A tape laying device includes a tape transmission mechanism, a compaction head mechanism, a cutter mechanism, a heating mechanism and a motion mechanism. The tape transmission mechanism is configured to transmit the pre-impregnated tape. The compaction head mechanism, connected with the tape transmission mechanism, is configured to depress and drive the pre-impregnated tape transmitted by the tape transmission mechanism to follow a moving path so as to adhere the pre-impregnated tape onto the mould surface. The cutter mechanism is configured to cut the pre-impregnated tape. The heating mechanism, disposed downstream to the cutter mechanism, is configured to heat the pre-impregnated tape. The motion mechanism is used to have the cutter mechanism having an active path to move toward the moving path while the cutter mechanism cuts the pre-impregnated tape.

Methods of layerwise fabrication of a three-dimensional object, and objected obtained thereby are provided. The methods are effected by dispensing at least a first modeling formulation and a second modeling formulation to form a core region using both said first and said second modeling formulations, an inner envelope region at least partially surrounding said core region using said first modeling formulation but not said second modeling formulation, and an outer envelope region at least partially surrounding said inner envelope region using said second modeling formulations but not said first modeling formulation; and exposing said layer to curing energy, thereby fabricating the object, The first and second modeling formulations are selected such they differ from one another, when hardened, by at least one of Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT), Izod Impact resistance, Tg and elastic modulus.

Microporous films comprising a polymeric composition and a filler, wherein the film has an average water vapor transmission rate of at least about 16,000 grams H.sub.2O/24-hour/m.sup.2, a hydrostatic head pressure of at least about 300 mbar, and a basis weight of from about 5 gsm to about 50 gsm.

A method of layerwise fabrication of a three-dimensional object is disclosed. The method comprises, for each of at least a few of the layers: dispensing at least a first modeling formulation and a second modeling formulation to form a core region using both the first and the second modeling formulations, and at least one envelope region at least partially surrounding the core region using one of the first and the second modeling formulations but not the other one of the first and the second modeling formulations. The method can also comprise exposing the layer to curing energy. The first modeling formulation is characterized, when hardened, by heat deflection temperature (HDT) of at least 90 C., and the second modeling formulation is characterized, when hardened, by Izod impact resistance (IR) value of at least 45 J/m.

Provided is a molded article comprising a resin, wherein the molded article has a Hermann's degree of orientation f of 0.006 or more which is determined by the following formula (1) and the following formula (2) based on an azimuth angle distribution curve obtained by wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurement and a haze of less than 10%, the resin comprises a structural unit derived from a monomer comprising a carbon-carbon double bond at the end and a structural unit derived from a polyrotaxane compound, and the polyrotaxane compound comprises cyclic molecules comprising a functional group capable of addition polymerization with the carbon-carbon double bond, a linear molecule clathrated in a skewer shape by the cyclic molecules, and blocking groups disposed at the ends of the linear molecule to prevent elimination of the cyclic molecules.

A fiber-reinforced resin load energy-absorber has: a multi-layer woven fabric or laminated woven fabric as a reinforcement base material; a resin as a matrix; slits; binding threads; and reinforcing members. The reinforcement base material has corners formed by bending said reinforcement base material. Slits are provided at least in the portions of the reinforcement base material that form the corners. The binding threads bind each of the woven fabric layers in the multi-layer woven fabric or laminated woven fabric. The binding threads are configured so as to bind each of the woven fabric layers when the multi-layer woven fabric or laminated woven fabric is divided in the thickness direction into at least two woven fabric layers. The reinforcing members are held inside the slits.

A composite article including fiber tows and a network including material drawn or pulled between the fiber tows. The network forms a physical barrier reducing propagation of cracks in the composite article. Exemplary structures described herein are the first to use a novel cellular architecture to toughen resin infused composites and create a continuous through thickness reinforcement that does not induce fiber breakage.

Thermally conductive compositions include from about 20 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of a polycarbonate polymer, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of an impact modifier, and a thermal conductivity modifier. The thermal conductivity modifier includes from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of a high density polyethylene polymer, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of a maleic anhydride type copolymer, or from about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of an acid component. In some aspects the thermally conductive compositions have a notched Izod impact strength of at least about 30 J/m, a through-plane thermal conductivity of at least about 0.4 W/mK and/or an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least about 1.0 W/mK. Methods for making the compositions and articles formed according to the methods are also described.

A method of manufacturing a composite article includes: providing a textile preform comprising a combination of filaments of reinforcing material with filaments of a thermoplastic matrix material; placing the preform in a mould; thermoforming the textile preform within the mould to consolidate the textile preform into a composite, the thermoforming including increasing the temperature above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic matrix material and applying pressure; cooling the composite within the mould to below the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic matrix material, thereby forming a composite article; and removing the composite article from the mould. Part of the filaments used to produce the textile preform is in the form of yarns each comprising a mixture of reinforcing material filaments and matrix material filaments combined to form a single comingled yarn, or one or more yarns of reinforcing material filaments combined with one or more yarns of matrix material filaments.

The invention relates to a composite material filament having rheological characteristics suitable for use in additive manufacturing by extrusion, a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional composite product with an additive manufacturing system from a filament of such composite material, and to a three-dimensional composite product obtained by an additive manufacturing system using such composite material. The filament is formed of material comprising semi-crystalline polylactic acid and chemical pulp of wood-based cellulose fibers, wherein the amount of chemical pulp of wood-based cellulose fibers is selected such that sufficient complex viscosity is obtained at melt state, such that upon additive manufacturing by extrusion, composite melt formed of the filament has a ratio of shear storage modulus to shear loss modulus G/G equal to or higher than 1.0 at a temperature equal to or higher than 133 C.