A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.

A treatment system, including a conveyor bed configured to transport a plurality of products; a brushing device located along the conveyor bed and having one or more brushes that include a first antimicrobial compound; a surface treatment device including a lamp configured to emit light of a peak wavelength directed toward a portion of the conveyor bed; and a coating device configured to deliver a coating mixture onto the plurality of products on the conveyor bed.

An automatic production apparatus for high-thermal-conductivity flocking pad includes a conveyor belt system, a cutting assembly, an electrostatic flocking assembly, a perfusion device and a thermosetting device, wherein the electrostatic flocking assembly is connected to a power supply which is configured for outputting a step-wave voltage through a bottom screen mesh thereof. The polymer matrix is conveyed through the conveyor belt system, and is stretched, flocked in the step-wave electric field, shrunk, poured and dried to form a flocking pad product with high-thermal-conductivity. In this invention, the polymer matrix is stretched and shrunk to make the flocking be dense by regulating and controlling the speed of the conveyor belt system, a step-wave electric field is provided during the flocking process, and meanwhile, the flocking, pouring and curing time is regulated and controlled.

A coating system includes a plurality of liquid immersion workstations positioned along an arcuate path, the plurality of liquid immersion workstations defining a single complete coating process for a sequence of objects. A plurality of curing workstations are configured to independently receive objects of the sequence of objects exiting the plurality of liquid immersion workstations. An articulated robotic arm has a base positioned inside the arcuate path in top plan view such that the robotic arm is operable to carry each object of the sequence of objects through each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations and to exactly one of the plurality of curing workstations. An articulated robotic hand is provided at a distal end of the robotic arm and configured to grasp and hold each of the objects and to oscillate the object while submerged in each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations.

A coating system includes a plurality of liquid immersion workstations positioned along an arcuate path, the plurality of liquid immersion workstations defining a single complete coating process for a sequence of objects. A plurality of curing workstations are configured to independently receive objects of the sequence of objects exiting the plurality of liquid immersion workstations. An articulated robotic arm has a base positioned inside the arcuate path in top plan view such that the robotic arm is operable to carry each object of the sequence of objects through each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations and to exactly one of the plurality of curing workstations. An articulated robotic hand is provided at a distal end of the robotic arm and configured to grasp and hold each of the objects and to oscillate the object while submerged in each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations.

In a laser-assisted deposition system, a uniform layer of material is coated onto a donor substrate at a coating system, and portions of the material are jetted from the donor substrate to a receiving substrate at a printing unit, leaving residual portions of the material on the donor substrate. In order to not waste the residual portions of the material, the donor substrate with the residual portions of the material is returned to the coating system where the residual portions of the material are aggregated into a blob and subsequently recoated onto the donor substrate. The blob may be formed by translating the residual portions of the material towards an interface formed by two coating rollers, a squeegee and the donor substrate, or a film and the donor substrate.

In a laser-assisted deposition system, a uniform layer of material is coated onto a donor substrate at a coating system, and portions of the material are jetted from the donor substrate to a receiving substrate at a printing unit, leaving residual portions of the material on the donor substrate. In order to not waste the residual portions of the material, the donor substrate with the residual portions of the material is returned to the coating system where the residual portions of the material are aggregated into a blob and subsequently recoated onto the donor substrate. The blob may be formed by translating the residual portions of the material towards an interface formed by two coating rollers, a squeegee and the donor substrate, or a film and the donor substrate.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a fully impregnated thermoplastic prepreg includes a mechanism for moving a fabric or mat and a drying mechanism that removes residual moisture from at least one surface of the fabric or mat. The system also includes a resin application mechanism that applies a reactive resin to the fabric or mat and a press mechanism that presses the coated fabric or mat to ensure that the resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the coated fabric or mat is moved to polymerize the resin and thereby form a thermoplastic polymer so that upon exiting the oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with the thermoplastic polymer. During at least a portion of the process, humidity in the vicinity of the coated fabric or mat is maintained at substantially zero.

A thermoplastic prepreg includes a mat, web, or fabric of fibers and hollow glass microspheres that are positioned atop the mat, web, or fabric of fibers or dispersed therein. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic polymer that is fully impregnated through the mat, web, or fabric of fibers and the hollow glass microspheres so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 3% by volume of the thermoplastic prepreg. The thermoplastic material is polymerized monomers and oligomers in which greater than 90% by weight of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material.