Abstract: Ink-based digital printing systems useful for ink printing include a rotatable charge-retentive reimageable surface layer configured to receive a layer of fountain solution. The fountain solution is carried to the charge retentive surface by a fog or mist including fountain solution aerosol particles, dispersed gas particles, and charge directors that impart charge to the fountain solution aerosol particles. The charge-retentive reimageable surface may be charged to a uniform potential, and selectively discharged using an ROS according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The charged fountain solution adheres to portions of the charge-retentive reimageable surface according to the electrostatic latent image to form a fountain solution image thereon. The fountain solution image can be partially transferred to an imaging blanket, where the fountain solution image is inked. The resulting ink image may be transferred to a print substrate.

Abstract: A method includes forming or positioning a layer within a nozzle of a 3D printer. The layer is configured to decrease a settling time of a meniscus of a printing material after a drop of the printing material is ejected from the nozzle.

Abstract: A nozzle for a 3D printer includes a structure and a layer positioned at least partially within the structure. The layer is configured to decrease a settling time of a meniscus of a printing material after a drop of the printing material is ejected from the nozzle.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for managing multiple priority jobs at a multi-function device. The method includes receiving a first job at the multi-function device, wherein the first job is to be completed within a pre-defined time. Then, a second job is received at the multi-function device. Upon receiving the second job, a pre-defined algorithm is run to determine an execution order for the first job and the second job. Based on the pre-defined algorithm, either continue executing the first job or start executing the second job. This way, multiple jobs are managed at the multi-function device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a structure comprising a predetermined breakable region and a mechanical actuator disposed at or proximate the predetermined breakable region. The mechanical actuator comprises an impact member coupled to a spring arrangement, and a restraint member operably coupled to the spring arrangement. A trigger source is operably coupled to an electrical power source. The trigger source, in response to receiving current from the electrical power source, is configured to release or break the restraint member so as to allow the spring arrangement to forcibly move the impact member into contact with, and break, the predetermined breakable region.

Abstract: An electronic assembly and methods of making the assembly are disclosed. The electronic assembly includes a substrate with an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The elastic member has an anchor portion on the surface of the substrate; and a free end biased away from the substrate via the intrinsic stress profile to form an out of plane structure. The substrate includes one or more spacers on the substrate. The electronic assembly includes a chip comprising contact pads. The out of plane structure on the substrate touches corresponding contact pads on the chip, and the spacers on the substrate touch the chip forming a gap between the substrate and the chip.

Abstract: A method of producing functionalized graphene oxide includes mixing graphene oxide with a reactive monomer containing at least one epoxy functional group and a secondary functional group that is selected from vinyl, acrylate, methacrylate, and epoxy to form a mixture, adding an activation agent, heating and stirring the mixture, cooling the mixture, separating the particles from the mixture, and drying the particles to produce functionalized graphene oxide.

Abstract: A method for producing polyimide microparticles may comprise: combining a diamine and a dianhydride in a first dry, high boiling point solvent; reacting the diamine and the dianhydride to produce a mixture comprising poly(amic acid) (PAA) and the first dry, high boiling point solvent; emulsifying the mixture in a matrix fluid that is immiscible with the first dry, high boiling point solvent using an emulsion stabilizer to form a precursor emulsion that is an oil-in-oil emulsion; and heating the precursor emulsion during and/or after formation to a temperature sufficient to polymerize the PAA to form the polyimide microparticles.

Abstract: A method of dispensing a graded material includes generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion, mixing the first emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture, and dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

Abstract: Printing apparatuses include a photoreceptor adapted to print an image by applying marking material to print media, a fuser adapted to heat the marking material on the print media, and a controller. The controller determines the amount of marking material per unit area of the image before the fuser heats the marking material on the print media. The controller rasterizes the image to produce a bitmap of the image, but the amount of marking material per unit area for the image is determined before completion of rasterization and marking of the image. The controller also adjusts the operating temperature of the fuser to a fusing temperature based on the amount of marking material per unit area of the image, causes the photoreceptor to print the image on the print media using the bitmap of the image, and causes the fuser to fuse the marking material to the print media.

Abstract: Provided herein is a composition for eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles having an average particle size ranging from about 0.5 nanometers to less than about 5000 nanometers and at least one organoamine stabilizer. Also provided herein is a process for preparing eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles comprising mixing at least one organic polar solvent, at least one organoamine stabilizer, and a eutectic metal alloy to create a mixture; sonicating the mixture at a temperature above the melting point of the eutectic metal alloy; and collecting a composition comprising a plurality of eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles having an average particle size ranging from about 0.5 nanometers to less than about 5000 nanometers. Further disclosed herein are hybrid conductive ink compositions comprising a component comprising a plurality of metal nanoparticles and a component comprising a plurality of eutectic metal alloy nanoparticles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for forming a multilayer assembly. The method includes adhering first and second catalyst layers to opposed sides of a polymer membrane. At least one of the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, and the polymer membrane is formed by filament extension atomization of a fluid material to form atomized droplets that are sprayed to form the respective membrane or layer.

Abstract: A composition of matter includes macroparticles comprising particles of one or more continuous phase matrix materials and functionalized microparticles contained at least partially in the one or more matrix material. A method of manufacturing includes producing macroparticles comprising a continuous phase thermoset matrix material mixed with a thermal initiator, depositing a layer of the matrix material onto a powder bed, applying a focused heat source to the layer of matrix material to selectively cure portions of the layer, repeating the depositing and applying until a final shape is formed, and removing uncured powder from the final shape.

Abstract: A co-extrusion die is configured to produce a multilayer extrusion comprising component layers of an electrochemical cell. The die comprises a plurality of inlet ports configured to receive a plurality of pressurized fluids comprising at least a first metallic ink, a second metallic ink, and a polymeric ink. A plurality of channels are configured to separately transport and shape the plurality of fluids from the plurality of inlet ports to a merge section, such that the plurality of fluids flow together in the merge section to form the multilayer extrusion comprising a polymeric membrane layer disposed between and in contact with a first metallic layer and a second metallic layer. A thickness of each layer within the merge section is controllable by adjustment of a pressure of the plurality of pressurized fluids. An outlet port is configured to output the multilayer extrusion onto a substrate.

Abstract: A support structure for placement on or about a subject's head supports an ultrasound transducer array configured to deliver transcranial stimulation to a specified region or regions of the subject's brain using pre-recorded neurostimulation data. The pre-recorded neurostimulation data comprises patterns of stimulation of the specified region or regions of the subject's brain or other person's brain developed to recreate a response by one or more of a sensing organ or sensing organs, a vestibular system, and a memory of the subject. A magnetic sensor array is mounted to the support structure and configured to transcranially sense local magnetic fields emanating from the specified region or regions of the subject's brain caused by delivery of the transcranial stimulation and produce contemporaneous neurostimulation data developed using the transcranially sensed local magnetic fields. Electronic circuitry comprising a controller is configured to control operation of the respective arrays.

Abstract: A method of printing on fabric includes: (a) loading a thermoplastic material into a nozzle of an extruder, such as an extruder of a three dimensional (3D) printer; (b) positioning a substrate that includes fabric in a print area proximate to the nozzle; (c) heating the thermoplastic material in the nozzle to a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting point temperature of the fabric; and (d) extruding the heated thermoplastic material from the nozzle as a filament onto the fabric to yield a printed pattern on the fabric.

Abstract: The techniques disclosed herein help designers find interesting designs for small electrical, mechanical, and/or hydraulic mechanisms by exhaustively enumerating the design space given a library of components and a maximum number of components allowed per design. Some embodiments work by creating a design space grammar of designs, solving the equations associated with parts of the grammar, and putting the solutions into equivalence classes. This dramatically reduces the number of designs that have to be evaluated to see if they satisfy the design criteria. The result is often a small number of base designs that show the range of possible solutions to the design problem.

Abstract: An image based correction system compensates for the image quality artifacts induced by thermal ghosting on evolving imaging member surfaces. With thermal ghosting directly tied to previous image content, a feed forward system determines thermal ghosting artifacts based on images previously rendered and generates an open loop gray-level correction to a current image that mitigates undesirable ghosting. For example, the correction system compensates for the thermal ghosting by making the current image “lighter” in areas that will be imaged onto warmer blanket regions, thereby cancelling out TRC differences between different temperature regions. A temperature sensor is used to measure the temperature of the imaging blanket due to the stresses induced by the image. This data is used to learn the parameters of the temperature model periodically during operation, and used in subsequent corrections to mitigate thermal ghosting in spite of changes in blanket properties over use and time.

Abstract: A method of forming a three-dimensional printed part is disclosed which includes positioning a printing system at a first standoff position under a first condition. The method also includes positioning the printing system at a second standoff position under a second condition. The method of forming a three-dimensional printed part may include where one of the first condition and second condition may include a printing material drop being ejecting onto a surface of a substrate. The printing material drop may include a metal, a metallic alloy, or a combination thereof. A printing system and a three-dimensional printed part employed the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A metal object manufacturing apparatus is configured to eject melted metal drops to form a continuous metal line over a line of spatially separated pillars in a single pass. The ejection frequency for forming the continuous metal line is different than the frequency used to form the pillars. In one embodiment, the ejection frequency for forming the pillars is about 100 Hz and the frequency used to form the continuous metal line over the line of spatially separated pillars is about 300 Hz with a drop spacing of about 0.2 mm. Continuous metal lines are formed to extend the continuous metal lines over the pillars laterally to fill the gaps between the continuous metal lines over the pillars. These continuous metal lines that fill the gaps are formed while operating the ejection head at the 300 Hz frequency with a drop spacing of 0.28 mm.