Systems and methods for 4D printing of composites are described herein. A composite layer arrangement is obtained for forming a composite laminate having a substantially flat profile. A plurality of composite layers are deposited according to the composite layer arrangement to form the composite laminate. The composite laminate is activated to produce a curved composite structure.

Origami- and Kirigami-inspired assembly of predetermined three-dimensional forms is presented in comprehensive theoretical and experimental studies, with examples of a broad range of topologies and material compositions. The resulting engineering options in the construction of functional 3D structures have important implications for advanced microsystem technologies.

Catheter lead for a procedure comprising a tubular member with at least one conductive wire. The tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end with the distal end of the catheter comprising at least one electrode in communication with the conductive wire and wherein the at least one electrode comprises a conductive polymeric material.

A pipe-joining method for building a hydrocarbon pipeline, in particular an underwater pipeline, includes welding two adjacent pipes to form a cutback, and forming a protective coating about the cutback. Forming the protective coating includes applying an LE (liquid epoxy) resin or a powdered FBE (fusion bonded epoxy) resin to the cutback to form a primer coat; and applying a powdered polypropylene adhesive on top of the still-wet primer coat to form an auxiliary adhesive coat. Forming the protective coating also includes fitting a polypropylene heat-shrink sleeve around the auxiliary adhesive coat; and heating the sleeve to shrink and bond the sleeve to the auxiliary adhesive coat.

A hollow extrusion-molded body includes a resin composition that contains a base resin composed of an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer or an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer and a linear low-density polyethylene, a brominated flame retardant, antimony trioxide, and magnesium hydroxide having an average particle size of 0.5 m to 3.0 m. In the hollow extrusion-molded body, a composition ratio of the ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer to the linear low-density polyethylene, a content of the brominated flame retardant, a content of the antimony trioxide, and a content of the magnesium hydroxide are within specific ranges.

A method for making a three-dimensional laminated object, including: providing multiple sheet substrates each having an adhesive layer; consecutively stacking one of the sheet substrates onto a previous one of the sheet substrates on a work station, the previous one of the sheet substrates having been cut along and cured within a first contour; cutting the one of the sheet substrates along a second contour; and curing the adhesive layer of the one of the sheet substrates within the second contour to bind the one of and the previous one of the sheet substrates, where operations of the cutting and curing of the one of the sheet substrates at least partially overlap in time. An apparatus for making a three-dimensional laminated object is also provided.

A heat shrink component includes a heat shrink layer and a heating unit in thermal contact with at least a part of the heat shrink layer and heating the heat shrink layer to a heat shrink temperature. The heating unit includes an electrically conductive lead formed of copper and/or aluminum and having an electrical conductivity of more than 3.Math.10.sup.7 S/m. The heat shrink component has a first dimension in an expanded state and a second dimension in a shrunk state after heating. The first dimension is larger than the second dimension.

The present disclosure provides a dual layer heat shrink tube having: an inner polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.1 and an outer diameter D.sub.1; and an outer, expanded polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.2 and an outer diameter D.sub.2 obtained by expanding a polymer tube from D.sub.2 to D.sub.2 and t.sub.2 to t.sub.2 at a selected temperature so that D.sub.2?2(t.sub.2)>D.sub.1, wherein a ring cut from a cross-section of the dual layer heat shrink tube, slit into a rectangle and gripped at cut ends by tension grips within a DMA, and subjected to a temperature sweep of 3? C./min at a frequency of 1 Hz from the onset of a melting endotherm of the inner polymeric layer to that of the outer, expanded polymeric layer is greater than 1? C. and less than 12? C. The disclosure further provides associated methods for preparing and using such tubes, as well as to products comprising such tubes.

Light fixtures (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) are provided, including a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), an oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72) disposed adjacent to or connected to the lighting element, and a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74). The control mechanism is in electrical communication with the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) and controls an energy output of the lighting element and a temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72). Typically, when the control mechanism changes the temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer, the shape of the polymer changes. A method of making a light fixture (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) is also provided. The method includes providing a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), forming a crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72), and disposing the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer adjacent to the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) or connecting the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer to the lighting element. The method further includes electrically connecting a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74) with the lighting element.

The present disclosure provides a dual layer heat shrink tube having: an inner polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.1 and an outer diameter D.sub.1; and an outer, expanded polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.2 and an outer diameter D.sub.2 obtained by expanding a polymer tube from D.sub.2 to D.sub.2 and t.sub.2 to t.sub.2 at a selected temperature so that D.sub.2-2 (t.sub.2)>D.sub.1, wherein a ring cut from a cross-section of the dual layer heat shrink tube, slit into a rectangle and gripped at cut ends by tension grips within a DMA, and subjected to a temperature sweep of 3? C./min at a frequency of 1 Hz from the onset of a melting endotherm of the inner polymeric layer to that of the outer, expanded polymeric layer is greater than 1? C. and less than 12? C. The disclosure further provides associated methods for preparing and using such tubes, as well as to products comprising such tubes.