A method and an apparatus for producing a radially aligned magnetorheological elastomer molded body containing a matrix resin and a magnetic filler are provided. The method includes the following: placing a permanent magnet 11 in at least one position selected from positions that are spaced from a metal mold 14a having a cavity 14b and located above and below the center of the metal mold 14a; providing a closed magnetic circuit that allows a magnetic flux 19a generated by the permanent magnet 11 to pass through the metal mold 14a from a side thereof, filling the cavity 14b with a composition containing the matrix resin and the magnetic filler; and molding the composition while the magnetic filler is radially aligned. With this configuration, the elastomer material is molded while the magnetic filler is radially aligned by using the permanent magnet.

In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material, the fiber-reinforced composite material is formed by impregnating a reinforcing fiber sheet with a resin and curing the resin. The method includes: storing the reinforcing fiber sheet in a cavity of a forming mold; and impregnating the reinforcing fiber sheet with the resin by injecting the resin into the cavity of the forming mold, and curing the resin. In the impregnating and curing, the resin containing a magnetic powder is injected into the cavity, and a magnetic field is generated in the cavity to cause the resin containing the magnetic powder to flow.

A method of encoding information in an object that may allow for enhanced tailorability of the encoding during the processing and/or also enhance the amount of information encoded in the object. More particularly, the method of encoding the object enables the magnetic characteristics at different spatial locations of the object to be modified to form a spatial array of the different magnetic characteristics for representing the encoded information. The method can be used to permanently embed a magnetic signature in a non-magnetic object, for example. More specifically, the method allows different portions of the object to exhibit different magnetic characteristics at each spatial location of the object in three dimensions, and more particularly configuring the magnetic vectors of those portions in many possible orientations with a 4n steradian solid angle and/or with different intensities.

According to exemplary inventive practice, ceramic powder or slurry is selectively deposited at many discrete locations on each of many fiberglass fabric substrates. The sizes and/or shapes of the ceramic deposits vary among the substrates. The substrates are selectively ordered and stacked so that perpendicular through-plane alignments of respective ceramic deposits form selected three-dimensional geometric shapes. The resultant stack of substrates, characterized by many three-dimensional ceramic inclusions, is impregnated with an elastomer or an epoxy that binds the ceramic-deposited substrates together, resulting in a finished composite product. Inventive composite structures can be multifariously designed and embodied to afford selected ballistic and/or structural and/or electromagnetic qualities. Another mode of inventive practice provides for incorporation of the above-described inventive composite product as a layer in a multilayer composite system that also includes a high strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening polymer layer, a hybrid composite fabric layer, a ceramic layer, and a polymeric ballistic fabric layer.

Structurally enhanced preformed layers of multiple rigid unidirectional rods are constructed and arranged for use in fabricating load-bearing support structures and reinforcements in a variety of composite components, e.g. wind turbine blades. Individual preform layers include multiple elongate unidirectional strength elements or rods arranged in a single layer along a longitudinal axis of the preform layer. Individual rods include aligned unidirectional structural fibers embedded within a matrix resin such that the rods have a substantially uniform distribution of fibers and high degree of fiber collimation. The relative straightness of the fibers and fiber collimation provide rods and the preform layers with high rigidity and significant compression strength. A plurality of rods are loosely attached, e.g. knitted, together with a coupling that allows for each rod to be axially displaced, e.g. slideable, relative to another rod.

The application relates to a method for 3D printing a 3D item (10) on a substrate (1550), the method comprising providing a filament (320) of 3D printable material (201) and printing during a printing stage said 3D printable material (201) to provide the 3D item (10) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the 3D printable material (201) comprises light transmissive polymeric material and wherein the polymeric material has a glass transition temperature, wherein the 3D printable material during at least part of the printing stage further comprises plate-like particles (410), wherein the plate-like particles (410) have a metallic appearance, wherein the plate-like particles (410) have a longest dimension length (L1) selected from the range of 50 m-2 mm and a largest thickness (L2) selected from the range of 0.05-20 m, and wherein the method further comprises subjecting the 3D printed material (202) on the substrate (1550) to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature.

A film structure having a matte film surface and method of manufacture thereof. The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a blend of polyethylene homopolymer or copolymer resins, coupled with one or more platelet shaped (non-spherical) inorganic or organic fillers. The matte polyethylene film surface as prepared from these polymer/filler blends exhibits a low gloss matte surface for wide utility in laminated and non-laminated, food and non-food, packaging and non-packaging applications. A unique and heretofore uncontemplated technique of manufacture exploiting the phenomenon of die swell as enumerated herein is utilized during production to facilitate the reorientation of the fillers during the extrusion process to produce the matte surface effect.

A film structure having a matte film surface and method of manufacture thereof. The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a blend of polyethylene homopolymer or copolymer resins, coupled with one or more platelet shaped (non-spherical) inorganic or organic fillers. The matte polyethylene film surface as prepared from these polymer/filler blends exhibits a low gloss matte surface for wide utility in laminated and non-laminated, food and non-food, packaging and non-packaging applications. A unique and heretofore uncontemplated technique of manufacture exploiting the phenomenon of die swell as enumerated herein is utilized during production to facilitate the reorientation of the fillers during the extrusion process to produce the matte surface effect.

A method and apparatus for producing a composite part are provided to enable composite parts to be assembled with precise control over the orientation and spatial distribution of reinforcing or other particles within a matrix material. The method and apparatus use magnetic fields applied during various additive manufacturing processes to achieve complex particles orientations within each layer of the part. The composite parts can achieve enhanced properties, including mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties.

A method and apparatus for producing a composite part are provided to enable composite parts to be assembled with precise control over the orientation and spatial distribution of reinforcing or other particles within a matrix material. The method and apparatus use magnetic fields applied during various additive manufacturing processes to achieve complex particles orientations within each layer of the part. The composite parts can achieve enhanced properties, including mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties.