A method and apparatus for producing a composite part are provided to enable composite parts to be assembled with precise control over the orientation and spatial distribution of reinforcing or other particles within a matrix material. The method and apparatus use magnetic fields applied during various additive manufacturing processes to achieve complex particles orientations within each layer of the part. The composite parts can achieve enhanced properties, including mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties.

A fluid supply hose having one or more support ribs, such as a helical support rib that forms a coil and/or individual support rings, of a relatively stiff thermoplastic material, and a thin web or wall of thermoplastic material that extends between the inside, outside or both of the ribs. The hose is exposed to an annealing process comprising: bringing the hose to a fully compressed position where the ribs are brought close together; heating the hose; while the hose is hot, extending the hose axially to a partially extended position where the distance between adjacent winds of the rib or rings of the hose when the hose is in the partially extended position is between about 20%-95% of the distance between adjacent winds of rib 20 or rings 40 of the hose when the hose is in the fully extended position; and allowing the hose to cool in the partially extended position.

A centralizer comprises a first collar, a second collar, a plurality of bow springs coupling the first collar to the second collar, and a plurality of particulates disposed on an outer surface of at least one bow spring. One or more of the first collar, the second collar, and the bow springs comprises a composite material. In some embodiments, the centralizer comprises a third collar, wherein the plurality of bow springs comprise a first portion of bow springs and a second portion of bow springs, and wherein the first portion of the bow springs couple the first collar to the third collar and the second portion of the bow springs couple the second collar to the third collar.

The invention relates to a method for forming a body comprising a particle structure fixated in a matrix material, comprising: Providing an amount of particles, Providing a viscous matrix material to include said particles, Forming a particle structure of at least a portion of said amount of particles, Fixating said viscous matrix so as to fixate said particle structure in the matrix material; characterized by at least a portion of said amount of particles being paramagnetic or ferromagnetic and the formation of the particle structure includes the steps of: First, the particles are provided in a mixture with the viscous matrix material, Second, the viscous mixture is subject to the magnetic field created by a Halbach array so as to form the particle assemblies, Third, the viscous mixture with the particle assemblies is subject to electric field so as to move and/or rotate the particle assemblies in the viscous matrix material. The invention also relates to a body obtained by said method, and to the use of said method in various applications.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a medical device that is repeatedly used by performing cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization using a medical agent. The method includes: performing first blasting on an outer surface that is included in the medical device and is made of a resin material to change an orientation of a fibril of the resin material.

A composite article can comprise a composite body including an organic polymer and ceramic particles comprising hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles distributed throughout the organic polymer, wherein an amount of the hBN particles ranges from 40 vol % to 90 vol % based on a total volume of the body; and the body comprises an in plane thermal conductivity of at least 15 W/mK. The hBN particles within the composite body can have a March-Dollase Orientation parameter of at least 50%.

A composite article can comprise a composite body including an organic polymer and ceramic particles comprising hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles distributed throughout the organic polymer, wherein an amount of the hBN particles ranges from 20 vol % to 40 vol % based on a total volume of the body; and the body comprises an in plane thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mK. The hBN particles within the composite body can have a March-Dollase Orientation parameter of at least 50%.