Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to additive manufacturing apparatus and methods. An exemplary additive manufacturing method may include forming a part using additive manufacturing. The method may also include bringing the part to a first temperature, measuring the part along at least three axes at the first temperature, bringing the part to a second temperature, different than the first temperature, and measuring the part along the at least three axes at the second temperature. The method may further include comparing the size of the part at the first and second temperatures to calculate a coefficient of thermal expansion, generating a tool path that compensates for the coefficient of thermal expansion, bringing the part to the first temperature, and trimming the part while the part is at the first temperature using the tool path.

Forming features in the surface of a bicycle component involves depositing a substance onto a substrate in a geometric pattern to form a transfer medium. Forming features may also involve positioning the transfer medium relative to an unformed bicycle component, and forming a negative of the geometric pattern in the bicycle component through the application of heat and/or pressure to the transfer medium and the unformed bicycle component. The transfer medium may be configured for use in the molding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) bicycle components and may include a substrate formed of a flexible material, and a geometric pattern formed of a hard material, the hard material different than the flexible material.

A three-dimensional printer includes a light engine, a support plate, and a resin vessel. The light engine is configured to selectively harden photocurable resin at a build plane in the resin vessel. The support plate is formed from cast metal and is in a fixed vertical relation to the light engine. The support plate includes an upper side with an upstanding ridge. The upstanding ridge has an upper datum surface that has been machined to a controlled height. The support plate also includes a separately formed ring disposed upon the upper datum surface. The separately formed ring defines a crest of the upstanding ridge. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet that defines a lower bound for resin contained in the resin vessel. The transparent sheet impinges upon the crest to define a vertical location of the build plane in relation to the light engine.

A thermoplastic resin is molded to define a container bearing a surface 2D code signal, such as a digital watermark pattern. In some arrangements, the mold dimensions are tailored, and process parameters are selected, so that an indentation in the mold gives rise to a corresponding indentation—rather than a corresponding protrusion—in the shaped plastic. In other arrangements, a metal mold is provided with a patterned resin on its surface to define the 2D code signal. The resin may take the form of a rigid or non-rigid insert that can be removed or re-worked to change the code signal without changing the metal mold. A variety of other improvements and arrangements are also detailed.

Provided is a microfluidic film including a first microfluidic film including a first base film, a first microchannel, which is formed on the first base film and through which a fluid flows, and a first through passage, which is configured to pass through the first base film, and a second microfluidic film including a second base film being stacked on the first base film and a second through passage, which is configured to pass through the second base film and communicates with the first through passage.

Provided is a microfluidic film including a base film, a microchannel, which is formed on the base film and through which a fluid flows, and a through passage, which is configured to pass through the base film and through which the base film stacked on an upper portion or a lower portion of the base film and the fluid communicate with each other.

A product includes a fine periodic structure having a plurality of projection portions extending parallel to each other in a first direction in each of a first region and a second region adjacent in the first direction on a surface of a substrate. The fine periodic structure formed in an inner portion of the first region and the fine periodic structure formed in an inner portion of the second region are substantially the same periodic structures. End portions of the plurality of projection portions formed in the first region and end portions of the plurality of projection portions formed in the second region are formed in a boundary portion between the first region and the second region.

Surface material of a mold molding surface and surface treatment method. A molding surface of material including metal and in which the molding surface reaches 50° C. or higher during molding is subjected to rapid thermal processing by injecting a substantially spherical shot with a hardness equal to or greater than the surface hardness of the mold and a size of #220 (JIS R6001-1973) or smaller at an injection pressure of 0.2 MPa or more and bombarding the surface with the shot, causing the temperature to rise locally and instantaneously at a bombarded portion to refine the surface structure of the surface and to form numerous smooth arc-shaped indentations on the entire surface of the surface. Then, powder including titanium having size of #100 or smaller is injected at an injection pressure of 0.2 MPa or more to form a coating of titanium oxide on the surface of the surface.

A resin product including an antireflection surface includes a plurality of first concave portions, a plurality of second concave portions, and a component surface. The first concave portions have opening widths equal to or larger than 1 μm and equal to or smaller than 300 μm. The second concave portions are formed on each of the plurality of first concave portions and have opening widths equal to or larger than 10 nm and equal to or smaller than 1 μm. The component surface is configured to surround each of the plurality of first concave portions.

The present invention relates to a preparation method for a microneedle patch. Specifically, the present invention provides a preparation method for a microneedle patch, and the method comprises steps: (1) milling a base into a master mold of the microneedle patch; (2) conducting surface treatment on the master mold, to obtain the treated master mold; (3) conducting reverse molding on a surface of the treated master mold, conducting deaeration, curing, and demolding, to obtain the cured daughter mold; and (4) casting the modification solution on the surface of the daughter mold, and then conducting deaeration, drying and curing, to obtain the microneedle patch. The method for preparing the microneedle patch in the present invention can greatly reduce the milling difficulty, and save the milling cost and time. The microneedle molds with different aspect ratios, areas and shapes can also be prepared as required, following with reverse molding to diverse microneedle patches. Therefore, a feasible implementation scheme is provided in present invention for the production application of the microneedles and the feasibility of the wide application is greatly enhanced.