A blow molding capable of maintaining the parison thickness distribution uniform, fabricating high-quality molded products, and improving its productivity. A parison supply device for supplying, to a blow mold, a parison discharged from an extrusion die, the parison supply device including: a pair of chucks for pinching, from above and below, a parison discharged downward from the extrusion die; and a chuck operation part for controlling an operation of pinching the parison by the pair of chucks and an operation of moving the pair of chucks. By the chuck operation part, the pair of chucks performs the operation of pinching the parison while being moved downward.

A method of fabricating a composite material, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, b) providing an array of thermoplastic islands across at least a proportion of a major surface of the first layer, c) providing a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, d) laying the second layer over at least some of the islands, and e) securing the first and second layers together. There is also disclosed a composite which comprises a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer and a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, between which is an intervening layer comprising an array of thermoplastic islands.

An electrochemical cell includes an electrode body which includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode and an outer package which is formed by overlapping a first member and a second member. The outer package includes: a housing portion which houses the electrode body; and a sealing portion which is formed along an outer circumference of the housing portion, by fusing and bending the first member and the second member, at a portion corresponding to the outer circumference of the housing portion.

A process is capable of producing a high-quality fiber-reinforced plastic with good yield in a short molding cycle time despite being atmospheric pressure molding. The process characterized uses local contact heating to give different temperature conditions to produce a fiber-reinforced plastic by atmospheric pressure molding from a fiber-reinforced material which contains a reinforcing fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition.

A nozzle system and method of manufacturing a nozzle system for use in an additive manufacturing system for fabricating an object is disclosed. The nozzle system includes a monolithic nozzle head designed such that the thermal locking member, neck member, and nozzle member of the nozzle head are manufactured into one component. The nozzle head is made of a material that has a high specific heat capacity but low thermal heat conductivity. The result is a nozzle system design that virtually eliminates heat migration from the nozzle head to the heat sink, and thereby improves the overall quality of polymer filament deposition during printing.

Apparatus for the customization of footwear, in particular sports footwear, having an element made of thermoplastic material is provided. A method for the customization of footwear using the apparatus is also provided. The apparatus has a heating assembly, for heating the thermoplastic element above a predetermined threshold temperature, and a shaping assembly, for shaping the thermoplastic element while its temperature is above the threshold value, which assemblies are both carried by a common frame. Due to the fact that the heating assembly and the shaping assembly are carried by a single, common frame, it is possible to ensure proper heating and subsequent shaping of the element made of thermoplastic material.

A mandrel for composite fabrication includes an open cell foam carrier and at least one vacuum bag enclosing the open cell foam carrier.

A wheel includes a rim having a rim well and rim flanges, a hub, and at least three spoke elements. Each spoke element forms at least one spoke between the hub and the rim. The spoke elements are fastened to an inside of the rim in a form-closed manner or a form-closed and bonded manner. In the hub region, the spoke elements are supported on each other in a circumferential direction at abutting surfaces designed therefor. A method for producing the wheel is provided.

Optics over a light source, such as, but not limited to, an LED on a circuit board. The optic does not entirely encapsulate the LED but rather includes an inner surface such that an air gap exists between the optic and the LED. The optic may include a lens and may conform to the shape of the circuit board.

A method of forming a fiber-reinforced molding compound. The method includes establishing a melt stream of a source material including a first polymeric material having a first melt temperature in an extruder and dosing a composite material into the melt stream. The composite material includes pre-impregnated reinforcing fibers comprising reinforcing filaments and a second polymeric material having a second melt temperature greater than the first melt temperature. The composite material has at least 30% of the reinforcing filaments protected by the polymeric material such that the polymeric material surrounds each filament completely forming a barrier between it and an adjacent filament in the at least 30% of the filaments. The temperature of the melt stream at dosing is below the second melt temperature. The method includes forming a molding compound from the source and composite materials. The method includes dispensing the molding compound to produce a part.