An active anvil assembly for use in forming a looped suture is provided. The active anvil assembly includes an anvil member, a first sensor operably connected to the anvil member, and a control assembly. The first sensor is configured for measuring at least one of force, torque, and distance feedback. Also provided are systems and methods for forming a looped suture including an active anvil assembly.

An internal tensioning structure for use in an inflatable product fulfills the basic function of maintaining two adjacent inflatable surfaces in a desired geometric arrangement when the inflatable product is pressurized. The tensioning structure is formed by connecting a pair of plastic strips sheets via spaced-apart strands, such as strings or wires. When pulled taut, the strands provide a high tensile strength between the two opposed plastic strips. At the same time, the plastic strips facilitate a strong, long-lasting weld between the tensioning structure and the inflatable product.

A tension member with at least one loop made from fiber-reinforced plastic, which tension member has a plurality of fibers that run substantially parallel to each other, so that the loop is formed by the plurality of fibers, wherein a first group of fibers is turned over along the loop in a first turning direction, while a second group of fibers is turned over along the loop in a second turning direction, which is opposed to the first turning direction. Some of the turned-over fibers of both groups end in a different distance from the vertex of the loop than others of the turned-over fibers, so that a cross-section of the tension member that results from the respective number of fibers that run approximately parallel to each other outside the turning-over area of the fibers approximately continuously decreases until it reaches the cross-section size of the tension member.

Provided is a thermal molding method for producing a thermally molded article having excellent abrasion resistance at its melt-fused part. Polyamide 6 and a copolyester are prepared separately. The copolyester contains terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol, and 1,4-butanediol as copolymerization units. The copolyester may further contain ε-caprolactone and/or diethylene glycol as a copolymerization unit. A multifilament yarn in which core-sheath type composite filaments each containing a core component and a sheath component at a ratio of 1 to 4:1 by mass are bundled is produced by a composite melt-spinning method using the polyamide 6 as the core component and the copolyester as the sheath component. Using the multifilament yarn, a product of filaments is produced by weaving, knitting, knitting and braiding, or braiding. The product of filaments is heated to melt the copolyester and fuse the core-sheath type composite filaments to each other while retaining the initial filament form of the polyamide 6, thus thermally molding the product of filaments.

A wire embedding system and methods are presented. A wire is embedded in a substrate at predetermined locations in a series of sequential embedding instances using heat and pressure. The heat and pressure are removed from the wire in between the series of sequential embedding instances.

A method of making a brush includes providing a plurality of first filaments, each having a first end and a second end; bringing the plurality of first filaments into a first predetermined shape such that the first ends are arranged side by side on a common contour; fixedly connecting the first ends so that a first pre-tuft having the first predetermined shape and a connected first end is formed; bringing a second tuft element having a first end and a second end together with the first pre-tuft into a second predetermined shape such that the first end of the second tuft element and the connected first end of the first pre-tuft are arranged side by side on a common contour; fixedly connecting the connected first end of the first pre-tuft and the first end of the at least second tuft element so that a final tuft having the second predetermined shape and a connected end is formed; and attaching the final tuft to a brush body by overmolding the final tuft's connected end with a plastic material.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

A method for processing massive fiber bundles includes massive fiber-bundle formation and massive materials handling, wherein plural small-diameter bundles are unified, while more or less preserving their legacy cross-sectional form. It also includes bending, such as to create non-linear preforms, and preform-charge fabrication. Embodiments of the invention operate to help preserve a desired fiber alignment throughout a part fabricated from relatively large-diameter fiber bundles.

The invention relates to a method for forming a laser-welded connection, in which two parts to be joined (11; 11a, 12; 12a) are connected to one another under the effect of a laser beam (1) in a joining region (30; 30a) to form a weld (2), wherein one part to be joined (11; 11a) consists of a material transparent to laser radiation and the other part to be joined (12; 12a) consists of a material absorbent to laser radiation, and wherein the two parts to be joined (11; 11a, 12; 12a) form a receptacle (25; 25a; 25b) for a component (13; 13a; 13b; 14) separate from the parts to be joined (11; 11a, 12; 12a).

A method for splicing two bundles (1, 2) of multifilament textile fibers comprises: inserting an end portion of a first bundle (1) into a first end of a heat-shrinkable sheath (10) and an end portion of a second bundle (2) into a second end of the sheath, axially opposite the first end, until the ends of the end portions of the two bundles are facing each other; inserting a curable organic material inside the sheath (10) in a space separating the end portions of the bundles (1, 2); heating a portion of the heat-shrinkable sheath (10) surrounding a joining portion (9) to a predetermined temperature; curing the curable organic material; and removing the sheath (10).