An assembly useful for providing structural reinforcement and/or sound/vibration damping to a hollow member of a motor vehicle is provided which contains an injection-molded carrier made of a heat resistant thermoplastic composition, at least one of the first side and the second side of the carrier has at least one receptacle adapted to receive and retain an insert comprised of a heat-expandable resin composition. The carrier may have a plurality of openings in at least one of the first side or the second side forming a grid or lattice and the assembly may include a mounting member adapted to fasten the carrier to an interior wall of a hollow member.

The present invention relates to shape memory materials and to a method for controlling shape change in shape memory materials. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for forming complex shapes from shape memory materials and to shape memory materials having complex shapes.

The present invention relates to shape memory materials and to a method for controlling shape change in shape memory materials. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for forming complex shapes from shape memory materials and to shape memory materials having complex shapes.

The present disclosure relates to a shape memory polymer material containing at least one two dimensional region having a first amount of stored stress in a first direction and a second amount of stored stress higher than the first amount of stored stress in a second direction, wherein the two dimensional region is capable of changing shape in only one of the first or second directions.

Provided are a space filling material and a space filling structure capable of filling a predetermined space for various purposes, and method for using those. A space filling material (11) includes reinforcing fibers as an expansion material and a resin. The reinforcing fibers form a plurality of intersections and are bonded with the resin at at least one of the intersections. Heating of the space filling material causes an expansion stress in at least a thickness direction (X) such that the space filling material fills a predetermined space (13). For example, the space filling material may contain the resin at a volume ratio of 15 to 95 vol % based on a total volume of the reinforcing fibers and the resin.

Methods of manufacturing composite workpieces that include positioning a heat-generating element proximate to an uncured composite workpiece, triggering the heat-generating element to produce an exothermic chemical reaction or exothermic physical reaction so that the temperature of the uncured composite workpiece is raised to a predetermined first temperature, and curing the composite workpiece while it is at a temperature that is at least the predetermined first temperature.

Methods of manufacturing composite workpieces that include positioning a heat-generating element proximate to an uncured composite workpiece, triggering the heat-generating element to produce an exothermic chemical reaction or exothermic physical reaction so that the temperature of the uncured composite workpiece is raised to a predetermined first temperature, and curing the composite workpiece while it is at a temperature that is at least the predetermined first temperature.

A shaping system includes: a printing device that prints an image using predetermined ink on a thermal expansion sheet having a thermal expansion layer on one side; and an expansion device that performs: a drying process of heating the thermal expansion sheet to an extent that allows the thermal expansion layer to maintain a non-expansion state, to dry the image printed by the printing device using the predetermined ink; and an expansion process of, after the drying process, heating the thermal expansion sheet to an extent that allows the thermal expansion layer to expand, to expand the thermal expansion layer.

A shaping system includes: a printing device that prints an image using predetermined ink on a thermal expansion sheet having a thermal expansion layer on one side; and an expansion device that performs: a drying process of heating the thermal expansion sheet to an extent that allows the thermal expansion layer to maintain a non-expansion state, to dry the image printed by the printing device using the predetermined ink; and an expansion process of, after the drying process, heating the thermal expansion sheet to an extent that allows the thermal expansion layer to expand, to expand the thermal expansion layer.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for relofting nonwoven substrates. During the relofting process, a substrate is directed to advance in a first direction such that a length of the substrate is in a facing relationship with a radiation source. The advancing substrate is relofted by irradiating the length of the substrate with infrared radiation from the infrared radiation source. The substrate comprises a first caliper upstream of the radiation source and the substrate comprises a second caliper downstream of the radiation source greater than the first caliper. The substrate may also be redirected around an axis to advance the substrate in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction. The axis may be selectively movable between a first position and a second position to selectively subject the substrate to infrared radiation and remove the substrate from the infrared radiation.