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.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a sandwich panel having an asymmetrical configuration in the thickness direction. This method comprises the steps of: a) providing a plate shaped assembly of a first cover part and a second cover part and between a core part of a thermoplastic material containing a suitable blowing agent, wherein the second cover part is not equal to the first cover part regarding heat transfer properties; b) heating the assembly under pressure between press tools in a press, thereby adhering the foamed core part to the first and second cover parts; c) foaming of the thermoplastic material in the core part under pressure between press tools in the press and at a foaming temperature by increasing the spacing between the press tools in a controlled manner; d) cooling the foamed sandwich panel under pressure between the press tools; e) removing the thus cooled sandwich panel from the press; and optionally f) drying the sandwich panel; wherein during step a) a first compensation part conforming to the heat transfer properties of the second cover part is positioned at the side of the first cover part and/or a second compensation part conforming to the heat transfer properties of the first cover part is positioned at the side of the second cover part, and wherein during or after step e) the first and/or second compensation parts are removed from the sandwich panel.

A method for indenting coloring-areas of a colored 3D object includes: importing a 3D object; performing a slicing process on the 3D object for generating multiple object printing data-records and multiple color printing data-records of multiple printing layers; performing an indenting process on a color printing data-record of a lowest coloring-required printing layer for generating an indented color printing data-record; storing the multiple object printing data-records, the multiple color printing data-records, and the indented color printing data-record. When performing printing, a 3D printer (1) controls a 3D nozzle (12) to print slicing objects (4) of each printing layer according to the multiple object printing data-records, controls a 2D nozzle (13) to color the slicing object of the lowest coloring-required printing layer according to the indenting color printing data-record, and controls the 2D nozzle (13) to color the slicing objects (5) of the other coloring-required printing layers according to the multiple color printing data-records.

A shaping roll for melt extrusion molding used for melt extrusion molding of thermoplastic resin, the shaping roll for melt extrusion molding comprises a metal roll body, a first cylinder, and a second cylinder. The metal roll body has a heat medium passage internally. The first cylinder covers a surface of a middle portion of the roll body part. The second cylinder covers surfaces of both end portions of the roll body part. The first cylinder comprises a first metal material having a thermal conductivity of 40 W/m.Math.K or more. The second cylinder comprises a second metal material having a thermal conductivity of 20 W/m.Math.K or less. The first cylinder and the second cylinder are at least partially joined to each other.

An optical lens production device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an upper mold which has one or more upper cavity areas for forming an optical lens; a lower mold which has one or more lower cavity areas for forming the optical lens; and an elastic member which is formed between the upper mold and the lower mold.

The present application describes a system for curing moldable material. The system comprises an energy source, a mold, and/or other components. The mold comprises internal mold surfaces forming a mold cavity. The mold is formed from one or more materials configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation emitted by the energy source. The mold has a hot zone and a cold zone. The hot zone and the cold zone have the one or more materials thereof comprising at least one different physical characteristic so that the hot zone and the cold zone absorb the electromagnetic radiation at different rates and/or in different amounts. The hot zone absorbs more electromagnetic radiation than, and/or electromagnetic radiation faster than, the cold zone.

A mold assembly for powder injection molding of a shaped element includes a first mold portion having a first surface defining a first portion of the mold cavity and releasably engageable to the feedstock and a second mold portion having a second surface defining a second portion of the mold cavity and releasably engageable to the feedstock. The first mold portion has a first thermal capacity and a first thermal conductivity, and the second mold portion has a second thermal capacity and a second thermal conductivity. At least one of the first thermal capacity and the first thermal conductivity is lower than a respective one of the second thermal capacity and the second thermal conductivity and/or than a respective one of the thermal conductivity and thermal capacity of solid metal. A method of molding a green part is also discussed.

A method of adjusting a coefficient of thermal expansion of a member made of a fiber-reinforced resin, the method including: adjusting a coefficient of thermal expansion in a predetermined direction by increasing or decreasing a quantity of fiber having a grain direction in agreement with the predetermined direction. Also disclosed is a mold (100) for curing a cylindrical laminate (30) obtained by laminating prepreg. The mold includes a core die (10) and a surface die (2) outside the laminate including a plurality of partial surface dies (21 to 27). The partial surface dies are arranged to cover the entire circumferential surface of the laminate. Each of the partial surface dies is made of a fiber-reinforced resin in which a quantity of fiber having a grain direction in agreement with the circumferential direction differs from a quantity of fiber having a grain direction in agreement with an axial direction.

The disclosure proposes a method for producing a panel having an outer skin and stiffeners that have a connecting portion, and at least one projecting portion, the method comprising a step of draping layers of fibers over at least one insert such that each layer of fibers has a connecting portion and a portion that projects downwardly from the connecting portion, a step of draping a layer of fibers that forms the outer skin, and a step of bonding the layers of fibers together. The disclosure also provides a device for implementing the method.

Polymer-based molds are described. The polymer-based mold includes a first portion comprising a first material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) lower than about 80 C.; and a second portion comprising a second material having a Tg higher than about 80 C., wherein the second portion at least partially covers the first portion, the second portion is thinner than the first portion and faces a cavity in the polymeric mold.