A sealing element including a cover strip, in particular for sealing a window pane at the inlet of a window channel into which the window pane can be retracted. A portion of the sealing element, which portion is to be produced by injection molding, is connected to the cover strip by being molded onto the cover strip. In a corresponding method, the cover strip is preheated such that its shrinkage is matched to the shrinkage of the molded-on material, until the cover strip has cooled down to approximately the ambient temperature.

An example mold assembly includes a first core, a second core, and a retaining cap. The first core defines an insert seat configured to receive a mold insert. The first core and the second core are configured to define a mold volume adjacent the mold insert. The retaining cap is disposed about a curved end portion defined by the second core, and defines a curved cap surface in contact with the curved end portion. The retaining cap is configured to secure the second core at a predetermined orientation relative to the first core within predetermined tolerances. An example technique includes positioning a mold insert in the mold assembly, disposing the retaining cap about the second core, securing the second core at a predetermined orientation relative to the first core within predetermined tolerances, and depositing mold material within the mold volume.

A seal for a vacuum lifter and method of manufacture wherein the seal has a continuous unbroken outer fluid resistant skin of elastomer which forms a boundary around a homogeneous cellular structure with no interior seams or joints.

A tool for fixing a protective textile sleeve about an elongate member contained therein, and method of use thereof is provided. The tool includes a clamp assembly having opposed clamp members. Each of the clamp members has a clamp surface for abutting the textile sleeve. Each of the clamp surfaces includes a plurality of heating members operably connected to a source of power. The heating members within each clamping surface are supported for independent radial movement relative to one another in response to engagement with an outer surface of the textile sleeve to allow the clamp surfaces to automatically conform to the arcuate shape of the sleeve and elongate member being clamped therebetween.

A system and method of additively manufacturing a part including fluorine-containing polymers and an additive. The additive may include stainless steel, bronze, molybdenum disulfide, polyimide, or any other suitable additive. The method includes depositing fluorine-containing polymer additive manufacturing material onto a build platform, selectively cross-linking portions of the deposited additive manufacturing material, and curing the selectively cross-linked portions such that at least one characteristic of the part is improved via the additive.

A wellbore sealing device may be designed and manufactured using computer-assisted design and a hybrid of automated manufacturing and molding techniques. In one example, a stress analysis is performed to identify a reinforcement region to be reinforced in a sealing device component. Reinforcement fibers are selectively arranged using automated placement of the fibers in a location within a mold corresponding to the reinforcement region. The sealing device component is then molded, with the reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material locking the reinforcement fibers in position within the reinforcement region.

In a method of manufacturing a seal assembly, strips of material are extruded to form first and second bodies, and ends of the bodies are positioned into a mold cavity of a molding apparatus. An elastomeric material is injected into the mold cavity to form a locator device having a foot portion and a tab portion with the tab portion defining a first reference point. A thermoplastic elastomeric material is injected into the mold cavity to form a corner mold covering the body ends and the foot portion of the locator device with the corner mold defining a second reference point. The corner mold bonds the first body end, the second body end, and the locator device together to fix the locator device to the first body end at a locator position such that a predetermined distance between the reference points is maintained during injecting of the thermoplastic elastomeric material.

Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

A method for forming a seal between structural components includes placing a retainer flap on a first side of a first structural component over a first channel within the first structural component and over a second channel within the first structural component such that the retainer flap, the first side of the first structural component, and a second structural component form a cavity. The first channel extends between the first side of the first structural component and a second side of the first structural component that is opposite the first side. The second channel extends between the first side of the first structural component and the second side of the first structural component. The method also includes evacuating the cavity through the first channel, thereby forcing the retainer flap against the second structural component and forcing a sealant to flow through the second channel into the cavity.

A multilayer tape assembly is described which can be used with insulation jacketing and particularly for self sealing lap (SSL) applications. The tape assembly includes two adhesive layers with associated carrier and release layers in conjunction with a differential release system. Various methods of use are also described.