Cured flexible sealant may be removed from a substrate if the cured flexible sealant includes within its volume a susceptor such as metal susceptor particles. Removal proceeds by exposing the sealant with the susceptor to radio-frequency radiation sufficient to cause dielectric heating in the susceptor. The consequent heating in the cured sealant reduces the bond strength of the cured sealant. The reduced bond-strength sealant may be removed by physical methods, such as scraping etc., much more easily than the original (unexposed) cured sealant. Also disclosed are sealant compositions with susceptor, susceptor tools to introduce susceptor into cured sealant, and handheld radio-frequency heaters to apply radio-frequency radiation to cured sealant.

Cured flexible sealant may be removed from a substrate if the cured flexible sealant includes within its volume a susceptor such as metal susceptor particles. Removal proceeds by exposing the sealant with the susceptor to radio-frequency radiation sufficient to cause dielectric heating in the susceptor. The consequent heating in the cured sealant reduces the bond strength of the cured sealant. The reduced bond-strength sealant may be removed by physical methods, such as scraping etc., much more easily than the original (unexposed) cured sealant. Also disclosed are sealant compositions with susceptor, susceptor tools to introduce susceptor into cured sealant, and handheld radio-frequency heaters to apply radio-frequency radiation to cured sealant.

Provided are induction heating cells including pressure bladders used for supporting dies and methods of using these induction heating cells. A pressure bladder may be disposed between a die and a bolster of the cell. Even when the bolster is deformed during operation of the cell, the pressure bladder continues to provide uniform support to the die thereby preserving integrity of the die and prevents its cracking or braking. As such, the cell may be operated at a higher processing pressure inside the cavity formed by the die without further strengthening the bolster. The bolster is allowed to deform without compromising the integrity of the die. The deformation of the bolster is compensated by the shape change of the pressure bladder. The number and/or position of the bladders in the cell may depend on the shape of processed parts.

A system and method for molding complex three-dimensional articles is disclosed. The system includes a mold for receiving an article made of at least one moldable material and, in one example, the article comprises at least one flat region and at least one radial region. The mold comprises an inner bladder that conforms to an inner surface of the article when pressurized and an outer mold that contacts an outer surface of the article. The system also includes an inner electrode spaced from an outer electrode, and a generator operable to generate an alternating electric field between the electrodes and across the article in the mold to obtain substantially even heating of the moldable material in the flat region and the radial region at the end of the heating cycle.

An enhanced elastomer molding process applies an electric field to an elastomer doped to include dielectric ceramic particulates inserted in a cavity of a mold while maintaining a temperature at or near a melting point of the elastomer and a Curie temperature of the ceramic particulates. Because a material's dielectric constant is related to the material's net remnant ferroelectric polarization, which may be increased by poling near the material's Curie temperature, applying the electric field to the elastomer doped with the dielectric ceramic particulates increases the dielectric constant of the dielectric ceramic particulates. This maintains the high elasticity of the elastomer while increasing the elastomer's dielectric constant of the material by increasing the value of the dielectric constant of the dielectric ceramic particulates included in the elastomer.

In a method for processing a fibre compound structure, an unhardened fibre layer is arranged on a surface section of the fibre compound structure. A pressure cushion is arranged above the surface section. The pressure cushion has a pressure cap and a pressure-tight cap mat pressure-tightly connected to a circumferential border of the pressure cap such that the cap mat limits a pressure area together with the pressure cap. An overpressure in the pressure area is generated. The pressure cushion is pressed onto the fibre compound structure such that the overpressure presses the cap mat against the fibre layer while supporting the fibre compound structure on a side of the fibre compound structure that is opposed to the surface section. The fibre layer is hardened

In a method for processing a fibre compound structure, an unhardened fibre layer is arranged on a surface section of the fibre compound structure. A pressure cushion is arranged above the surface section. The pressure cushion has a pressure cap and a pressure-tight cap mat pressure-tightly connected to a circumferential border of the pressure cap such that the cap mat limits a pressure area together with the pressure cap. An overpressure in the pressure area is generated. The pressure cushion is pressed onto the fibre compound structure such that the overpressure presses the cap mat against the fibre layer while supporting the fibre compound structure on a side of the fibre compound structure that is opposed to the surface section. The fibre layer is hardened

A high-efficiency mold temperature control system includes a dielectric heating module, a cooling module, and a flow control module. The dielectric heating module includes a heating circuit, a dielectric heater, a high-frequency power supply, a high-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a heat circulation pump. The cooling module includes a cooling circuit, a heat exchanger, a low-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a cold circulation pump. The flow control module includes multiple thermal switch valves and multiple cooling switch valves to control a high-temperature heat medium to the heating circuit or control a low-temperature heat medium to the cooling circuit. Through the design of the dielectric heating module, the high-temperature heat medium can be rapidly heated and the overall heating efficiency can be enhanced, thereby rapidly heating or cooling a mold and controlling the rapid heating and cooling of the mold.

A high-efficiency mold temperature control system includes a dielectric heating module, a cooling module, and a flow control module. The dielectric heating module includes a heating circuit, a dielectric heater, a high-frequency power supply, a high-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a heat circulation pump. The cooling module includes a cooling circuit, a heat exchanger, a low-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a cold circulation pump. The flow control module includes multiple thermal switch valves and multiple cooling switch valves to control a high-temperature heat medium to the heating circuit or control a low-temperature heat medium to the cooling circuit. Through the design of the dielectric heating module, the high-temperature heat medium can be rapidly heated and the overall heating efficiency can be enhanced, thereby rapidly heating or cooling a mold and controlling the rapid heating and cooling of the mold.

A high-efficiency mold temperature control system includes a dielectric heating module, a cooling module, and a flow control module. The dielectric heating module includes a heating circuit, a dielectric heater, a high-frequency power supply, a high-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a heat circulation pump. The cooling module includes a cooling circuit, a heat exchanger, a low-temperature heat medium storage tank, and a cold circulation pump. The flow control module includes multiple thermal switch valves and multiple cooling switch valves to control a high-temperature heat medium to the heating circuit or control a low-temperature heat medium to the cooling circuit. Through the design of the dielectric heating module, the high-temperature heat medium can be rapidly heated and the overall heating efficiency can be enhanced, thereby rapidly heating or cooling a mold and controlling the rapid heating and cooling of the mold.