The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

Thermoplastic polymers, for example fluoropolymers, are foamed by use of a solid formulation comprising thermoplastic polymer and manganese oxalate.

A method for manufacturing a stiffened panel made from composite material comprising a skin and elongated reinforcing elements wherein some of the elongated reinforcing elements cross each other. The method comprises the steps of (a) laying up a flat laminate comprising stacked plies of composite layers for forming a structure comprising the elongated reinforcing elements of the panel, (b) cutting the flat laminate along intersection lines of planes defining the webs of two crossing reinforcing elements, (c) cutting in the flat laminate the outline of the elongated reinforcing elements, (d) forming the structure comprising the elongated reinforcing elements of the panel, (e) laying up plies of composite layers for forming the skin, and (f) curing the laid-up plies of the skin and the formed structure comprising the elongated reinforcing elements.

A protective cover includes a padding layer and at least one backing layer comprising a network of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) threads, wherein a surface of the at least one backing layer is substantially rectangular comprising a first side, and wherein a plurality of the FRP threads are arranged along a direction that is oblique relative to the first side.

Provided is a flooring tile manufacturing apparatus includes: a lower sheet supply unit configured to form and supply a lower sheet; a middle sheet supply unit configured to supply a middle sheet joined to an upper side of the lower sheet; a raw material supply unit configured to supply materials having different contents of a filler to the lower sheet supply unit and the middle sheet supply unit; a main roller configured to join the lower sheet and the middle sheet that have been received; a first sheet supply unit configured to supply a print sheet having a color or a pattern to the main roller; a second sheet supply unit configured to supply a transparent sheet to the main roller; and an ultraviolet (UV) coating unit configured to form a UV coating layer on a surface of the transparent sheet.

A polymer injection-molding mold having a polymer injection-molding mold having a core insert and a cavity insert; at least two rear-wall glass-filled polyimide insulation plates, one of the rear-wall insulation plates being inset into a rear-exterior wall of the core insert and one of the rear-wall insulation plates being inset into a rear-exterior wall of the cavity insert; at least two side-wall glass-filled polyimide insulation plates, one of the side-wall insulation plates being inset into a side-exterior wall of the core insert and one of the side-wall insulation plates being inset into a side-exterior wall of the cavity insert; the at least two rear-wall glass-filled polyimide insulation plates and the at least two side-wall glass-filled polyimide insulation plates being inset into each of their respective walls such that a substantially planer surface of each insulation plate is substantially flush with an exterior planar surface of the respective wall into which it is inset; the rear-wall and side-wall glass-filled polyimide insulation plates having the following physical properties: i) thermal conductivity of about 0.30 W/mk; ii) a coefficient of expansion (in length and width) of about 1110.sup.6 1/K; iii) a compressive strength of about 750 N/mm.sup.2 at 23 C.; iv) a compressive strength of about 500 N/mm.sup.2 at 200 C.; v) a bending strength of about 720 N/mm.sup.2 at 23 C.; and vi) a density of about 2 g/cm.sup.3; the rear-wall and side-wall glass-filled insulation plates having a thickness ranging from 3 to 5 millimeters; the cavity insert and core insert having a plurality of cooling holes, the cooling holes having a diameter ranging from 3 to 6 millimeters; a plurality of substantially cylindrical fluid-cooling channels that are respectively positioned within the cavity insert and core insert at a relative distance from a cavity-insert molding surface or a core-insert molding surface, wherein the relative distance for each fluid-cooling channel is substantially equal to the fluid-cooling channel's cross-sectional diameter, wherein the relative distance is also the shortest distance between a fluid-cooling channel's wall and a cavity-insert molding surface or a core-insert molding surface; and a temperature-sensing thermocouple that is located within the cavity insert or core insert in a position that is substantially adjacent to an estimated last volume of space to be filled by polymer-mold flow.

Embodiments of the invention include a method and a device for increasing blood flow and controlling the temperature of a mammal by applying a desired pressure to extremities of a mammal. The device generally includes a pliant body element that is adapted to receive a portion of an extremity of the mammal therein, and then apply a pressure to a portion of the extremity when a pressure is provided to a region in which the extremity is positioned within the pliant body element. By evacuating the region in which the extremity is enclosed, a contact surface area between the extremity of a mammal and the pliant body element is increased, due to the external atmospheric pressure acting on the pliant body element against the skin of the extremity of the mammal. The application of pressure assures that sufficient contact and thermal heat transfer (heating or cooling) is provided to the extremity of the mammal.

Collapsible tunnel systems or segmented tubular structures may be printed on or otherwise attached to base layers on articles of apparel, articles of footwear, or other articles of manufacture. The collapsible tunnel systems have two or more tubular structures attached to the base layer, with tunnels extending through the tubular structures. A tensile strand may be laced through the tunnels in the tubular structure such that when tension is applied to the tensile strand, the tunnels may collapse into a structure with a continuous tunnel through two or more tubular structures. In some embodiments, two or more segmented tubular structures each have two spaced-apart tubular structures joined by a connecting portion, and a tensile strand extending through tunnels in the tubular structures.

A polymerisable radiation-curable composition comprising: (i) monomers, comprising at least (a) a first monomer having a TG (glass-transition point) of the homopolymer of said first monomer ?120? C. and at least (b) a second monomer having a TG (glass-transition point) of the homopolymer of the second monomer ?100? C., wherein at least one of the at least one first monomer or of the at least one second monomer has an alicyclic group, and comprising (ii) at least one further component, comprising at least one photo-initiator for the UV and/or Vis spectral region or a photo-initiator system for the UV and/or Vis spectral region. Also disclosed is a blank in the form of a three-dimensional moulded body of a polymerised composition, in particular radiation-cured composition, for producing 3D moulded bodies, dental prosthetic parts, orthopaedic appliances or dental pre-forms in a rapid prototyping, rapid manufacturing, or rapid tooling method.

Various embodiments provide a method of additively manufacturing a part including depositing a layer of a powder on a working surface, depositing a binder solution on the layer of the powder at first locations, and depositing a sintering aid solution on the layer of the powder at second locations. The sintering aid solution comprises a sintering aid in a solvent. In various embodiments, the sintering aid enables an increased brown strength as compared to parts containing unbound powder. The method enables binders that provide high green strength to be used at the edges of the part, while also balancing a shortened debind time with an increased brown strength. Embodiments in which binder solution is deposited according to a predetermined pattern at second locations are also described.