A plastic component is provided that leads to an initial friction reduction with a friction partner. At least part of the surface of the plastic component, which interacts with a surface of a friction partner, is provided with a plurality of structures. The structures are composed of at least one structure type. Between two adjacent structure types, a distance is formed in the range of 10 microns to 1 mm. A width of the structure types is in the range of 10 microns to 100 microns. A height or depth of the structure types is in the range from 1 micron to 100 microns.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to softening amorphous polymeric materials based on a combination of thiol, acrylate, ene and epoxy monomers. These materials can soften to the modulus of tissue, have a sharp transition and are highly tunable. The materials have a glassy modulus of 1-7 GPa and exhibit a rubbery plateau in modulus that can range from 100 MPa down to as low as 0.03 MPa, which is at or below the modulus of tissue. They have potential uses as materials for near net shape processing such as casting, stereolithography, reaction injection molding, fused deposition molding and various other forms of 3D printing.

Methods and apparatus for controlling odor of wastewater are described. An example method includes dispensing a solution in wastewater. The solution comprises an iron-nitrate compound mixed in water. In some examples, the iron-nitrate compound is ferric nitrate and/or ferrous nitrate. In some examples, the solution further includes an iron ion source different from the iron-nitrate compound, such as an iron salt like ferrous sulfate, ferrous chloride, or the like. The dispensing can be by using a feeding station in a wastewater collection system.

Laser polishing is achieved by directing laser beam perpendicular at the fiber end face in a connectorized optical fiber having a metal ferrule. The spot size of the laser beam is larger than the bare optical fiber diameter, providing a more uniform spatial distribution of the radiation energy over the fiber end face. The metal ferrule provides heat conduction to prevent excessive heat built up at the fiber tip, which would lead to undesirable surface defects and geometries. The connectorized optical fiber may be pre-shaped prior to laser polishing. Subsequent laser polishing flattens the fiber end face.

An apparatus and a method for forming a leveled surface of at least one pasty mass in a mold are described. Thereby, the mold is particularly adapted to mold lipstick mines, wherein the mold was filled with the pasty mass and the pasty mass was at least partially cooled in the mold. The apparatus comprises a means for at least partially melting the surface of the at least one cooled pasty mass in the mold to level the surface by heat introduction, wherein the heat introduction takes place via focused optical photo emission.

A method for laser processing wafer surface comprises following steps of: providing a wafer; performing profile scanning a top surface of the wafer by a scanning device to obtain a profile distribution of the top surface of the wafer; and performing laser processing on the wafer from the top surface of the wafer by a laser apparatus with a fluence integration distribution to form a laser-processed wafer, wherein the fluence integration distribution is related to the profile distribution of the top surface of the wafer.

A method of making a cutting element for use on an earth-boring tool may include forming the cutting element including a cutting table formed from a superabrasive polycrystalline material. The method may further include polishing a cutting surface of the cutting table by pulsing a laser onto the cutting surface of the cutting table. The cutting element may include a superabrasive polycrystalline cutting table including a cutting surface substantially free of micro-anomalies in the superabrasive material.

Apparatus and method for surface processing of cylindrical bodies, particularly for surface restoration of laminating cylinders. The apparatus includes a workstation configured to receive a cylindrical body having a lateral surface movable by rotation about an axis of rotation, a laser emitter cooperating with the workstation and configured to emit at least one laser beam, a profile detector configured to detect a detected surface profile of the lateral surface of the cylindrical body, and a control unit operatively configured to perform at least one procedure for restoring the lateral surface of the cylindrical body. The restoration procedure includes a procedure for detecting the surface profile of the cylindrical body, including a step of comparing the detected surface profile with a target surface profile, and a removal procedure including a step of emitting the laser beam on the cylindrical body to remove metallic material and to obtain the target surface profile.

The present disclosure is directed towards different embodiments of additively manufacturing and smoothing an AM preform to configure an AM preform for downstream processing (working, forging, and the like).

Generally, the present disclosure is directed various embodiments to additively manufacture AM preforms to reduce, prevent, and/or eliminate defects that occur in post processing operations (e.g. forging, shot peening, machining, or other post processing operations).