Aspects of the disclosure relate to manufacturing balloon envelopes for use in high-altitude mesh networks for packet-data communications. As an example, a gore portion may be placed on a table such that the gore portion overlies a groove within the table. A tendon may be placed on the gore portion and within the groove. A portion of tubing may be placed over the tendon. The tubing may have one or more surface openings. Restraining tape is applied over the one or more surface openings in the tubing. A constant force roller is applied to secure the tendon to the gore portion and to secure the tendon to the tubing. As an alternative or in addition to the surface openings, double-sided restraining tape may be placed between the tendon and the tubing. The tubing and restraining tape may prevent undesired lateral and longitudinal movement of the tendon during deployment.

An example system comprises a water-soluble unit dose article comprising a fibrous non-woven sheet shaped to form a sealed internal compartment and a granular laundry detergent comprised within the internal compartment. The sheet comprises fibres which comprise polyvinyl alcohol polymer. The granular laundry detergent comprises perfume particles. The system also comprises sealing jaws, whereby at least one of the sealing jaws is a heated sealing jaw. A top seal of the internal compartment is sandwiched between the jaws. A first of said jaws comprises a flat portion along a longitudinal direction of the seal. The flat portion has a flat portion width along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the seal. The flat portion width has a dimension of more than 3 times and of less than 20 times a thickness of the water-soluble fibrous non-woven sheet.

An example system comprises a water-soluble unit dose article comprising a fibrous non-woven sheet shaped to form a sealed internal compartment and a granular laundry detergent comprised within the internal compartment. The sheet comprises fibres which comprise polyvinyl alcohol polymer. The granular laundry detergent comprises perfume particles. The system also comprises sealing jaws, whereby at least one of the sealing jaws is a heated sealing jaw. A top seal of the internal compartment is sandwiched between the jaws. A first of said jaws comprises a protruding portion along a longitudinal direction of the seal. The protruding portion has a base along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the seal. The base has a dimension of more than 3 times and of less than 20 times a thickness of the water-soluble fibrous non-woven sheet.

A system for joining a first thermoplastic component of a workpiece with a second thermoplastic component of the workpiece includes a first joining plate assembly comprising a housing, a heat plate, and a thermal insulator disposed between the housing and the heat plate, wherein the heat plate defines a heating surface; a second joining plate assembly opposed from the first joining plate assembly; and a clamping assembly engaged with both the first joining plate assembly and the second joining plate assembly.

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The device includes an inflation assembly that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes an arcuate web-support surface. The web-support surface includes a heater that defines a heating zone that is operable to heat the plies to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the first and second plies together as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction. The web-support surface also includes a cooling zone disposed downstream of the heating zone operable to allow the heated plies to cool at the longitudinal heat seal as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction, such that the cooled longitudinal heat seal retains the fluid between the plies.

The device for welding thermoplastic parts includes a matrix for positioning the parts to be assembled, the matrix including an amagnetic insulating insert that defines joining zones in which the welds must be produced, a bladder defining a sealed volume and means for producing a partial vacuum in the sealed volume, and means for moving a magnetic induction head to near the joining zones and without making contact with the bladder. The welding process includes positioning at least one first part, then of placing metal inserts on areas of the first part corresponding to the joining zones that must be welded, and then positioning at least one second part. A bladder is put in place covering the parts and a partial vacuum is created in the volume defined by the bladder. The magnetic induction head is moved to produce the weld bead without contact while the partial vacuum is maintained.

Process for forming a permanent join between two sections of fibrous material contained in a thermosetting resin matrix, said process comprising overlaying the two sections and subjecting the overlaid sections to ultrasonic welding to form a permanent join between the two sections, wherein there is no significant change in the sub-ambient Tg of the fibrous material contained in the thermosetting resin matrix in the region of the permanent join.

A bagging apparatus including a first jaw, a second jaw, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being movable. The first jaw and second jaw are movable relative to each other between a first position for joining at least a portion of two sheets together and a second position associated with release of the two sheets, the two sheets forming at least a portion of a bag. At least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being removable from the apparatus without tools.

A method of manufacturing a thermoplastic panel may comprise: laying up a panel preform within a consolidation assembly, the panel preform comprising a plurality of plies of material comprising thermoplastic resin and fiber; generating, via a hot bond unit, a vacuum environment within the consolidation assembly; and heating, via the hot bond unit and through a heated blanket within the consolidation assembly, the panel preform.

A system holds a roll of film that includes a core and film wound around the core. The system includes a rod having an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the core, a proximal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod, and a distal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod. Each of the proximal and distal wings includes contact surfaces configured to contact diametrically-opposed locations on a side of an inner surface of the core and non-contact surfaces that span between the contact surfaces of the wing. The non-contact surfaces of the wings do not contact the core if the core has a cylindrical shape. The distal wing is capable of rotating around the rod independently of the proximal wing.