A method of molding a metalized composite part. The method comprises: introducing particles comprising at least one metal into a gas stream; directing the gas stream toward a surface of a thermoplastic composite part, thereby depositing a metal layer on the composite part to form a metallized composite part; and molding the metallized composite part to introduce a bend without delamination of the metal layer from the metallized composite part.

Method for the preparation of dried polymer pellets in a facility having a dryer with a first chamber and a mechanical agitator, and the facility further having a degassing silo with a second chamber, the method includes the steps of guiding a drying gas flow made from or containing a first gas mixture for drying wet polymer pellets into the first chamber, transferring the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber, guiding a second gas mixture for degassing the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber thereby transforming the second gas mixture into a third gas mixture and guiding a portion of the third gas mixture into the first chamber; and process for manufacturing LDPE pellets.

A manipulator device such as a robot arm that is capable of increasing manufacturing throughput for additively manufactured parts, and allows for the manipulation of parts that would be difficult or impossible for a human to move is described. The manipulator can grasp various permanent or temporary additively manufactured manipulation points on a part to enable repositioning or maneuvering of the part.

A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material includes preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density, pre-densifying the powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base, crushing the pre-densified insulation base into granular core insulation to define a core density of the granular core insulation, disposing the granular core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure and expressing gas from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density. The granular core insulation defines the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulation structure, wherein the target density defines a density in the range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.

The present invention relates to a processing technology for manufacturing seepage irrigation pipe with alternating effluent sections and non-effluent sections, and in particular, to the field of underground seepage irrigation in agriculture and forestry. The processing technology combines the production unit for water-effluent pipes with the production unit for non-effluent pipes, and produces the seepage irrigation pipeline by adjusting the raw material ratios, controlling the spindle speed, spindle acceleration time, and spindle deceleration time of the two pipeline production units, to generate a seepage irrigation pipe with alternating effluent sections and non-effluent sections. The lengths of the effluent sections and non-effluent sections can be adjusted, the pipe wall thickness can also be adjusted by adjusting the inner and outer diameter of the internal mold of the pipe forming unit, a seepage irrigation pipe with alternating effluent sections and non-effluent sections is environment-friendly, efficient, water-saving, and useful for underground irrigation.

The invention provides a method for producing a 3D item (1) by means of fused deposition modelling, the method comprising a 3D printing stage comprising layer- wise depositing an extrudate (321) comprising 3D printable material (201), to provide the 3D item (1) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the 3D item (1) comprises layers (322) of 3D printed material (202), wherein the method further comprises controlling a first temperature T.sub.1 of the 3D printable material (201) within a first temperature range, wherein the 3D printable material (201) comprises a thermoplastic host material (401) and a dopant material (410) in the range of 1-20 vol %, the dopant material (410) comprising polymeric flake-like particles having a metal coating, wherein the 3D printable material (201) has an optical property that irreversibly changes from a low-temperature optical property to a high-temperature optical property when increasing a temperature of the 3D printable material (201) over a change temperature T.sub.c, the optical property being selected from the group consisting of reflection, transmission, luminescence, absorption, and color, wherein the change temperature T.sub.c is within the first temperature range, wherein during at least a first part of the 3D printing stage the first temperature T.sub.1 is below the change temperature T.sub.c, and wherein during at least a second part of the 3D printing stage the first temperature T.sub.1 is above the change temperature T.sub.c.

A fusible, phase-change powder composition includes a plurality of powder particles comprising a polymer composition, an unencapsulated phase-change material, and optionally, an additive composition; wherein the powder composition is fusible at a temperature of 25 to 105° C., or 28 to 60° C., or 45 to 85° C., or 60 to 80° C., or 80 to 100° C.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

An inspection system for an additive manufacturing machine can include a housing configured to be mounted to an internal construction of the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the housing defines a laser inlet configured to allow a laser beam from a laser of the additive manufacturing machine to enter into the housing, wherein the housing defines a laser outlet configured to allow the laser beam to exit from the housing and to allow reflected light to enter into the housing. One or more detectors is disposed within the housing and configured to receive the reflected light. The system includes one or more optical elements configured to allow the laser beam to pass through the housing from the laser inlet to the laser outlet toward a build area of the additive manufacturing machine and to direct reflected light from the laser outlet to the one or more detectors within the housing.

Provided is a sheet molding compound having excellent thick portion-molding properties that can inhibit the occurrence of internal cracks even during the molding of a thick portion and enables a carbon fiber composite material molded article to be excellently released from a die. Also provided is a carbon fiber composite material molded article. The sheet molding compound of the present invention contains a fiber substrate (A) containing carbon fiber and a thermosetting resin composition (B), in which an average fiber length of the carbon fiber is 5 mm or more, and a volumetric molding shrinkage rate of the thermosetting resin composition (B) is 0.5% or more and 4.4% or less. Furthermore, the carbon fiber composite material molded article of the present invention has a thick portion having a thickness of 10 mm or more, in which the thick portion is formed of a cured material of the sheet molding compound of the present invention.