Systems and methods are provided for enhancing edge breathers for composite manufacturing. One exemplary embodiment is an apparatus that includes an edge breather to facilitate manufacturing of a composite part. The edge breather includes a body, ridges disposed along a length of the body that each define an arc which is perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the body, and openings disposed along the body that enable air to enter a hollow interior that runs along the length of the body. The arcs defined by the ridges resist compressive loads applied to the edge breather and prevent the hollow interior from collapsing under pressure applied to the edge breather by a vacuum bag during manufacturing of the composite part.

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.

A transfer and feed unit for parisons, in particular for PET bottles. The transfer and feed unit can be loaded with parisons at the upstream end thereof and feeds the parisons to a conveying unit arranged at the downstream end of the transfer and feed unit. The transfer and feed unit has a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, and the second conveyor belt is arranged at the downstream end of the first conveyor belt, and the first conveyor belt feeds the parisons to the second conveyor belt, and the second conveyor belt feeds the parisons to the conveying unit arranged at the downstream end thereof and a distance sensor is arranged in the downstream end region of the second conveyor belt.

A fiber optic cable and connector assembly including a fiber optic connector mounted at the end of a fiber optic cable. The fiber optic connector includes a ferrule assembly including a stub fiber supported within a ferrule. The stub fiber is fusion spliced to an optical fiber of the fiber optic cable at a location within the fiber optic connector.

A system for additively manufacturing a composite part comprises a delivery guide, movable relative to a surface. The delivery guide is configured to deposit at least a segment of a continuous flexible line along a print path. The continuous flexible line comprises a non-resin component and a thermosetting-resin component. The thermosetting-resin component comprises a first part and a second part. The non-resin component comprises a first element and a second element. The system further comprises a first resin-part applicator, configured to apply the first part to the first element, and a second resin-part applicator, configured to apply the second part to the second element. The system also comprises a feed mechanism, configured to pull the first element through the first resin-part applicator, to pull the second element through the second resin-part applicator, and to push the continuous flexible line out of the delivery guide.

A method of manufacturing a midsole for an article of footwear includes placing first and second preforms in a first mold, closing and heating the first mold to produce a midsole preform with a peripheral preform flange, removing the midsole preform from the first mold and allowing it to further expand and cool, placing the midsole preform in a second mold, with a volume of a midsole recess of the second mold being less than a volume of the midsole preform, and a volume of a peripheral recess of the second mold being less than a volume of the peripheral preform flange, closing the second mold thereby compressing the midsole preform and the peripheral preform flange, and heating the second mold to form a midsole with a peripheral flange, allowing the second mold to cool, opening the second mold, and cutting away a peripheral flange of the midsole.

A compound lens and a related method of manufacture are provided. The compound lens includes a first lens element and a second lens element such that a light emitting surface of the first lens element is integrally joined to a light receiving surface of the second lens element, the first and second lens element being in optical alignment with each other. The first and second lens element are molded from optical grade silicone and can achieve complex illumination objectives not possible with single lens constructions. The method of manufacture includes injecting a silicone resin molding compound into a mold cavity having the desired shape of the compound lens. The method of manufacture can include over-molding a lens holding member onto the compound lens and adding electro-optically active particles to a surface of the compound lens or to the silicone resin forming the compound lens.

A method for the production of a molded part made of plastic by rotational molding includes providing an insert element made of at least one of an absorbent and saturable material in a rotational melt mold. The rotational melt mold has at least one of a constriction and a wall that projects, in an area of an inner radius, into an interior of the rotational melt mold. A plastic precursor of the plastic intended for the plastic molded part is provided in the rotational melt mold. The plastic precursor is present as a melt in the rotational melt mold. The rotational melt mold is rotated so that the melt polymerizes and is simultaneously shaped, so that part of the melt is picked up by the insert element, and so that a wall thickness of the molded part in a finished form is increased in an area where the insert element is arranged.

A method is disclosed for forming extrudate filament, which consist essentially of fiber, organic binder, and metal and/or ceramic. The extrudate filament can be spooled, or used to form preforms, and/or assemblages of preforms. In further methods, the extrudate filament and/or preforms can be used to fabricate fiber-reinforced metal-matrix or ceramic-matrix or metal and ceramic matrix composite parts, which consist essentially of fiber in a matrix of metal, or ceramic, or metal and ceramic, respectively.

A molding process includes the operation of placing insulation material comprising fibers and binder on the fibers in a mold cavity. The molding process further includes the operation of transferring heat to the insulation material to cause the binder to cure.