A system and method for preheating a thermoplastic charge are disclosed. A gas moving unit establishes a flow of a gas through a conduit. A heating assembly is positioned between an inlet and an outlet of the conduit. A holding vessel is in fluid communication with the conduit and houses a thermoplastic particulate material. The thermoplastic particulate material includes a thermoplastic matrix material. The thermoplastic particulate material is introduced to the flow of the gas to yield a gas-particulate mixture. At least one of the gas and the gas-particulate mixture, moving through the conduit, is heated using the heating assembly to yield a heated gas-particulate mixture. The heated gas-particulate mixture is deposited into a mold from the outlet of the conduit.

A susceptor wire array. The array includes a first susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a first Curie temperature point and a second susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a second Curie temperature point, the second Curie temperature point is different than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire. In one susceptor wire arrangement, the second Curie temperature point of the second susceptor wire is lower than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire. In another susceptor wire arrangement, the array further comprises a third susceptor wire, the third susceptor wire comprising an alloy having a third Curie temperature point. The third Curie temperature point of the third susceptor wire may be different than the first Curie temperature point of the first susceptor wire.

Systems and methods are provided for molding systems that have a low thermal mass. One embodiment is a first tool that includes a first frame. The first frame includes a first set of plates of magnetically permeable material, and a material disposed between plates of the first set. The first tool also includes a first set of induction coils that are disposed within the first frame and that generate a first electromagnetic field, and a first susceptor that extends from the first set of plates. The first susceptor generates heat in response to the first electromagnetic field. The first tool further includes a mold that extends from the first susceptor and receives heat via conductive heat transfer from the first susceptor. Each plate of the first set is thinner than a skin depth at which the first electromagnetic field would generate an electrical induction current.

An inductive heating device (1) for heating an aerosol-forming substrate (20) comprising a susceptor (21) comprises: a device housing (10) a DC power source (11) for providing a DC supply voltage (V.sub.DC) and a DC current (I.sub.DC) a power supply electronics (13) comprising a DC/AC converter (132), the DC/AC converter (132) comprising an LC load network (1323) comprising a series connection of a capacitor (C2) and an inductor (L2) having an ohmic resistance (R.sub.Coil), a cavity (14) in the device housing (10) for accommodating a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate (20) to inductively couple the inductor (L2) of the LC load network (1323) to the susceptor (21).

The power supply electronics (13) further comprises a microcontroller (131) to determine from the DC supply voltage (V.sub.DC) and the DC current (I.sub.DC) an apparent ohmic resistance (R.sub.a), and from the apparent ohmic resistance (R.sub.a) the temperature (T) of the susceptor (21).

A smart susceptor assembly includes a plurality of susceptor elements and a plurality of conductor elements. Each susceptor element can be paired with one conductor element to form a susceptor tab. When exposed to a magnetic flux field, the plurality of susceptor elements heat to a leveling temperature. During the heating, the plurality of conductor elements alter both a thermal performance and an electrical operation of the smart susceptor assembly and, more particularly, the susceptor elements. Various configurations of the susceptor elements and conductor elements are described.

A closed-loop cooling system is internal to the enclosure of an induction drive system. Two inverter modules of the induction drive system each includes three insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules for producing an AC output from a DC source, the AC output received by an induction coil for heating a metal.

A system and a method for separating and recycling magnets made from rare earth elements from an article of manufacture used an alignment device to property position the rare earth magnet for processing. Once proper alignment is made, a separating device removes the magnet and a portion of the article. A heating device demagnetizes the magnets and vibration causes the magnets to separate from the portion of the article. Electromagnets remove the portion of the article and the rare earth magnets pass through for reclamation.

A method for curing a thermoset composite part, including placing the composite part within a heating assembly and using the heating assembly to heat the composite part; placing the heating assembly within a pressurization vessel and applying a consolidation pressure; removing the heating assembly from the pressurization vessel and using the heating assembly to cool down the composite part.

An inductive heating device (1) for heating an aerosol-forming substrate (20) comprising a susceptor (21) comprises: a device housing (10), a DC power source (11) for providing a DC supply voltage(V.sub.DC) and a DC current (I.sub.DC), a power supply electronics (13) comprising a DC/AC converter (132), the DC/AC converter (132) comprising an LC load network (1323) comprising a series connection of a capacitor (C2) and an inductor (L2) having an ohmic resistance (R.sub.Coil), a cavity (14) in the device housing (10) for accommodating a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate (20) to inductively couple the inductor (L2) of the LC load network (1323) to the susceptor (21). The power supply electronics (13) further comprises a microcontroller (131) to determine from the DC supply voltage (V.sub.DC) and the DC current (I.sub.DC) an apparent ohmic resistance (R.sub.a), and from the apparent ohmic resistance (R.sub.a) the temperature (T) of the susceptor (21).

An electronic aerosol-generating device includes a housing extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis. The second end of the housing defines a cavity for receiving a consumable containing an aerosol generating substrate. The device further includes a heating component comprising a heating element extending along the longitudinal axis within the cavity and configured to penetrate into the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heating element comprises a material having a Curie temperature of less than 500 C. The device also includes an inductor comprising an inductor coil positioned to transfer magnetic energy to the heating element. The inductor is configured to induce eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the heating element. The device further includes a power supply operably connected to the inductor and control electronics operably connected to the power supply and configured to control heating of the heating element.