Solid polymer objects have size at least 0.5 mm in each of three orthogonal dimensions and shape such that each object has one or more edges, points or corners and/or has a plurality of projections which extend out from a core portion. Such objects may be included in a drilling fluid as a lost circulation additive intended to bridge fractures and mitigate fluid loss. Their angular shape features make it harder for them to slide over fracture faces or each other and helps them to bridge a fracture. A method of making these objects provides a travelling endless belt made of elastomer and defining mould cavities. The mould cavities are filled with a polyerisable liquid composition, which is cured in the mould as the belt advances, and the cured objects are ejected from a mould as the belt bends around a roller.

A dispenser for additive material manufacturing having a sealed cartridge with sterile material to be dispensed. The cartridge is removable from a support housing that is movable during deposition of additive material. A nozzle extending from a heated plenum below the cartridge is inserted into a sealed variable volume enclosure supporting the article being manufactured on a movable table within the enclosure.

There is disclosed herein a method of designing a mold, the mold being at least part of a unitary body to be formed from a plurality of layers by 3D printing, the method including defining an inner surface of the mold corresponding to at least part of an outer surface of an object to be molded in the mold; selecting a first material from which at least part of the mold is to be printed; and selecting a second material from which at least another part of the mold is to be printed, the second material having a higher thermal and/or electrical conductivity than the first material, wherein at least one of the layers from which the mold is to be formed by 3D printing includes areas to be printed from each of the first and second materials.

A method of making a part includes the steps of: securing a build platform to an actuator which is disposed in a build chamber, depositing a powder onto the build platform; directing a beam from a directed energy source to fuse the powder; moving the actuator vertically downward within the build chamber by a layer increment of powder; repeating in a cycle the steps of depositing, directing, and moving to build up the part in a layer-by-layer fashion until the part is complete; lifting the build platform away from the actuator to create an opening therebetween; and evacuating the powder from the build chamber through the opening.

An apparatus for compacting waste objects includes a seat provided with a support assembly for supporting the waste object to be compacted; a push member being moveable inside the seat for compacting in use of the apparatus the waste object against an end wall of the seat; the support assembly including two support members that rotate away from each other for discharging the compacted object through an aperture. The support members can impede discharge of a compacted object of a specific type through the aperture to collect the compacted object of the specific type in a dedicated container. Protuberances can be applied to the push member and an end wall of the seat for producing depressions in the compacted object so that the compacted object does not lose the compacted condition once pressure applied by the push member is removed.

A thermoformable non-woven material that meets at least one of the UL94 V-0 (2013) flammability standard and the ASTM E84-14 (2014) flammability standard. The material may include charring fiber having a denier per fiber at least about 3 and binding fiber having a denier per fiber between about 1 and about 8. The weight ratio of charring fiber to binding fiber may be between about 2:1 and about 4:1, and the denier per fiber of the charring fiber may be at least about twice the denier per fiber of the binding fiber.

A tool organizer and method of making the same is provided which allows a user to quickly and easily store tools and other items of various sizes, shapes and configurations. The customizable organizer includes a depressible core capable of maintaining an impression of an object that is pressed into it. The organizer also includes a covering material such as a fabric, flock or elastomeric coating, which protects the outer surface of the core, and also provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. A tacky adhesive is applied on an upper surface of the core so that when a tool or other item is pressed into the covering material that overlay the core, the tacky adhesive maintains the covering material in close conformity to the customized impression of the tool or other item created in the organizer.

A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line includes: first and second movable carriers, each carrier comprising a transporter for transporting the carrier, and a building platform for supporting a tangible product, one or more deposition heads for depositing construction material in a deposition direction onto the building platforms, and a conveyor for conveying the first and second building platform towards the deposition head and away from the deposition head repeatedly. The first and the second transporter are movable at variable speeds relative to each other along a trajectory of the conveyor. Optionally, the height of the building platforms can be adjusted.

A glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin molding product is provided, which has a ring-shaped structure, and includes a thermoplastic resin, and a fibrous filler dispersed in the thermoplastic resin. The fibrous filler includes: (A) 40 to 80% of glass fibers each having a length of at least 0.05 mm and less than 0.5 mm; (B) 15 to 40% of glass fibers each having a length of at least 0.5 mm and less than 1.0 mm; (C) 5 to 30% of glass fibers each having a length of at least 1.0 mm and less than 3.0 mm; and (D) at most 1% of glass fibers each having a length of at least 3.0 mm,
based on the total number of fibers of the fibrous filler present in the molding product.

A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises: (i) a first and a second building platform for carrying a tangible product; (ii) a deposition head for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms; (iii) a conveyor for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly; and (iv) height adjustment means to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit for picking a product from the building platforms.