A production method of a modeled object includes a fixing step of fixing a thermally expandable sheet onto a tray by entirely or partially fixing a periphery of the thermally expandable sheet placed on the tray by a fixing member; a thermally expanding step of thermally expanding partially the thermally expandable sheet, which is in a state of being fixed onto the tray by the fixing step, by being heated by irradiating the thermally expandable sheet with light by an irradiation unit, while moving the irradiation unit from a first position toward a second position unit; and cooling the thermally expandable sheet, which has been thermally expanded partially by the thermally expanding step, while maintaining the state in which the thermally expandable sheet is fixed onto the tray, while returning the irradiation unit from the second position to the first position.

A core mould element can be mounted between first and second mould parts. The first and second mould parts and the core mould element can be mounted between first and second thermal platens. The thermal platens can have generally planar faces for mounting in a press, for maintaining a desired pressure within the mould assembly. The thermal platens can provide for heating and cooling the mould assembly, and each can include a central portion and end portions, with thermal breaks between the central portion and the end portions. Bores can extend through the central and end portions, for receiving heating elements and pipes for cooling fluid. The end portions can include bores for a cooling fluid for cooling the end portions.

A core mould element can be mounted between first and second mould parts. The first and second mould parts and the core mould element can be mounted between first and second thermal platens. The thermal platens can have generally planar faces for mounting in a press, for maintaining a desired pressure within the mould assembly. The thermal platens can provide for heating and cooling the mould assembly, and each can include a central portion and end portions, with thermal breaks between the central portion and the end portions. Bores can extend through the central and end portions, for receiving heating elements and pipes for cooling fluid. The end portions can include bores for a cooling fluid for cooling the end portions.

A system for additive manufacturing comprises a dispensing head for dispensing building materials on a working surface, a hardening system for hardening the building materials, a cooling system for evacuating heat away from the building materials, and a computerized controller. A thermal sensing system is mounted above the working surface in a manner that allows relative motion between the sensing system and the working surface, and is configured to generate sensing signals responsively to thermal energy sensed thereby. The controller controls the dispensing head to dispense the building materials in layers, the sensing system to generate the sensing signals only when the sensing system is above the building materials once hardened, and the heat evacuation rate of the cooling system responsively to the sensing signals.

A foaming apparatus for a paper container (90), including: a main body (10), a delivery mechanism, a plurality of supports (30), a heating mechanism (40), a cooling mechanism (50), a feeding mechanism (60), and a pick-up mechanism (70). The main body (10) is divided into a feeding and pick-up area (13), a preheating area (14), a heating area (15) and a cooling area (16) on a horizontal plane; the delivery mechanism includes a chain (21) in closed circulation; each of the supports (30) is provided with a supporting portion (32) and a base (31); the heating mechanism (40) is disposed on the preheating area (14) and the heating area (15) so as to heat same; the cooling mechanism (50) is disposed on the cooling area (16) so as to cool same; the feeding mechanism (60) and the pick-up mechanism (70) are separately disposed above the feeding and pick-up area (13). Therefore, the foaming apparatus for the paper container (90) can effectively reduce the size of a machine while ensuring sufficient path length to do separate the heating area (15) from the cooling area (16).

A method of designing a cooling circuit inside a mold that includes therein the cooling circuit that passes through an inlet and an outlet includes a control plane setting step, a reference plane setting step, an intersection line extraction step, and a circuit setting step. The control plane setting step sets a control plane that is perpendicular to the mold surface on the side which comes in contact with a material and that passes through the inlet and the outlet. The reference plane setting step sets a reference plane that is offset by a fixed distance from the mold surface to the inside of the mold. In the intersection line extraction step, an intersection line at which the control plane and the reference plane intersect is extracted. In the circuit setting step, the cooling circuit is set inside the mold along the intersection line.

A method of designing a cooling circuit inside a mold that includes therein the cooling circuit that passes through an inlet and an outlet includes a control plane setting step, a reference plane setting step, an intersection line extraction step, and a circuit setting step. The control plane setting step sets a control plane that is perpendicular to the mold surface on the side which comes in contact with a material and that passes through the inlet and the outlet. The reference plane setting step sets a reference plane that is offset by a fixed distance from the mold surface to the inside of the mold. In the intersection line extraction step, an intersection line at which the control plane and the reference plane intersect is extracted. In the circuit setting step, the cooling circuit is set inside the mold along the intersection line.

In various embodiments, a vapor condensation thermoplastic part finishing technique is provided that smooths and ensures color saturation of thermoplastic parts. The technique uses nonhazardous vapor condensation to rapidly heat a thermoplastic part to a temperature higher than its melting temperature. The part then may be cooled to a temperature lower than its melting temperature (and preferable lower than its glass-transition temperature. In some cases, evaporation may be employed to rapidly cool the part. Condensation and, where applicable evaporation, may be promoted by pressure changes to the nonhazardous vapor (e.g., increasing pressure to above atmospheric pressure and then decreasing pressure back to atmospheric pressure), exposure of the part to a separately-heated cloud of nonhazardous vapor (e.g., moving the part into and then out of the separately-heated cloud or injecting and then stopping injection of separately-heated vapor), or by other techniques.

In various embodiments, a vapor condensation thermoplastic part finishing technique is provided that smooths and ensures color saturation of thermoplastic parts. The technique uses nonhazardous vapor condensation to rapidly heat a thermoplastic part to a temperature higher than its melting temperature. The part then may be cooled to a temperature lower than its melting temperature (and preferable lower than its glass-transition temperature. In some cases, evaporation may be employed to rapidly cool the part. Condensation and, where applicable evaporation, may be promoted by pressure changes to the nonhazardous vapor (e.g., increasing pressure to above atmospheric pressure and then decreasing pressure back to atmospheric pressure), exposure of the part to a separately-heated cloud of nonhazardous vapor (e.g., moving the part into and then out of the separately-heated cloud or injecting and then stopping injection of separately-heated vapor), or by other techniques.

A process of preparing carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) intermediate products is described wherein the carbon fibers are prepared from a carbon fiber precursor and then in-line impregnated with a polymeric resin as part of a continuous process. The process can provide cost savings compared to processes wherein carbon fibers are prepared and then impregnated with polymeric resins in a separate process, thereby making the use of CFRP materials more economically feasible. Also described is a system for preparing carbon fiber from a carbon fiber precursor and impregnating the carbon fiber with polymeric resin to provide CFRP intermediate products, such as continuous tapes or rods or discontinuous flakes or pellets.