Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A plurality of consolidated overbraided thermoplastic preforms are co-consolidated in a circumferential stackup that is circumferentially constrained. Fibers of the plurality of consolidated overbraided thermoplastic preforms are tensioned during co-consolidation.

Abstract: A rubber extrusion device comprises a control plate having an adjustment flow path communicating with an extrusion flow path formed in a head and an extrusion port formed in a die is interposed between the head and the die; the control plate is slid along and between the head and the die to change a position of a communication region of the extrusion flow path with respect to the adjustment flow path at a leading end opening of the extrusion flow path to set the control plate at a desired position; and unvulcanized rubber, obtained by mixing and kneading rubber material while extruding the rubber material forward with a screw, passes through the extrusion flow path and the adjustment flow path to be extruded from the extrusion port.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for isolating a composite material from the environment, as well as the isolated composite material. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a composite material that include the use of isolated composite materials. For example, disclosed is a method for mechanical thermoforming of a composite material to form a shaped composite material.

Abstract: A method for producing a fibrous material from lignocellulose from wood, preferably in the form of wood chips. The lignocellulose material is impregnated with a mixture of sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite and subsequently undergoes a comminution process in a refiner. Additional chemicals from a mixture of sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite are directly introduced into the refiner, allowing optimal conditions to be set for both additive flows of chemicals such that the process can be operated in an energetically advantageous manner and corrosion and scale formation in the refiner and subsequent aggregates can be prevented as much as possible.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a polyimide-based composite carbon film with high thermal conductivity and a preparation method therefor. The preparation method includes: uniformly coating the surface of a polyimide-based carbon film with an aqueous graphene oxide solution, and then covering the same with another polyimide-based carbon film uniformly coated with an aqueous graphene oxide solution; repeating such operation; after the polyimide-based carbon films are dried, bonding the polyimide-based carbon films by means of graphene oxide so as to form a thick film; bonding the polyimide-based carbon films more tightly by means of further low-temperature hot pressing; and finally, obtaining a thick polyimide-based carbon film with high thermal conductivity by repairing defects by means of low-temperature heating pre-reduction and high-temperature and high-pressure thermal treatment.

Abstract: A method for producing an edge protector on a clothing for a machine producing or finishing a fibrous, paper, cardboard or tissue web, includes providing a clothing formed substantially from a woven fabric with crossing weft and warp threads and opposite side edges, applying a film strip onto a surface of one side edge and, immediately before bringing the film strip into contact with the clothing, surfaces of the film strip and the clothing facing each other are heated to slightly melt the surfaces. A pressing force exerted on the film strip applied to the surface of one of the side edges, results in the film strip penetrating at least partially into the woven fabric. That side edge of the clothing with the film strip is cooled, resulting in a stable, particularly integrally joined and form-locking connection between the film strip and the side edge of the clothing.

Abstract: An injection molding machine includes: a plunger provided inside a barrel and capable of moving forward and backward in an axial direction thereof and rotating about an axis thereof; a feed hole for feeding a molding material in liquid form into a front of the plunger; a packing provided on a backward side of the feed hole to prevent the molding material fed through the feed hole from flowing backward along the plunger; and a controller for controlling a retracting movement of the plunger based on pressure of the molding material fed from the feed hole to thereby perform metering. In this configuration, at least part of the feed hole is covered by a side surface of the plunger at least from start to end of the retracting movement.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes an additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem and one or both of a thermal control arrangement and a contamination control arrangement. The A/M subsystem includes an A/M tool, feedstock and a workpiece and is configured to additively manufacture the workpiece using material from the feedstock. The thermal control arrangement is operable, in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, to maintain temperature of at least one of the A/M tool, the feedstock, and the workpiece within respective specified ranges. The contamination control arrangement is operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Abstract: A method for forming fiber composite preforms, the preform (1) include a web (2), a flange (3) and a bent part (2.1), and the method includes: laying-up a laminate (4) onto a tooling (5), the laminate (4) comprising lateral and transverse edges (4.1, 4.2) and the tooling (5) comprising a male part (7) comprising a surface (7.1) and a lateral wall (7.2), the web (2) being configured to be located over the surface (7.1) of the male part (7) and the flange (3) being configured to be located over the lateral wall (7.2) of the male part (7); forming the preform (1) over the male part (7); clamping the lateral edges (4.2) of the laminate (4) to the tooling (5) such that the web (2) and the flange (3) of the laid-up laminate (4) are kept under tensional loads, and bending a longitudinal portion of the male part (7).

Abstract: Disclosed are an entrained polymer or an entrained polymer composition, and a method for forming and adhering an entrained polymer structure to a substrate using the entrained polymer or an entrained polymer composition. The method includes providing a substrate configured to receive application of a molten entrained polymer. A particulate entrained polymer in molten form is applied in a predetermined shape, to a surface of the substrate, to form a solidified entrained polymer structure on the substrate. The entrained polymer includes a monolithic material formed of at least a base polymer and a particulate active agent. The surface of the substrate is compatible with the molten entrained polymer so as to thermally bond with it. In this way, the entrained polymer bonds to the substrate and solidifies upon sufficient cooling of the entrained polymer.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molding material by which, when the fiber-reinforced resin molding material is manufactured, separated fiber bundles can be supplied to a cutting machine in stable condition while avoiding the influence of meandering of the fiber bundles or slanting or meandering of filaments occurring in the fiber bundles. A method for manufacturing a sheet-shaped fiber-reinforced resin molding material in which spaces between filaments of cut-out fiber bundles (CF) are impregnated with resin includes, so that a condition of the following expression (1) is satisfied, intermittently separating fibers of the continuous fiber bundles (CF) in a longitudinal direction by a rotational blade (18) serving as a fiber separating part and cutting out the fiber bundles with an interval therebetween in a longitudinal direction of a cutting machine (13A) to obtain the cut-out fiber bundles (CF).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for isolating a composite material from the environment, as well as the isolated composite material. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a composite material that include the use of isolated composite materials. For example, disclosed is a method for mechanical thermoforming of a composite material to form a shaped composite material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for isolating a composite material from the environment, as well as the isolated composite material. Also disclosed herein are methods for shaping a composite material that include the use of isolated composite materials. For example, disclosed is a method for mechanical thermoforming of a composite material to form a shaped composite material.

Abstract: A direct-to-object printer is configured to adjust a pixel density of a portion of contone image data for an image to be printed on a surface of a tapered object. The controller of the printer also filters the contone image data with a stochastic halftone filer to produce binary image data for the image to be printed on the tapered object. The adjustment in the pixel density for the portion of the image to be printed on the portion of the object having a circumference that is different than another portion of the surface at the uppermost portion of the image produces a more uniform appearance in the resulting printed image.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a seamless inflatable ball contains: 1) inflating air into a preformed body so as to form a spherical body and covering a medium layer on the spherical body so as to form a semi-finished part; 2) forming a fluidic surface material on the medium layer of the semi-finished part in a predetermined thickness so as to produce a spherical portion with a covering layer; 3) placing the spherical portion into two ball molds; and 4) partially discharging air out of the spherical body and inflating the air into the spherical body repeatedly. In the step 3), the spherical portion is clamped in the two ball molds, and after the fluidic surface material is dried or is solidified to form a solid layer on the spherical portion, the spherical portion is removed from the two ball molds, thus forming a sphere.

Abstract: Tyre (1) for heavy load vehicle wheels, having a tread band (8) comprising: —a plurality of circumferential grooves (3, 4, 5, 6); —a plurality of transverse grooves (15) extending between two axially consecutive circumferential grooves (3, 4, 5, 6), thus defining a plurality of blocks (21); —each block (21) comprising a radially outer top surface (7) and having a height (M) measured between said top surface and a bottom surface of a respective transverse groove (15); —said transverse grooves (15) comprising a first segment (16) having a width L1 and a second segment (17) having a width L2, where L2<L1; —said first segment (16) being at least partially delimited by walls of two circumferentially consecutive blocks (20, 21); —at least one filling element (18) contained within said first segment (16); —said at least one filling element (18) having a radially outer top surface (19), located radially inwardly relative to said top surface (7) of the block at a radial distance (D) between 5% and 50% of the height

Abstract: An inspection system for an additive manufacturing machine can include a housing configured to be mounted to an internal construction of the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the housing defines a laser inlet configured to allow a laser beam from a laser of the additive manufacturing machine to enter into the housing, wherein the housing defines a laser outlet configured to allow the laser beam to exit from the housing and to allow reflected light to enter into the housing. One or more detectors is disposed within the housing and configured to receive the reflected light. The system includes one or more optical elements configured to allow the laser beam to pass through the housing from the laser inlet to the laser outlet toward a build area of the additive manufacturing machine and to direct reflected light from the laser outlet to the one or more detectors within the housing.

Abstract: An injection molding system includes: an injection molding machine configured to operate in accordance with a command generated using a first language, and inject a molten material into a mold to mold a molded object; a robot configured to operate in accordance with a command generated using a second language, and convey the molded object; and a control device configured to control the injection molding machine and the robot. When determining that an error occurs in at least one of the injection molding machine and the robot, the control device transmits, to the injection molding machine, a command generated using the first language and for causing the injection molding machine to execute a return operation, and transmits, to the robot, a command interpretable by the second language and for causing the robot to execute a return operation, so as to cause the injection molding machine and the robot to execute the return operations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the creation of thermally insulating materials derived from cellulosic materials by selectively depolymerizing the materials anatomy. Cellulosic materials may be comprised of three main biopolymers: lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose. The present invention relates to the chemical and physical removal of lignin and hemicellulose, while leaving the cellulose unaltered to induce increased porosity within the material and the material's macrostructure matrix for use as thermal and acoustic insulation. The increased porosity will be due to the creation of closed cell voids within the cellulosic matrix. These voids will increase the thermal and acoustic insulating performance of the cellulosic materials. The selective removal of secondary biopolymers from cellulosic materials allow for isolation of other value added products that can be regenerated through fewer reactions/steps.

Abstract: A first refining disc (5) for a defibrator (1) for refining fibrous material, adapted to receive a flow of incoming fibrous material (7) from a feed screw (3a) through a material inlet opening (4) arranged in the first refining disc (5), is provided with at least one steam evacuating channel (21) comprising at least one steam inlet opening (22) arranged on a side of the first refining disc (5) adapted to face a second refining disc (6), and at least one steam outlet opening (23) arranged on a side of the first refining disc (5) adapted to face away from the second refining disc (6). The at least one steam outlet opening (23) is arranged centrally of the at least one steam inlet opening (22) with respect to the center of the first refining disc (5), and centrally of a position where the flow of incoming material (7) is to be received into the first refining disc (5) from the feed screw (3a), with respect to the center of the first refining disc (5).