A knitted spacer fabric has a tightly knitted bottom layer, a more loosely knitted upper layer and linking fibres extending across the space between the lower and upper faces. Settable material, e.g. cement, is introduced into the space between the upper and lower faces and can be caused to set by the addition of a liquid, e.g. water. Until set, the fabric is flexible and can be shaped but after the material in space has set, the fabric is rigid and can be used as a structural element in a wide range of situations. The bottom layer has an extension that extends beyond the upper face and is connected to the upper face by elastic connecting fibres that draw the extension towards the other face, thereby at least partly closing the space at the edge of the cloth and preventing the settable material from spilling out. In addition, the packing of the settable material and maximum space between the faces are such that only a predetermined amount of liquid can be accommodated within the space and that amount is matched to the water required to set the cement.

In one aspect, a method of forming a linear panel from a thermoformable fibrous material by a continuous process includes continuously drawing an elongate strip of thermoformable fibrous material through a heating station to heat the material, forming the heated material into a desired panel shape, and continuously drawing the material through a cooling unit in order to cool the material after the material has been formed into the desired panel shape.

A method of molding a metalized composite part. The method comprises: introducing particles comprising at least one metal into a gas stream; directing the gas stream toward a surface of a thermoplastic composite part, thereby depositing a metal layer on the composite part to form a metallized composite part; and molding the metallized composite part to introduce a bend without delamination of the metal layer from the metallized composite part.

A system for packing and assembling a flexible duct that includes a sleeve. The sleeve includes a tubular vapor barrier and an insulating layer within the vapor barrier and includes a central cavity. Further, the sleeve is radially compressed and rolled along an axial direction. The system also includes an air core sized to fit within the central cavity of the insulating layer. The air core includes a sheet that blocks fluid flow therethrough and a structural support coiled within the sheet and the air core is flattenable and not within the rolled sleeve.

An apparatus for producing a web of fibrous material includes a roll having incisions with a depth of 0.01-2.00 mm, a width of 0.01-2.00 mm, and a pitch 0.01-10.00 mm, and rotated at a peripheral velocity v.sub.1 equal to the velocity of an upstream apparatus unit; a belt stretched between transmission rollers that advances at a velocity v.sub.2 less than v.sub.1, wherein v.sub.1/v.sub.2 lies between 1.05 and 1.40; a presser roller rotating at a peripheral velocity v.sub.2, associated with a presser system acting to press the belt against the metal roll with a pressure of 1-200 kg per centimeter; and a system that feeds a sheet of pliable fibrous material between the belt and the roll, the belt having a longitudinal elongation of no more than 5%, dimensional stability along its entire length, a thickness of 1-10 cm, and a hardness 24-70 Shore A.

The present disclosure relates to liners and methods of making liners. The liners may be suitable for use with tanks and other storage/containment vessels, such as process tanks, immersion tanks, indoor or outdoor containment pits, gravity feed conduits (e.g., concrete trench, canal, or drain, etc.) for transferring or conveying liquid, grain storage tanks or containers (e.g., dielectric or electrically non-conductive liners for grain storage, etc.), etc.

A composite structure that includes a multi-layer laminate including a plurality of layers of material, and at least one crack barrier layer extending within the plurality of layers of material. The multi-layer laminate is folded to define a first web region and a second web region in a face-to-face relationship, and a folded tip region defined between the first web region and the second web region. The at least one crack barrier layer is configured to restrict crack propagation from spreading through the plurality of layers of material in the folded tip region.

A manufacturing method for a high-pressure tank is a manufacturing method for a high-pressure tank including a reinforced layer formed such that an electrically conductive fiber bundle impregnated with thermosetting resin is wound around a liner. The manufacturing method includes: a step of preparing the tank in which the uncured reinforced layer is formed on the liner; a first heating step of heating the uncured reinforced layer by low-frequency induction heating so the thermosetting resin is softened; and a second heating step of, after the first heating step, heating the softened reinforced layer by high-frequency induction heating so that the softened reinforced layer is hardened.

A knitted spacer fabric has a tightly knitted bottom layer, a more loosely knitted upper layer and linking fibres extending across the space between the lower and upper faces. Settable material, e.g. cement, is introduced into the space between the upper and lower faces and can be caused to set by the addition of a liquid, e.g. water. Until set, the fabric is flexible and can be shaped but after the material in space has set, the fabric is rigid and can be used as a structural element in a wide range of situations. The bottom layer has an extension that extends beyond the upper face and is connected to the upper face by elastic connecting fibres that draw the extension towards the other face, thereby at least partly closing the space at the edge of the cloth and preventing the settable material from spilling out. In addition, the packing of the settable material and maximum space between the faces are such that only a predetermined amount of liquid can be accommodated within the space and that amount is matched to the water required to set the cement.

A paint roller manufacturing system and method are described. In an embodiment, an inner strip of material and an outer strip of material are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. The inner strip of material and the outer strip of material each comprise material that results in a final paint roller which shrinks by less than 2.5 percent of the final paint roller axial length, or which has shrinkage that varies by less +/0.1%, upon hardening and setting. An adhesive is applied to at least a portion of the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. A length of fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube, and compression is applied to the paint roller tube while advancing the paint roller tube in a direction parallel to the mandrel. A precision measuring or sensing device is used to control a cutting device causing the cutting device to cut the advancing paint roller tube into pre-selected lengths prior to the paint roller tube hardening and setting.