Provided is a position detecting method for detecting a winding position of a reinforced fiber impregnated with resin when a plurality of hoop layers is formed in a cylindrical portion of a liner. The position detecting method includes: an imaging step of taking, by an imaging portion, a captured image of the reinforced fiber just after the reinforced fiber is wound around a hoop layer illuminated with oblique light by a lighting assembly, the imaging portion having an optical axis set at the same angle as an optical axis of the lighting assembly around a central axis of the liner; and a detecting step of detecting the winding position of the reinforced fiber based on the number of high intensity pixels or the number of low intensity pixels in each pixel column arranged in an axial direction of the liner in the binarized captured image.

A method of manufacture of a carbon fiber article comprises providing a preform mold having a region that is shaped to compliment a shape of a preform part that is to be produced the surface being provided with at least one bore or groove that is connected to at least one conduit that passes through the mold to a manifold, laying a sheet of release material onto the surface covering at least some of the plurality of holes, applying reduced pressure to the manifold to cause the sheet to be sucked down onto the mold surface, laying carbon fiber material into the mold on top of the sheet of release material, applying an increase pressure to the manifold to push the preform free from the mold surface, and removing the preform from the mold.

An injection mold, in particular for encapsulating rotors of electric machines, has a mold, wherein the mold has an arrangement of mold segments. The arrangement forms, along a longitudinal axis, a cavity for a component to be arranged. An exchange unit is provided, which is designed to remove at least one mold segment from and/or insert at least one mold segment into the arrangement, with the result that a size of the cavity can be changed.

A dispatch system and a dispatch method for manufacturing mold are provided. The dispatch system includes a control unit, a mold material storage unit, a processing cutter storage unit, an object pick-and-place and transfer unit, a mold processing unit and a mold product storage unit. The mold material storage unit includes many unprocessed mold materials. The processing cutter storage unit includes many processing cutters. The object pick-and-place and transfer unit is electrically connected to the control unit and disposed between the mold material storage unit and the processing cutter storage unit. One of the unprocessed mold materials and one of the processing cutters are transferred to the mold processing unit by the object pick-and-place and transfer unit, the unprocessed mold material is processed to form a mold product by the mold processing unit, and the mold product is transferred to the mold product storage unit.

A dispatch system and a dispatch method for manufacturing mold are provided. The dispatch system includes a control unit, a mold material storage unit, a processing cutter storage unit, an object pick-and-place and transfer unit, a mold processing unit and a mold product storage unit. The mold material storage unit includes many unprocessed mold materials. The processing cutter storage unit includes many processing cutters. The object pick-and-place and transfer unit is electrically connected to the control unit and disposed between the mold material storage unit and the processing cutter storage unit. One of the unprocessed mold materials and one of the processing cutters are transferred to the mold processing unit by the object pick-and-place and transfer unit, the unprocessed mold material is processed to form a mold product by the mold processing unit, and the mold product is transferred to the mold product storage unit.

A method of making a wind turbine blade is described. The blade comprises first (12) and second (14) half shells bonded together and a shear web (16) bonded inside the shells. Prior to joining the shells together, the shear web is positioned in one of the shells. A plurality of bars (70) are attached to the shear web and engaged with a plurality of mounts (80) in order to support and stabilise the shear web relative to that shell. The shells are then arranged one above the other whilst the bars remain attached to the shear web. The bars continue to support the shear web whilst the shear web is aligned with the other shell. The bars are then detached from the shear web and the shells are brought together to bond the shells to each other and to bond the shear web between the shells.

A press for producing a molded part from pourable material has an apparatus for driving a die that includes a cylinder unit having a cylinder housing and having a cylinder piston. The cylinder housing is the actuator of the cylinder unit and the cylinder piston is the stator of the cylinder unit.

A guide mandrel is provided for machine insertion of plastic or rubber tubes into a shaping mold. The guide mandrel includes a rigid rear portion and a flexible front end portion, the flexible front end portion including an elastic front end member. A rear end of the guide mandrel is configured for mounting of the guide mandrel in a device for automatic insertion of the plastic or rubber tubes into a shaping mold. A device for automatic insertion of straight plastic or rubber tubes into a shaping mold using the guide mandrel is also provided.

An apparatus for locating a preform on a mold includes a preform handling tool and a force sensor coupled to the preform handling tool such that the force sensor is capable of sensing forces applied to the preform during handling of the preform by the preform handling tool. The apparatus includes a control device that is arranged and operable to move the preform handling tool relative to the mold. A method of locating the preform on the mold includes picking up the preform using the preform handling tool and placing the preform in a vicinity of the mold. Positions on the mold are mapped with an edge of the preform with the aid of the force sensor. The preform is paced on the mold according to the mapped positions.

Die and counter-die systems, polymeric rule dies for such systems, and polymeric formulations suitable for producing such rule dies using digital rule writing. There is provided a rule die for pressure-contacting of a cardboard workpiece surface, including: (a) a die body; and (b) at least one elongate polymeric rule, each rule having: (i) a first elongate base surface adhesively attached to a surface of the die body; and (ii) an elongate protrusion, distally protruding from the die body, the elongate protrusion having an elongate die surface, the elongate die surface including a polymeric material, the elongate die surface having a contact surface adapted to contact the workpiece surface; the contact surface having a length of at least 5 mm and a first width (W) within a range of 0.4 to 1.0 mm, the rule having a height (H) within a range of 1.0 to 4.5 mm; wherein, over a total length of the contact surface, the contact surface having at most 5 surface pocks/meter, the pocks having a diameter above 0.1 mm.