Methods and tools for forming contoured composite structures are disclosed. Methods include positioning a sheet of composite material relative to a structure of shape memory alloy, heating the structure of shape memory alloy to deform the structure of shape memory alloy to a deformed conformation and thereby conform the sheet of composite material to a desired contour corresponding to the deformed conformation of the structure of shape memory alloy. Tools include a structure of shape memory alloy and a heat source for heating the structure of shape memory alloy to conform a sheet of composite material to a desired contour corresponding to the deformed conformation of the structure of shape memory alloy.

A method of forming an implant includes providing a preformed shell formed from at least one cured elastomeric layer. The shell includes an outer surface, an inner surface, and an opening for accessing an interior volume of the shell. The method further includes expanding the shell to an expanded state, in which the interior volume is greater than the interior volume of the shell at a time of forming the shell and forming an inner zone having at least one inner elastomeric layer on at least a portion of the inner surface of the shell, while the shell is in the expanded state, thereby forming a multi-zone shell. The method further includes reducing the interior volume of the multi-zone shell, thereby contracting the at least one inner elastomeric layer of the inner zone and causing texturing of the at least one inner elastomeric layer.

A method of installing a heat shrink cover around a component includes providing the heat shrink cover having an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, the inner sleeve is a heat shrink sleeve, and attaching an electrical heating system to an outer surface of the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are arranged around the component, with the outer sleeve at least partially encompassing the inner sleeve. The electrical heating system is energized to heat-recover the inner sleeve.

[PROBLEMS] It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat-shrinkable polyester-based film roll which can reduce defects caused during a heat shrinking step due to the variation of a heat shrinkage rate in the heat-shrinkable polyester-based film roll having the longitudinal direction as the main shrinkage direction, specifically, defects of the film when covering an object by a wrap-around method and heat-shrunk. [SOLUTIONS] A heat-shrinkable polyester-based film roll, comprising a core; and a heat-shrinkable polyester-based film having a longitudinal direction as a main shrinkage direction that is wound around the core; wherein the film (roll) satisfy predetermined polyester composition, and all samples cutout every about 100 m have a heat shrinkage rate measured by immersion in hot water of 90 C. for 10 seconds of 30% or more and 80% or less and 3% or less of an average in the longitudinal direction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stretchable polyester having shape followability and flexibility by elastic response and being able to suppress deterioration over time due to secondary crystallization. The present invention provides a stretchable polyester which is an aliphatic copolymer polyester containing two or more types of monomer units, wherein the stretchable polyester contains an -form and an amorphous structure, and a degree of orientation determined by X-ray of the -form is 50% or greater.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stretchable polyester having shape followability and flexibility by elastic response and being able to suppress deterioration over time due to secondary crystallization. The present invention provides a stretchable polyester which is an aliphatic copolymer polyester containing two or more types of monomer units, wherein the stretchable polyester contains an -form and an amorphous structure, and a degree of orientation determined by X-ray of the -form is 50% or greater.