A method of making at least a portion of at least one microfluidic actuator having a flexible diaphragm portion and an opposite surface portion, the diaphragm and opposite surface each having opposed faces, at least one of the faces comprising surface-activated PDMS, and the opposed faces being arranged such that when the opposed faces contact each other, they form a fluidic seal, including performing repeated make-and-break-contact protocol on the contacting opposed faces until the tendency for permanent bonds to form between the contacting faces has been neutralized, thereby enabling the diaphragm portion to perform actuated movements to engage and disengage with the opposite surface portion, without the diaphragm sticking to the opposite surface portion.

This disclosure includes vacuum-assisted tools (10a) for use in pressing stacks (284) of one or more laminae (288a-288i) and related methods. Some tools include first and second plates (14a-14f), wherein each of the plates has an inner face and an opposing outer face, and the plates are configured to be disposed on opposing sides of a stack of one or more laminae such that the inner faces of the plates face the stack to define an interior volume (18) containing the stack between the inner faces, one or more seals (176, 176a-176e) configured to be disposed between the plates such that the one or more seals surround at least a portion of the interior volume, and a port (224) configured to be coupled to the first plate, the second plate, and/or at least one of the one or more seals, the port configured to permit fluid communication between the portion of the interior volume and a vacuum source (26).

Provided is a method of applying a protective layer to an outer surfaced of a wind turbine rotor blade, which method includes the steps of preparing a protective layer for application to the outer surface of the rotor blade; providing an air exit channel between the rotor blade and the protective layer; attaching the protective layer to the outer surface of the rotor blade; and extracting air through the air exit channel. Further provided is a wind turbine rotor blade including a protective layer applied to an outer surface of the rotor blade using such a method.

A method for hydroforming a composite precursor material includes forming a composite precursor material comprising an original spun bonded nonwoven web and a polymer film layer. The method also includes applying a plurality of pressurized liquid jets onto an outer surface of the original spun bonded nonwoven web while the composite precursor material passes over a forming structure to push and reorient a plurality of spun bonded fibers from a closely packed substantially horizontal orientation to a more loosely packed orientation with greater vertical spacing between the fibers to produce a hydroformed composite material comprising an expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer having a loft of at least about 1.3 times greater than the original loft of the original spun bonded nonwoven web, and an air permeability of at least about 1.2 times greater than an original air permeability of the original unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web.

Methods for preparing multi-layer optical laminates include placing an optical film that is free form an adhesive layer between first and second glass substrates that are free of an adhesive layer, placing this laminate under vacuum, and then heating the laminate under pressure to a temperature above the softening temperature of the optical film. The glass substrates are free of an adhesive layer but may include a silane surface treatment. The resulting multi-layer laminate is optically clear and does not show scattering of reflected light by the optical film.

A method of making at least a portion of at least one microfluidic actuator having a flexible diaphragm portion and an opposite surface portion, the diaphragm and opposite surface each having opposed faces, at least one of the faces comprising surface-activated PDMS, and the opposed faces being arranged such that when the opposed faces contact each other, they form a fluidic seal, including performing repeated make-and-break-contact protocol on the contacting opposed faces until the tendency for permanent bonds to form between the contacting faces has been neutralized, thereby enabling the diaphragm portion to perform actuated movements to engage and disengage with the opposite surface portion, without the diaphragm sticking to the opposite surface portion.

A composite tool for vacuum bag processing composite parts comprises a plurality of laminated composite plies, including a facesheet adapted to have a composite part placed thereon. A gas impermeable barrier layer sandwiched between the composite plies prevents air leaks through the tool.

A laminating device for attaching a curved cover plate with an irregular shape to a flexible screen includes a pressing flat body, two laminating sheets and two laminating sheet rolling wheels. The pressing flat body having a pressing flat wall to carry the flexible screen, to attached the flexible screen to a portion of the flat area of the curved cover plate with the irregular shape. The two laminating sheets are arranged on opposite sides of the pressing flat body. A first end of each of the laminating sheets is attached to the pressing flat body, and a second end of each of the laminating sheets opposite to the first end is curlable towards the pressing flat body. The two laminating sheet rolling wheels are corresponding to the two laminating sheets. Each of the laminating sheet rolling wheels moves on the curved cover plate with the irregular shape, respectively.

A method for bonding a first component to a second component includes placing the first and second components in a cavity. Each of the first and second components has a bonding portion, and the bonding portion of the first component faces the bonding portion of the second component. A supercritical fluid is then introduced into the cavity with a temperature of 40-400 C. and a pressure of 1,500-100,000 psi, and a pressure of 4-100,000 psi is applied on both the first and second components, assuring the bonding portion of the first component bond to the bonding portion of the second component. Moreover, a method for separating a first component from a second component includes placing a composite in a cavity. The composite includes the first component, the second component and a connecting layer by which the first component joins to the second component. The supercritical is then introduced into the cavity.

A method of making at least a portion of at least one microfluidic actuator having a flexible diaphragm portion and an opposite surface portion, the diaphragm and opposite surface each having opposed faces, at least one of the faces comprising surface-activated PDMS, and the opposed faces being arranged such that when the opposed faces contact each other, they form a fluidic seal, including performing repeated make-and-break-contact protocol on the contacting opposed faces until the tendency for permanent bonds to form between the contacting faces has been neutralized, thereby enabling the diaphragm portion to perform actuated movements to engage and disengage with the opposite surface portion, without the diaphragm sticking to the opposite surface portion.