Abstract: Methods for making medical devices and portions of medical devices (e.g., intravascular catheters, catheter shafts, and tubular guiding members) are provided. Example methods may include providing a first ribbon comprising one or more thermoplastic materials and a piece of shrink tubing defining a shrink tube lumen and forming a first assembly by positioning the first ribbon inside the shrink tube lumen and urging the first ribbon to assume a tubular shape in which the first ribbon defines a ribbon lumen. A second assembly may be formed by loading an inner tubular member over a mandrel and forming or placing a support structure over an outer surface of the inner tubular member. A third assembly may be formed by inserting the second assembly into the ribbon lumen defined by the first ribbon of the first assembly. The third assembly may be heated to a process temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a container that includes a side wall (5) in the form of a tube and a base (7) at one end of the tube. The apparatus includes a tube forming unit (15) for progressively folding a length of a sheet (19) of a side wall material into an elongate tube shape (21) having a forward end (23) for receiving a base (7) of the container and welding together lengthwise extending sides of the sheet to form the tube. The apparatus also includes a base attachment unit (17) for positioning a base of the container on the forward end of the tube.

Abstract: A shear tie connector system for securing a frame component to a composite fuselage skin, which includes a shear tie connector and a fuselage mandrel, which defines a slot within which the shear tie connector is positioned.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to liners and methods of making liners. The liners may be suitable for use with tanks and other storage/containment vessels, such as process tanks, immersion tanks, indoor or outdoor containment pits, gravity feed conduits (e.g., concrete trench, canal, or drain, etc.) for transferring or conveying liquid, grain storage tanks or containers (e.g., dielectric or electrically non-conductive liners for grain storage, etc.), etc.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a composite assembly includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel, a first wrap plate, and a second wrap plate. The first wrap plate and the second wrap plate are positionable in side-by-side relation for receiving a wrap material stack. The first wrap plate and/or the second wrap plate are translatable to a wrap plate open position defining a wrap plate gap between the first and second wrap plate surface edge for receiving a bladder. The second mandrel is translatable to a mandrel open position defining a mandrel gap between the first and second mandrel surface edge. The wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap are configured to receive the wrap material stack formed around a bladder. The first and second wrap plate are configured to fold a first and second material stack base portion into overlapping relation with each other on the bladder top.

Abstract: A device for applying segments of absorbent articles includes a cutting station for cutting a continuous web into segments and an applicator station for applying each segment on a respective absorbent article. A plurality of carrier units, each includes a pad for retaining and transferring a segment from the cutting station to the applicator station. The pad fully rotates about a main axis to transfer the segment from the cutting station to the applicator station and return to the cutting station and, from the cutting station to the applicator station, rotates at least 90° about its axis of rotation to orient the segment transverse to the feed direction of the absorbent article. A first movement member moves one or more first carrier units about the main axis and a second movement member moves one or more second carrier units separately from the first carrier units about the main axis.

Abstract: A tubular material application system for applying a tubular material onto an elongate mandrel includes a gripper system including a first gripper and a second gripper configured to move with inchworm-type movement along an elongated mandrel and incrementally apply a tubular material onto the mandrel to thereby result in a tubular material-mandrel assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is an absorbent core composite for a disposable absorbent article. The absorbent composite has a first fabric, a body side second fabric, and a plurality of aggregates of superabsorbent particles (SAP) situated between the first fabric second fabric. About each of a plurality of the SAP aggregates, an arrangement of spaced apart bond sites secure the second fabric to the first fabric and form a pocket in which the SAP aggregate is secured between the first fabric and the second fabric. The body side second fabric is a bulky nonwoven including fibers that entangle at least some particles in the SAP aggregate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wearable article is disclosed. The method includes advancing a first layer of continuous sheet and a second layer of discrete continuous sheet having a smaller width than the first layer of continuous sheet; intermittently joining a first group of elastic bodies between the first layer of continuous sheet and the second layer of discrete continuous sheet; joining a second group of elastic bodies to the first layer of continuous sheets outward of the second layer of discrete continuous sheet; joining a center chassis with the first layer of continuous sheet and overlapping the first group of elastic bodies not joined to the first layer of continuous sheet; folding the first layer of continuous sheet to form a first layer fold over, wherein the first layer fold over overlaps the second group of elastic bodies, the center chassis, and the second layer of discrete continuous sheet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members and an overbraided thermoplastic skin is built. The stackup is placed between an inner tooling and an outer tooling. The inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. The inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint form a consolidation setup. The consolidation setup is heated to form the composite structure.

Abstract: A desired shape can be easily realized, and a decrease in strength can be inhibited. A method for producing a composite material includes: an insertion step of inserting an inner member in which a second reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a resin into a space of an outer member that is formed of a woven first reinforcing fiber extending in an undulating manner, the outer member including an opening that is provided at at least one end portion and the space that communicates with the opening; and a composite material forming step of forming a composite material in which the outer member and the inner member are joined to each other by curing the resin of the inner member to join the outer member and the inner member to each other.

Abstract: The plant includes at least one single facer, having a supporting structure, adapted to receive a corrugating unit provided with a first corrugating roller and a second corrugating roller meshing with each other. The plant also includes a magazine having a plurality of seats for receiving corrugating units and movable along a first guide. Associated with the single facer there is provided a shuttle movable between the single facer and the guide of the magazine, adapted to transfer corrugating units from the single facer to the magazine and vice versa.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes: a first sheet-like member; a second sheet-like member; an elastic member that is inserted along a lateral direction between a pair of mutually-opposing facing surfaces of the first sheet-like member; joining portions that join the pair of mutually-opposing facing surfaces and that are spaced apart in the lateral direction; and side-seal sections that are disposed at each lateral end portion of the absorbent article. The joining portions are disposed on two sides of the elastic member in a vertical direction, which intersects the lateral direction and a front-rear direction, so that the elastic member is sandwiched and pressed between the joining portions.

Abstract: A absorbent member manufacturing method of the invention is a method for manufacturing an absorbent member (100) including synthetic fibers (10b). The method involves: a transporting step of transporting a plurality of sheet fragments (10bh) including synthetic fibers (10b) to an accumulating depression (41) by using a duct 3; an accumulating step of accumulating, in the accumulating depression (41), the plurality of sheet fragments (10bh) transported in the transporting step, and forming an accumulation (100a?) which is a constituent member of the absorbent member (100); and a pressing step of pressing the accumulation (100a?) over its entirety in the thickness direction.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, said method comprising guiding a first sheet material along a rotating member, wherein a surface of said rotating member is provided with a pattern with at least one suction zone and at least one non-suction zone; applying an absorbent material on said first sheet material on the rotating member; locally removing the absorbent material applied on at least one attachment portion of the first sheet material located above the at least one non-suction zone, such that at least one remaining portion of the first sheet material located above the at least one suction zone is covered with absorbent material and substantially no absorbent material is present on the at least one attachment portion; applying a second sheet material on top of the absorbent material on the first sheet material.

Abstract: A forming device for gathering the width of a traveling web is disclosed. The forming device includes opposing arrays of flute-forming bars that can be interlaced to define therebetween a longitudinal flute-forming labyrinth effective to reduce the width of a web traveling therethrough by a preselected take-up ratio. The flute-forming bars are curved beginning at an entry end of the forming device such that they converge in a lateral direction as they proceed in the machine direction. In this manner, individual elements of the web traveling between the respective arrays in the machine direction follow contour lines along the curved bars or between adjacent ones of the curved bars so that no such element crosses any flute-forming bar in the cross-machine direction as the web travels and is fluted. A corrugating die for introducing a near-net shape to the intermediate-fluted web is also disclosed, as are a corrugating line incorporating these operations and methods for its operation.

Abstract: In order to manufacture a wearable article of the first size, the introduction velocity is set to the first introduction velocity having a high velocity and the arrangement velocity is set to the first the arrangement velocity having a high velocity. In order to manufacture wearable article of the second size having a shorter length in the carrying direction than that of the first size, the introduction velocity is set to the second introduction velocity lower than the first introduction velocity and the arrangement velocity is set to the second arrangement velocity lower than the first the arrangement velocity and the drum velocity is set to a fixed velocity regardless of the size.

Abstract: The machine for closing the tail end of logs of web material, includes an advancing path of the logs and, along the log advancing path, a tail end unwinding, positioning and sealing station. The tail end unwinding, positioning and sealing station includes an aperture that extends downwards from an inlet under the log advancing path. At least a first Coanda effect nozzle is placed at the inlet of the aperture, to generate a flow of air adapted to draw into the aperture the tail end of a log that is in the tail end unwinding, positioning and sealing station.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing composite workpieces that include adding an expandable element to an internal volume of a constraining container proximate to a uncured composite workpiece supported on a rigid form, where the expandable element is configured to expand when a predetermined change is produced in an attribute of the expandable element; expanding the expandable element by producing the predetermined change in the attribute of the expandable element, so that an expansion of the expandable element applies pressure to the workpiece supported on the rigid form within the internal volume, and curing the composite workpiece while the resulting pressure is applied to the workpiece supported on the rigid form.

Abstract: Manufacturing structure using a composite material includes: a tapering step for forming a first tapered surface on a first stiffener in an uncured state; a bending step for bending the stiffener such that a second surface is on the inner side; an arranging step for arranging the first stiffener and a skin at prescribed positions; a vacuum suctioning step for vacuum suctioning the first stiffener and the skin; and a bonding step for curing the first stiffener to bond the first stiffener and the skin. In the tapering step, the angle formed between the first tapered surface and the second surface is an acute angle. In the vacuum suctioning step, the first tapered surface is brought into contact with the skin while maintaining contact between the first surface and the skin, and the first stiffener is deformed so that a second tapered surface is formed on the second surface.