkages configured to translate, pitch, and yaw the platform with respect to a principal axis that is parallel to the insertion axis.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to stranded elastomeric laminates (including bi-laminates and tri-laminates) comprising beamed elastics and may have inventive Dtex-to-Nonwoven-Basis-Weight-Ratios, Dtex-to-Spacing-Ratios, and/or Void-Area-to-Strand-Area-Ratios. The stranded laminates of the present disclosure may be used for disposable absorbent article components (including pant belts) and may comprise inventive bonding arrangements that yield inventive textures and texture arrangements. When the inventive stranded elastomeric laminates are used for pant belts, the pants may have inventive Application-Forces, Sustained-Fit-Load-Forces, and Sustained-Fit-Unload-Forces. Further, when absorbent articles are packaged under compression at inventive In-Bag-Stack-Heights, the stranded elastomeric laminates of the present disclosure maintain their inventive properties and characteristics, including their inventive textures.

Abstract: A method for forming a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface includes forming first and second skins from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The method further includes overmolding fiber-reinforced thermoplastic features onto the first skin and/or second skin, including stiffener structures, sidewalls, and/or hinges. The method further comprises welding or consolidating the first and second skins together, along with the associated internal features overmolded thereon to form a single-piece, stiffened, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface.

Abstract: A structural member including a lightweight core, one or more skins, and a crosslinking nanolayer interposed therebetween that results in significant mechanical strength in the structure. The core is a polymer of reduced density by way of included voids, such as an open or closed cell foam, honeycomb, or corrugated structure. The core polymer has a lower density and may have a higher softening or melting temperature than the polymer skin materials. The core may be discontinuous at the interface with the skin such that only a small percentage of the core surface is actually in contact with the skin compared to the overall area of the interface. The skin may be a thermoplastic layer that attaches to the core material. The skin may be a composite material including non-thermoplastic reinforcements. The crosslinking nanolayer is covalently bonded to the surface of the core material and provides molecular compatibility with the skin material.

Abstract: Embodiments of a curved vehicle display including a display module having a display surface, a curved glass substrate disposed on the display surface having a first major surface, a second major surface having a second surface area, and a thickness in a range from 0.05 mm to 2 mm, wherein the second major surface comprises a first radius of curvature of 200 mm or greater, wherein, when the display module emits a light, the light transmitted through the glass substrate has a substantially uniform color along 75% or more of the second surface area, when viewed at a viewing angle at a distance of 0.5 meters from the second surface. Methods of forming a curved vehicle display are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material by which, when the fiber-reinforced resin molding material is manufactured, separated fiber bundles can be supplied to a cutting machine in stable condition while avoiding the influence of meandering of the fiber bundles or slanting or meandering of filaments occurring in the fiber bundles. A method for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fiber-reinforced resin molding material in which spaces between filaments of cut-out fiber bundles (CF) are impregnated with resin includes, so that a condition of the following expression (1) is satisfied, intermittently separating fibers of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) in a longitudinal direction by a rotational blade (18) serving as a fiber separating part and cutting out the fiber bundles with an interval therebetween in a longitudinal direction of a cutting machine (13A) to obtain the cut-out fiber bundles (CF).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for molding a self-supporting silk fibroin catheter stent, which comprises preparing an excellent catheter stent by a mold casting and freeze-drying molding process using silk fibroin as a raw material. The raw material is silk fibroin extracted from natural mulberry silk; and the mold is a hollow tubular mold, having an outer shell that is a transparent polyethylene straw with a diameter of 6 mm and an inner core that is a fiber rod FRP with a diameter of 3 mm, with the two ends being closed. The mold casting and freeze-drying molding process comprises the steps of casting; pre-freezing; removing the mold and placing the mold onto a pre-frozen freeze-drying plate; and freeze-drying. The freeze-drying procedure comprises: (1) a pre-freezing stage; (2) a freezing-vacuum transition stage; (3) a gradient temperature-rising and freeze-drying stage; and (4) a secondary freeze-drying stage.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a shaping material that contains a cyclic olefin polymer and has a low content of a volatile impurity. This method for producing a shaping material is a method which includes passing a raw-material resin in a molten state through an extruder to produce a shaping material, and in which the extruder is equipped with a cylinder, a screw housed within the cylinder, a resin introduction port for introducing the raw-material resin into the cylinder, a resin discharge port for discharging the molten resin from the cylinder, a fluid injection port for injecting carbon dioxide or water into the cylinder between the resin introduction port and the resin discharge port, and a fluid discharge port for removing fluid in the cylinder by suction downstream of the fluid injection port and between the resin introduction port and the resin discharge port.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photo-responsive shape-changing structure and a driving method thereof. The photo-responsive shape-changing structure (100) is characterized in that it includes a first body portion (200) including at least one polymer film that undergoes a bending deformation in response to light irradiation, a second body portion (300) including at least one polymer film that undergoes a bending deformation in response to light irradiation, and a connection portion (400) configured to allow the first body portion (200) and the second body portion (300) to be connected to each other, wherein adhesive support portions (500, 600) are formed at one ends of the first body portion (200) and the second body portion (300), which are in contact with the ground (20).

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a substrate with a cut thermal film comprises obtaining an input digital image of a design to be transferred to the substrate; storing the input image in memory; rendering design elements of the design as a single output image; based upon a bleed size value, a maximum number of negative areas, a maximum number of positive areas, and attribute values: resizing the image to include a border for bleed; filling transparent areas of the image with the substrate attribute values; creating a cutting path; creating a mask image; inverting the mask image; modifying the mask image to adjust fill areas around details, to limit negative areas to be less than the maximum number of negative areas, and to limit positive areas to be less than the maximum number of positive areas; creating cutting path data in memory as a vector path outlining the mask image.

Abstract: A composite forming apparatus includes an end effector, a forming feature that is coupled to the end effector, and a heating element that is coupled to the forming feature to heat the forming feature. The end effector moves the forming feature relative to a composite ply to form the composite ply over a forming tool or over a prior formed composite ply. The forming feature heats the composite ply via conduction.

Abstract: A panel including an outer face sheet; an inner face sheet; a foam disposed between the outer face sheet and the inner face sheet; and a core structure (e.g., a stringer comprising a hat structure) between the foam and the inner face sheet; and between the foam and the outer face sheet. The core structure is protected from impact damage and increases flexural stiffness of the panel on an aircraft wing.

Abstract: Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as “bending regions,” where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).

Abstract: Tooling assembly and pressure vessel thereof for forming composite components such as aircraft stringers and the like. In addition to the pressure vessel, the tooling assembly may include a conveying apparatus and a forming tool for stacking plies on the forming tool and conveying the plies and the forming tool through the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel includes an entrance opening and an exit opening, which are sized and shaped to permit the forming tool supporting the plies to pass through the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel may further include an interior chamber housing multiple spheres. The spheres press against the plies as the forming tool is conveyed through the pressure vessel, thereby pressure treating the plies and forming the composite part.

Abstract: A safety lifting device for positioning a labelling unit in a vertical direction (Z) in relation to a flow of objects where the labelling unit is arranged for printing labels and/or applying labels to the objects. The lifting device includes a linear actuator, a balancing unit, a drive unit connected to the linear actuator, and a movable section. The labelling unit is connected to the movable section. The linear actuator is connected to the movable section and arranged to control the position of the labelling unit. The balancing unit is arranged to counterbalance the gravitational force exerted on the linear actuator. The movable section of the lifting device includes an upper stand unit, and the lifting device further includes a lower stand unit. The upper stand unit is movably arranged in relation to the lower stand unit in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A blanket for insulating an aircraft structure comprises an insulating portion, comprising a first edge and a second edge, perpendicular to the first edge. The blanket also comprises a tab portion, extending from the insulating portion, and a formable coupler, attached to the insulating portion. The tab portion is thinner than the insulating portion. The insulating portion fully overlaps the formable coupler. The formable coupler is parallel to the second edge of the insulating portion and is perpendicular to the first edge of the insulating portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heat treating powders of semi-crystalline or crystallizable polymers. The apparatus includes a heating device for heating the powder to a temperature that is less than the melting temperature of a highest melting crystalline form of the powder, a vessel containing the powder that is exposed to heat produced by the heating device, and a mechanism for moving the vessel to cause the powder within the vessel to move with respect to the vessel.

Abstract: A pultruded strip (50) of reinforcing material for stacking with one or more similar strips (50) to form a spar cap for a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The pultruded strip comprises a core (56) comprising fibres (58) disposed in a resin matrix (60) and a sacrificial layer (52) at least partially covering one or more surfaces of the core (56). The sacrificial layer (52) is a resin layer defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip. A pultrusion process for making such a strip (50) comprises drawing resin-coated reinforcing fibres (58) through a pultrusion die (80) in a process direction to form a core (56) of the strip (50) and applying further resin (53) to one or more surfaces of the core (56) to form a sacrificial resin layer (52) defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip (50).