Abstract: An additive deposition system and method, the system including generating an aerosol of additive material that is charged and deposited onto a selectively charged substrate. Selectively charging the substrate includes uniformly charging a surface of the substrate, selectively removing charged from the substrate to create charged and neutral regions of the substrate surface. The charged regions of the substrate having a polarity opposite a polarity of the charged aerosol. The charged aerosol of additive material deposited onto the selectively charged portions of the substrate surface due to the potential difference between the charged substrate and charged aerosol. The system and method further including repeating the additive deposition process to create a multi-layer matrix of additive material.

Abstract: A preform station for forming a flexible semi-finished product and for transforming a flexible semi-finished product into a geometrically stable preform is provided. The preform station comprises a first pin array having a multitude of pins, on which the semi-finished product can be draped. Furthermore, the pins are movable along their longitudinal directions in order to form the flexible semi-finished product. Furthermore, the preform station comprises an activation device for activating a binder of the semi-finished product such that the semi-finished product can be transformed into the geometrically stable preform.

Abstract: Methods and systems for manufacturing re-entrant structures, such as the structures exhibiting superomniphobic characteristic, in a continuous, well-controlled, high-rate (mass production, volume) manner are disclosed.

Abstract: An injection mold that has an injector mold plate with a first injector mold plate face and an opposite second injector mold plate face, an ejector mold plate having a first ejector mold plate face and an opposite second ejector mold plate face, with the first injector mold plate face faces the first ejector mold plate face, at least one tempering medium channel connecting a tempering medium inlet of the injection mold to a tempering medium outlet of the injection mold, wherein the at least one tempering medium channel traverses an area of at least one of the second injector mold plate face and/or the second ejector mold plate face and defines a free opening in the respective mold plate face along at least a length of the at least one tempering medium channel.

Abstract: A molding apparatus for producing a biological tissue embedded in a block of an embedding material. The molding apparatus comprising a mold comprising a compartment configured for containing the embedding material. The compartment having a compartment floor and at least one wall extending upwards from said compartment floor. The compartment comprises at least one depression extending downwards from the compartment floor. The molding apparatus further comprising a sample sheet configured to attach to the biological tissue and hold the biological tissue thereon. The sample sheet being further dimensioned to be positioned in the compartment and to be constrained to the position thereof, at least along one direction, by the compartment. The depression is configured for accepting the biological tissue at least partially therein.

Abstract: A tether for attachment to a damper device is formed to include a heated, reshaped enlarged bulbous end.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object by alternate repetition of a powder-layer forming and a solidified-layer forming by an irradiation with a light beam in order to provide a selective laser sintering method capable of reducing a warp of the three-dimensional shaped object, the warp being due to a stress around an upper surface of the three-dimensional shaped object. Especially, in the present invention, a part of a region for the formation of the solidified layer is not irradiated with the light beam to form a non-irradiated portion, thereby providing at least one slit-groove at an upper surface of the three-dimensional shaped object, the slit-groove being for reducing a stress of the three-dimensional shaped object.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an automotive interior component may include providing a cover, a substrate, a chute connected to the substrate, heating the cover, forming the cover via a negative vacuum forming tool, and supporting the substrate and chute via a buck. The method may include moving at least of the negative vacuum forming tool and the buck toward the other of the negative vacuum forming tool and the buck such that the cover and the substrate may be in contact with each other. The method may include bonding the substrate with the cover via providing pressurized fluid to a chamber of the buck to force the substrate toward the cover. The chamber may be defined by the buck and the substrate.

Abstract: While naturally suctioning air between a first thermoplastic resin sheet (20) and a second thermoplastic resin sheet (21) from a fluid passage (23) formed in a first thermoplastic resin sheet (20), the first thermoplastic resin sheet (20) is subjected to vacuum-molding by a first vacuum molding die (2), a first shaping section is formed in the first thermoplastic resin sheet (20) by a molded section (5) of the first vacuum molding die (2), the second thermoplastic resin sheet (21) is subjected to vacuum-molding by a second vacuum molding die (3), a second shaping section is formed in the second thermoplastic resin sheet (21) by the molded section (11) of the second vacuum molding die (3), and a hollow section (300) is defined between the first thermoplastic resin sheet (20) and the second thermoplastic resin sheet (21) by the first shaping section and the second shaping section.

Abstract: A calibration device for the extrusion of profiles from plastics is provided. The calibration device comprises at least one tank calibrator with an opening and a running surface for the extruded profile, which can be arranged in a vacuum tank with cooling water and via whose outer surface the heat of the extruded profile can at least partly be transferred to the cooling water. The at least one tank calibrator includes at least one cooling channel for cooling the running surfaces and the axial length of the tank calibrator at least corresponds to the height and/or the width of the nominal dimension of the profile.

Abstract: An injection molding method that includes: (a) fitting an injection molding machine with an injection mold defining one or more molding cavities, with at least one mold plate provided with one or more channels for circulation of a tempering medium, (b) providing a feed of plastic material, (c) heating the molding cavities by circulating through the channels a first tempering medium, (d) injecting plastic material into the closed heated mold to fill the molding cavities, (e) cooling the molding cavities of the filled closed injection mold until at least partly solidifying the molded plastic parts by circulating through the channels a second tempering medium, (f) opening the injection mold by parting the injector plate from the ejector plate, (g) ejecting the at least partly solidified molded plastic parts by actuation of ejector pins of the ejector plate, and (h) repeating the cycle of steps (c)-(g).

Abstract: In the manufacture of composite product, raw composite is layered on a shape or form and cured at a higher temperature. With some shapes, it is difficult or impossible to apply sufficient pressure to force and consolidate the composite material to adequately conform to the desired final shape during the curing process. The expandable tacky tape of this invention is comprised of a viscous medium incorporating thermally expandable material. Applied over the raw composite, the expandable tacky tape effectively forces the composite to conform to the desired shape during curing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing three-dimensional models.

Abstract: A process for producing at least one three-dimensional object by solidifying a solidifyable material, comprising the steps of: providing an object carrier capable of carrying the object to be produced; providing a material capable of solidifying when subjected to energy supply; bringing a solidifyable material carrier/provider in a position to carry/provide solidifyable material at least in a building region where solidifyable material is to be solidified; supplying, to the building region, energy capable of solidifying the solidifyable material; and sensing, measuring and/or controlling a condition selected from the group consisting of pressure and/or strain. Alternatively or in combination, contact pressure, fluid pressure and/or material flowability can be sensed and/or adjusted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a molding core for producing a fiber composite component (34), in particular in aerospace, comprising the following method steps: introducing a core sleeve (9) into a molding tool (2) for establishing an outer geometry of a molding core (27) to be formed; filling the core sleeve (9) that is introduced with a vacuum-fixable filling material (21); applying a vacuum to the core sleeve (9) and consequently vacuum-fixing the filling material (21) for forming the molding core (27); and at least partly laying at least one semifinished fiber product (33a, 33b) on the molding core (27) that is formed, for the shaping of the fiber composite component (34) to be produced.

Abstract: A method and system for producing tubular concrete products in a casting method using upright casting molds. The system includes a fabrication zone with a plurality of fully automated fabrication stations and a mold conveyor, the first zone having: a first demolding station for removing an outer mold from a casting mold positioned at the first demolding station, a second demolding station for removing a cured tubular concrete product form a mold core positioned at the second demolding station, a mold core cleaning station for cleaning a mold core positioned at the mold core cleaning station, an outer mold cleaning station for cleaning an outer mold positioned at the outer mold cleaning station, a mold assembly station for assembling a casting mold from an outer mold and a mold core, and at least one filling station for filling an assembled casting mold with concrete.

Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, three-dimensional micro-mechanical devices and/or micro-structures can be made using a production casting process. As part of this process, an intermediate mold can be made from or derived from a precision stack lamination and used to fabricate the devices and/or structures. Further, the micro-devices and/or micro-structures can be fabricated on planar or nonplanar surfaces through use of a series of production casting processes and intermediate molds. The use of precision stack lamination can allow the fabrication of high aspect ratio structures. Moreover, via certain molding and/or casting materials, molds having cavities with protruding undercuts also can be fabricated.

Abstract: An in-mold vibratile injection compression molding method and molding apparatus thereof are described. While performing a filling stage, a first piezoelectric actuator and a second piezoelectric actuator are use to vibrate the molding material along at least two directions for precisely filling the molding material into the micro-structure by adjusting the filling flow velocity of the molding material associated with the proper molding material temperature and by maintaining a molding material temperature of a skin solidified layer in the cavity between a glass transition temperature and a melting temperature in order to avoid the form error, to increase the groove filling rate and to improve the residual stress.

Abstract: An apparatus for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising: a vat for a photosensitive polymer, the floor of the vat including a working surface arranged such that, in use, light incident on the working surface interacts with the photosensitive polymer at the working surface to fabricate a portion of the three dimensional object; a build platform capable of being inserted into the vat, the build platform having a planar surface; an elevator mechanism capable of adjusting the separation between the working surface of the vat and the planar surface of the build platform; and a rotation mechanism capable of varying the relative rotational position of the vat relative to the build platform, the relative rotation being about an axis which is normal to the working surface of the vat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for additive fabrication which helps to prevent the newly hardened layer from being separated from the previously formed layer of the object while the foil is peeled from the newly hardened layer is provided. In one embodiment, use of a peel angle helps prevent the newly hardened layer from being separated from the previously formed layer during peeling by distributing the peeling force so that less of the z-direction component of the peeling force is applied to the newly hardened layer. In another embodiment, the object can be oriented to initiate the peel at an area, of the object which results in a lesser initial peeling force applied to the newly hardened layer.