A process for debundling a carbon fiber tow into dispersed chopped carbon fibers suitable for usage in molding composition formulations is provided. A carbon fiber tow is fed into a die having fluid flow openings, through which a fluid impinges upon the side of the tow to expand the tow cross sectional area. The expanded cross sectional area tow extends from the die into the path of a conventional fiber chopping apparatus to form chopped carbon fibers, or through contacting tines of a mechanical debundler. Through adjustment of the relative position of fluid flow openings relative to a die bore through which fiber tow passes, the nature of the fluid impinging on the tow, the shape of the bore, in combinations thereof, an improved chopped carbon fiber dispersion is achieved. The chopped carbon fiber obtained is then available to be dispersed in molding composition formulations prior to formulation cure.

In a method of removing a protecting synthetic coating (1) from an elongated element (2), the elongated element (2) including an optical fiber (3) surrounded by the coating, a cut (8) is created into the coating by knife edges (6). The element (2) is displaced with respect to the knife edges in a longitudinal direction of the element (2) for displacing coating material (17) by the knives. At least one drop of liquid (12) with wetting properties is supplied to the cut for being sucked into a space created between the coating and the optical fiber during the displacement of the coating for acting as a lubricant for a sliding of the coating to be removed along the fiber.

In an aspect, a process for removing a tail end of Brussels sprouts comprises separating a Brussels sprout from a stack and transferring it to a longitudinal transport track. On the track, the Brussels sprout is manipulated to position a longest dimension of the Brussels sprout perpendicular to a direction of travel of the transport track. Near an end of the track, a position and an orientation of each Brussels sprout is defined by photographic detection. Each Brussels sprout is removed from the transport track by a gripper. A position and an orientation of the gripper are defined using the detected position and orientation of the Brussels sprout to be removed. The gripper is re-oriented and moved along a knife to remove the tail end of the Brussels sprout. The Brussels sprout is removed from the gripper and collected.

A method and apparatus are provided for die cutting label stock comprising a facestock, an adhesive and optionally a liner to form labels where a liner of the linered pressure sensitive adhesive label stock may be a thin or ultrathin liner.

A method and apparatus are provided for die cutting label stock comprising a facestock, an adhesive and optionally a liner to form labels where a liner of the linered pressure sensitive adhesive label stock may be a thin or ultrathin liner.

A cutting blade, which is useable for cutting a reinforcing strip into reinforcing plies, includes one or more notches disposed at given intervals. When a volume of rubber separating two reinforcing threads is cut by the cutting blade, bridges of rubber are left between a rear edge of a first reinforcing ply and a front edge of a second reinforcing ply.

The invention provides a water-soluble metal-working oil agent, including a component A, a component B, a component C, and a component D, wherein the component A is an ester compound which has a characteristic temperature, as measured in accordance with JIS K2242, of 570 C. or higher and which is contained in the water-soluble metal-working oil agent in an amount of 10 mass % or more with respect to the entire amount of the agent; the component B is at least one condensed fatty acid which is selected from a condensed fatty acid (1), produced through dehydration condensation of a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and a condensed fatty acid (2), produced through dehydration condensation of an alcoholic hydroxyl group of the condensed fatty acid (1) with a monovalent carboxylic acid, which has a characteristic temperature, as measured in accordance with JIS K2242, of 650 C. or higher, and which is contained in the water-soluble metal-working oil agent in an amount of 7.5 mass % or more with respect to the entire amount of the agent; the component C is a carboxylic acid which is contained in the water-soluble metal-working oil agent in an amount of 2 mass % or more with respect to the entire amount of the agent; and the component D is a basic compound contained in such a neutralization equivalent that at least the component B and component C are neutralized to cancel out the sum of the acid values thereof. The agent can provide excellent workability with a hard-to-work material and can prolong tool life.