An example mandrel for processing a part is described including a plurality of elastomeric components aligned end to end and spaced apart linearly to form a segmented mandrel body, and compressible interconnections positioned within spacing between adjacent elastomeric components and abutting the adjacent elastomeric components. The compressible interconnections allow the plurality of elastomeric components to expand axially due to thermal expansion resulting in a distribution of pressure. An example method for fabricating a composite part is also described including placing a base composite layer into a cavity of a tooling surface, inserting a mandrel into the cavity of the tooling surface such that the base composite layer is between the mandrel and the tooling surface, applying a skin to the mandrel and the base composite layer forming a package, enclosing the package in a vacuum bag and curing, and removing the mandrel from the cavity of the tooling surface.

The present invention provides a method for altering the bead profile for using 3D printing to improve the shear strength of a so manufactured product by altering the bead height of adjacent beads or in adjacent layers such that either the height or the centers of the beads between adjacent layers are altered. This is achieved by either height reduction or by flow rates to alter the height or positioning of the beads by altering the bead profiles the shear strength between adjacent layers in the X-Y plane is improved. The present invention is equally applicable to increasing shear strength in the Y-Z plane or the X-Z plane as desired.

A three-dimensional auxetic structure, comprising a plurality of adjoining hollow cells, each hollow cell having cell walls and a transversal cross section of the plurality hollow cells following a two-dimensional auxetic pattern, each cell wall comprising folding lines parallel to a plane containing the auxetic pattern such that peaks and valleys are defined in the cell walls and the cell walls being foldable along the folding lines.

The present invention provides a method improving the shear strength of a 3D manufactured product by inserting infill into the interstices between the bead layers.

A light flux controlling member includes: a vortex surface having a continuous or stepwise spiral shape; and a plurality of ridges radially disposed around a center of a spiral in the vortex surface. The height of the plurality of ridges decreases toward the center.

The invention provides a method for producing a 3D item by means of fused deposition modelling, the method comprising: (a) a 3D printing stage comprising: layer-wise depositing 3D printable material, wherein the 3D printable material comprises 3D printable core material and 3D printable shell material, to provide the 3D item comprising a core-shell layer of 3D printed material, wherein the 3D printed material comprises a core comprising 3D printed core material and a shell comprising 3D printed shell material, wherein the shell at least partly encloses the core, wherein the 3D printable core material comprises a pore forming material with a first concentration c1, wherein the 3D printable shell material comprises the pore forming material with a second concentration c2, wherein c2/c1≤0.9; and (b) a pore forming stage comprising: heating one or more of (i) the printable material and (ii) the 3D printed material.

Described herein is a process for preparing a foam (FA) with a Poisson's ratio in the range of from −0.5 to 0.3, the method including the steps of providing a foam (F1) with a flow resistance in the range of from 3000 to 8000 Pas/m, determined according to DIN EN 29053, and subjecting the foam (F1) to thermoforming including triaxial compression, wherein the foam (F1) is not reticulated prior to step (ii). Also described herein is the foam obtained or obtainable according to the process and the use of the foam as, for example, an energy absorbing device, preferably in protective gear, furniture, cushions, in cleaning devices with improved rinse-out behavior, in shoe soles, or as sealing, insulating or anchorage providing material for example used in earphones, ear plugs or dowels, or as acoustic material.

When an exterior portion is provided on an exterior surface of an extrusion-molded portion of a sealing member having the extrusion-molded portion and a mold-formed portion, while appearance is made favorable, the exterior portion is inhibited from being damaged. A glass run 20 includes an upper glass run edge 20a which is extrusion-molded, a rear connecting part 20f which is molded integrally with one end portion of the upper glass run edge 20a, and an exterior portion 29 provided on an exterior surface of the upper glass run edge 20a. A surface Si of the rear connecting part 20g on an outside of a passenger compartment is located further outside than a surface of the exterior portion.

A rib-stiffened composite structure includes a composite face sheet having a continuous reinforcing fiber in a polymer matrix. A polymer core is in a grid pattern disposed on the composite face sheet, the grid pattern having a first series of paths crossing over a second series of paths. Material voids are formed in the spaces between the series of paths. A composite rib-cap is disposed upon an upper surface of the polymer core. The composite rib-cap includes a continuous reinforcing fiber in a polymer matrix. The fibers of the continuous reinforcing fiber of the polymer matrix of the composite rib cap are oriented in a direction along the first and second series of paths of the grid pattern of the extruded polymer core.

The invention relates to nozzle tips including a nozzle body and a tip portion, configured to minimize the accumulation of a resin on the nozzle tip as it is dispensed through the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can contain a central flow channel and an internal portion that branches and guides the resin into multiple exiting flow channels that define tangential pathways to the outer surface of the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can include grooves that define extended, sharply angled flow paths for the resin. Nozzle tips can have a neck portion separating a nozzle body and a tip end of the nozzle tip; here, a doughnut-shaped space located around the neck portion can be defined by the base of the nozzle, the crown of the nozzle, and the neck portion, for encouraging turbulent flow of the resin to scour the nozzle tip during dispensing.