A welding method for welding a first component to a second component using a welding device including an upper tool mounted to an upper support for receiving the first component, a lower tool mounted to a lower support for receiving the second component as well as a preheating arrangement for preheating the first and/or the second component and a controller. A welding device in accordance with the welding method is further provided.

A method protects a field joint of a pipeline, where chamfered edges of thermally-insulating parent coatings on conjoined pipe lengths are in mutual opposition about a longitudinally-extending gap. The method includes manufacturing an hourglass-shaped inner layer around the pipe lengths, which layer may be moulded. The inner layer extends longitudinally along the gap between the chamfered edges and at least partially overlies the chamfered edges. A thermally-insulating solid insert is assembled from two or more parts to lie in the gap surrounding the inner layer, and pressure is applied radially inwardly from the insert to the inner layer. An outer layer of molten material is manufactured around the insert to form a watertight barrier and to form one or more melted interfaces with the inner layer. Corresponding field joint arrangements are also disclosed.

Methods, apparatus or equipment and systems for lining conduits, e.g., preferably subterranean pipelines and passageways, such as sewers, with a liner impregnated with a curable resin in order to secure the conduit against ingress or egress of liquids.

The disclosed technology includes a catheter or sheath assembly and a method for manufacturing same. The manufacturing process includes obtaining a catheter or sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, and obtaining a hub pre-formed separately from the catheter or sheath. The hub can include a pre-formed receptacle portion configured to receive a portion of the catheter or sheath. A portion of the catheter or sheath can be inserted into the pre-formed receptacle portion of the hub. The receptacle portion can be melted to a semi-fluid state and can be compressed against the portion of the catheter or sheath in the hub.

A laminate film manufacturing method is capable of preventing thickness unevenness of a cured layer and preventing wrinkling of the entire laminate film. A laminate film is manufactured by applying a coating solution including an active radiation curable resin to a surface of a first film that is continuously transported in an application part to form a coated film in a lamination part, laminating a second film that is continuously transported on the coated film to sandwich the coated film between the first film and the second film, and in a state in which the coated film is sandwiched between the first film and the second film, winding the first film around a backup roller and irradiating the coated film with infrared rays from an ultraviolet irradiation device while continuously transporting the first film to cure the coated film in a curing part so as to form a cured layer.

A method of directly joining a polymer to a metal along a joint interface through the formation of C—O—M chemical bonds, where M represents an element in the metal to be joined. The method includes heating the metal to a predetermined temperature above a glass transition temperature of the polymer and less than a flash ignition temperature of the polymer and less than a metal melting temperature of the metal; and applying force to the joint interface of the metal and the polymer to generate intimate atomic contact between the metal and the polymer to create C—O—M chemical bonds between the metal and the polymer.

An automated heat shrink device, useful for forming a connection between two tubular sections having a polymeric outer surface jacket, for example, a connection between two sections of a district heating pipeline, and a method of use thereof. The device is configured such that it requires minimal clearance to either side of the pipeline when being used.

A horizontal pillow packing apparatus includes a center sealer configured to wrap a packing target object by bringing both end portions of a back surface of a belt-shaped film in a width direction into contact with each other and seal a center seal portion at which the both end portions of the back surface in the width direction are in contact with each other, and an end sealer configured to seal and cut both side portions of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object in the width direction. The center sealer includes at least two pairs of heating rollers configured to nip and heat the center seal portion of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object, and a pair of compression rollers configured to cool and compress, to bond the center seal portion, the center seal portion heated by the at least two pairs of heating rollers.

Bag-sealing apparatus is provided for heat-sealing a bag. The apparatus has a heater arrangement operable to apply heat to heat-seal an open end of the bag. A bag detector detects the location of the bag relative to the heater arrangement. The heater arrangement is formed of plural heater portions. The heater arrangement is operable such that only the or each heater portion that overlies the bag as detected by the bag detector is caused to operate to apply heat to the bag.

A method for improving tear resistance of stretch films in which two stretch films are bonded together with an adhesive by hot rolling or UV curing such that their primary stretch directions cross each other. Composite films resulting from the invention possess significantly improved slit tear strength and tear resistance over biaxially stretched films with the same thicknesses. The invention can be widely used to improve tear resistance of stretch films fabricated from various existing materials and processes. In addition, it allows simple operations and is readily applicable to mass production.