An apparatus useful for rapidly producing at least one object having a contoured surface portion from a light-polymerizable resin is provided. The apparatus includes (a) a window containing an inhibitor of polymerization, on which window a coating of light polymerizable resin can be placed, with the inhibitor of polymerization forming a first dead zone of unpolymerizable resin in the light polymerizable resin; (b) a polymerizing light source operatively associated with the window and positioned for projecting polymerizing light through the window; (c) a controller operatively associated with said light source and configured to pattern and project said polymerizing light at a first light dosage sufficient to form the object in the resin under stationary conditions, while spatially modulating the first light dosage so that the first dead zone is spatially contoured in thickness, to produce a first contoured surface portion on each object, which first contoured surface portion is in contact with the first dead zone of unpolymerizable resin.

A fixing hole of a mold for rubber article is easily inspected and the vent piece is securely fixed in the fixing hole. A vent piece having a vent hole is fixed in a fixing hole of a mold, so as to manufacture the mold having the vent hole. The vent piece has a first inspection part to be inserted into the fixing hole, a caulking part thicker than the first inspection part and is to be fixed in the fixing hole by caulking, and a second inspection part positioned between the first inspection part and the caulking part and is thicker than the first inspection part and thinner than the caulking part. When the first inspection part is inserted into the fixing hole but the second inspection part is not inserted into the fixing hole, the caulking part is fixed in the fixing hole by caulking.

According to an embodiment, disclosed is a curing-device comprising: a stage; a light emitting module including a substrate disposed on the stage and a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of transparent blocks disposed between the light emitting module and the stage, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections which are disposed in a first direction, the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the first sections is smaller than the intervals in the first direction between the light emitting elements disposed in the second sections, and the plurality of transparent blocks are disposed on the first sections.

A composite part layup is cured using a set of tools adapted to hold the layup and which include at least one tool face contacting the layup. Means are provided for heating the tool face to cure the part layup, and for selectively cooling sections of the tool face.

A system includes a curing assembly for low temperature curing and residual stress relief of material substrates. The curing assembly includes a first exposure chamber configured to expose the material substrate to UV radiation, and a second exposure chamber configured to expose the material substrate to Gamma radiation. In some embodiments, a mixing apparatus may mix nano-filler particles into the material substrate prior to exposure to Gamma radiation. The cure assembly may also include a control system for determining exposure dosages and exposure times based at least in part, on the material properties of the material substrate.

Systems and methods of curing a thermoset composite (TSC) to a target state of cure (SOC) are disclosed herein. The methods include heating the thermoset composite to greater than a threshold temperature. During the heating, the methods further include monitoring an actual temperature of the thermoset composite, determining a maximum temperature achieved by the thermoset composite, and determining an elapsed time that the actual temperature of the thermoset composite is greater than the threshold temperature. The methods further include ceasing the heating based, at least in part, on the maximum temperature of the TSC and the elapsed time. The systems include a heating assembly, a support mandrel, a thermoset composite, a temperature detector, and a controller programmed to perform the methods.

The invention relates to a method for constructing a three-dimensional object (3) in layers from a pulverulent construction material by solidifying layers of the pulverulent construction material in a successive manner at each layer point which corresponds to a cross-section of the object, wherein the solidification process is carried out by introducing thermal energy. The method has the following step: solidifying all the layer points which correspond to a cross-section of the object. The introduced thermal energy quantity is adjusted at least in a sub-region of the layer dependent on the duration of the previous solidification step for the previous powder layer or dependent on the current solidification step duration, which is calculated in advance.

Closed-loop systems and methods for controlling the temperature at the compaction point as an automated fiber placement (AFP) machine is placing material over complex surface features at varying speeds. The closed-loop system starts with multiple infrared temperature sensors directed at the layup surface in front of the compaction roller and also at the new layup surface behind the compaction roller. These sensors supply direct temperature readings to a control computer, which also receives speed data and a listing of active tows from the AFP machine and is also programmed with the number of plies in the current layup. In accordance with one embodiment, the heater control system uses a proportional-integral-derivative loop to control the temperature at the compaction point (e.g., at the interface of the compaction roller and a newly laid tow) and regulate the heater power to achieve the desired temperature.

A stereolithography 3D printer (1) and a method of adjusting temperature of printing materials thereof are provided. The stereolithography 3D printer (1) has a material tank (105) for accommodating print materials (20), a light module (103), a temperature-adjusting module (101), a temperature-sensing module (102), and a curing platform (104). The stereolithography 3D printer (1) executes a procedure of controlling temperature for adjusting a temperature of the print materials (20) if a sensed temperature doesn't reach a default value, and executes a procedure of 3D printing for manufacturing a 3D physical model by using the print materials (20) whose temperature had been adjusted. The printing quality of the 3D physical models can be effectively improved via controlling the temperature of the print materials (20).

A modular accelerated cure system, for which the modules are of a size and weight to each be easily portable by one person, may be configured to fit a variety of parts, e.g., carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components, such as found in the manufacture of composite aerospace structures. The system may be used to accelerate the cure of materials that allow elevated temperature cures, e.g., sealants, primers, coatings, paints, adhesives, and protective coatings, by increasing the ambient temperature surrounding a part, or a portion of the part, within each module in a controlled manner. The system is modular in that a number of modules may be fitted together to operate in unison and also may be adapted to fit parts of a variety of contours, shapes, and sizes. Temperature within each module may be controlled using a heat controller that receives a temperature indication from each module.