Abstract: A method for making structural foam parts having continuous aligned fibers includes placing an assemblage of fiber-bundle-based preforms in an injection mold, creating a melt flow of resin and, optionally, short, loose fiber, and adding foaming agent to the melt flow. When the foaming agent/melt flow mixture is introduced into the injection mold, the foaming agent foams. The assemblage is structured and positioned so that fibers therefrom adopt a desired alignment and position in the final part. Structural foam fills the remainder of the volume of the part.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. Two or more materials are extruded simultaneously as a composite, with at least one material in liquid form and at least one material in a solid continuous strand completely encased within the liquid material. A means of curing the liquid material after extrusion hardens the composite. A part is constructed using a series of extruded composite paths. The strand material within the composite contains specific chemical, mechanical, or electrical characteristics that instill the object with enhanced capabilities not possible with only one material.

Abstract: A magnetic encoder in which a support member and a plastic magnet do not adhere to each other is manufactured using a mold. The plastic magnet has a turning molded portion on the outer circumferential side thereof. The gate of the mold is an inner-diameter-side disk gate and a length L thereof in the axial direction is in a range of 0.2 mm?L?0.6 mm. The tensile strength of the material of the plastic magnet is 65 MPa or more and the Young's modulus thereof is 4000 MPa or more and 15000 MPa or less. The method includes a step of opening the mold and placing the support member as an insert object in the mold, and a step of closing the mold and injecting a melted material of the plastic magnet into a cavity through the disk gate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. Two or more materials are extruded simultaneously as a composite, with at least one material in liquid form and at least one material in a solid continuous strand completely encased within the liquid material. A means of curing the liquid material after extrusion hardens the composite. A part is constructed using a series of extruded composite paths. The strand material within the composite contains specific chemical, mechanical, or electrical characteristics that instill the object with enhanced capabilities not possible with only one material.

Abstract: A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

Abstract: A method for producing a separator plate, where thermoplastic polymer material and a powder of electro-conductive filler, ECF is kneaded at a kneading temperature above a glass transition temperature for the thermoplastic polymer material but below a melting temperature for the thermoplastic polymer material in order to provide a malleable but not molten compound and for causing fibrillization in the thermoplastic polymer material prior to hot-compacting the sheet in a press-form to form a separator plate. A production facility for practicing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for ultra-violet curing, and in particular, for ultra-violet curing of optical fiber surface coatings. In one example, a curing device includes a first elliptic cylindrical reflector, with a second elliptic cylindrical reflector housed within the first elliptic cylindrical reflector. The first elliptic cylindrical reflector and second elliptic cylindrical reflector have a co-located focus, and a workpiece to be cured by the curing device may be arranged at the co-located focus.

Abstract: Plastic containers exhibiting reduced plastic resin usage, while maintaining a specific gravity of below 1.0, so as to allow their quick and easy separation using floatation techniques during recycling. Within a layer or portion some of the plastic resin of the container body may be replaced with an inorganic mineral filler material, while within another layer or portion of the plastic container, the plastic material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene) may be foamed. The fraction of mineral filler material that may be included within the polyethylene may thus be increased beyond that previously possible while maintaining the specific gravity below 1.0, by also foaming a layer or portion of the polymeric material, so as to create voids therein. This allows significantly less resin material to be employed, while maintaining strength characteristics of the plastic container so as to be at least comparable to existing plastic containers not including such mineral filler materials.

Abstract: A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

Abstract: To provide a process for producing a film excellent in water vapor barrier property, tensile elongations, and transparency. A resin material containing polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) is melted and extruded into a film from an extrusion die, the extruded product is brought into contact with a cooling roll having a surface temperature of at most 120° C. in a state such that the surface temperature of the extruded product is higher than the crystallization temperature of PCTFE to form a film web, and the film web is subjected to heat treatment at from 80 to 200° C. to obtain a film.

Abstract: An improved method for obtaining high fiber volume fraction, long fiber injection molded articles is provided. According to one embodiment, the method includes forming an injection molding feedstock by cutting pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced tape into platelets. The platelets can be coated with a thin layer of polymer to allow sliding of the platelets with respect to each other at the early stages of plastication, rather than forcing relative motion of fibers with respect to each other. The method can further include the dispersion of material only in the final stages of the injection molding screw to promote gentle motion of the feedstock at the earlier stages of the plastication process. The method allows improvement of mechanical properties of articles manufactured with equipment and techniques that are prevalent in high volume automotive and consumer industries.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a garment apparatus are provided. The garment apparatus can be, for example, a device, a panty, a boyshort, a short, a lingerie item, a barrier, a garment, an undergarment, a membrane, a prophylactic, and/or a system.

Abstract: A forming mold for making polyvinyl chloride foamed wood-like slats includes an inlet, an outlet, and two main flow passages symmetrically arranged with respect to a central axis. The main flow passages each have an inlet section respectively connected to the inlet and an outlet section respectively connected to the outlet. The extension direction of the inlet section of each main flow passage respectively defines with the central axis an included angle therebetween. The sum of the angles of the two included angles ranges from 44.2 to 48.8 degrees. The width of the main flow passages gradually increases from the inlet toward the outlets. The height of the main flow passages gradually reduces from the inlet toward the outlets. In this way, the forming mold of the present invention can effectively improve production efficiency and can increase the stability of the product manufacturing process.

Abstract: A print assembly 18 for use in an additive manufacturing system 10 to print three-dimensional parts 12, which includes a coarse positioner 40, a fine positioner 42, and a liquefier assembly 20, where a portion of the liquefier assembly 20 is operably mounted to the fine positioner 42 such that the fine positioner 42 is configured to move the portion of the liquefier assembly 20 relative to the coarse positioner 40.

Abstract: A fibre application head for producing composite material parts, comprising a compacting system comprising a compacting roller for applying one or more fibres onto an application surface, and a heating system capable of emitting thermal radiation towards the fibre or fibres. The head further comprises a blowing system comprising an air blowing nozzle, the nozzle being arranged upstream from the roller, with respect to the movement direction, and being capable of forming an air knife, parallel to the axis of the roller, towards the nip zone between the compacting roller and the layup surface.

Abstract: “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING THERMO-STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES”, resulting from the union of various synthetic materials (F), which go through a phase of couplings (union of materials), to be subsequently heated and pressed into molds (M) of specific size for each part to be molded, at temperatures and pressure suitable for the fusion of these elements, featured by the fact that the thereto-structural composite (1) is obtained from the formation of the substrate (S), with the synthetic fiber molding (F), foams, etc.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the one-piece production of a room module (8) having three side elements (24) and a floor element (25) and/or a ceiling element (26), wherein the apparatus takes the form of a parallelepipedal and hollow core formwork (10) around which an outer formwork (9) for the room module (8) to be produced can be arranged.

Abstract: Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Abstract: Provided is a shoe sole having a structure in which a polyhedral hollow cell made of a synthetic resin, configured as a polyhedron, and having an empty space formed therein is bonded with other polyhedral hollow cells by a hot melt adhesive part, wherein the hot melt adhesive part is provided between the multiple polyhedral hollow cells so that no voids are formed therebetween, and a plane structure of the polyhedral hollow cells bonded with each other has a shape of a human sole.