A reusable mold membrane is provided for forming an outer mold during a process to encapsulate a target object in a substance, the mold membrane comprising: a cylindrical membrane body comprising a resiliently deformable material, wherein an inner diameter of the cylindrical membrane body is less than an outer diameter of the target object provided on an outer surface of a cylindrical carrier object, when the membrane body is in an un-deformed state; and a plurality of manipulation structures provided on an outer part of the membrane body, each of the plurality of manipulation structures configured to be manipulated by application of mechanical force to control the space within the membrane body by controlling the amount of deformation of the membrane body. There is also disclosed a method for use during a process to encapsulate a target object in a substance.

A tooling for deforming a fibrous blank includes at least a first and a second arch extending along a circumferential direction between a first end and a second end, the first ends of the arches being present in a first area and the second ends of the arches being present in a second area, the first end of at least one of the arches having a fixed position along the transverse direction and the second ends of the arches being able to move along the transverse direction, the first and the second arch being intended to be in contact with the surface of the fibrous blank.

The invention relates to a frame (2) including at least one part that is intended to support a skin (3) for receiving a part made from a composite material to be polymerized in an autoclave, said skin (3) defining the general shape of said part. The frame (2) is characterized in that it is a single-piece foundry piece.

The invention is directed to a method of forming a molded item said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a mold former comprising an indentation having an inner surface and a bottom face and made of plastics and manufactured by a 3-dimensional printing process, said mold former being shaped to form a mold having (i) an indentation corresponding to the desired shape of said molded item; and (ii) a series of holes extending between the inner surface and the bottom face of the mold former, (b) forming a mold in said mold former from a plastics material; (c) positioning an elongate member in said mold; (d) introducing a volume of liquid into said indentation; (e) positioning a cover over said mold and sealing it thereto; (f) causing said liquid to solidify.

According to some aspects, a method is provided of casting an object from a mold, the method comprising obtaining a mold comprising a hollow shell of rigid material, the material comprising a thermoset polymer having a plurality of pores formed therein, providing a metal and/or ceramic slurry into an interior of the mold, exposing at least part of the mold to a low pressure environment so that a net flow of gas is produced from the interior of the mold into the low pressure environment. According to some aspects, a method of forming a porous mold is provided. According to some aspects, a photocurable liquid composition is provided, comprising a liquid photopolymer resin, particles of a solid material, in an amount between 30% and 60% by volume of the composition, and a water-soluble liquid.

A casting mold for producing a casting having a front side and a rear side from a curable casting compound, including at least a first mold part shaping the front side and a second mold part shaping the rear side, the mold parts together delimiting a casting cavity. A slide device, provided on one of the mold parts, includes a slide portion that can be driven into the casting cavity and on which a detachable insert part is or can be arranged. The insert part is able to be moved abutting against the opposite mold part and is able to be embedded into the curing casting compound, and is detached from the slide portion when the latter is moved back.

A leveler table includes a plate with a flat top work surface that is level in all planes, by locating a circular level recessed within the center of the plate, so that the level indicator of the circular level is in horizontal alignment with the top work surface. By locating the circular level in the middle of the plate, at the same horizontal level as the work surface, this leveler table provides accuracy and repeatability for use of the flat top work surface in manufacturing steps, particularly the forming of parts where repeatability is necessary, such as the in situ forming of an automotive windshield sensor pad in an open ended package supported on the flat top surface.

A mold device configured for use in a rotational molding device configured to perform a rotational molding process by rotating the mold device by means of a robot arm is provided. The mold device generally includes a connector part for connecting to the robot arm, first and second mold parts configured to assemble to each other for enclosing a mold cavity in an assembled state. The mold device includes a magnet gripper for releasably attaching the mold parts and heating and cooling elements integrated in at least one of the mold parts for respectively heating and cooling the mold part. The heating elements may be arranged in first grooves positioned in an exterior face of the respective mold part. The cooling elements may be arranged in second grooves positioned in the exterior face of the respective mold part in between the first grooves.

A contact lens manufacturing method for removing a contact lens from a pair of molds, the contact lens being produced by polymerizing a monomer included in the pair of molds which are obtained by assembling a lower mold for forming a front curve of the contact lens and an upper mold for forming a base curve of the contact lens, the method including: (A) a first peeling step to peel the contact lens from the lens formation surface of the upper mold; (B) a separation step to separate the contact lens from the lens formation surface of the upper mold; (C) a second peeling step to peel the contact lens whose periphery sticks to the lens formation surface of the lower mold; and (D) a third peeling step to peel the contact lens, whose periphery has been peeled, from the lens formation surface of the lower mold.

Systems and methods for lens creations are disclosed. The method includes initiating light transmission from a light source through a diffuser into a container holding resin and a substrate. The light transmission is performed according to an irradiation pattern wherein each point in the resin is illuminated by at least 10% of the diffuser. This causes a lens to be formed. To achieve this illumination, at least 15% of the diffuser receives light from the light source. Further, a diameter of the diffuser is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate. The system performing the methods includes a polymerization apparatus and may include a resin conditioning and reservoir apparatus, a metrology unit, a resin drainage apparatus and an optional postcuring apparatus.