Abstract: Tooling assemblies and methods for using a tooling assembly to shape an article are provided. For example, a tooling assembly has a forward end and an aft end and comprises a first tool segment, a second tool segment, a forward cam portion near the forward end, and an aft cam portion near the aft end. The forward cam portion defines a follower surface, and at least a portion of the follower surface has a curvilinear profile. The aft cam portion defines a first surface extending at a first angle and a second surface extending at a second angle. The first and second tool segments define a cavity for shaping an article. An exemplary method comprises positioning an article preform within the cavity and inserting a fastener within the aft end of the tooling assembly until the fastener is fully inserted within the tooling assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an object includes an extrusion head having an extrusion needle for extruding thermoplastic material associated with one or more fiber strands. The apparatus may further include a turn-table, a more robotic arm for moving the extrusion head and needle, thermoplastic filament and fiber strand spools and thermoplastic filament and fiber strands. A controller is provided for directing the robotic arm, extrusion head and the turn-table. Further, a method for manufacturing an object includes generating a design for the object that substantially satisfies desired structural properties of the object and generating a sequence for extruding one or more beads of thermoplastic material to manufacture the object according to the design, in which the one or more beads of thermoplastic material are associated with one or more fiber strands. The one or more beads of thermoplastic material and the associated one or more fiber strands are then extruded according to the sequence.

Abstract: A method for preparing a lithium-ion battery separator is disclosed. The method comprises: cooling and shaping a liquid-phase stabilization system containing polyethylene, stretching to enlarge pores, extracting with a solvent, and heat-setting to obtain a lithium-ion battery separator, wherein the stretching includes pre-stretching and synchronous bidirectional stretching, and the pre-stretching is completed before the synchronous bidirectional stretching.

Abstract: A method for making a thermoinsulating padding, particularly for the cloth article and furniture fields, comprises the steps of: providing a lap by carding in bulk fibers comprising at least a thermobinding fiber; applying, by spraying or spreading, a low glass transition temperature resin, or a mixture of resins comprising at least a low glass transition temperature resin at least on a side of said lap only to the surface layers of said side; drying the resin coated lap in a drying oven to start a cross linking of said resins; actuating said low glass transition temperature resin (previously applied either individually or in a mixture with other resins) by pressure calendering under a controlled temperature, thereby providing a dynamically operating padding.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical apparatus (100) for use in manufacturing a plaster impression of limb stump, in particular of a lower stump, wherein the apparatus (100) comprises a pressure vessel (1) with a fluid chamber of pressure chamber (DK) for receiving or storing a fluid (F) being under pressure, wherein the pressure vessel (1) is limited against an exterior (Ä), wherein the pressure vessel (1) comprises an insertion opening (9) for the insertion of a limb stump (KS) into the interior (I) of the pressure vessel (1) and a fluid-tight membrane (5) made of two materials, which are arranged to form or limit the fluid chamber or the pressure chamber (DK). In addition, the present invention relates to a system (300) having a medical apparatus (100) and at least one contact surface (111). Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the preparation of an asymmetric membranes. More particularly, the new method relates to the use of a crosslinker contacted via vapour or liquid phase with the surface layer of a cast polymer film, followed by the immersion of said film in a coagulation bath. The formation of a crosslinked skin layer and the solidification of the membrane bulk can thus be decoupled in time.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing tool configured to couple to a spindle of a CNC machine, comprises a plurality of drive wheels movable between an engaged position wherein they compress filament from a filament source against a drive disc and a disengaged position wherein they are spaced apart from the filament, and a delivery assembly including a heating element and a nozzle having an outlet opening. When the plurality of drive wheels are in the engaged position and the drive disc is rotated, the filament is drawn into the tool from the filament source and routed around the drive disc to the nozzle, where heat transferred from the heating element to the nozzle melts the filament so that the filament flows through the outlet opening.

Abstract: A silicone extrusion plant has a silicone extruder and a silicone feed device configured to load the silicone extruder. The silicone feed device has a feed hopper. The feed hopper opens into a feed opening at the bottom thereof. The feed opening is in a fluidic connection, via a feed duct, with an inlet zone of the silicone extruder. A feed screw arranged in the feed hopper in such a way as to be drivable for rotation protrudes into the feed opening at least partly. The feed screw has a cone portion and a cylinder portion. According to another aspect, the silicone extrusion plant has at least one feed pressure sensor configured to measure an actual feed pressure of silicone material to be extruded. A control unit is in a signal communication with the feed pressure sensor and a feed drive device in order to drive the silicone feed device.

Abstract: A novel ledge forming system used to attach a polymer retention hub to a thin wall nozzle core to provide an efficient way to produce a conjunct nozzle. The inventive apparatus provides a means for assembly of components by a method involving use of a press with a heating element to elevate temperature of a thermoplastic polymer to permit formation of a ledge that overhangs the flange of a nozzle core, mechanically locking components together. Execution of the process is rapid, low cost and eliminates damage to the thin wall of the core that would occur if the polymer retention hub were molded around the nozzle core.

Abstract: In one aspect, methods of post-processing an object made by additive manufacturing are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of post-processing an object described herein comprises providing the object in a microwave absorptive state and exposing the object in the absorptive state to a field of microwave radiation. In some cases, providing an object in a microwave absorptive state comprises heating the object, including by non-microwave heating. Moreover, in some embodiments, the object is exposed to a uniform or substantially uniform field of microwave radiation in a microwave cavity. In addition, in some instances, exposing an object to a field of microwave radiation in a manner described herein comprises increasing the density of the object and/or reducing the volume of the object, including in an isotropic or substantially isotropic manner.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus includes an extruder and a gear pump in fluid communication with extruder. The additive manufacturing apparatus also includes a nozzle in fluid communication with the gear pump. The extruder is connected to a guide member such that at least a portion of the extruder is configured to expand and move along the guide member according to a thermal expansion of the extruder.

Abstract: A method of preparing an anisotropic polymer film using an electric field generator. The method of preparing an electric field generator comprising supplying an electric field across an electric field application zone, where the electric field is generated by a first electrode having a first charge and a second electrode having a charge opposite of the first, passing a polymer film that optionally includes dispersed particles through the electric field application zone, where the polymer film contacts the first electrode to induce orientation, and freezing the polymer film to lock the orientation before the polymer film exits the electric field application zone.

Abstract: An earplug assembly and method of forming the same is described. The method includes uniaxially stretching a cord formed of copolymer including ethylene segments and vinyl acetate segments to form a cold-drawn cord. The cold drawn cord has an elongation to break of 250% or less. The method then includes fixing the cold drawn cord to an earplug.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a compression mold for forming a rib-and-sheet part includes a mold cavity and a mold insert. A sheet is placed in the mold cavity, and the mold insert is placed on the sheet. A preform assemblage is placed in a gap that is formed between the mold insert and the wall of the mold cavity. A mold core is biased above the preform assemblage, prior to molding operations, via a compression spring.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method is provided of forming a metallic object via additive fabrication, the method comprising obtaining a geometric description of a first object with an exterior surface, generating a geometric description of a second object, the second object bounded by the exterior surface of the first object and having one or more voids, fabricating said second object via additive fabrication based on said geometric description of the second object, and depositing a metallic material onto said second object, wherein the metallic material is deposited into said voids of second object.

Abstract: Rib-and-sheet structures include a rib comprising continuous, aligned fibers. The rib is fabricated via compression molding from continuous, aligned fiber, thereby providing an aligned, continuously reinforced rib. In one embodiment, rib-and-sheet structures are produced in a two-step compression-molding process, wherein a near net-shape rib is molded, in a first mold, from fiber-bundle based preforms, and then a rib-and-sheet part is molded by placing, in a second mold, the rib with either: (i) a preformed sheet, (ii) plies that form a laminate/sheet or (iii) chopped fibers that form a sheet during the molding process. In another embodiment, rib-and-sheet structures are fabricated in a one-step compression-molding process, wherein fiber-bundle-based preforms and (i) a preformed sheet, (ii) plies that form a laminate/sheet, or (iii) chopped fibers are combined in a single mold and molded in a single step.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for fast molten salt reactor fuel-salt preparation. In one implementation, the method may comprise providing fuel assemblies having fuel pellets, removing the fuel pellets and spent fuel constituents from the fuel assemblies, granulating the removed fuel pellets or process feed to a chlorination process, processing the granular spent fuel salt into chloride salt by ultimate reduction and chlorination of the uranium and associated fuel constituents chloride salt solution, enriching the granular spent fuel salt, chlorinating the enriched granular spent fuel salt to yield molten chloride salt fuel, analyzing, adjusting, and certifying the molten chloride salt fuel for end use in a molten salt reactor, pumping the molten chloride salt fuel and cooling the molten chloride salt fuel, and milling the solidified molten chloride salt fuel to predetermined specifications.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a plurality of aluminum oxide nanoparticles and a polymerizable monomer are dissolved in a polyimide solution to obtain a polyimide mixed solution. Next, the polyimide mixed solution is coated onto a glass substrate. Then, the surface of the glass substrate is irradiated with UV light to form a network polymer on the surface of the glass substrate, the network polymer enclosing the aluminum oxide nanoparticles. Finally, the glass substrate is heated to form the flexible material having the surface protecting layer. Abrasion resistance of the flexible material manufactured according to the present disclosure is excellent.

Abstract: Helically winding an extruded web to form a wall of a heated hose about a central axis, extruding a bead of plastics material around a heating wire such that the extruded bead comprises the heating wire at a first location within a cross-section of the extruded bead, helically winding the extruded bead onto the wall of the hose to provide a support helix, and exerting tension on the heating wire to draw down the heating wire toward the central axis such that the heating wire migrates radially inward from the first location to a second location within the cross-section of the extruded bead.

Abstract: A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material includes preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density, pre-densifying the powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base, crushing the pre-densified insulation base into granular core insulation to define a core density of the granular core insulation, disposing the granular core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure and expressing gas from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density. The granular core insulation defines the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulation structure, wherein the target density defines a density in the range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.