Abstract: A liner bridge for a lined pipeline has bores extending through a tubular wall and terminals fitted in the bores, each terminal being exposed to an inward side of the wall for conducting electricity to an electrofusion element. A sealing interface between each terminal and its surrounding bore has one or more projecting formations of the terminal and at least one complementary formation of the bore engaged with the or each of the projecting formations. The interface can also include a sealing mass in the bore.

Abstract: A sensorless temperature sensing and control system and method uses electrical voltage and current feedback signals to monitor and control the temperature of heating elements used in a heat sealing process wherein sensors are not physically connected to a heat seal bar during the heat sealing process. After calibration of a heat seal bar using a sensor, voltage and current feedback signals are processed by a programmable logic controller (PLC) to calculate the real-time electrical resistance of each heating element. Data and electrical resistance is used to calculate real-time temperature of the heat seal bar during heating.

Abstract: Systems and methods for constructing 3-dimensional (3D) parts are disclosed. A printing system may include a deposition system configured to print a plurality of 2-dimensional (2D) layers onto a plurality of carrier sheets. The printing system also includes a transferring system configured to transfer a 2D layer from a carrier sheet of the plurality of carrier sheets, onto the 3D part. The 3D part may be located on a base substrate. The printing system further includes a feed system configured to provide the plurality of carrier sheets from the deposition system to the transfer system in a successive fashion while maintaining the directionality of printing in the deposition and transferring systems.

Abstract: A welding device includes a pair of pressure rollers for pressurizing a web and a strip member, a feed device configured to intermittently or continuously feed the web and the strip member through the pair of pressure rollers, and the laser device configured to irradiate the web or the strip member with a laser beam at a position upstream of the pair of pressure rollers. The welding device may include a movement device configured to move the pair of pressure rollers upstream with respect to the web and the strip member during pause or stop of feed. Alternatively, the feed device may pause or stop the web and the strip member after retracting the web and the strip member by a certain length.

Abstract: A method of activating a surface of a plastics substrate formed from: (a) polyaryletherketone such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), polyether ketone (PEK); polyether ether ketone ketone (PEEKK); or polyether ketone ether ketone ketone (PEKEKK); (b) a polymer containing a phenyl group directly attached to a carbonyl group, optionally wherein the carbonyl group is part of an amide group, such as polyarylamide (PARA); (c) polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); or (d) polyetherimide (PEI); for subsequent bonding, the method comprising the step of exposing the surface to actinic radiation wherein the actinic radiation: includes radiation with wavelength in the range from about 10 nm to about 1000 nm; the energy of the actinic radiation to which the surface is exposed is in the range from about 0.5 J/cm2 to about 300 J/cm2. Hard to bond substrates are then more easily subsequently bonded for example using acrylic, epoxy or anaerobic adhesive.

Abstract: An adhesive composition degradable by dielectric heating. The adhesive composition comprises a thermosetting polymer and a material sensitive to dielectric heating. The material sensitive to dielectric heating is selected from any one or more of hollow nanospheres, nanotubes, nanorods, nanofibres, nanosheets, graphene, graphene derivatives, nano/micro hybrids and mixtures of two or more nanoscale particles. The adhesive composition may be particularly useful in the assembly and disassembly of parts, particularly parts which have complicated and/or blocked joined surfaces. A method of joining at least two parts of an article together and a method of disassembling at least two parts of an article, using the adhesive composition are also provided. The adhesive composition may provide a reworkable nano-composite adhesive. The adhesive composition may be used to reversibly bond a biomedical or dental implant to a part of a human or animal body.

Abstract: A butt fusion machine for joining of polyethylene pipe comprises a carriage assembly and a carriage controller disposed in the fusion machine. Programmed instructions stored in a non-volatile memory of the carriage controller control the carriage assembly for selectively operating in at least manual, automatic, and semi-automatic modes of the butt fusion process. The butt fusion process, after a setup sequence includes (1) selecting a sequence of operating steps of an automatic mode, a semi-automatic mode, and a manual mode; and (2) executing the selected operating mode. The semi-automatic mode includes at least one step requiring intervention by an operator to confirm proceeding to a next step.

Abstract: The present invention discloses that a multi-laser cutting method and system, which is applied to a substrate to form a primary substrate having a pattern of rounded corners and a line, the throughput could be improved because CO2 laser cannot cut the round corner at the high speed, but the substrate strength could be kept due to the high cutting quality of the lines by CO2 laser. The poor quality of the cutting edges of the round corners will not affect on the substrate strength but the round corner cutting by the second laser unit will speed up the cutting process. The present invention applies the method by the 2 different laser machines to balance the throughput. Because at the same speed, for example 150 mm/sec, the cycle time per 1 substrate will be different due to the different length of the cutting lines.

Abstract: A tooling for use in a method for electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts. The tooling includes a rubber body and pressurizing means for pressurizing the rubber body and applying pressure to the contacted surfaces. The rubber body includes an embedded stiff body shaped such as to define different rubber body thicknesses in different directions, which causes a different pressure build-up in the different directions. A method for manufacturing the tooling. The tooling may be used in electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts by moving a joining inductor along the contacted surfaces, generating an electromagnetic field in an induction-sensitive component of the molded parts to heat a thermally activated coupling means of the molded parts to above a melting temperature of the coupling means.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a first component including a first material, a second component including a second material, and a fiber matrix including a plurality of fibers. The fiber matrix joins the first component to the second component. The fiber matrix includes a first a first portion connected to the first component, and a second portion connected to the second component. The first portion of the fiber matrix is interpenetrated with, and mechanically fixed to, the first material. The first portion of the fiber matrix directly contacts the first material.

Abstract: Various embodiments of wafer bonding apparatuses and methods are described herein for reducing distortion in a post-bonded wafer pair. More specifically, the present disclosure provides embodiments of wafer bonding apparatuses and methods to reduce post-bond wafer distortion that occurs primarily within the center and/or the edge of the post-bonded wafer pair. In the present disclosure, post-bonded wafer distortion is reduced by correcting for variations in the pre-bond wafer shapes. Variations in pre-bond wafer shape are corrected, or compensated for, by making hardware modifications to the wafer chuck. Such modifications may include, but are not limited to, modifications to the surface height and/or the temperature of the wafer chuck.

Abstract: A method for joining at least two plastic parts (1, 5) along a predeterminable common joining point using infrared radiation (IR), is characterized in that each of the plastic parts (1, 5) to be joined is heated using infrared radiation at least along the joint by radiation sources without touching the respective plastic parts (1, 5). One radiation source is operated independently and spatially separated from the other radiation source. The radiation sources emit their respective infrared radiation to the respective plastic parts (1, 5) without contact and following the contour of the joint. The degree of heating by the respective infrared radiation is selected such that the joint is formed when the plastic parts (1, 5) are brought together.

Abstract: Various embodiments of microelectronic devices and methods of manufacturing are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for enhancing wafer bonding includes positioning a substrate assembly on a unipolar electrostatic chuck in direct contact with an electrode, electrically coupling a conductor to a second substrate positioned on top of the first substrate, and applying a voltage to the electrode, thereby creating a potential differential between the first substrate and the second substrate that generates an electrostatic force between the first and second substrates.

Abstract: A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

Abstract: An image display device is manufactured by: applying a liquid photo-curable resin composition having a total value of cure shrinkage ratios based on pre-curing and complete curing of 3% or more to a surface of the light-transmitting cover member or a surface of the image display member with a thickness greater than that of the light-shielding layer to cancel the step between the light-shielding layer and the light-shielding layer forming surface of the light-transmitting cover member; pre-curing the photo-curable resin composition with the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to form a pre-cured resin layer; bonding the light-transmitting cover member to the image display member such that the pre-cured resin layer is placed inside; and subjecting the pre-cured resin layer to the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to achieve the complete curing thereof. The pre-curing is conducted to obtain a cure shrinkage ratio less than 3% in the complete curing thereof.

Abstract: A curing lamp apparatus mounts to a work surface with a suction cup. A base is mounted to the suction cup and defines a hinge point for a first bar. At a distal end of the first bar, a second bar is hingedly mounted to the first bar. A first lamp element is hingedly mounted to one end of the second bar. A second lamp element is hingedly mounted to a second end of the second bar. The first and second lamp elements are positionable in a variety of positions to follow the path of a crack in a surface to be repaired. The lamp elements are also foldable into a storage position.

Abstract: An apparatus for quality assessment of a sealing section of a package for food products. The package includes at least a robustness layer and a plastic layer. The sealing section is formed by holding a first section and a second section of the package against each other while providing heat such that the plastic layer of the first and second section melt and the first and second section adhere to each other. The apparatus includes a sample holder arranged for fixating a sample including the sealing section of the package. At least part of the sample holder is transparent, a magnification device arranged on a first side of the sample holder, and an illumination device arranged on a second side of the sample holder. Light is provided to the magnification device through the sample holder The first and second side are opposite sides of the sample holder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photo-curable liquid optically clear adhesive composition, to a cured adhesive and an article produced therefrom, and to the use thereof.

Abstract: A method for forming a nanostructure includes coating an exposed surface of a base layer with a patterning layer. The method further includes forming a pattern in the patterning layer including nano-patterned non-random openings, such that a bottom portion of the non-random openings provides direct access to the exposed surface of the base layer. The method also includes depositing a material in the non-random openings in the patterning layer, such that the material contacts the exposed surface to produce repeating individually articulated nano-scale features. The method includes removing remaining portions of the patterning layer. The method further includes forming an encapsulation layer on exposed surfaces of the repeating individually articulated nanoscale features and the exposed surface of the base layer.

Abstract: A method of connecting together two unit elements (4, 4?) of a fluid transport pipe, each unit pipe element being covered in an outer insulating coating (6, 6?) made of a thermoplastic material, with the exception of an end portion that does not have an outer insulating coating. The method includes: a step of welding together two abutting unit pipe elements; a step of positioning an annular sleeve (14) around a cut-back and in part around the outer insulating coatings of the two unit pipe elements, the sleeve being made of a thermoplastic material; a step of fastening the sleeve in sealed manner by weld bonding on the outer insulating coatings; and a step of applying an external pressure on the sleeve to enable it to be deformed elastically and match the shape of the respective end portions of the two unit pipe elements.