Providing clean water to a population is essential to maintain human life. Short and long-term issues may prevent a population from obtaining potable water. Transporting bulk water or prepackaged water (e.g., jugs, bottles, etc.) is an expensive and resource-intensive proposition. The population may be forced to utilize unsafe containers, further exacerbating the already adverse conditions. By providing empty, biodegradable bottles to a location which are then filled on-site from a potable or treated non-potable water source provides greater flexibility, resource savings, and safety. Additionally, the biodegradable bottles reduce the opportunity for the adverse effects experienced by non-degradable bottles which are often abandoned.

The present invention provides a composite film containing polyethylene terephthalate, which comprises inorganic mineral powder, polyethylene terephthalate, an auxiliary plastic, and an auxiliary agent. The present invention also provides a method of preparing the composite film, which comprises internally mixing inorganic mineral powder, polyethylene terephthalate, an auxiliary plastic, and an auxiliary agent to form a composite soft material; configuring the composite soft material to be in a sheet shape; and stretching the composite soft material to form a composite film.

An extrusion die includes a die body with two mating die halves, at least one of which is engraved with a die cavity system. The die cavity system includes a melt inlet, a first-stage melt reservoir in fluid communication with the melt inlet, a plurality of melt channels extending from the first-stage melt reservoir, and an extrusion trough in fluid communication with the melt channels and extending across the die half. Multiple stages of reservoirs and channels may be used. The melt channels in each stage have an equal length and cross-sectional area. Some of the melt channels may have a curved portion to maintain an equal length with other melt channels in the same stage. The die halves are secured by a plurality of fasteners. A method for extruding a fluid using the die is also provided. The die may be used to create films or fibers, including nano-fibers.

The invention relates to device and method enabling industrial continuous pressing, called extrusion of plastically/thermally mouldable substances (11) such as metal, composite metal, plastic, composite or rubber, which is pressed to the profile (12) by a process comprising tool fixed member (6) partially predefining the profile shape/cross-section before the profile finally defined to fixed or varied cross-section when the material passes rotating dies (2) which can be patterned or smooth and through the contact with each other (1) cancel out each main radial forces and the position of which in some embodiments of the invention may vary relative to other bearing surfaces (13, 17) or rotary bearing surfaces (4) of the tool with which they define the final shape of the profile. The invention enables the extrusion of pattern on the inside of hollow profiles and the extrusion of multiple profiles in one tool, because 80-98% of the radial bearing forces are eliminated, allowing the installation of rotary dies where not previously possible, and almost unlimited opportunities in increased profile width.

A print bed levelling system for an additive manufacturing system includes a nozzle head assembly movably arranged with respect to a substantially flat print bed member, wherein the nozzle head assembly comprises one or more nozzle bodies, and a contactless sensor member disposed at a print bed engagement end of the nozzle head assembly. The contactless sensor member includes a sensing surface in sensing engagement with the print bed member over a relative sensing distance range between a distal sensing position and a proximal sensing position.

The invention relates to an annular die (1) on an extrusion head for producing tubular or sheet-like preforms with an arcuate die gap and with a melt channel (4) delimited by a mandrel (2) and a die body (3), the cross-sectional profile of the melt channel (4) being variable by way of adjusting elements, the annular die according to the invention being distinguished by the fact that the outer circumference of the melt channel (4) is at least partially delimited directly by at least one radially adjustable slide (5), that the slide (5) is formed by a number of segments that can be adjusted together from at least one first position into at least one second position, and that the segments in each position form a respectively closed arc portion of the delimitation of the melt channel (4), the radius of the arc portion being different according to the position of the segments.

A cooking apparatus used for filling and decorating of foods, comprising in some embodiments a one-piece, funnel-shaped bag with a soft side wall, having an open first end at the top through which food material and coloring agents can be inserted into the bag and a closed second end at the bottom end of the funnel, with an integral, malleable, conical shaped, discharge orifice. The orifice may have serrations or ridges extending inwardly from the internal wall of the orifice, running longitudinally or parallel to the cone axis. The orifice may be initially closed or manufactured with a small opening. The orifice may be made of a material capable of being cut to yield an exit opening. The inwardly extending serrations that remain after a cut may insure that the material is treated as it is expelled from the bag through the orifice to yield a ribbon candy design.

An apparatus is provided for making reinforced ply is described. The apparatus includes a cross-head die assembly for use with an extruder, the cross-head die assembly having: an inlet section having an inlet for receiving flow from the extruder; an upper support block removably connected to a first side of the interior section; and a lower block removably connected to a second side of the interior section. A first flow passage is located between the upper support block and the interior section and is in fluid communication with the inlet. A second flow passage is located between the interior section and the lower support block and is in fluid communication with the inlet. The cross-head die assembly further includes a removably mounted die located at an outlet end of the assembly. The first and second flow passage is in fluid communication with an inlet of the die; each flow passage has a raised center rib and an area that decreases from the inlet to the outlet.

A method of making a mechanical fastening net. The method includes providing a net having strands of polymer and open areas between the strands of polymer and molding a portion of the polymer in the strands of the net into upstanding posts to form the mechanical fastening net. A mechanical fastening net that includes a polymeric backing, a plurality of openings in the polymeric backing, and upstanding posts on at least one of the first or second major surface of the polymeric backing is also disclosed. The polymeric backing has a range of thicknesses ranging from minimum to maximum thickness, and for at least a portion of the polymeric backing, the minimum thickness of the polymeric backing is where it abuts one of the openings.

Techniques and compositions are disclosed for feedstocks with powder/binder systems for three-dimensional printing, such as fused filament fabrication. For example, a feedstock may include a first high polymer and a second polymer for supporting a shape of a three-dimensional object through various processing stages. The first polymer may be a moderate or high molecular weight polymer, and the second polymer may be a high molecular weight polymer. The first polymer may provide improved print quality and strength, as compared to a low molecular weight polymer, in initial processing. In a solvent, the first polymer may be preferentially dissolved over the second polymer such that the second polymer may remain to support a net shape of the three-dimensional object in subsequent processing. Accordingly, the combination of the first polymer and the second polymer may be useful for rapid three-dimensional manufacturing of high quality parts.