Abstract: Contact lens curing systems and methods are described. A contact lens curing system includes an oven that has a plurality of curing zones, a mold advancement system for moving contact lens mold assemblies between the plurality of zones, and a controlled atmosphere in the curing zones that provides a substantially chemically inert environment in which contact lens precursor materials can be polymerized in contact mold assemblies located in the curing zones. Methods of producing contact lenses include curing contact lens precursor materials in contact lens mold assemblies in the lens curing system.

Abstract: A dough molder including a housing for at least one pair of rollers 1 having an access opening 5 to the at least one pair of rollers 1. The access opening 5 is provided with a guard arrangement 7 on which the operators arm rests during operation of the rollers. The dough molder further includes a detector 6 having means to interrupt operation of the molding rollers when the operator's hand is detected by light beams 18, 19 as extending beyond predetermined limits through the access opening 5 and moving to a position where the rollers 1 can be reached by the operator.

Abstract: A method of connecting a component to a molded article may include disposing a component adjacent to a wall of the article being molded, overlapping a portion of the component with a portion of the wall of the article being molded while the wall is still at least partially molten, and permitting the wall of the article being molded to cool with said portion of the component still overlapped by the wall. Preferably, a portion of the component is overlapped on two sides by the wall of the article being molded to firmly retain the component relative to the article after the article is formed. The article may be a receptacle, or any other object, as desired.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing hollow bodies from thermoplastic material in which web- or strip-type preforms of plasticized plastics material are shaped in a multi-part tool which forms a mold nest, with two outer molds and a central mold which perform opening and closing movements with respect to one another. The central mold is provided with at least one device for receiving and manipulating components to be fastened in the interior of the hollow body by means of a material and/or form-fitting joint. Prior to the fastening of the components to the inner wall of the hollow body to be produced, the components are heated by means of a radiant heating device. The radiant heating device is advantageously integrated in the central mold of the tool.

Abstract: A method for pressureless sintering of B4C without sintering agents which reduces sintering time without sacrificing relative density, and avoids decomposition of B4C and loss of relative density.

Abstract: Endolumenal prostheses that readily and extensively convert from a delivery configuration to a deployed configuration are disclosed. Endolumenal prostheses may be fabricated from one or more shape memory polymers, a high modulus elastomer, a polymer that is both elastomeric and exhibits shape memory behavior, a hydrogel, or some combination thereof. Polymers used to fabricate the prostheses are selectively synthesized to exhibit desired characteristics such as crystallinity, strain fixity rate, strain recovery rate, elasticity, tensile strength, mechanical strength, cross-linking density, extent physical cross-linking, extent of covalent cross-linking, extent of interpenetrating networks, rate of erosion, heat of fusion, crystallization temperature, and acidity during erosion. The endolumenal prostheses convert to the deployed configuration following delivery to a treatment site, upon exposure to an initiator either present within the body naturally or introduced into the body.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating a polymeric implantable device with improved fracture toughness through annealing, nucleating agents, or both are disclosed herein. A polymeric construct that is completely amorphous or that has a very low crystallinity is annealed with no or substantially no crystal growth to increase nucleation density. Alternatively, the polymer construct includes nucleating agent. The crystallinity of the polymer construct is increased with a high nucleation density through an increase in temperature, deformation, or both. An implantable medical device, such as a stent, can be fabricated from the polymer construct after the increase in crystallinity.

Abstract: A composite fabrication apparatus which may include a first tooling die and a second tooling die movable with respect to each other; a temperature control system having induction coils disposed in thermal contact with the first tooling die and the second tooling die; a first die susceptor provided on the first tooling die and a second die susceptor provided on the second tooling die and connected to the induction coils; and a cooling system disposed in thermal contact with the first tooling die and the second tooling die. A resin transfer system delivers resin from a resin source to the tooling dies to allow resin transfer molding. A composite fabrication method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular a meat mass. The method comprises the steps of filling a mold cavity, which is open on one side, with the mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, which mold cavity is defined by a boundary comprising walls and base, in order to mold a molded three-dimensional product, and the removal of the molded three-dimensional product from the mold cavity. In the method according to the invention, during removal the adhesion forces between the molded product and the boundary are eliminated virtually simultaneously along all the interfaces.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for depositing a cobalt containing film on one or more substrates are disclosed herein. A cobalt precursor, which comprises at least one pentadienyl ligand coupled to the cobalt for thermal stability, is introduced into a reaction chamber containing one or more substrates, and the cobalt precursor is deposited to form a cobalt containing film onto the substrate.

Abstract: Sets of lithographic templates providing improved lithographic alignment are described. The sets include at least two templates. The first template has an array of first geometries and the second template has an array of second geometries. The second geometries correspond to the first geometries and at least one second geometry is intentionally offset from its corresponding first geometry.

Abstract: A composite structure is provided. The structure includes at least one ply of preimpregnated material formed into a curved elongated member of continuous fibers onto a mandrel. The fibers have a select orientation. The curved elongated member has a length and a cross-sectional geometry that varies along the length.

Abstract: Electrostatic fine fiber generation equipment such as for forming nano-fibers from polymer solution is provided. The fine fiber generation equipment includes a strand that may take the form of a stainless steel beaded chain. The beaded chain can be an endless chain entrained upon two guide wheels and driven about an endless path perpendicularly relative to the collection media.

Abstract: For a full-color flat panel display, demands for high definition, high aperture ratio and high reliability have been increasing. Therefore, increasing in the number of pixels and narrowing a pixel pitch have been major issues. According to the present invention, a layer including an organic compound is selectively formed with a light-exposure apparatus used in a photolithography technique without a resist mask. A material layer including a photopolymerization initiator, a material polymerized with the photopolymerization initiator, and an organic compound are formed on a plate, and then are exposed to light and selectively cured. A film-formation substrate is disposed so as to face the plate. The film-formation substrate or the material layer is heated so that the organic compound included in a region exposed to light or a region not exposed to light is evaporated to be selectively deposited on the surface of the film-formation substrate.

Abstract: A method for determining a sintering shrinkage of a pre-sintered body. The method includes providing a green preform with at least one design feature. The green-preform is pre-sintered to form a white body. At least one change in the at least one design feature with the pre-sintering is recorded. An expected sintering shrinkage to a dense-sintered component is determined using the recorded change.

Abstract: The invention relates mold, particularly a mold for producing foam articles. In a preferred embodiment, the mold comprises a lid and a bowl releasingly engageable to define a mold cavity, the lid comprising: (i) a vent having a passageway for gas to escape from the mold cavity, and (ii) a plurality of grooves connected to the vent. The use of a plurality of grooves/slots in the mold cavity surface effectively acts as a siphon to draw gas away from the composition to be molded. The plurality of grooves/slots is connected to one or more vents which then allows for escape of the gas from the mold cavity to the exterior of the mold.

Abstract: A tire with a crown reinforcement that comprises at least three plies of reinforcing elements. At least a first profiled element P1 has an axially outer end that is situated at a distance from the equatorial plane of the tire which is less than the distance separating the plane from the end of a second ply. The profiled element P1 is radially separated from the radially outer liner C1 of a first ply by a second profiled rubber compound element G1. At least a third profiled element P2 has an axially outer end that is situated at a distance from the equatorial plane of the tire which is less than the distance separating the plane from the end of a third ply. The profiled element P2 is radially separated from the radially inner liner C2 of the first ply by a fourth profiled rubber compound element G2.

Abstract: A device (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layerwise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layers that correspond to the object is provided. The device comprises a machine frame (2, 3, 4, 5) and a building space (10) that is arranged in the machine frame. In the building space (10) there are arranged: an application device (27) that applies layers of the building material onto a support device (26) and a previously applied layer, respectively, by an application element (61); a dosage device (28, 29) that provides building material for the application device (27) for an application, and a heating device (31) for heating the applied layers of the building material. The application element (61) and/or the dosage device (28, 29) and/or the heating device (31) are removable from the building space (10) without a tool.

Abstract: A process for preparing ultra-high molecular weight poly(alpha-olefin) (UHMWPO) multi-filament yarns having improved tensile properties at higher productivity. The process includes drawing a solution yarn, then drawing a gel yarn and then drawing a dry yarn continuously in sequence to form a partially oriented yarn, winding up the partially oriented yarn, unrolling the yarn, drawing the partially oriented yarn to form a highly oriented yarn, cooling the highly oriented yarn under tension and winding up the highly oriented yarn.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process or a device for the production of a three-dimensional object by layer-wise solidification of a material which is solidifiable under the application of electromagnetic irradiation by means of mask illumination, wherein the mask is produced using an image forming unit having a prescribed resolution, which is formed from a constant number of image forming elements (pixels) being discrete and being arranged in a spatially mutually fixed manner. For the improvement of the resolution along the outer and inner contours of the sectional areas of the object to be generated layer-wise in the sub-pixel range, a multiple illumination per layer is performed, which consists of a series of multiple images that are mutually shifted in the sub-pixel range in the image/construction plane, wherein a separate mask/bitmap is produced for each shifted image.