Disclosed is a method of curing a composite article and associated curing apparatus. A heat source is provided for heating the composite article. A temperature related property is detected proximal to the heat source and the heat output is regulated to a predetermined temperature vs. time profile. Heat output vs time data is acquired and functionalised and the curing completion time is determined based on the functionalised heat output vs time data. The method provides for heating a composite article so as to follow a predetermined temperature vs. time profile (i.e. a cure profile) and avoid excessively high temperatures. The required heat output vs time has also been found to be broadly reproducible, and the curing completion time can be more readily determined from functionalised heat output vs time data, for example by identifying reproducible characteristics of the functionalised data.

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.

Methods and systems are provided for ultra-violet curing, and in particular, for ultra-violet curing of optical fiber surface coatings. In one example, a curing device includes a first elliptic cylindrical reflector, with a second elliptic cylindrical reflector housed within the first elliptic cylindrical reflector. The first elliptic cylindrical reflector and second elliptic cylindrical reflector have a co-located focus, and a workpiece to be cured by the curing device may be arranged at the co-located focus.

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.

A cured object and a method for producing the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method of producing a cured object includes introducing a resin composition including a resin and magnetic powder into one or more slots of a tubular object, wherein the resin composition includes a resin and a magnetic powder, wherein the tubular object includes a penetration space and an edge region having the one more slots formed therein, and wherein the penetration space and the one or more slots are formed in a longitudinal direction of the tubular object; inserting a solenoid coil into the penetration space of the tubular object; and generating a magnetic field with the solenoid coil to cure the resin present in the one or more slots of the tubular object.

The cured resin object can also have excellent withstand voltage characteristics.

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.

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.

A method and system for sensing and controlling temperature with magnetic fields are provided. The method comprises placing a compound in thermal communication with a number of temperature or heat sources and placing a number of magnets in thermal communication with the compound. A number of magnetic sensors are placed in electromagnetic communication with the number of magnets. Changes in the magnetic field of the magnets are detected by the sensors and used to determine the temperature of the compound according to a model that maps magnetic field characteristics to temperature. The amount of cure of the compound can then be estimated from the temperature. The temperature or heat sources are controlled in response to the temperature measurement and the estimated amount of cure of the compound.