Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.

A press forming method uses a press forming apparatus for forming a film formed product as a formed film of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The method includes the step of trimming, in the state where a film material is held between a first die and a holder, by moving a second die closer to the first die to cut the film material using a trimming blade provided for the second die. A blade edge of the trimming blade includes two inclined blade edges inclined toward a proximal side of a blade part from the center to both ends of the blade part in the direction in which the blade part extends.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

A fibrous component for a vehicle exterior includes a skin layer having a multilayer structure comprising a laminated web including a reinforcing fiber and a binder fiber, the skin layer including pores that absorb sound; a sound absorbing pad layer disposed on an inner side of the skin layer and absorbing sound; and an adhesive layer disposed between the skin layer and the sound absorbing pad layer. The adhesive layer adheres the skin layer and the sound absorbing layer to each other.

A method for thermoforming an article includes extruding a sheet of material, conditioning the sheet with a roller, thermoforming the sheet to provide a web, and cutting the web to provide the article.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material molding, having a step (A) for forming a plurality of partial preforms, each having a partial shape obtained by dividing the three-dimensional shape of a target fiber-reinforced composite material molding, by cutting a prepreg sheet containing reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin composition, and by preshaping the cut prepreg pieces; a step (B) for forming a preform having the three-dimensional shape of the target fiber-reinforced composite material molding by combining and integrating the plurality of partial preforms; and a step (C) for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material molding by compression-molding the preform, wherein the step (B) includes arranging a foamable material between the plurality of partial preforms when they are combined.

A plastic shell such as an orthodontic aligner has an interior shape that substantially conforms to a current or future dental arch of a patient. The plastic shell includes a hollow feature comprising a cavity. The plastic shell additionally includes an object inserted into the cavity, wherein the object provides structural strength to the plastic shell at a location of the hollow feature and does not interfere with a fit of the plastic shell onto the dental arch of the patient.

A high-moisture-permeability, microporous plastic film randomly having a lot of recesses having different opening diameters and depths, with clefts formed in the recesses, is produced by pressing a first pattern roll randomly having a lot of high-hardness, fine particles having sharp edges on a roll body surface to a flat-surface metal roll, to produce an anvil roll randomly having a lot of recesses on a metal roll surface; arranging a second pattern roll randomly having a lot of high-hardness, fine particles having sharp edges on a roll body surface oppositely to the anvil roll; and passing a plastic film through a gap between the second pattern roll and the anvil roll.

A method and apparatus for fabricating a composite structure. The method comprises defining a shape for the composite structure with a first face sheet. The method places core sections on the shape defined by the first face sheet. The method places an adhesive in a group of joint cavities. The method places a second face sheet on the core sections placed on the first face sheet, wherein the first face sheet, the core sections, and the second face sheet, define a structural assembly in which the group of joint cavities are present. The method cures the structural assembly with the adhesive in the group of joint cavities to fabricate the composite structure in which the adhesive fills the group of joint cavities when the adhesive is cured.

A method of electrospinning (40) is provided, and an electrospinning device (1; 30). The method comprises (i) holding (41) a liquid comprising a polymer melt or a polymer solution in a container (2), (ii) letting out (42) a stream of the liquid from the container through at least one nozzle (3), (iii) creating (43) a voltage difference between the nozzle (3) and a collecting surface (4), (iv) collecting (44) electro spun material coming from the nozzle (3) so as to form a fibrous structure (8) on the collecting surface (4), and (v) directing (45) a laser beam (13) towards the collecting surface (4) so as to locally remove a part of the fibrous structure (8).