There is provided a piezoelectric composite comprising a piezoelectric polymer and particles of a filler dispersed in the polymer, wherein the filler is in micro or nanoparticle form and is present in a filler:polymer weight ratio between about 1:99 and about 95:5. There is also provided an ink and ink cartridge for 3D printing of the piezoelectric composite. There is also provided a piezoelectric 3D printed material comprising the piezoelectric composite and a bifunctional material comprising the piezoelectric composite with one or more conductive electrodes adjacent to the piezoelectric composite. Methods of manufacture and uses thereof are also provided, including methods for 3D printing of a piezoelectric 3D printed material via solvent-cast or FDM 3D printing starting from the piezoelectric composite and/or the ink.

The invention relates to a method for producing a tread (20), comprising the steps: extruding the tread (20), which has an outer side (22) and an inner side (24), opposite the outer side (22), and a carrying region (26) made of a carrying region rubber material and a guide strip (28) made of a guide strip rubber material, wherein the guide strip (28) extends from the outside (22) to the inside (24) and a specific electrical guide strip resistance (W.sub.28) of the guide strip rubber material is smaller than a specific electrical carrying region resistance of the carrying region rubber material. The steps according to the invention are: determining an electrical guide strip resistance (W.sub.28) of the guide strip (28) between the outer side (22) and the inner side (24) and outputting a warning signal when the electrical resistance (W) exceeds a specified maximum resistance (W.sub.28,max).

Energy-harvesting and -storage devices in conveyor belts and methods for molding those devices integrally into modular plastic belt links. Electroactive polymers or piezoelectric fibers co-injected with a base polymer to form belt modules harvest energy from strain or vibrations in the conveyor belt to power belt on-board devices.

Embodiments herein describe deformable controllers that rely on piezoelectric material embedded in the controllers to detect when the input device is being manipulated into a particular deformation or gesture. The computing system may perform different actions depending on which deformation is detected. The embodiments herein describe design techniques for optimizing the placement of the piezoelectric material in the controller to improve the accuracy of a mapping function that maps sensor responses of the material to different controller deformations. In one embodiment, the user specifies the different deformations of the controller she wishes to be recognized by the computing system (e.g., raising a leg, twisting a torso, squeezing a hand, etc.). The design optimizer uses the locations of the desired deformations to move the location of the piezoelectric material such that the sensor response of the material can be uniquely mapped to these locations.

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus and methods for manufacturing CMP apparatus are provided herein. CMP apparatus may include polishing pads, polishing head retaining rings, and polishing head membranes, among others, and the CMP apparatus may be manufactured via additive manufacturing processes, such as three dimensional (3D) printing processes. The CMP apparatus may include wireless communication apparatus components integrated therein. Methods of manufacturing CMP apparatus include 3D printing wireless communication apparatus into a polishing pad and printing a polishing pad with a recess configured to receive a preformed wireless communication apparatus.

A sticky tape that can be heated and separated in a short time, can prevent thermal damage to an adherend, and can be easily heated and separated is provided. The sticky tape has an adhesive agent layer A containing a heating element and an adhesive agent. The heating element has a volume resistivity of 30 ??.Math.cm or more, and the adhesive agent layer A can be melted or softened by resistance heating to be separable. The adhesive agent is at least one of a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent and a hot-melt adhesive agent. The heating element is selected from nichrome, stainless steel, titanium, nickel silver, and carbon.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for implementing a stretchable nanoparticle-polymer composite foams that exhibit piezoelectric properties. In one aspect, a nanoparticle-polymer composite structure includes a curable liquid polymer; piezoelectric nanoparticles; and graphitic carbons.

Provided are a piezoelectric device capable of exhibiting high power-generation performance without impairing flexibility and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric device. The piezoelectric device includes a multilayer structure 1 in which a polymer nonwoven fabric 3 holding or containing piezoelectric ceramic particles 4 and a polymer resin sheet 2 containing piezoelectric ceramic particles are stacked such that at least one layer of the polymer nonwoven fabric is included. This multilayer structure can provide an electric power output equal to or larger than the electric power output produced by a multilayer structure in which a layer of the polymer resin sheet is stacked on each of two main surface sides of a layer of the polymer nonwoven fabric.

An encapsulation method of electronic components comprises steps as follows: preparing electronic components with cylindrical bodies wherein a cylindrical body has front and rear ends made of metals and a middle end made of ceramics and the front end or the rear end features an outer diameter greater than the middle end of the cylindrical body; preparing a mould consisting of upper and lower moulds; encasing the cylindrical bodies inside the upper and lower moulds, injecting heated and softened protective materials into the mould in which protective materials as protective layers are coated on the cylindrical bodies; injecting the cylindrical bodies removed from the upper and lower moulds into a roller in which excessive protective layers on the front and rear ends of the cylindrical bodies are de-coated.

A lighted trim apparatus includes a light guide sub-assembly. The light guide sub-assembly includes a translucent film layer having a darkening agent on a first surface of the film layer to define multiple translucent windows in the film layer. Multiple light emitting diodes are each mounted on the film layer proximate to one of the windows. A transparent material light guide is applied over the windows and allows light from the light emitting diodes to be transmitted through the windows. A substrate defining an opaque polymeric material layer is commonly applied over the light emitting diodes, the light guide and the first surface of the film and extends beyond a perimeter of the film layer. A transparent cover layer extends over a second surface of the film layer opposite to the first surface and a portion of the opaque polymeric material extends beyond the perimeter of the film layer.