An asymmetric mold core for forming curved floor openings in pallets is taught. The mold core contains: a base, the base attachable to a frame in a rotomold, a bottom section integral at a distal end to the base, the bottom section comprising a bottom convex curve having a bottom convex curve radius and a bottom convex curve rotational center, a top section integral at a distal end to the base, the top section comprising a top convex curve, the top convex curve having a top convex curve radius and a top convex curve rotational center, the top convex curve radius being different from the bottom convex curve radius and the top convex curve rational center differing from the bottom convex curve rotational center; a first side section, the first side section positioned and integral at a distal end to the base and positioned between and integral with the bottom section and the top section; a second side section the second side section positioned and integral at a distal end to the base and positioned between and integral with the bottom section and the top section, the second side section positioned parallel to the first side section; and a face.

Methods for forming vascular components include providing a composite sacrificial body comprising a first sacrificial material having an outer surface and a second sacrificial material applied to at least a portion of the outer surface, molding a solid substrate around the composite sacrificial body, removing the first sacrificial material by deflagration such that at least a portion of the second sacrificial material remains in the same orientation relative to the substrate as originally molded, and subsequently removing the second sacrificial material by a non-deflagration process to form a vascular component. The second sacrificial material can include a phase change material, a syntactic foam including hollow beads bound together with a polymeric binder or a sintered aggregation of hollow beads, a polymeric foam, a water-soluble resin, or an aerogel. The non-deflagration process can include mechanical pulverization, contacting the second sacrificial material with a solvent or chemical etching agent.

A tool for fabricating a control surface is disclosed. In various embodiments, the tool includes a first block defining a longitudinal direction running between a leading edge end and a trailing edge end; a first sidewall spaced a first lateral distance from the first block to form a first closeout channel running in the longitudinal direction between the first block and the first sidewall; and a second sidewall configured to form a second closeout channel running in the longitudinal direction, the second closeout channel disposed laterally opposite the tool from the first closeout channel.

Within examples, a mandrel is configured to be inserted into a cavity defined by an interior wall of a structural member to support the structural member during processing. The mandrel includes a first bladder containing a material, the material being capable of exhibiting granular jamming when air is removed from the first bladder. The mandrel further includes a second bladder configured to expand and apply a force to the first bladder. Systems and methods that relate to the mandrel are also described within examples.

Within examples, a mandrel is configured to be inserted into a cavity defined by an interior wall of a structural member to support the structural member during processing. The mandrel includes a first bladder containing a material, the material being capable of exhibiting granular jamming when air is removed from the first bladder. The mandrel further includes a second bladder configured to expand and apply a force to the first bladder. Systems and methods that relate to the mandrel are also described within examples.

A method of producing an operating fluid tank includes providing a mold core produced from a mold core material. The mold core has a holding region, by which the mold core is held in a tool mold or in a plastic molding machine. The mold core is surrounded with a plastic melt, and an opening remains in the operating fluid tank. The mold core material is removed from the operating fluid tank by the remaining opening, and a structural element is arranged at the mold core separate from the holding region, and is held by the mold core while being surrounded with the plastic melt. An inner surface of the operating fluid tank is then formed, to which a structural feature arranged on the structural element is transferred. The structural element is removed from the operating fluid tank through the remaining opening after at least partial hardening of the melt.

A method of producing an operating fluid tank includes providing a mold core produced from a mold core material. The mold core has a holding region, by which the mold core is held in a tool mold or in a plastic molding machine. The mold core is surrounded with a plastic melt, and an opening remains in the operating fluid tank. The mold core material is removed from the operating fluid tank by the remaining opening, and a structural element is arranged at the mold core separate from the holding region, and is held by the mold core while being surrounded with the plastic melt. An inner surface of the operating fluid tank is then formed, to which a structural feature arranged on the structural element is transferred. The structural element is removed from the operating fluid tank through the remaining opening after at least partial hardening of the melt.

A system and method for fabricating large composite fuselages or other vehicle structures, in which the composite structure is fabricated and cured as on a tool, segmented and removed from the tool without disassembling the tool, and then reassembled off the tool to reform the large structure. The tool includes mandrel segments attached to a substructure. The attachments may be moveable to accommodate differential expansion and contraction during curing, and the tool may be rotatable to facilitate access. A composite material of resin and synthetic fibers is applied over the mandrel segments to fabricate the structure on the tool. Caul plates are secured over the composite material, and the composite material is cured on the tool. The resulting structure is cut into part segments which are then removed from the tool, and the part segments are joined to reassemble the large composite structure off the tool.

A method of manufacturing a textured former and a glove made therefrom, wherein the method comprises preparing a hand-shaped ceramic greenware, scanning the hand-shaped ceramic greenware to generate a digital 3D hand-shaped greenware model, modelling a pair of stencil covers with curvy texture line based on the digital 3D hand-shaped greenware model, printing the stencil covers, creating a curvy palm texture on the hand-shaped ceramic greenware with the aid of the stencil covers, firing the hand-shaped ceramic greenware with curvy palm texture in a kiln and dipping the hand-shaped ceramic former with curvy palm texture in an aqueous colloidal dispersion to produce glove with curvy palm texture.

A method of manufacturing a textured former and a glove made therefrom, wherein the method comprises preparing a hand-shaped ceramic greenware, scanning the hand-shaped ceramic greenware to generate a digital 3D hand-shaped greenware model, modelling a pair of stencil covers with curvy texture line based on the digital 3D hand-shaped greenware model, printing the stencil covers, creating a curvy palm texture on the hand-shaped ceramic greenware with the aid of the stencil covers, firing the hand-shaped ceramic greenware with curvy palm texture in a kiln and dipping the hand-shaped ceramic former with curvy palm texture in an aqueous colloidal dispersion to produce glove with curvy palm texture.