The present disclosure is directed ion-exchange systems and devices that include composite ion-exchange membranes having 3D printed spacers on them. These 3D printed spacers can drastically reduce the total intermembrane spacing within the system/device while maintaining a reliable sealing surface around the exterior border of the membrane. By adding the spacers directly to the membrane using additive manufacturing, the amount of material used can be reduced without adversely impacting the manufacturability of the composite membrane as well as allow for complex spacer geometries that can reduce the restrictions to flow resulting in less pressure drop associated with the flow in the active area of the membranes.

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

A substrate processing apparatus that can radiate light on a composition in an optimum radiation amount based on acquired spectral sensitivity characteristics can be provided.

A substrate processing apparatus configured to perform pattern formation processing on a composition on a substrate includes a first radiation unit configured to radiate first light onto the substrate, a dispenser configured to apply the composition to a first position inside the substrate processing apparatus, a template holding unit configured to hold a template to be brought in contact with the composition on the substrate, and a controller configured to control a radiation amount of the first light to be radiated by the first radiation unit based on spectral sensitivity characteristics of the composition that are measured in advance.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

An imprint method includes bringing a mold and an uncured imprint material supplied onto a substrate into contact with each other, enhancing viscoelasticity of the imprint material, making position adjustment of the mold and the substrate, and curing the imprint material. The imprint material is supplied onto a shot region of the substrate, and time between bringing the mold brought into contact with the imprint material and starting enhancing viscoelasticity is shorter when the shot region includes an outer periphery of the substrate than when the shot region does not include the outer periphery of the substrate.

A method to form automobile vehicle acoustic insulators includes as stages: forming a fiber mass by mixing a low melting point polymeric fiber and a high melting point polymeric fiber in predefined volumes in a mixing device; adding a water volume to the fiber mass to create a semi-solid mass; placing the semi-solid mass in a mold; internally heating the semi-solid mass in the mold using microwave energy; and expelling a first portion of the water volume through apertures created in the mold.

A catheter assembly is constructed by reflow bonding an inner liner and an outer layer. The inner liner defines at least one lumen. The inner liner is made of a gamma-irradiated polymeric material that includes a polyether block amide and a gamma radiation activated cross-linking agent.

A method refurbishes structured surfaces of a component having a damaged subregion with material detachment. The method comprising: determining a reference region having a similar surface structure as the subregion; while pressing a die material onto the reference region: curing the die material to form a transparent die which is separable from the reference region without leaving residues and has a negative shape of the surface structure of the reference region; filling the damage location with electromagnetic irradiation curable material; placing the die onto the curable material in the damage location with an alignment of the negative shape of the transparent die corresponding to a desired surface structure at the damage location; while the die is being pressed onto the damage location: irradiating the curable material with electromagnetic irradiation through the transparent die until the material is cured; and removing the die from the cured material without leaving residues.

Article (9,19) comprising a substrate (10, 20) comprising a polymer and having first (11,21) and second (12, 22) opposed major surfaces. The first major surface (11, 21) has first surface regions (13, 23) with first nanoparticles (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21), and one of •(a) second surface regions (15) free of nanoparticles; or •(b) second surface regions (25) with at least second nanoparticles (28) on the first major surface (11, 21) or partially embedded into the first major surface (11, 21). The first surface regions (13, 23) have a first average surface roughness, R.sub.a1, of at least 20 nm, wherein the second surface regions (15, 25) have a second average surface roughness, R.sub.a2, of less than 100 nm, wherein the first average surface roughness, R.sub.a1, is greater than the second average surface roughness, R.sub.a2, and wherein there is an absolute difference between the first and second average surface roughness of at least 10 nm.

Forming features in the surface of a bicycle component involves depositing a substance onto a substrate in a geometric pattern to form a transfer medium. Forming features may also involve positioning the transfer medium relative to an unformed bicycle component, and forming a negative of the geometric pattern in the bicycle component through the application of heat and/or pressure to the transfer medium and the unformed bicycle component. The transfer medium may be configured for use in the molding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) bicycle components and may include a substrate formed of a flexible material, and a geometric pattern formed of a hard material, the hard material different than the flexible material.