The present invention relates to a hitch step that may be secured to a vehicle in a hitch receiver, and a method of manufacturing the same, that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention provides a multi-step pressurization method that produces a strong, compact hitch step that is cost effect to manufacture.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) washing a plurality of flakes of recycled PET; (B) providing a PET crystallizer; (C) after the step of washing the plurality of flakes, passing the plurality of flakes of recycled PET through the PET crystallizer; (D) at least partially melting the plurality of flakes into a polymer melt; (E) providing a multi-rotating screw (MRS) extruder having an MRS section; and a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section; (F) using the vacuum pump to reduce a pressure within the MRS Section; (G) after the step of passing the plurality of flakes through the PET crystallizer, passing the polymer melt through the MRS Section; and (H) after the step of passing the polymer melt through the MRS extruder, forming the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Various geometries are described for forming retroreflective structures in polymeric sheets or films. The geometries enable venting of volatile gases that can otherwise become trapped between the embossing surface and the polymeric sheet or film. The geometries are incorporated in tooling belts or other pattern forming surfaces.

In a method for controlling shrinkage of a composite, a dried hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber is exposed to a slow acting resin system having a first curing time. An excess amount of the slow acting resin system is removed to separate out the pre-wetted hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber. The pre-wetted hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber is mixed with a fast acting resin system to form a mixture. The fast acting resin system has a second curing time that is less than the first curing time. The mixture is molded at a predetermined temperature. The fast acting resin system is cured prior to the slow acting resin system, and the slow acting resin system flows into free space within the curing fast acting resin system prior to the slow acting resin system being cured.

Presently disclosed systems and methods for depositing a compound into a void in a sandwich panel or other structure are configured to reduce the air pressure in and around the void as the compound flows into the void, thereby reducing the amount of air trapped between the compound and the sandwich panel skin (under the compound, within the void) during the repair. Additionally or alternatively, presently disclosed systems and methods for deaerating a compound are configured to remove trapped air from the compound prior to use of the compound (e.g., prior to depositing the compound within a void for repairing the void). In some examples, the same system is configured to both deaerate the compound and deposit the deaerated compound to the void, all while in a reduced air pressure environment inside a vacuum chamber.

Methods and systems for consolidating an additively manufactured piece. In one embodiment, methods include the step of combining the additively manufactured piece with another piece, for example with another additively manufactured piece or with a piece that is not additively manufactured (e.g. an insert, foam, etc.), so that during a consolidation step, those pieces are assembled or connected together.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 25 millibars or another predetermined pressure; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

A method and a device for the purification of gases from the degassing of polymer melts—in particular, for the continuous further processing to form stretched polymer films. In this case, the gas to be purified is fed from a vacuum zone of a plasticizing unit, via at least one vacuum or degassing line, to a vacuum separator with a gas inlet and a gas outlet in which condensible, separable by freezing, and/or re-sublimable substances are separated from the supplied and purified gas by means of a cooling arrangement, and the separated substances are removed from the vacuum separator. By means of a heating arrangement, the substances separated by means of the cooling arrangement are at least partially liquefied or softened in the vacuum separator and removed from the vacuum separator in particular by suction.

Resin supply system in which resin material is stored in a pouch in a degassed state ready for use. The pouch comprises a body portion forming a reservoir for resin material and a connector portion in fluid communication therewith. The connector portion includes an outlet which is configured to be connected to an injector head of an injector assembly, the injector head being connectable to a mould by means of connecting tubing to provide a resin supply thereto. The pouch is configured to be mountable in a housing of the injector assembly and is compressed by hydrostatic pressure of water surrounding the pouch in a chamber of the housing. The application of pressure by a piston moving in a direction transfers pressure to the water and then to the pouch in a controlled manner to provide the resin supply to the mould. After use, the pouch is removed and discarded thereby substantially eliminating the need for cleaning of the housing after use.

Vacuum systems for epoxy mounting of material samples are disclosed. In some examples, a vacuum system may be a castable and/or cold mounting vacuum system that facilitates mounting and/or encapsulation of material samples in epoxy resin under low, vacuum, and/or near vacuum pressure. In some examples, the vacuum system may comprise a flow control device configured to control epoxy flow through a dispensing tube that connects to a hollow vacuum chamber. In some examples, the vacuum chamber may have an opening encircled by a rim sandwiched between upper and lower portions of a sealing ring. A movable lid may be configured to press down on the upper portion of the sealing ring when in a closed position, so as to seal the opening.