The present disclosure relates generally to polymer structures, for example, suitable for construction products. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a thermoplastic construction product including a coextruded layer structure having a base layer including a first thermoplastic material, an outer layer including a second thermoplastic material, and an infrared-reflective intermediate layer that is coextruded with the base layer and the outer layer and is disposed between the base layer and the outer layer. In some embodiments the intermediate layer has a thickness of at least 30 micrometers. In some embodiments the infrared-reflective intermediate layer includes a reflective pigment dispersed in a matrix of one of the first thermoplastic material or the second thermoplastic material.

A method of forming a composite article includes constructing a preform having a strand layer including an interior portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the interior portion. The strand layer includes a plurality of strand segments traversing the interior portion and defining a first strand segment population density and a second strand segment population density. The preform is inserted into the mold cavity so that the interior portion of the preform is received in a molding region of the mold cavity. The molding region has a first thickness corresponding to the first strand segment population density and a second thickness corresponding to the second strand segment population density. Following the inserting, the mold is closed and the interior portion of the preform is compressed within the molding region. In the closed mold, the peripheral portion of the strand layer may be maintained in a loose state within the relief region.

A method manufactures a thermoplastic fiber-reinforced resin molded article by pressing one thermoplastic fiber-reinforced resin prepreg, a plurality of laminated prepregs, or a plurality of prepregs. The method includes: a step in which the temperatures of an upper die and a lower die are set to 170-270° C.; a step in which the prepreg is placed between the upper die and the lower die; a step in which a load is applied to the prepreg so as to deform the prepreg; a step in which the temperatures of the upper die and the lower die are lowered at a speed of 5 to 50° C. per minute; and a step in which, after the upper die and the lower die are sufficiently cooled, the upper die is raised and a thermoplastic fiber-reinforced resin molded article is extracted.

A method for fabricating a composite part using a 3D printing machine. The method includes forming the part by depositing a plurality of part layers in a consecutive manner on top of each other where each layer is deposited by laying down rows of filaments made of a thermoplastic composite material. Reinforcing Z-pins are then inserted through the part layers to provide reinforcement of the part in the Z-direction. A plurality of additional part layers are deposited in a consecutive manner on top of each other on the part layers including the reinforcing Z-pins where each additional part layer is also deposited by laying down rows of filaments made of a thermoplastic composite material. Reinforcing Z-pins are also inserted through the additional part layers to provide reinforcement of the part in the Z-direction.

A method of permanently joining composite parts made from thermoplastic material includes providing a first composite part and a second composite part, both made from thermoplastic material, wherein an orifice is provided in at least one of the composite parts, positioning both composite parts such that a portion of the composite part which includes the orifice is adjacent to a portion of the other composite part, injecting melted thermoplastic material through the orifice to contact the first and the second composite part in a contact area, whereby surfaces of the first and the second composite part in that contact area melt together; and solidifying the thermoplastic material in the orifice and in the contact area to permanently join the first composite part to the second composite part.

An apparatus for making containers (2) comprising a rotor (6) rotatably mounted on a supporting structure (5), a thermoforming device (7) comprising a supporting unit (11) mounted on the rotor (6) and a closing unit (12) which is stationary relative to the rotation of the rotor (6), a feeding device (8) for feeding to the supporting unit (11) a first article (13) for making a supporting skeleton (3), a positioning device (16) for positioning a sheet of thermoformable material (14) between the supporting unit (11) and the closing unit (12), and an extracting device (9) configured to extract the containers (2) from the supporting unit (11), the rotor (6) rotating in a stepping fashion to position the supporting unit (11) one after another in a loading predetermined angular position in which the feeding device (8) feeds a first article (13) to it, a thermoforming predetermined angular position in which the closing unit (12) and the supporting unit (11) are coupled for thermoforming the sheet of thermoformable material (14) on the first article (13), and an unloading predetermined angular position in which the extracting device (9) picks up the finished container (2) from the supporting unit (11).

A 3D printing machine includes a first spinning part moving in directions of three axes, i.e., X-, Y-, and Z-axes, to melt and spin a base material; and a second spinning part moving along a moving direction of the first spinning part to spin reinforcing fiber onto an upper surface of the spun base material, and moving clockwise or counterclockwise so that the reinforcing fiber is spun onto the upper surface of the base material at a moment when the first spinning part changes a moving direction thereof to the X- or Y-axis direction.

In an implementation, a hydraulic assembly comprising an end section of a hydraulic hose formed from a volume of material, the end section having a first outer diameter and an open end, is formed by molding a flange in the end section of the hydraulic hose, and threading an annular gasket onto the end section of the hydraulic hose between the flange and the open end of the hydraulic hose, and adjacent to the flange. The flange is formed in the volume of material, and has a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter. The molding of the flange may include applying heat to a mold, inserting the open end of the end section of the hydraulic hose into the mold, and thermally deforming a portion of the end section of the hydraulic hose to form the flange.

Examples relate to methods of printing a 3D printed tamper evident security structure for protecting a feature; the method comprising repeatedly: depositing a layer of build material; doping one or more than one region of the layer of build material using a dopant to influence a respective electrical attribute of one or more than one region associated with a graph of the structure; and agglomerating one or more than one selected portion of the layer of the build material, including the one or more than one doped region of the layer of build material, to form progressively the graph with a predetermined measurable electrical characteristic.

Porous and microporous parts prepared by additive manufacturing as disclosed herein are useful in medical and non-medical applications. The parts are prepared from a composition containing both a solvent soluble component and a solvent insoluble component. After a part is printed by an additive manufacturing process it is exposed to solvent to extract solvent soluble component away from the printed part, resulting in a part having surface cavities.