Abstract: A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for freeform extrusion-based additive manufacturing via a robotic arm. In specific aspects, methods are particularly provided for minimally invasive, intracorporeal three-dimensional printing of biocompatible materials. An end effector of a robotic arm includes a sharp member and a reservoir filled with a printing material. The provided method may include piercing a substrate with the sharp member. A bulb or microbolus of material may be extruded beneath the substrate surface to act as an anchor. The end effector may be manipulated to extrude biomaterial along a printing path. Periodically along the printing path, the sharp member is used to pierce the substrate surface create additional respective anchors. In some instances, the method may terminate after extruding material to form a single layer construct. In other instances, the method includes forming one or more layers on top of the initial base layer anchored to the substrate.

Abstract: A polishing pad for a semiconductor fabrication operation includes a polishing region and a window region, wherein both regions are made of an interpenetrating polymer network formed from a free-radically polymerized material and a cationically polymerized material.

Abstract: An example of a three-dimensional (3D) printing kit includes a build material composition and a fusing agent to be applied to at least a portion of the build material composition during 3D printing. The build material composition includes a semi-crystalline or amorphous thermoplastic polymer having a predicted total dimension change during 3D printing ranging from about ?4% to about 9%. The fusing agent includes an energy absorber to absorb electromagnetic radiation to coalesce the semi-crystalline or amorphous thermoplastic polymer in the at least the portion. The fusing agent is a core fusing agent and the energy absorber has absorption at least at wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 780 nm; or the fusing agent is a primer fusing agent and the energy absorber has absorption at wavelengths ranging from 800 nm to 4000 nm and has transparency at wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 780 nm.

Abstract: Method and system for manufacturing bulked continuous filament having tonal coloring from PET comprising: an extruder (202); a static mixing assembly (208) coupled to the extruder and comprising a housing and one or more individual static mixing elements disposed within the housing; the method and system further comprising a plurality of colorant ports along a length of the static mixing assembly such that each of the plurality of colorant ports is configured to provide colorant (204) to a polymer stream at a different location along the length of the static mixing assembly, and one or more spinning machines (212) positioned downstream of the static mixing assembly and coupled to the static mixing assembly to receive the colored polymer stream. The spinning machine(s) may be configured to form the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament having a tonal color effect.

Abstract: A residential or commercial building, structure, or building component can include an exterior member, interior member, and plurality of cross-members spatially disposed therebetween. Each of the exterior member, interior member, cross-members can be formed from a multi-layered stack of polymeric material made by a layered three-dimensional printing process, and all can be monolithically integrated. An exterior surface region of the exterior member can have an integrally formed surface finish. Overlying finishing or connective layers can be added. The exterior and interior members can be configured in a parallel arrangement to form a rectangular or curve shaped building block. A fill material can be disposed into openings between the exterior and interior members, and an interior surface region at the interior member can include a cavity configured for an electrical box, plumbing, or a sensing device.

Abstract: A ethically sound, safe, feasible, and cost-effective microsurgery practice technique that can easily be practiced by trainees having different skill levels and an adjustable device for holding and manipulating vascular tissue during microsurgery practice, especially for practicing anastomoses.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying dimensional attributes of a first active area of a template; based at least in part on the dimensional attributes of the first active area, determining a desired magnification correction of a second active area of a substrate; determining an out-of-plane distortion of the template, the substrate, or both; applying a back pressure to the template, the substrate, or both, to compensate for the out-of-plane distortion of the template, the substrate, or both; after compensating for the out-of-plane distortion of the template, the substrate, or both: i) contacting an imprint resist positioned on the substrate with the template such that pattern features in the first active area are filled by the imprint resist, and ii) applying an additional back pressure to the template, the substrate, or both, wherein the additional back pressure is selected such that the second active area exhibits the desired magnification correction.

Abstract: Techniques for converting plastic bags to a recyclable form are described. In some implementations, a device includes an outer container having an outer lid, an inner container situated within the outer container having an opening, and one or more heating elements. The inner container has an inner lid configured to cover the inner container's opening, and the outer lid of the outer container is configured to close over the inner lid. In response to a user input to the device, a conversion cycle is initiated in which electric power is supplied to one or more heating elements so that the one or more heating elements raise the inner container's internal temperature to a target temperature and maintain the inner container's internal temperature at a minimum of the target temperature for a predetermined conversion time sufficient to convert one or more plastic bags within the inner container to a recyclable plastic block.

Abstract: Chemical processors are configured to reduce mass, work in conjunction with solar concentrators, and/or house porous inserts in microchannel or mesochannel devices made by additive manufacturing. Methods of making chemical processors containing porous inserts by additive manufacturing are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of three-dimensional stereolithography printing a thiourethane polymer part using the vat resin. Adding a resin to a vat of a three-dimensional stereolithography printer, the resin a liquid mixture including: a first type of monomer including two or more thiol functional groups, a second type of monomer including two or more isocyanate functional groups, a photolatent base, an anionic step-growth polymerization reaction inhibitor and a light absorber. The photolatent base is decomposable upon exposure to a light to form a non-nucleophillic base catalyst having a pKa greater than 7. The anionic step-growth polymerization reaction inhibitor has an acidic group configured to form an acid-base pair with the non-nucleophillic base. The light absorber has an absorbance in the liquid mixture that is greater than an absorbance of the photolatent base at a wavelength of the light used for the exposure.

Abstract: A fin block is provided for a calibrating device for the calibrating of an extruded profile. The fin block includes a fin structure, which has a plurality of fins which are spaced apart from one another by grooves and are arranged in longitudinal direction of the fin block, wherein the fins of the fin structure have a variable dimension in longitudinal direction of the fin block. Further, there is provided a method for the production of the above-mentioned fin block and a calibrating device, which includes a plurality of the above-mentioned fin blocks. Furthermore, there is provided a system for the additive manufacture of the above-mentioned fin block, a corresponding computer program and corresponding data set.

Abstract: Inflatable membranes may include a pattern layer, a fluorescent layer, and a window, the pattern layer comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the pattern layer comprising a pattern on the inner surface of the pattern layer, and at least a portion of the pattern layer formed by a transferrable material transferred from a casting plate to the inner surface. The fluorescent layer may include an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the fluorescent layer abutting the outer surface of the pattern layer and comprising a fluorescent material which, upon receiving of light, causes the fluorescent material to emit fluorescent light and causing the pattern to be detectable by a detector. The window may include a transparent material that spans an aperture formed in a distal end of the inflatable membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment is an apparatus that forms a composition on a substrate using a mold. The apparatus includes a gas supply unit that supplies gas to a periphery of a space sandwiched between the mold and the substrate, a deforming mechanism that deforms the mold, and a control unit that, in a state in which the gas supply unit increases a density of the gas in the periphery of the space sandwiched between the mold and the substrate, after the deforming mechanism deforms the mold in a concave shape with respect to the substrate and releases the mold from the deformation, brings the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for machining openings of a component are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a laser system includes features for machining an opening into a component, such as a cooling hole for a CMC component of a gas turbine engine. The component can be oriented in a first position and lasered while oriented in the first position to form a portion of the opening. The component is then oriented to a second position and lasered while oriented in the second position to form another portion of the opening. The component is alternated between the first and second positions until the predetermined geometry of the opening is formed. The component is oriented in the first and second positions such that the laser beam can machine the component without clipping areas that are not desired to be machined.

Abstract: A natural and sustainable material is derived from the nut of the tagua palm tree that may be fashioned into devices for humans and animals. A pulverized and reconstituted material is disclosed herein that is also treated with a low temperature atmospheric plasma treatment. In an embodiment, a biocompatible carrier gas is ionized to form a biocompatible atmospheric plasma stream. Material, such as nano-scale powdered hydroxyapatite, is introduced into the plasma stream, which is then applied to the natural nut material.

Abstract: A layer configuration prediction method is provided and includes: a specimen production step of producing multiple specimens by depositing layers of a material in configurations different from each other; a specimen measurement step of performing, on each specimen, measurement to acquire a texture parameter corresponding to a texture; a learning step of causing a computer to perform machine learning of a relation between each of the specimens and the texture parameter; a setting parameter calculation step of calculating a setting parameter corresponding to the texture set to a computer graphics image; and a layer configuration acquisition step of providing the setting parameter as an input to the computer having been caused to perform the machine learning, and acquiring an output representing the layering pattern of layers of the material corresponding to the setting parameter.

Abstract: Forming features in the surface of a bicycle component involves depositing a substance onto a substrate in a geometric pattern to form a transfer medium. Forming features may also involve positioning the transfer medium relative to an unformed bicycle component, and forming a negative of the geometric pattern in the bicycle component through the application of heat and/or pressure to the transfer medium and the unformed bicycle component. The transfer medium may be configured for use in the molding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) bicycle components and may include a substrate formed of a flexible material, and a geometric pattern formed of a hard material, the hard material different than the flexible material.

Abstract: A method and system for creating a custom-fit orthopedic cast comprises obtaining at least one measurements taken from at least one image of a body part, selecting a template cast, modifying the template cast according to the measurements taken from the at least one image to generate a custom cast model and rendering a custom cast based on the custom cast model.

Abstract: An inflatable membrane may include a pattern layer and a fluorescent layer, wherein the pattern layer comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and a pattern on the inner surface of the pattern layer, wherein at least a portion of the pattern layer formed by transferring a transferrable material from a casting plate to the inner surface, and wherein the fluorescent layer comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the fluorescent layer abutting the outer surface of the pattern layer and comprising a fluorescent material which, upon receiving of light, causes the fluorescent material to emit fluorescent light and causing the pattern to be detectable by a detector.