A method of additive manufacturing includes additively forming a workpiece. The workpiece defines an interior passage therethrough with a passage surface. Additively forming the workpiece includes additively forming a beam running through the interior passage spaced apart from the passage surface. The method also includes surface treating the passage surface using abrasive flow machining wherein an abrasive flow machining fluid is forced to flow between the beam and the passage surface. The beam can be removed from the workpiece after surface treating the passage surface.

A method and apparatus for performing an assembly operation. A tool may be macro-positioned relative to an exterior of a fuselage assembly. The tool may be micro-positioned relative to a particular location on the exterior of the fuselage assembly. An end effector is removably associated with an external robotic device associated with an external mobile platform. The tool is removably associated with the end effector. An assembly operation may be performed at the particular location on the panel using the tool.

A carrier for an automobile with integrated active ducting, and a method of making a louver therefor. The carrier includes at least one aperture, and at least one louver rotatably mounted in the aperture. Also attached to the carrier is an actuator, and the actuator is connected to the louver. The actuator is operable for moving the louver between an open position and a closed position such that when the louver is in the open position, air flow passes through the aperture.

A gripper is described as including two lateral flanks that are directly or indirectly connected to each other at one end, providing a space between them including an actuator, the lateral boundaries of which space have at least one opening accessible from the outside. At least one louver runs across the opening and divides the opening such that the partial surfaces resulting from the louver limit or prevent accessibility to the opening. A method for manufacturing the gripper is also described.

The present disclosure generally relates to a multilayer extendable actuator. The actuator comprises: a first stiffening elastomeric layer; a second stiffening elastomeric layer; a set of middle layers disposed between the stiffening elastomeric layers, the middle layers comprising an elastic elastomeric layer that is more elastic than the stiffening elastomeric layers; and a set of grooves through one or more of the elastomeric layers, the grooves arranged such that a cross-section of the elastomeric layers comprises a wave profile around the grooves, wherein the actuator is extendable such that the elastomeric layers along the wave profile become alternatingly arranged along the extended actuator.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a connecting rod (1) by filament winding, said method comprising in particular: creating an internal body (5) by manufacturing a first component (6) by winding pre-impregnated fibers (17) around a mandrel (8) and removing the mandrel; manufacturing a second part (7); providing a shoulder (12) in the second part (7); assembling the first component with the second component (7, 22); creating an external body (14) by winding pre-impregnated fibers (17), identical to those used in the manufacture of the first component (6), around said internal body (5); creating a one-piece body (18) by polymerizing the assembly formed of the internal body and of the external body; and machining a fastening (19) at one end of the one-piece body; wherein the one-piece body (18) and the first fastening element (19) are made up of a one and same composite material.

A droplet deposition apparatus, such as an inkjet printhead, that includes an integrally-formed manifold component and one or more actuator components; these actuator components provide an first array of fluid chambers, each of which has a piezoelectric actuator element and a nozzle, with this piezoelectric actuator element being able to cause the release in a deposition direction of fluid droplets through the nozzle in response to electrical signals; the first array of fluid chambers extends in an array direction from a first longitudinal end to a second, opposite longitudinal end, this array direction being perpendicular to the deposition direction; in addition, the manifold component is elongate in the array direction and includes a first and second manifold chambers, with these manifold chambers extending side-by-side in the array direction and the first manifold chamber being fluidically connected to the second manifold chamber via each of the fluid chambers in the first array; the cross-sectional area of at least one of these manifold chambers is tapered with distance in the array direction, for example to improve purging of the chambers during start-up; the cross-sectional shape of the integrally-formed manifold component perpendicular to the array direction varies with distance in the array direction such that the centroid of the cross-section remains a substantially constant distance, in said deposition direction, from said array of fluid chambers over the length of the first array of fluid chambers, with the integrally-formed manifold component thus being essentially self-stiffening.

The invention provides a building block for a mechanical construction. The invention further provides a bearing, an actuator system, a housing, a hub, a mechanical connector and a gear box. The building block includes a first printed material being printed via an additive manufacturing process. The first printed material provides a framework of a second material different from the first printed material and at least partially embedded in the first printed material. The framework of the second material may be included in a hollow structure. Alternatively, at least a part of the framework of the second material may constitute at least a part of the inner wall of the hollow structure. The framework of the second material may be pre-fabricated or may also be generated via the additive manufacturing process. A benefit of this building block is that it allows an increase of strength while limiting the overall weight.

A gate is disposed so as to be opened to a cavity portion for forming a plate body part for forming a fuel injection device nozzle plate, and the cavity portion forms a portion surrounded by a plurality of nozzle holes. There are no differences in the times required for the molten resin injected from the gate into the cavity to reach portions for forming the plurality of nozzle holes. As a result, a molding failure of the nozzle holes and the vicinity thereof caused by differences in the charge speeds of molten resin can be prevented and the shapes of the nozzle holes and the vicinity thereof can be formed accurately.

A method of forming a tensioner arm bracket, chain guide, snubber or tensioner arm with two shot injection molding. The tensioner arm bracket, chain guide, snubber or tensioner arm each having a body and a chain sliding face. The body of the tensioner arm bracket, chain guide, snubber or tensioner arm bracket is formed of by a first shot of thermoplastic polymer or thermosetting resin and the chain sliding face is formed by a second shot of thermoset elastomer which is overmoulded onto the body. The body of the component is made of either a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin is fixed to its chain sliding face either by one or more of an anchor point generated by undercuts in the body and/or chemical bonds between the dissimilar materials.