A method of forming a composite layup on a substrate comprises: moving an automatic fiber placement head over the substrate; using the fiber placement head to lay down multiple, parallel strips of composite tape on the substrate, including staggering the start of at least certain of the tape strips so as to form a contour pattern; and, cutting the ends of all of the tape strips using a single cut.

Apparatus and methods for fulfillment of patient prescription orders by adapting a standard or stock container pre-filled with medication or the like for use as a patient-specific container through precise application of patient-specific information to the pre-filled container. Precise placement of the patient-specific information to the pre-filled container enables pharmacy management to fully utilize valuable information provided with the pre-filled container, thereby improving the quality of service to the patient while making the process of prescription order fulfillment more efficient. In general, preferred embodiments comprise control apparatus and information-application apparatus. In embodiments, the information-application apparatus is adapted to place a patient-specific label on the container. Preferred forms of the information-application apparatus include a label printer and a positioner. The preferred printer applies patient-specific information on a label. The preferred positioner orients the pre-filled container to receive the label from the printer such that information provided with the container is available for use.

A system for applying a material to a substrate comprising: a feed section that comprises a feed roll and configured for advancing a material along a predetermined path; a material applicator roll configured to receive the material from the feed roll and apply a cut length of material to a substrate; a knife element located between the feed section and the material applicator roll; and a non-vacuum anvil roll positioned near the knife element, wherein the knife element and the non-vacuum anvil roll are positioned along the path of the material and engage the material to cut the material into the cut length of material for applying to the substrate, and wherein the material contacts the peripheral surface of the non-vacuum anvil roll only at a cut engagement point.

A laser cuts overlapping ribbons of acoustic material into acoustic devices. An automatically controlled manipulator includes an end effector having groups of placement tools for simultaneously placing multiple acoustic devices in a cellular core. The placement tools include mandrels provided with vacuum pickups for picking up and holding the acoustic devices during transport to the core. A vision system aligns the placement tools with the cells of the core. The end effector includes a thermal radiation device for bonding the acoustic devices to the core.

A laser cuts overlapping ribbons of acoustic material into acoustic devices. An automatically controlled manipulator includes an end effector having groups of placement tools for simultaneously placing multiple acoustic devices in a cellular core. The placement tools include mandrels provided with vacuum pickups for picking up and holding the acoustic devices during transport to the core. A vision system aligns the placement tools with the cells of the core. The end effector includes a thermal radiation device for bonding the acoustic devices to the core.

A solar cell assembly in which a solar cell component is bonded to a flexible support is disclosed. The solar cell assembly comprises a flexible support with a predetermined size, a solar cell component, bonding adhesive between the support and the solar cell component, wherein the support with the predetermined size has a uniform borders of 0.003 inch to 0.2 inch in width extending beyond the edges of the solar cell component.

Composite tape is laminated onto a substrate using a gantry to move a tape laminating head along the length of the substrate. The laminating head is mounted for movement along a beam on the gantry that extends across the width of the substrate. The direction of lamination may be altered by changing the angular orientation of the beam.

In a device and method for manufacturing preforms of fiber reinforced plastic, in a first step, continuously supplied fiber layers are laterally reshaped in a predetermined manner, and the section that is obtained is curved longitudinally in a specific manner in a second step.

In aspects of the invention, a holding stage of a pick up system can include a first stage on which a semiconductor chip is mounted with an adhesive sheet put in between, a second stage supporting the first stage, and an evacuation pipe. The first stage can be provided with a plurality of grooves, projections each being formed with side walls of adjacent grooves, and air holes connected to the grooves. The semiconductor chip can be mounted on the first stage so that the whole end portion of the semiconductor chip does not position on one groove. Then, a closed space surrounded by the adhesive sheet and the first and second stages and can be evacuated to make the semiconductor chip held on the projections. Thereafter, the semiconductor chip can be picked up by a collet.

Portions of microwave energy interactive material may be cut and removed during intermediate steps in a lamination processes, so that remaining microwave energy interactive material in a resultant laminate is arranged in a pattern. Regarding the removal of the portions of the microwave energy interactive material, a compound laminate may be delaminated into parts, and one of the parts may be a sacrificial laminate that includes the removed portions of the microwave energy interactive material.