Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to additive manufacturing apparatus and methods. An exemplary additive manufacturing method may include forming a part using additive manufacturing. The method may also include bringing the part to a first temperature, measuring the part along at least three axes at the first temperature, bringing the part to a second temperature, different than the first temperature, and measuring the part along the at least three axes at the second temperature. The method may further include comparing the size of the part at the first and second temperatures to calculate a coefficient of thermal expansion, generating a tool path that compensates for the coefficient of thermal expansion, bringing the part to the first temperature, and trimming the part while the part is at the first temperature using the tool path.

An injection molding apparatus includes an injection-molding mold including a fixed mold and a movable mold, the fixed mold having a gate opening into which a molding material flows, the movable mold having a cavity and being configured to be separated from the fixed mold during mold opening; a hot runner including a nozzle having a channel that guides the molding material to the gate opening, and a heater, the hot runner being disposed in the fixed mold; and a control unit that controls a temperature of the heater to adjust a temperature of the hot runner. The control unit controls the temperature of the heater to a first temperature when the molding material is injected from the hot runner to the cavity, and after the injection of the molding material is completed, controls the temperature of the heater to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

A connector device that includes a circuit board; a connector attached to the circuit board; a plurality of collars for external attachment; a first molded resin that is made of a first resin material whose melting point or softening point is 230° C. or less, and covers the entire circuit board and part of the connector; and a second molded resin that is welded to the first molded resin, is made of a second resin material whose melting point or softening point is higher than that of the first resin material for the first molded resin, and covers outer circumferences of the collars.

A multilayer film including a barrier layer, a sealing layer, and an alcohol barrier layer. The alcohol barrier layer includes cyclic olefin copolymer and is positioned between the barrier layer and the sealing layer. The multilayer film can be used to form a pouch for containing an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

In one embodiment, a method may comprise heating a composite material into a viscous form, wherein the composite material comprises a thermoplastic and a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is randomly arranged within the thermoplastic. The method may further comprise extruding a plurality of strands of the composite material, wherein extruding the plurality of strands causes the plurality of reinforcement fibers within each strand to align. The method may further comprise arranging the plurality of strands of the composite material to form a mold tool, wherein the mold tool is configured to mold a composite structure at a heated temperature, and wherein the mold tool comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property, wherein the anisotropic thermal expansion property is based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the mold tool.

A consumable material configured for use in an additive manufacturing system includes a polymeric matrix having polyetherersulfone (PES) in a range of between about 30 wt % and about 85 wt % of the polymeric matrix and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) in a range between about 15 wt % and about 70 wt % of the polymeric matrix, wherein the polymeric matrix is in a media form suitable for processing in the additive manufacturing system and having a Tg that is about 190° C. or greater and a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than about 30 μm/(m.Math.° C.). The consumable material is suitable for use in 3D printing of composite mold tools.

A resin sheet production method includes a preparation step of preparing a resin molding sheet including a base and a thermally expansive layer that is formed on one main surface of the base, the thermally expansive layer including a thermally expandable material; a heat conversion layer forming step of forming a heat conversion layer that converts electromagnetic waves to heat on at least one of the first main surface of the resin molding sheet or a second main surface on a side opposite to the first main surface; a pre-heating step of heating the resin molding sheet on which the heat conversion layer is formed to a temperature that is lower than an expansion starting temperature at which the thermally expandable material starts to expand; and a main heating step of irradiating the heat conversion layer of the resin molding sheet that is heated in the pre-heating step with the electromagnetic waves to cause the heat conversion layer to distend, thereby causing the base to deform and forming a shaped object on the resin molding sheet.

Methods of layerwise fabrication of a three-dimensional object, and objected obtained thereby are provided. The methods are effected by dispensing at least a first modeling formulation and a second modeling formulation to form a core region using both said first and said second modeling formulations, an inner envelope region at least partially surrounding said core region using said first modeling formulation but not said second modeling formulation, and an outer envelope region at least partially surrounding said inner envelope region using said second modeling formulations but not said first modeling formulation; and exposing said layer to curing energy, thereby fabricating the object, The first and second modeling formulations are selected such they differ from one another, when hardened, by at least one of Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT), Izod Impact resistance, Tg and elastic modulus.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to additive manufacturing apparatus and methods. An exemplary additive manufacturing method may include forming a part using additive manufacturing. The method may also include bringing the part to a first temperature, measuring the part along at least three axes at the first temperature, bringing the part to a second temperature, different than the first temperature, and measuring the part along the at least three axes at the second temperature. The method may further include comparing the size of the part at the first and second temperatures to calculate a coefficient of thermal expansion, generating a tool path that compensates for the coefficient of thermal expansion, bringing the part to the first temperature, and trimming the part while the part is at the first temperature using the tool path.

A composition includes an infrared reflective additive having one or more infrared reflective colorants and a thermally emissive filler. The infrared reflective additive can be melt processed in a polymeric matrix.