A manufacturing method for a wind turbine blade is described which utilizes a post-moulding station in the manufacturing process. A blade shell forming part of a wind turbine blade is initially moulded in a blade mould, the blade shell subsequently transferred to a post-moulding station which allows for various post-moulding operations to be carried out on the blade shell away from the mould, thereby increasing the productivity of the blade mould in the manufacturing process. The post-moulding station may be operable to perform the closing of first and second blade shells to form a wind turbine blade, and may be formed from an adjustable structure which can provide relatively easy access to the contained blade shell for working thereon. Accordingly, the manufacturing equipment may be of reduced cost, combined with an increase in the overall productivity of the manufacturing system.

Provided is an apparatus for molding plastic preforms into plastic containers, with at least one blow molding arrangement, which includes at least a first mold carrier, a second mold carrier and a blow-molding device having at least two blow mold side parts and a base part, wherein the blow molding device can be releasably arranged on the mold carriers via a locking mechanism and forms a cavity inside which the plastic preforms can be molded into the plastic containers, wherein during the molding process, the mold carriers can be latched together by a latching device, and the apparatus includes a changeover robot which is suitable and intended for extracting the blow-molding device in an assembled state from the mold carriers.

A composite article manufacturing facility comprising: a plurality of forming stations (1), each forming station being capable of forming pieces from a feedstock of a laminar reinforcement material; a plurality of lay-up stations (3), each lay-up station being capable of arranging a stack of the formed pieces in overlapping fashion; a transfer mechanism (2) configured to simultaneously transport formed portions from multiple ones of the forming stations towards multiple ones of the lay-up stations; a memory (93) storing a first sequence of pieces to be laid up at a first one of the lay-up stations and a second sequence of pieces to be laid up at a second one of the lay-up stations; and a controller (90) coupled to the forming stations, the lay-up stations and the transfer mechanism for controlling the operations thereof, the controller having access to the memory and being configured to, when a formed piece of the first sequence and a formed piece of the second sequence are loaded on the transfer mechanism, cause the transport mechanism to simultaneously transport them towards the first and second lay-up stations respectively.

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.

A device for manufacturing a composite product has a first folded layer with a first and second superposed portion extending from a respective first and second free end to a first bend connecting the first and second superposed portions, and a second folded layer with a third and fourth superposed portion extending from a respective third and fourth free end to a second bend connecting the third and fourth superposed portions, wherein the first and second folded layers are laid adjacent to each other in order that the second portion of the first folded layer is in contact with the third portion of the second folded layer, the first and second folded layers being oriented with respect to each other in order to extend from a first side including the first, second, third and fourth free ends to a second side including the first and second bend.

A modular production line for the production of contact lenses comprises at least three separate modules: a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP). The modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between the individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the lenses from a preceding module to a subsequent module. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) which are grouped to form a plurality of individual manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) arranged in a closed loop. Reusable male and female molds (212, 112) are transported through the manufacturing stations of the manufacturing units, and each manufacturing unit (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) comprises a plurality of the manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352). A plurality of transfer robots (36) is provided, each transfer robot (36) of the plurality of transfer robots (36) being arranged at a location between two manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) to transfer the reusable molds from one manufacturing unit to the other manufacturing unit.

A system for handling a first component includes: a main-device and a module-device, the module-device having a pressing section arranged to form an outer surface of the module-device, the module-device configured to releasably receive the first component, such that a connection section of the first component is attachable to the pressing section of the module-device. The module-device is releasably connected to a second component, wherein the main-device includes a grabbing unit adapted for releasably connecting the module-device, such that the pressing section is arranged to form a first outer surface section of the main-device, and wherein the main-device includes a connector for connecting to a handling-unit for arranging the main-device at the second component, such that the connection section of the first component, if attached to the pressing section of the module-device, is at least indirectly attachable to a front surface of the second component.

A method of arranging, in particular thermoplastic, semi-finished products by using an electronically controlled or regulated placing device for the semi-finished products. The method includes detecting at least one part of an outline of a semi-finished product to be placed, wherein the detecting is carried out by a detection device, determining a target position for the semi-finished product and/or for the placing device for placing the semi-finished product by matching the at least one part of the outline with a placing edge occurring on an underlying surface, and placing the semi-finished product by the placing device using the target position.

A container treatment system (1, 13) that has at least two working areas (AP). Each of the working areas (AP) respectively comprises at least one exchangeable working tool (2) and/or one adaptable format part. Furthermore, the container treatment system (1, 13) comprises at least one automatic exchange machine (10) which is movable, in particular drivable, to the at least two working areas (AP), which automatic exchange machine (10) can be connected selectively to any of the respective working areas (AP), in particular using centering means (22, 32), and which automatic exchange machine (10) comprises tools for exchanging the working tools (2) and/or for adapting the format parts of the respective working area (AP). The invention further relates to an automatic exchange machine (10) for exchanging working tools (2) and/or for adapting the format parts of at least two different working areas (AP) of a container treatment system (1, 13).

The invention relates generally to injection mold components, and more specifically an injection mold material flow channel configured with at least one fin projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the melt channel. An injection molding insert may be made for insertion within a flow path of an injection mold components and include a substantially tubular body defining a channel; and at least one fin projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the channel.