Woven irrigation tubing comprising a woven, extrusion coated & laminated tube formed of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) outer layer, a low density polyethylene (LDPE) middle layer and a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) inner layer. The finished tubing is treated for ultraviolet resistance. The tubing is tied off at a distal end with a proximal end connected to a pressurized irrigation source. Watering holes are created in the tubing at spaced intervals and the resulting water streams are directed into parallel plowed furrows. The tubing is completely recyclable. The tubing is formed by manufacturing tape for the woven outer tubing cover, stretching the tape along its length to strengthen it, weaving the outer layer from the tape, flattening the woven outer layer, extrusion coating each surface of the outer layer with LDPE, laminating the LLDPE inner layer to the LDPE, reversing and winding the tubing for storage and distribution.

A method and system for manufacturing composite parts free of wrinkles and mark-offs from bagging compression. The method can include placing composite material around a rigid mandrel and sealing opposing end of an elastomeric hollow membrane within a rigid external vessel. Then the method can include inflating the hollow membrane from a natural state to an inflated state. In the natural state, the hollow membrane can have a cross-section smaller than the cross section of the rigid mandrel with the composite material thereon. The method can then include inserting the rigid mandrel and the composite material into the membrane while it is in the inflated state, followed by releasing the membrane from the inflated state to naturally contract toward its natural state. Then the method can include heating the composite material to a cure temperature while the composite material is compressed by the membrane.

An endoprosthesis has an expanded state and a contracted state, the endoprosthesis includes a stent having an inner surface defining a lumen, having an outer surface, and defining a plurality of apertures through the outer surface, wherein the apertures are arranged in a micropattern; and a coating (e.g., polymeric coating) attached to the outer surface of the stent. The coating includes a base and a tissue engagement portion including a second surface facing outwardly from the stent, the tissue engagement portion including a structure that defines a plurality of holes extending inwardly from the second surface toward the base. The holes are arranged in a micropattern. When the endoprosthesis is expanded to the expanded state in a lumen defined by a vessel wall, the structure applies a force that may reduce stent migration by creating an interlock between the vessel wall and the endoprosthesis.

A device is provided for radially strengthening a polylactic acid tube, which includes a tubular mold, a rotating blade and a distal blade, wherein a rotating shaft of the rotating blade is arranged at an axial position of the tubular mold, a first end of the distal blade is movably connected to the rotating blade, and a second end of the distal blade is controlled by a control rod so as to open and close the distal blade. A strengthening method is provided, in which the device for radially strengthening a polylactic acid tube is used. The method includes loading a polylactic acid tube to be strengthened into the strengthening device, heating the strengthening device for a first preset time, rotating the rotating blade in a constant direction while opening the distal blade at a first speed such that the second end of the distal blade approaches the tubular mold, closing the distal blade and restoring the distal blade to an initial state after squeezing and scraping for a second preset time, cooling the strengthening device to room temperature, taking out a strengthened polylactic acid tube, and cutting off redundant sections. The tube strengthened by the above-mentioned strengthening device and method has a better wall thickness uniformity, more precise inner and outer diameter dimensions, with no axial orientation, and no thermal creep in a low temperature range such as body temperature, etc.

Netting (100) comprising an array of polymeric strands (101, 102), wherein the polymeric strands (101, 102) are periodically joined together at bond regions (105) throughout the array with spaces (103, 109) between adjacent strands, wherein at least a plurality (i.e., at least two) of the strands are hollow polymeric strands (i.e., a hollow core (106) with a sheath (107) surrounding the hollow core), and wherein at least 50 percent by number of the strands do not substantially cross over each other. In some embodiments, the core comprises fluid. Embodiments of nettings described herein are useful for example, for thermal transport in thermal interface articles used to control the temperature of and/or dissipate heat for electronic components and batteries or mechanical devices.

Disclosed are reinforced structures. The structures are comprised of reinforced elements that have continuous fibers embedded in a matrix material. The reinforced elements are combined in a matrix material to form a desired shape of reinforced structure.

A method for forming extruded microtube devices and products having a hollow portion utilizing a hydrodynamic nozzle, a curable fluid, and a core fluid to form flexible polymer based microtubes having an inner diameter ranging from 500 nanometers to 500 micrometers and also continuous microtubes having a varying inner diameter ranging from about 500 nanometers to 500 micrometers. The outer diameter can be variable and have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, rectangular, square, triangular, elliptical, star, irregular, curved, or formed within a solid block of material.

A novel tubular or profile shapes of co-extruded multilayer polymers. These materials contain tens to thousands of layers of milli-, micro- to nano-polymer layers. These new shapes contain contiguous layers of milli- to nano-polymer layers in three dimensions and these contiguous layers may be twisted or turned to further expand the potential microlayer geometries.

A system for creating an internal formation of a tubular structure having an inner surface via additive manufacturing. The system broadly includes a computer modeling system and an additive manufacturing system. The computer modeling system may include a processor for generating a lattice cellular component via computer-aided design software according to inputs received from a user. The processor may also generate an internal formation lattice structure based on the lattice cellular component and modify the lattice structure to follow and/or conform to the curvature of the inner surface of the outer wall of the tubular structure. The additive manufacturing system may be configured to produce the lattice structure and the tubular structure via additive manufacturing material deposited layer by layer according to the lattice structure.

The present invention relates to a guide rail, a device and a method for the manufacture thereof.

This rail (1) is remarkable in that it is made from an injected plastic material and in that it comprises at least one portion having the shape of a tubular profile (10) longitudinally split over at least one portion of its length, this rail able to be straight or curved in the shape of an arc of a circle.