Abstract: Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise dispensing a multi-part filament in three dimensions. The multi-part filament comprises an elongate filament body comprising a first body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a first material that is configured to be cured responsive to a first cure condition, and a second body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a second material that is configured to be cured responsive to a second cure condition that is different from the first cure condition. Methods also comprise concurrently with the dispensing, delivering curing energy corresponding to the first cure condition to impart a desired rigidity characteristic to the first body part to facilitate printing of self-supporting structures from the multi-part filament.

Abstract: A tread portion has a circumferential groove extending continuously and circumferentially. The circumferential groove has a groove bottom and a pair of groove walls radially extending from the groove bottom to a tread surface. The groove bottom includes groove bottom protruding portions protruding radially outwardly from a groove bottom reference surface parallel to the tread surface at a deepest position of a groove depth of the circumferential groove. Each of the groove bottom protruding portions is formed to be symmetrical about a center line of the circumferential groove in a plan view of the tread portion and has a first groove bottom surface extending radially. The first groove bottom surface includes a first surface portion on one side of the center line and a second surface portion on the other side. An angle between the first surface portion and the second surface portion is from 20° to 170°.

Abstract: A circumferential groove has a groove bottom and a pair of groove walls. Groove bottom includes groove bottom protruding portions protruding radially outwardly from a groove bottom reference surface and having a first groove bottom surface extending radially. The first groove bottom surface includes a first surface portion on one side of a center line of the circumferential groove and a second surface portion positioned on the other side, and an angle between them is 20° to 170°. The groove wall includes groove wall protruding portions protruding toward an inside of the circumferential groove from a groove wall reference surface defined as a circumferential surface at a widest groove width position of the circumferential groove and having a first groove wall width surface 12 extending in a tyre width direction and a second groove wall surface having an angle larger than the first groove wall width surface.

Abstract: A groove bottom is formed symmetrically about a center line of a circumferential groove in a tread plan view and includes groove bottom protruding portions protruding radially outwardly from a groove bottom reference surface parallel to a tread surface at a deepest position of a groove depth. Groove bottom protruding portions have a first groove bottom surface extending radially and a second groove bottom surface having an angle larger than the first groove bottom surface. Groove walls include groove wall protruding portions protruding toward an inner side of the circumferential groove from a groove wall reference surface as a circumferential surface at a widest position of a groove width. The groove wall protruding portions each has a first groove wall width surface and a second groove wall surface having an angle larger than the first groove wall width surface.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a pair of sidewall portions. At least one of the pair of sidewall portions is provided with circumferentially spaced protrusions protruding axially outwardly. Each of the protrusions includes a first end in a tire circumferential direction and a recess extending in the tire circumferential direction from the first end and having a terminal end terminating within the protrusion.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The method may include directing a continuous reinforcement into a print head, and coating the continuous reinforcement with a first matrix component inside of the print head. The method may further include coating the continuous reinforcement with a second matrix component, discharging the continuous reinforcement through a nozzle of the print head, and moving the print head in multiple dimensions during the discharging. The first and second matrix components interact to cause hardening of a matrix around the continuous reinforcement.

Abstract: Novel absorbable foams, lyophilizing solutions, and lyophilizing and annealing processes are disclosed. The foams are made from copolymers of glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone. The foams are useful in or as implantable medical devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for applying lengthwise curvature to composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes fabricating a preform for a curved pultruded gap filler by continuously: heating fiber reinforced material to a sticking point temperature for a constituent material within the fiber reinforced material, and feeding the fiber reinforced material through a die that exhibits a curvature through which the fiber reinforced material travels while the fiber reinforced material is heated to the sticking point temperature, the die forming the fiber reinforced material into a preform for a gap filler. Fabricating the curved pultruded preform further includes varying path lengths of fibers within the preform as the preform passes through the die, and pulling the preform out of the die.

Abstract: Provided herein are 3D printing systems including, but not limited to, 3D printing systems that can, in some aspects, be configured to print multi-materials and/or 3D structures having micro-scale features. In some aspects, the 3D printing system can include a jethead, wherein the jethead can include a body portion, one or more printing material dispensers that are each coupled to one or more feedstock material reservoirs and the body portion, and at least one cleaning unit configured to clean a printed object, a printing platform, a component of an x axis cartridge, or any combination thereof. Also provided herein are scanning projection optical micro-sterolithography systems that can be configured to allow for printing micro-scale features in large scale 3D objects.

Abstract: The pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with first sipes 25 and second sipes 26 and having a first tread half portion 21 and a second tread half portion 22. The first sipes 25 are smoothly continued from a crown land region 10 in the second tread half portion 22 to a shoulder land region 13 in the first tread half portion 21 through a crown main groove 3 and a shoulder main groove 5. The second sipes 26 extend from the crown land region 10 in the second tread half portion 22 toward a second tread edge Te2.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus pertaining to recycling and reuse of unwanted light in additive manufacturing can multiplex multiple beams of light including at least one or more beams of light from one or more light sources. The multiple beams of light may be reshaped and blended to provide a first beam of light. A spatial polarization pattern may be applied on the first beam of light to provide a second beam of light. Polarization states of the second beam of light may be split to reflect a third beam of light, which may be reshaped into a fourth beam of light. The fourth beam of light may be introduced as one of the multiple beams of light to result in a fifth beam of light.

Abstract: A press tool for a press assembly includes an additive manufactured body including a plurality of stacked layers of additive manufacturable material extending between an interior side and an exterior side. The interior side has a part forming surface including a surface profile for forming a part. The exterior side has a plurality of hollow cores defined by longitudinal walls and lateral walls meeting at joints. Press inserts are coupled to the longitudinal walls and the lateral walls at the exterior side. The press inserts are configured to be pressed inward by a pressing load during a pressing operation for forming the part. The press inserts distribute the pressing load along the longitudinal and lateral walls.

Abstract: A hot runner injection molding apparatus, and method of use, is disclosed in which strain gauges are provided in the temperature zones of the hot runner injection molding apparatus and a hot runner controller creates a target strain profile, detects deviations from the target strain profile in any temperature zone based on the strain readings provided by the strain gauges in each temperature zone, and instructs correction of deviations from the target strain profile in any deviating temperature zone by adjusting the heat produced by a heater or heaters in the deviating temperature zone. The target strain profile may be based on a median or average of strain readings provided over time by the strain gauges in each temperature zone. A hollow installation tube for placing the strain gauges in the hot runner injection molding apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabrication of short-fiber composites. One embodiment is a method for forming a short-fiber composite. The method includes forming a bed of randomly oriented dry fibers on a base, drawing resin into the bed in response to pressure to form a mixture of randomly oriented fibers impregnated with thermoset resin, perturbing the mixture while preserving fiber length at the mixture and degassing the mixture, and extruding the mixture to form a preform.

Abstract: In the tire 2, fillers 10 are layered over clinches 8 in portions outward of a carcass 14 in the axial direction. A carcass ply 50 is turned up around cores 44. Turned-up portions 50a are disposed between the fillers 10 and apexes 46. Each clinch 8 has a maximum thickness Tcx that is measured along a line normal to an inner surface, in the axial direction, of the clinch 8. A ratio of a thickness Tf1 of the filler 10 to a sum of the thickness Tf1 and the thickness Tcx is greater than or equal to 0.1 and not greater than 0.6. A percentage of a complex elastic modulus E*f of the filler 10 relative to a complex elastic modulus E*a of the apex 46 is greater than or equal to 70% and not greater than 125%.

Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a first main groove 3 and a second main groove 4 each extending in a zigzag manner and a land region 10 defined between them. The land region 10 is provided with a longitudinal sipe 15 extending in a zigzag manner in the tire circumferential direction, first lug grooves 16, and second lug grooves 17. The land region 10 comprises first blocks 21 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the first lug grooves 16, and second blocks 22 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the second lug grooves 17. Each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22 is provided with not less than three transverse sipes 25 extending across the entire width of the each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22.

Abstract: An injection station of an injection blow molding machine. The injection station comprises a lower die plate and an upper die plate, with lower and upper die plates being shiftable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The injection station additionally includes one or more lower mold halves rigidly secured to the lower die plate. The injection station additionally includes one or more upper mold halves floatingly secured to the upper die plate such that positions of the upper mold halves are configured to be adjusted with respect to the upper die plate. Each of the lower mold halves corresponds with an upper mold half to present one or more mold cavities when the lower and upper die plates are in the closed position.

Abstract: A nanofiber producing apparatus 10 includes a spinning solution jetting means 11 having a conductive nozzle 13 for jetting a stock spinning solution for nanofiber production, an electrode 14 located away from the nozzle 13, a voltage generating means 101 generating a voltage between the nozzle 13 and the electrode 14, an air jetting means 15 located at such a position as to direct an air jet between the nozzle 13 and the electrode 14, and a nanofiber collecting means. The voltage generating means 101 generates a voltage so that the nozzle 13 serves as a positive pole and the electrode 14 as a negative pole. The electrode 14 is covered, on almost the entire area of its side facing the nozzle 13, with a covering 17 having a dielectric exposed on the surface thereof. The dielectric exposed on the surface of the covering has a thickness of 0.8 mm or greater.

Abstract: A tire 22 includes a plurality of ribs 68 aligned in an axial direction. A rib 68s, among the plurality of ribs 68, disposed on an outer side in the axial direction is sectioned into a body portion 74 and a side portion 76 by a groove 72 that extends in a circumferential direction. The tire 22 includes a tread 26 and a pair of sidewalls 28. The sidewalls 28 extend almost inward from ends, respectively, of the tread 26 in a radial direction. The tread 26 includes a base layer 52, and a cap layer 54 disposed outward of the base layer 52 in the radial direction. The side portion 76 is formed by the cap layer 54 and a corresponding one of the sidewalls 28. The sidewall 28 is stacked on the cap layer 54 in the side portion 76.

Abstract: Multi-part filaments for additive manufacturing comprise an elongate filament body. The elongate filament body comprises a first body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body, and a second body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body. The first body part comprises a first material, and the second body part comprises a second material. One of the first body part and the second body part is more rigid than the other of the first body part and the second body part and is sufficiently rigid to print self-supporting structures from the multi-part filament.