An object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming an antiglare hard coat layer having a concavo-convex shape that exhibits a good antiglare property and being superior in scratch resistance.

An example of a method of micro-transfer printing comprises providing a micro-transfer printable component source wafer, providing a stamp comprising a body and spaced-apart posts, and providing a light source for controllably irradiating each of the posts with light through the body. Each of the posts is contacted to a component to adhere the component thereto. The stamp with the adhered components is removed from the component source wafer. The selected posts are irradiated through the body with the light to detach selected components adhered to selected posts from the selected posts, leaving non-selected components adhered to non-selected posts. In some embodiments, using the stamp, the selected components are adhered to a provided destination substrate. In some embodiments, the selected components are discarded. An example micro-transfer printing system comprises a stamp comprising a body and spaced-apart posts and a light source for selectively irradiating each of the posts with light.

The invention provides a method for 3D printing a 3D item (1), the method comprising depositing during a printing stage 3D printable material (201), to provide the 3D item (1) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the printing stage comprises: 3D printing a first 3D printable material (201a) to provide a first 3D printed material (202a), the first 3D printable material (201a) comprising a cross-linkable material; creating a relief structure (610) in the first 3D printed material (202a) with a tool (630); and 3D printing a second 3D printable material (201b) to provide a second 3D printed material (202b), to provide a stack (620) of (i) 3D printed material (202) comprising the first 3D printed material comprising the relief structure (610), and (ii) the second 3D printed material (202b), wherein the method further comprises: cross-linking at least part of the first 3D printed material (202a) comprising the relief structure (610) before depositing the second 3D printable material (202b).

A method for the hot stamping of a composite part with continuous fiber reinforcement in a thermoplastic matrix. A blank including a laminated structure of plies consisting in unidirectional tapes of fibers pre-impregnated with thermoplastic polymer is obtained. The blank is heated in the open to a temperature greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the polymer making up the matrix. The blank is then stamped.

A method for three-dimensionally forming a resin packaging member. The resin packaging member is heated to a temperature not higher than the Vicat softening temperature of the packaging member, and then compression shaping is conducted at a temperature not lower than room temperature and not higher than the Vicat softening temperature so as to form a three-dimensionally shaped portion with a large protrusion.

A method for making an activatable material having a handling film layer thereon, comprising the steps of providing a continuous mass of a polymeric material having a longitudinal axis and being capable of adhering to a metal surface; applying a handling layer (e.g., film) over at least one side of the mass; forming stress relief indentations in the mass, with the handling layer at least partially extending into the indentations, wherein the stress relief indentations allow a resulting part to be applied in conforming geometry with a surface to which it is applied. The teachings also contemplate parts made by the above method and use thereof to bond to surfaces having a non-planar portion.

Diffractive microstructure comprising micro-protrusions or microgrooves or a combination thereof and method of producing the same. The microstructure is formed in a layer of a thermoplastic carbohydrate polymer or a polymer derived from a carbohydrate material, said polymer having a glass transition point of less than 210 C. The thermoplastic polymer is preferably selected from the group of native starch, dextrin, native hemicellulose, native cellulose, poly(lactic acid), polylactides, polycaprolactone, starch derivatives, dextrin derivatives, hemicellulose derivatives, cellulose derivatives, and mixtures thereof. The invention provides an inexpensive and reliable way of incorporating into the products safety markings, which allow for visual inspection or detection, such as holograms and barcodes.

A process for producing a surface covering with an embossed printed surface is described. A substrate (16) is continuously moved through a production line, and this substrate (16) is first provided, in a printing equipment (12), with a printed pattern and thereafter, in an embossing equipment (14), with an embossed pattern, which is registered with the printed pattern. The printing equipment (12) produces the printed pattern in-line with the production of the embossed pattern. During printing in the printing equipment (12), the printed pattern is stretched or compressed, dynamically responsive to indicators of misalignments between the printed pattern and the embossed pattern, so as to correct or prevent the misalignments. A production line for carrying out this process is also proposed.

The present disclosure includes methods of forming air bearing surfaces having multi-tier structures using nanoimprint technology and/or 3D printing technology. In some embodiments, a single stage of milling can be used to transfer a multi-tier photoresist pattern into a substrate (e.g., an AlTiC substrate).

An imprinting apparatus, a method of manufacturing an article, with a template having at least one mass velocity variation feature in a region that alters the filling rate of formable material in the second region surrounding a pattern region. The altered filling rate varies from a first filling rate, at a center of an outer edge of the region to a second filling rate, at corners of the outer edge of the region. The second filling rate is greater than the first filling rate.