A system for pre-fabricating a plurality of synthetic turf strips at an indoor facility. The indoor facility is separate from an installation facility for assembling the plurality of strips into a synthetic field. The system includes a plurality of strips for creating the synthetic field and equipment at the indoor facility for prefabricating the plurality of strips. The indoor facility is capable of storing the equipment performing the prefabrication. A floor at the indoor facility is provided, the floor including dimensions that correspond to locations on a field at the installation facility. The dimensions correspond to markings on an underside of each of the plurality of strips.

A bamboo composite material for structural applications and method of fabricating the same are provided. The method can comprise the steps of providing a bamboo culm; separating a slice or sheet from the bamboo culm such that the slice or sheet has a longitudinal axis along a fiber direction of the bamboo culm; at least partially detaching individual fiber bundles of the slice or sheet from each other along the longitudinal axis of the slice or sheet; applying a glue to the slice or sheet; and curing the glued slice or sheet.

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

A method of cutting a wafer of composite core from a bulk composite core includes stabilizing the bulk composite core with a fixture, the bulk composite core having a plurality of tube members. The method also includes cutting through each of the tube members to create the wafer while the bulk composite core is stabilized by the fixture.

There is disclosed a cutting mechanism for severing elongate fiber reinforcement material in composite material lay-up equipment, the cutting mechanism comprising a cutting element and a counteracting element which cooperate to sever fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip between them, the cutting element being mounted on an elongate arm which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element relatively to the counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism further comprising guide means arranged to guide the fiber reinforcement material through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device for driving the elongate arm in a cutting stroke, the actuation device acting on the elongate arm at a position away from the cutting element. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment comprising the cutting mechanism.

A method of making a laminated shingle is provided. The method includes coating a shingle mat with roofing asphalt to make an asphalt-coated sheet, adhering a reinforcement member to a portion of the asphalt-coated sheet, covering the asphalt-coated sheet, and optionally covering the reinforcement member, with granules to make a granule-covered sheet, dividing the granule-covered sheet into an overlay sheet and an underlay sheet, wherein the overlay sheet has a tab portion normally exposed on a roof and a headlap portion normally covered-up on a roof, the headlap portion having a lower zone adjacent the tab portion and an upper zone adjacent the lower zone, and wherein the reinforcement member is adhered to the lower zone of the headlap portion and laminating the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet to make the laminated shingle.

A method of cutting a wafer of composite core from a bulk composite core includes stabilizing the bulk composite core with a fixture, the bulk composite core having a plurality of tube members. The method also includes cutting through each of the tube members to create the wafer while the bulk composite core is stabilized by the fixture.

A base structure and associated method for converting the base structure into an operable vane on a shade for an architectural opening. The base structure includes a back sheet and a front sheet attached together in engagement regions spaced along the length of the back sheet and front sheet. The front sheet is separated into front strip sections having a free end. Operating elements are positioned along the back sheet and situated so as to move relative thereto. The operating elements are attached adjacent to a free end of the front strip. Movement of the operating elements actuates the free end of the front strip to move from a closed position to an open position as desired by the user.

A layered composite includes an insulation sheet and at least one scrim layer secured thereto. The at least one scrim layer may be embedded within the thickness of the insulation sheet, or bonded to a corresponding face of the insulation sheet, and have a tensile strength greater than that of the insulation sheet. As such, the scrim layer provides structural support to the insulation sheet as well as a trap for fibers or particles that may separate from the insulation sheet.

A method for manufacturing a capacitor element includes singulating a mother block into a plurality of laminate blocks having a shape of an elongated, substantially rectangular parallelepiped, by dividing the mother block in rows; rolling each of the plurality of laminate blocks; and singulating each of the plurality of laminate blocks into a plurality of laminate chips having a shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, by dividing the plurality of laminate blocks after rolling in columns. The step of rolling each of the plurality of laminate blocks includes the step of moving the plurality of laminate blocks placed on a stage, along a direction in which the plurality of laminate blocks are arranged side by side, thereby sequentially pushing each of the plurality of laminate blocks to an end portion of the stage and causing each of the plurality of laminate blocks to rotationally fall from the end portion.