Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a composite component. The method includes laying one or more layers of uncured composite material onto a mandrel. The mandrel which includes a plurality of conductive media dispersed in a thermoplastic material. An electric current is supplied to the mandrel to resistively heat the one or more layers of uncured composite material to a temperature sufficient to cure the one or more layers of uncured composite material to form a cured composite component. The mandrel is removed from the cured composite component.

Abstract: A pneumatic motorcycle tire includes a tread portion provided in each half tread region with a unit pattern repeatedly arranged in the tire circumferential direction to form a unidirectional tread pattern. The unit pattern includes a first groove extending axially outwardly from a vicinity of the tire equator, while inclining to the opposite direction to the intended tire rotational direction; a second groove disposed on the heel-side in the tire rotational direction of the first groove and extending along the first groove; a third groove disposed on the heel-side of the second groove and extending along the second groove; a fourth groove disposed on the heel-side of the third groove and extending along the third groove; and a narrow groove extending from an axially inner end of the first groove to an axially inner end of the fourth groove, while inclining to the intended tire rotational direction.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion provided with a shoulder main groove and a crown main groove to form a middle land portion therebetween. The middle land portion is provided with a first middle lug groove including a first groove wall and a second groove wall, wherein the first groove wall includes a protrusion protruding toward the second groove wall on the side of the shoulder main groove. The protrusion includes a front wall located so as to form a sipe portion between the front wall and the second groove wall, a top wall, a first lateral wall located axially outward of the front wall and a second lateral wall located axially inward of the front wall. The front wall is configured to a triangular shape.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. The apparatus includes a solidification substrate that is tiltable relative to a film about a tilting axis. Layers of the solidifiable material solidify in contact with a film located between the most recently solidified object layer and a solidification substrate that comprises the solidification substrate assembly. The tilting of the solidification substrate relative to the film allows the substrate to be used to squeeze excess solidifiable material from between the film and the most recently solidified object surface while minimizing or eliminating the formation of bubbles in the solidifiable material which can prolong object build times.

Abstract: This sheet manufacturing apparatus is provided with: a nozzle for extruding a heated resin sheet; a main roll with a surface on which microstructures are formed; a follower roll disposed at a distance from the main roll; and an electricity-supplying mechanism. The electricity-supplying mechanism heats an electrically conductive section of the main roll by supplying electricity to the electrically conductive section from both edges of the main roll.

Abstract: A thermoforming packaging machine with a top film forming station, wherein the forming tool upper part and the foaming tool lower part of the top film forming station are disposed above a transportation plane of a lower film. One of the forming tool upper part or the forming tool lower part are operably connected to a lifting mechanism by a traverse system. The lifting mechanism is disposed below the transportation plane of the lower film. The traverse system transfers a lifting force from the lifting device to one of the forming tool upper part or lower part through the transportation plane of the lower film.

Abstract: A system uses microwave energy to remove support material from a three-dimensional printed object with reduced risk of damage to the object. The system includes a microwave source, a three port device, a susceptor, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The controller operates the microwave source to direct microwave energy into a first port of the three port device, which emits the microwave at a second port of the three port device to irradiate the three-dimensional object and melt the support material. Reflected microwave increases as the amount of support material contacting the object is reduced and enters the second port of the three port device, which directs the reflected energy to the susceptor coupled to a third port of the three port device. The controller monitors the signal generated by the temperature sensor and deactivates the microwave source in response to a predetermined condition being reached.

Abstract: A machine for processing a part produced by a 3-D printer. The machine includes a housing having a working chamber defined therein. A support structure is disposed at the bottom of the working chamber for supporting the part. The structure has at least one opening defined therein. A spray header is disposed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the working chamber. A pump is configured and arranged to convey a fluid at varying pressures through the spray header. The fluid contacts the part and then passes through the opening in the structure where it flows to the bottom of the working chamber to a fluid outlet.

Abstract: A hot press device presses one or more objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, and includes: a roller around which a roll on which the objects to be pressed are disposed at predetermined intervals is wound; hot plates which are disposed to face one surface of the objects to be pressed while corresponding to the roll supplied from the roller; press units which are disposed to push the hot plates on the objects to be pressed; and a pitch changing unit which moves the hot plates in a direction in which the roll is moved or in a direction opposite to a direction in which the roll is moved, in accordance with a distance between the objects to be pressed.

Abstract: Production of highly pure comminuted polycrystalline silicon from polycrystalline silicon rods produced by the Siemens process is facilitated by removal of graphite residues from the electrode ends of the rods by removing the contaminated end portions by means of mechanical impulses.

Abstract: A device and a method for producing a preform having a shoulder and base geometry optimized for subsequent stretch blow molding, since the preform cannot be produced according to the conventional injection-molding method. For this purpose, the preform produced in the injection-molding tool is transferred into a conditioning station and is conditioned and cooled in the shaft while no contact is made with the top of the preform and the preform shoulder on account of a special contour of the conditioning receptacle. Due to the reheating of these preform regions they can be mechanically deformed into a new geometry which is advantageous for the blow molding process and thus their wall thickness can also be influenced. In the subsequent blow molding process the deformed preform has the advantage that the plastic material which is distributed better in the bottle results in considerable material savings and higher quality bottles.

Abstract: A system for fabricating micro-truss structures. A reservoir holds a volume of a liquid photomonomer configured to polymerize to form a photopolymer when exposed to suitable light such as ultraviolet light. A mask at the bottom of the reservoir includes a plurality of apertures. Light enters the reservoir through each aperture from several directions, forming a plurality of self-guided photopolymer waveguides within the reservoir. The light is supplied by one or more sources of collimated light. A plurality of mirrors may reflect the light from a single source of collimated light to form a plurality of collimated beams, that illuminate the photomonomer in the reservoir, through the mask, from a corresponding plurality of directions, to form a micro-truss structure including a plurality of self-guided waveguide members.

Abstract: Provided is a motorcycle tire (1) for traveling on rough terrain, the tire having a block (10) provided to a tread section (2). The block (10) has the following: a block lateral surface body part (15) that extends straight from the edge of a tread surface (12) inward in the tire radial direction; and a skirt section (20) that connects the block lateral surface body part (15) and a groove bottom surface (9). The skirt section (20) has the following: a flat section (21) that extends in a straight line on the groove bottom surface (9) side; and a curved section (22) that connects, in a beveled arc, the area between the flat section (21) and the block lateral surface body part.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing structures are provided. The methods include manufacturing a shell structure by additive manufacturing methods and sectioning panels with predetermined shapes from the shell structure. The panels are subsequently coupled to shell structure. Devices for performing various steps of the methods are also provided.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of forming tooling used to form a material. The method includes positioning a first susceptor made from a first susceptor material between first and second dies. At least one of the first and second dies includes a forming surface having a desired shape. The method further includes positioning a second susceptor made from a second susceptor material between the first and second dies such that the first susceptor is interposed between the second susceptor and the forming surface. Additionally, the method includes positioning a first bladder between the first and second dies such that the second susceptor is interposed between the first bladder and the first susceptor. Also, the method includes inflating the first bladder to concurrently deform the first susceptor and second susceptor into the desired shape.

Abstract: A molding system includes a mold having a mold cavity; a molding machine configured to fill the mold cavity with a composite molding resin including a polymeric material having a plurality of fibers; a computing apparatus connected to the molding machine; and a controller connected to the computing apparatus. The computing apparatus includes a processor configured to generate a previous orientation distribution of the fibers in the mold cavity based on a molding condition for the molding machine, a rotary diffusional distribution of the fibers based on the previous orientation distribution of the fibers, and an updated orientation distribution of the fibers based on the rotary diffusional distribution of the fibers. The controller is configured to control the molding machine to perform an actual molding with the molding condition for injecting the composite molding resin into at least a portion of the mold cavity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for defining a surface contour of a layered charge of material are disclosed herein. The systems include a forming die, which includes a forming surface shaped to define a desired surface contour of the layered charge, and a fluidly actuated support, which includes a support surface that is adjacent to the forming surface and located to support the layered charge. The systems further include a vacuum bag that at least partially defines an enclosed volume and a vacuum source configured to selectively apply a vacuum to the enclosed volume. The methods include locating the layered charge on the forming surface and on the support surface, covering the layered charge with the vacuum bag to define the enclosed volume, applying the vacuum to the enclosed volume, compressing the fluidly actuated support, translating the support surface, and deforming the layered charge to define the desired surface contour.

Abstract: This disclosure aims to achieve reduction in rolling resistance and ensure excellent steering stability. In this disclosure, a tire widthwise maximum width of a carcass is 1.35 W or less; a tire outer surface has a recess; within a second height range h2 and on the outer side in a tire radial direction with respect to bead cores, a radius of curvature of the carcass is 0.46 h or more; within a third height range h3, the radius of curvature of the carcass is 0.62 h or more; during movement of a virtual point from a bead core height position Hbc toward a third height position H3, a tire gauge at the virtual point is reduced by a reduction amount of 0.025×G0/mm or less; and the tire gauge at the virtual point at the third height position H3 is 10% or more of the tire widthwise maximum width of the bead core.

Abstract: Aircraft tire (1) comprising two beads (2). In each bead (2) portion (8) comprises surface layer (9) in contact with rim (3) via radially interior bead face (4) and having a shear stiffness K1. Portion (8) comprises a rigid layer (10), radially on the outside of and adjacent to the surface layer (9), having a shear stiffness K2 at least equal to five times the shear stiffness K1 of the surface layer (9), and a deformable layer (11), radially on the outside of and adjacent to the rigid layer (10) and radially on the inside of and adjacent to the carcass reinforcement portion (5) radially on the inside of the bead wire (7), having a shear stiffness K3 at most equal to 0.3 times the shear stiffness K1 of the surface layer (9).

Abstract: Embodiments include an apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional (3D) object from a digital representation of the 3D object stored in a computer readable media. The apparatus includes a build platform on which the 3D object is to be fabricated and a nozzle configured to deposit printing material on the build platform to fabricate the 3D object. The apparatus further includes a first drive mechanism configured to drive the nozzle over the build platform and a second drive mechanism configured to rotate the build platform.