In methods and apparatuses for producing auxetic foam from conventional foam, conventional foam is compressed into a mold before thermal, chemical or thermo-chemical treatment processes are performed. A segmented mold is accommodated in a compressing apparatus. After compressing the foam between the mold segments, the mold is fastened shut and removed from the compressing apparatus. The forces applied to any given volume of foam and the amounts by which the foam is compressed while being processed are controlled to impart desired mechanical properties to the produced foam. Poisson's ratio and density of discrete portions of finished foam shapes are reliably predicted and controlled to achieve uniform and non-uniform mechanical properties within a single continuous quantity of foam.

In methods and apparatuses for producing auxetic foam from conventional foam, conventional foam is compressed into a mold before thermal, chemical or thermo-chemical treatment processes are performed. A segmented mold is accommodated in a compressing apparatus. After compressing the foam between the mold segments, the mold is fastened shut and removed from the compressing apparatus. The forces applied to any given volume of foam and the amounts by which the foam is compressed while being processed are controlled to impart desired mechanical properties to the produced foam. Poisson's ratio and density of discrete portions of finished foam shapes are reliably predicted and controlled to achieve uniform and non-uniform mechanical properties within a single continuous quantity of foam.

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus including a supply device including discharge ports which discharge a imprint material, and configured to supply the imprint material onto a substrate via the discharge ports, and a controller configured to cause, if there is a defective discharge port of the discharge ports, the supply device to discharge the imprint material from another discharge port, different from the defective discharge port, of the discharge ports, wherein a mold for the molding includes a line pattern, and the controller is configured to control the supply device such that an interval between supply positions of the imprint material do not become larger in a direction orthogonal to a direction along the line pattern than that before change from the defective discharge port to the other discharge port.

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus including a supply device including discharge ports which discharge a imprint material, and configured to supply the imprint material onto a substrate via the discharge ports, and a controller configured to cause, if there is a defective discharge port of the discharge ports, the supply device to discharge the imprint material from another discharge port, different from the defective discharge port, of the discharge ports, wherein a mold for the molding includes a line pattern, and the controller is configured to control the supply device such that an interval between supply positions of the imprint material do not become larger in a direction orthogonal to a direction along the line pattern than that before change from the defective discharge port to the other discharge port.

An apparatus for molding a part includes a plunger cavity, a plunger, and a mold cavity, wherein the plunger is oriented out-of-plane with respect to a major surface of the mold cavity, and first and second vents couples to respective first and second portions of the mold cavity. In a method, resin and fiber are forced into the mold cavity from a plunger cavity, and at least some of the fibers and resin are preferentially flowed to certain region in the mold cavity via the use of vents.

An apparatus for molding a part includes a plunger cavity, a plunger, and a mold cavity, wherein the plunger is oriented out-of-plane with respect to a major surface of the mold cavity, and first and second vents couples to respective first and second portions of the mold cavity. In a method, resin and fiber are forced into the mold cavity from a plunger cavity, and at least some of the fibers and resin are preferentially flowed to certain region in the mold cavity via the use of vents.

A guidance and maintenance machine (100) includes a guide roller (102) and an application roller (104), each having a plurality of respective grooves (102a, 104a) defined on a respective circumferential surface (102b, 104b). The guidance and maintenance machine includes at least one preparation comb (200) having a support (202) with an upper surface (202d) from which a plurality of teeth (204) extend. The teeth, with a predetermined uniform height, are aligned in parallel along a length of the support and are positioned at a pitch between them in correspondence with corresponding grooves (102a) of the guide roller (102) so that the comb (200) feeds filaments (50) from a supply creel (304), where the filaments are stored, to the guide roller (102) at a predetermined pitch positioning outside the guide roller.

A guidance and maintenance machine (100) includes a guide roller (102) and an application roller (104), each having a plurality of respective grooves (102a, 104a) defined on a respective circumferential surface (102b, 104b). The guidance and maintenance machine includes at least one preparation comb (200) having a support (202) with an upper surface (202d) from which a plurality of teeth (204) extend. The teeth, with a predetermined uniform height, are aligned in parallel along a length of the support and are positioned at a pitch between them in correspondence with corresponding grooves (102a) of the guide roller (102) so that the comb (200) feeds filaments (50) from a supply creel (304), where the filaments are stored, to the guide roller (102) at a predetermined pitch positioning outside the guide roller.

A guidance and maintenance machine (100) includes an upper guide roller (102) and a lower guide roller (104), each guide roller (102, 104) having a plurality of circumferential grooves (102a, 104a) defined on a respective circumferential surface (102b, 104b). At least one preparation comb (200), provided in correspondence with each guide roller (102, 104), has a support (202) with an upper surface (202d) from which a plurality of teeth (204) extend. The teeth are aligned and parallel along the length of the support. The teeth attributed to the upper guide roller are positioned at a pitch therebetween in correspondence with the grooves of the upper guide roller, and the teeth attributed to the lower guide roller are positioned at a pitch therebetween in correspondence with the grooves of the lower guide roller.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards methods and apparatus for molding-in gaskets that serve as light blockers, within the grooves of a moving planar work material. The gaskets comprise of a hot melt adhesive material that is in a molten state above a particular temperature and gets solidified below a particular temperature. Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is directed towards a planar work material having grooves that are filled with molded-in gaskets, wherein the gaskets are made up of a hot melt adhesive material. The gaskets made of the hot melt adhesive material bond securely with the panels because of inherent adhesive properties, and provide structural stability to the light panels. Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is directed towards the use of a hot melt adhesive material as the molding material for molding-in gaskets within the grooves of a planar work material.