To achieve universal welding of thermoplastic workpiece parts with simple equipment, an infrared light transmission welding method is disclosed in which simple polychromatic, incoherent infrared light is generated by a simple infrared light source and is directed through a first workpiece part to a weld point for the purposes of connection to a second workpiece part. In particular, the infrared light is directed through a transparent bracing element.

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A particulate material for powder bed fusion has specific particle size characteristics and includes a thermoplastic and a sulfonate salt having the structure (A), wherein Z is a phosphorus atom or a nitrogen atom; each occurrence of X is independently halogen or hydrogen provided that at least one X is halogen; b, d, and e are integers from zero to 12; c is 0 or 1 provided that when c is 1, d and e are not both zero; R.sup.11-13 are each independently C.sub.1-C.sub.12 hydrocarbyl; R.sup.14 is C.sub.1-C.sub.18 hydrocarbyl; and Y is selected from (B)—wherein R.sup.15 is hydrogen or C.sub.1-C.sub.12 hydrocarbyl. Also described is a method of powder bed fusion utilizing the particulate material.

A particulate material useful for additive manufacturing contains a semicrystalline polycarbonate or a semicrystalline polyetherimide. The particles of the particulate material are characterized by a narrow volume-based distribution of equivalent spherical diameters in which the median equivalent spherical diameter (Dv50) M is in the range 35 to 85 micrometers, the equivalent spherical diameter corresponding to 1 percent of the cumulative undersize distribution (DvO1) is greater than 2 micrometers, and the equivalent spherical diameter corresponding to 99 percent of the cumulative undersize distribution (Dv99) is less than 115 micrometers. Also described is a method of additive manufacturing utilizing the particulate material.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, where the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, a joint flexibly joining the tiles together, and a fluid path formed through the heat sink for communicating a coolant therethrough.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, where the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, a joint flexibly joining the tiles together, and a fluid path formed through the heat sink for communicating a coolant therethrough.

Additive manufacturing devices and methods for the same are provided. The additive manufacturing device may include a stage configured to support a substrate, a printhead disposed above the stage, and a targeted heating system disposed proximal the printhead. The printhead may be configured to heat a build material to a molten build material and deposit the molten build material on the substrate in the form of droplets to fabricate the article. The targeted heating system may be configured to control a temperature or temperature gradient of the droplets in a flight path interposed between the printhead and the substrate.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a flexible backing and a number of tiles disposed on the flexible backing in a single layer, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a flexible backing and a number of tiles disposed on the flexible backing in a single layer, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive.

Embodiments relate to a polyamide-imide film that secures excellent tensile toughness and elastic restoring force, and a process for preparing the same. The polyamide-imide film comprises a polyamide-imide polymer formed by polymerizing a diamine compound, a dianhydride compound, and a dicarbonyl compound, wherein the area value up to the yield point derived by the 0.2% off-set method on a stress-strain curve of the polyamide-imide film as measured using a universal testing machine (UTM) is 80 to 150 J/m.sup.2.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.