Abstract: The method comprises sequentially forming a plurality of layers in a configured pattern corresponding to the shape of the object, thereby forming the object. The formation of each layer comprises dispensing at least one uncured building material, and at least partially curing the uncured building material, wherein for at least one layer, the curing is initiated at least t seconds after commencement of curing of a layer immediately preceding that layer. The t parameter is longer than the number of seconds required for the formation of the layer.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus performs includes an irradiation unit which irradiates a resin on a substrate with light, and a control unit which controls the irradiation unit. The imprinting is performed in an edge shot region, including an edge of the substrate, of a plurality of shot regions on the substrate. The edge shot region includes a pattern forming region where a pattern is to be formed, and a near-edge region closer to a side of the edge than the pattern forming region, and the control unit controls the irradiation unit to irradiate the resin which spreads from a position on the pattern forming region to a position on the near-edge region as the pattern surface comes into contact with the resin in the pattern forming region.

Abstract: Methods for improved colorant dispersion in polymer materials using solid-state shear pulverization, as compared to mixing techniques of the prior art, to address concerns relating to colorant agglomeration, plating-out and the like.

Abstract: The invention relates to a film product (10) for packing products, particularly liquids (200), pasty and/or pourable materials, in sealed film packages (100), comprising at least two film layers (20a, 20b), wherein the outwardly facing film layer (20a) is thermally stable, and the inwardly facing film layer (20b) is sealable, and both film layers (20a, 20b) are produced in a water-cooled coextrusion blow molding process.

Abstract: Applicants have discovered that certain polyethylene (PE) homopolymers or copolymers of ethylene and C3 to C10 alpha-olefin monomers are more suitable for oriented processes than other polyethylene resins. In an aspect, the PE has a MFI of 0.3 g/10 min. to 5.0 g/10 min., a melting point of from 110° C. to 140° C., a density of from 0.912 g/cm3 to 0.965 g/cm3(%), a haze of 10% or less, a clarity of at least 90, and a gloss of at least 60. The polyethylene is heated and formed into an article, cooled, and then the article is stretch oriented. In an embodiment, the film, tape, the melt extruded, injection blow molded, injection stretch blow molded, cast, and thermoformed articles that can be produced with this polyethylene has a thickness of 0.1 mil to 100 mils. The polyethylene exhibits excellent elasticity, toughness, stretch and optical properties for such applications.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods and materials for cleaning materials, particles, or chemicals from a substrate with a brush or pad. The method comprising: engaging a surface of a rotating wafer with an outer circumferential surface of a rotating cylindrical foam roller, the cylindrical foam roller having a plurality of circumferentially and outwardly extending spaced apart nodules extending from the outer surface, each nodule defining a height extending from the outer surface of the cylindrical foam roller to a substrate engagement surface of the nodule, the substrate engagement surface of one or more of the nodules having a rounded configuration; and positioning the cylindrical foam roller on the substrate such that the one or more nodules are positioned to have only the rounded substrate engagement surface contact the substrate such that no linear surface of the one or more nodules contacts the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a molding hook and loop fastener, in which a barrier erected near left and right side edges of a substrate includes at least two rows of vertical wall arrays, and the vertical wall array includes a plurality of vertical walls disposed alternately. Between the two adjacent, rows of the vertical walls disposed alternately, each of the vertical walls disposed on one row is connected to two vertical walls disposed on the other row via a connecting part, and the connecting part connects one end portion of one vertical wall disposed on the adjacent row and the other end portion of the other vertical wall. Due to this, in the molding hook and loop fastener an outer side and an inner side of the barrier can be divided by the vertical wall array and the connecting part, and flexibility of the molding hook and loop fastener can be improved.

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: An apparatus for manufacturing a rubber member includes an extruder; a mouthpiece; and a support surface which faces the mouthpiece in an opposed manner. The apparatus further includes: a rubber pool portion formed between the mouthpiece and the support surface; and a closing surface having an inclined surface shape and capable of closing a moving-direction front side of the rubber pool portion. A rubber material is ejected from an ejection port in a state where the rubber pool portion is closed by the closing surface, the support surface and the mouthpiece are moved relative to each other after the rubber pool portion is filled with the rubber material, and a lamination starting end of the rubber material is pressed to the closing surface thus molding the lamination starting end into an inclined surface and, thereafter, the closing surface is moved in a direction away from the support surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for production of expanded pellets from a polymer melt comprising a blowing agent, said process comprising the steps of: a) pressing the polymer melt comprising a blowing agent through a perforated disk controlled to a temperature between 150° C. and 280° C. and into a pelletizing chamber, b) using a cutting device to comminute the polymer melt pressed through the temperature-controlled perforated disk into individual expanding pellets, c) discharging the pellets from the pelletizing chamber using a liquid stream, wherein the blowing agent comprises CO2 or N2 or a combination of CO2 and N2 and the pelletizing chamber is traversed by a stream of liquid which is controlled to a temperature between 10° C. and 60° C. and the pressure of which is from 0.

Abstract: A novel 3D printing technique is used to mobilize a 3D printer while printing thus creating an unlimited build volume. The 3D printer is mobilized by printing track or scaffold that guides the 3D printer as it moves in a spiral or helical, corkscrew, or linear fashion. After printing a segment the printer subsequently utilizes the track or scaffold printed during the process, after the material has set to the desired or specified hardness, for advancement and support of the printer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cord included rubber sheet has an arrangement step and a cutting step. In the arrangement step, a band-like material of a cord included rubber sheet is supplied to a processing table, and a portion to be cut is arranged onto a groove. In the cutting step, the band-like material is cut by pressing the pressure cutting die, and the cord included rubber sheet having a predetermined length is obtained. A leading end of the pressure cutting die enters the groove and a die surface of the pressure cutting die contacts with an opening edge of the groove, in the cutting step, and a cut surface of the cord is coated with the rubber of the band-like material in a process that the die surface comes into contact with the opening edge after the leading end contacts with the band-like material.

Abstract: A polymeric fiber for use in gas separation is formed from a spin dope which includes solvent and non-solvent materials. The fiber is passed through a quench bath, and then a leach bath, in which the solvent and non-solvent are removed. The quench bath and the leach bath include sets of rollers which transport the fiber through the system. Each set of rollers in the leach bath operates at a speed which is greater than or equal to the speed of the rollers which are immediately upstream. Thus, the fiber is stretched, in different amounts, at the same time that the solvent and non-solvent are being removed, and while the fiber is still wet. The resulting fiber has been found to exhibit superior flux and selectivity properties.

Abstract: A structural polymeric composite includes a stiffening layer. The composite is made in a continuous extrusion process in which the stiffening layer is pulled through a cross-head die as a polymer is extruded over it. The layer includes a film or textile carrier, a filler of carbon fibers, fiberglass, organic fibers or minerals forming a mat. A binder may be dispersed over the mat and a second carrier applied. The mat is subjected to heat and pressure to soften the carriers and binder so they penetrate into the interstices of the filler and binds mechanically with them and the carriers and binder bind chemically with each other to form the stiffening layer. A polymer is then extruded over the stiffening layer, which may be used flat, provided with holes or punches for composite action with the polymer, formed into a profile, or segmented to provide spaced-apart stiffening layers.

Abstract: A method of making a flexible medical article or tube, for example, a sheath for a vascular access device, is provided. The method can include extruding a polymer, for example, a polycarbonate-urethane copolymer, to form a tube and annealing the extruded polymer. The method can further include cutting the extruded tube to a desired length before or after annealing, flaring one end of the annealed tube and over-molding the flared portion onto a hub, and forming the other end of the tube into a tip. A sheath formed by such a method is also provided.

Abstract: A tubular support member located in a distal portion of an elongate flexible medical device is provided with a plurality of wall openings, e.g., axially-spaced, substantially transverse slots, formed therein to thereby increase a flexibility of the support member. A layer of sealing material overlays an outer surface the support member so as to provide a sealed portion of the support member including the wall openings, the sealing material having respective flexible invaginations formed therein overlaying the wall openings in the support member so that the sealing material does not substantially impede flexibility of the support member.

Abstract: A mold may include a plurality of nanostructures configured to form a lithographic pattern when imprinted into a material. Imprinting may include imprinting the mold a first predetermined distance, modifying a temperature of the material, and altering a position of the mold based on the temperature modification. One or more thermal elements may alter a temperature of a first section of the material and/or one or more nanostructures for a predetermined pulse time less than an equilibrium time required for the mold and/or material to reach a stable temperature state. A first thermal element may selectively alter the temperature of a first section of the material and/or a first nanostructure and a second thermal element may selectively alter the temperature of a second section of the material and/or a second nanostructure. The one or more thermal elements may include one or more thermoelectric elements.

Abstract: A 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system, comprises one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines; a CNC control system controlling the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to form a heated prepreg thermoplastic composite material into a 3D thermoplastic composite pultrusion, the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines include a plurality of motion control CNC rotational motors and CNC actuators operatively coupled to the motion control CNC rotational motors, a flexible chilled band shapeable by the CNC actuators to form the heated prepreg thermoplastic composite material into the thermoplastic composite pultrusion, and bearings that the motion control CNC rotational motors pivot the actuators about and hold the actuators in position during a consolidation process.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a near-infrared ray shielding film is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a raw material of PET; providing tungsten oxides-containing nanoparticles; blending the raw material of PET and the tungsten oxides-containing nanoparticles to obtain a polyester mixture with 80-99.99 wt % of the raw material of PET and 0.01-20 wt % of the tungsten oxides-containing nanoparticles; rolling the polyester mixture to obtain a polyester sheet; and biaxially-orientating the polyester sheet with a orientating rate of 1-100 meters per minute at 60-300° C.

Abstract: One method for creating barrier products (for example, condoms and gloves) includes: (a) dipping a former into a tank of elastic compound. The former has an indentation extending inwardly from an outer surface for creating a first protrusion on a first face of the barrier product. The method further includes: (b) removing the former from the tank of elastic compound, whereby some of the elastic compound removably adheres to the former and fills the indentation; (c) applying supplemental material to the elastic compound, whereby creating a second protrusion on a second face of the barrier product; and (d) fully drying the supplemental material. One barrier product includes an elastic wall having opposed faces, and first and second protrusions respectively extend from the opposed faces. The first and second protrusions are in cross-sectional alignment whereby rotational input forces on the first protrusion create rotational output forces on the second protrusion.