The present invention is a method for manufacturing inflatable bladders for use in articles of manufacture. The method includes the steps of providing a first polymer film, applying a curable release coating to the polymer film in a pattern that corresponds to the configuration of the inflatable bladder, curing the release coating to the first polymer film, providing a second polymer film with the first polymer film to form a layered element such that the release coating is disposed between the polymer films, positioning the layered element between two plies of material, applying heat and pressure to adhere the polymer films together except in the area where the release coating has been applied to form an inflatable compartment surrounded by a sealed perimeter, and removing the plies of material from the adhered first and second polymer films.

A device for processing of highly viscous photopolymerizable material for layer-by-layer generation of a shaped body comprises a vat including a bottom which is at least in certain areas thereof transparent, a build platform, an exposure unit for exposing a material layer formed between the lower side of the build platform and the vat bottom in a locally selective manner, a control unit in order to adapt the relative position of the build platform to the vat bottom after each exposure step for a layer, in order to successively build up the shaped body in the desired shape, and a moveably guided doctor blade arrangement including a drive unit for moving the doctor blade arrangement back and forth underneath the build platform. The doctor blade arrangement comprises two doctor blades spaced apart in movement direction, which doctor blades are moveable at a constant distance to the vat bottom along the bottom. The vat includes vat end walls such that the doctor blade leading in movement direction in each case moves towards one of the vat end walls. Between the two doctor blades a chamber is formed which is open at its lower side, wherein walls of the chamber include at least one opening extending through the wall in movement direction for forming an overflow channel, so that material piling up between the leading doctor blade and the facing vat end wall is pressed through they at least overflow channel into the chamber.

The invention pertains to a fluoropolymer composition comprising certain tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoromethyvinylether copolymers having well-defined TFE/MVE monomer composition and possessing low molecular weight and a white pigment, to the use of this latter for manufacturing shaped articles, and to shaped articles therefrom, including components of light emitting apparatuses, e.g. LED assemblies.

A process of making a wear-resistant actuating lever is disclosed. The wear-resistant actuating lever includes a lever body made of metal and an integrally molded cover layer made of a polytetrafluoroethylene-based material. The lever body includes a head segment having an upper major surface, a cam-forming surface, a through hole, and at least one upper concavity formed in the upper major surface. The integrally molded cover layer covers on the head segment and is molded thereon using plastic injection molding, and includes an upper portion covering an upper major surface, a cam portion covering a cam-forming surface, and an upper protuberance portion in the upper concavity.

A weld stop element may be used in a hot plate welding process for bonding first and second plastic components. The weld stop element includes a weld stop post positioned between ribs of one or both of the components. The weld stop post is sized such that the weld stop post is not accessible by a heating element during a heating phase of the hot plate welding process. The weld stop post defines a stop position for when the first and second plastic components are pressed together after the heating phase.

A weld stop element may be used in a hot plate welding process for bonding first and second plastic components. The weld stop element includes a weld stop post positioned between ribs of one or both of the components. The weld stop post is sized such that the weld stop post is not accessible by a heating element during a heating phase of the hot plate welding process. The weld stop post defines a stop position for when the first and second plastic components are pressed together after the heating phase.

The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for producing a plug-through connection arrangement of a plurality of electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses, having a sheathing (2) consisting of a plastic, which extend, arranged adjacently spaced apart from each other, through associated openings (3a-3d) of a plastic component (4), comprising the following steps: providing (A) the plastic part (4) with the pre-produced plurality of openings (3a-3d), installing (B) the electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses through the associated openings (3a-3d), such that the outer wall of the sheathing (2), which consists of plastic, comes into contact with the inner wall of the respective openings (3a-3d) of the plastic component (4), thermal welding (C) of the electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses to the plastic component (4) in the region of the respective opening (3a-3d), in order to produce an integrally sealing component bond, wherein at least two laser beam units (5a, 5b), positioned opposite each other, are aligned to an associated initial connection point, after which the oppositely positioned laser beam units (5a, 5b) are activated and caused to undergo a linear relative movement crosswise to the orientation of the openings (3a-3d), in order to create the integral bond by surface melting of the sheathing (2) together with the plastic component (4).

The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for producing a plug-through connection arrangement of a plurality of electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses, having a sheathing (2) consisting of a plastic, which extend, arranged adjacently spaced apart from each other, through associated openings (3a-3d) of a plastic component (4), comprising the following steps: providing (A) the plastic part (4) with the pre-produced plurality of openings (3a-3d), installing (B) the electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses through the associated openings (3a-3d), such that the outer wall of the sheathing (2), which consists of plastic, comes into contact with the inner wall of the respective openings (3a-3d) of the plastic component (4), thermal welding (C) of the electrical cables (1a-1d) and/or fluid-conducting hoses to the plastic component (4) in the region of the respective opening (3a-3d), in order to produce an integrally sealing component bond, wherein at least two laser beam units (5a, 5b), positioned opposite each other, are aligned to an associated initial connection point, after which the oppositely positioned laser beam units (5a, 5b) are activated and caused to undergo a linear relative movement crosswise to the orientation of the openings (3a-3d), in order to create the integral bond by surface melting of the sheathing (2) together with the plastic component (4).

A radome for housing a radar system comprises a plurality of interconnected curved radome thermoplastic composite material panels, each curved radome thermoplastic composite material panel having a plurality of interconnecting edges, a foam core, an inner skin, an outer skin, and a plurality of three-dimensional fiber bundles tying the inner skin and the outer skin to each other through the foam core, inhibiting delamination. The radome includes a hydrophobic exterior surface that is self-cleaning and requires zero maintenance for 25 years.

A radome for housing a radar system comprises a plurality of interconnected curved radome thermoplastic composite material panels, each curved radome thermoplastic composite material panel having a plurality of interconnecting edges, a foam core, an inner skin, an outer skin, and a plurality of three-dimensional fiber bundles tying the inner skin and the outer skin to each other through the foam core, inhibiting delamination. The radome includes a hydrophobic exterior surface that is self-cleaning and requires zero maintenance for 25 years.