A phototherapy mask comprising: a backing layer; a translucent layer disposed on the rear surface of the backing layer; and a plurality of light emitters sandwiched between the backing layer; wherein the backing layer and the translucent layer together form a flexible structure that self-supportingly adopts a form that is concave to the rear of the mask.

A system and method for thermoplastic composite processing including compressing and heating a thermoplastic composite panel having a plurality of terminal edges. The method further includes heating the thermoplastic composite panel to a melting temperature to create a melt front of the thermoplastic composite panel at a first location and heating the thermoplastic composite panel to the melting temperature in a pre-determined pattern from the first location toward the terminal edges of the thermoplastic composite panel. Extending the melt front toward the terminal edges in this way causes air constrained within the thermoplastic composite panel to escape the thermoplastic composite panel through unmelted portions of the thermoplastic composite panel located between the melt front and the terminal edges. Cooling of the panel may be similarly conducted, cooling a first region and then gradually continuing to cool the panel in a direction toward one or more of the terminal edges.

Methods for machining a composite material substrate are discloses comprising integrating a predetermined pattern area having a disbond material for the purpose of creating a disbond region into the composite material substrate at a predetermined thickness, detecting the disbond region and forming a plurality of recesses in the composite material substrate by removing a machined plug from the composite material substrate to form recesses positioned at locations corresponding to the predetermined pattern area, and composite components comprising the recesses machined according to such methods.

A method of repairing a sandwich structure includes: removing a damaged portion of a core and a damaged portion of a first facesheet to form an open volume; filling the open volume with an ultraviolet-curable photomonomer; partially curing the ultraviolet-curable photomonomer to form a plurality of photopolymer waveguides by utilizing ultraviolet light; and arranging a replacement facesheet on the damaged portion of the first facesheet and over the photopolymer waveguides.

In a case where it is determined that forming processing can be performed, a curable composition on a substrate is cured by a first curing unit in a state where a member is in contact with the curable composition, the member is separated, and the curable composition is further cured by a second curing unit. In a case where it is determined that the forming processing cannot be performed, the curable composition is cured by the second curing unit in a state where the curable composition is separated from the member without the curable composition being cured by the first curing unit. This can prevent carry-out of the substrate to which an uncured composition is applied and contamination inside and outside an apparatus even in a case where normal processing cannot be performed.

There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a composite component, the method comprising laying-up a plurality of successive plies of composite material to produce a pre-form (12) for the component in a lay-up procedure, wherein a portion of each ply of composite material is heated to at least a threshold temperature of 45° C. during a period of the lay-up procedure.

There is provided a method of forming a patterned anisotropic-comprising composite material, comprising inserting at least a part of a heated probe into a matrix to induce a local phase change around the probe within the matrix, the matrix being a matrix of thermo-reversible material and anisotropic fillers, and moving the heated probe within the matrix to form an alignment pattern of the anisotropic fillers comprised in the matrix. There is also provided a patterned anisotropic-comprising composite material formed from the method.

An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.