The present disclosure relates to a hot knife having a removable blade or tip that has been specifically designed to perform knife joining operations. The knife is mounted to a quick change tool that connects to the end of a robotic arm.

A system and method for welding thermoplastic components by positioning and moving a heated plate between the components to melt their respective faying surfaces, and as the plate moves, pressing the components together so that the melted faying surfaces bond together as they cool and re-solidify, thereby creating a composite structure. The plate has a heated portion which is positioned between and heated to melt a portion of the first and second faying surfaces. A manipulator mechanism moves the plate along an interface from between the portion to between a series of subsequent portions of the first and second faying surfaces, thereby welding the thermoplastic components along the entire interface to create the composite structure. The heated portion may contact the faying surfaces and melt them through conduction, or may be suspended between them and melt them through radiation and convection.

A system and method for welding two thermoplastic workpieces. The system has an ultrasonic tool, a support and a cooling unit. The ultrasonic tool is configured to generate mechanical vibrations. The system is configured to clamp together workpieces in the receiving region by the ultrasonic tool and the support if at least one fastening portion of the workpieces opposite one another is arranged in the receiving region. The ultrasonic tool is configured to introduce the mechanical vibrations into the fastening portion of the workpieces to weld the workpieces in a joining zone. The cooling unit is configured to cool, with cooling fluid, at least a part of the fastening portion of the workpieces and/or a cooling portion of the workpieces directly adjacent to the fastening portion.

In an example, a method is described. The method comprises placing a repair patch over a repair area of a structure, the repair patch comprising a repair-patch hole. The method also comprises sealing the repair patch and repair area with a vacuum bag having a seal ring around a periphery of the vacuum bag. The method also comprises evacuating, via an adhesive injection apparatus attached to the repair-patch hole and the seal ring of the vacuum bag, the repair area and an injection channel of the adhesive injection apparatus. The method also comprises forcing adhesive through the evacuated injection channel and into the evacuated repair area.

Methods of producing polymer-metal hybrid components that are bonded by C—O-M bonds at the interface using at least one of the hot pressing, rolling, and injection molding methods to create chemical bond formation conditions at the polymer and metal interface. When the thermal cycle and compressive pressure specified herein is combinationally created at the polymer and metal interfaced, strong C—O-M bonds forms at the interface and strongly bonds the metal and polymer together through the reaction carbonyl groups (C═O) in polymer and the metal surface. For polymers lacking enough carbonyl groups, new functional groups can be in-situ generation through introducing distributed air pockets at the polymer-metal interface for forming 3-dimensional distributed C—O-M bonds at the interface.

The invention provides automated spacer processing systems and methods. The systems and methods involve at least one robot arm that is configured to process spacers for multiple-pane insulating glazing units. In some embodiments, the systems also include an insulating glazing unit assembly line and a spacer conveyor system. Additionally or alternatively, the systems may include a sealant applicator.

A roller electrode assembly (1) for applying a high-frequency alternating electric field to a workpiece (5a, 5b) has a core (2) which is at least partially made of electrically conductive material and surrounded by a tire (3) which can be filled with a protective gas and is made of a dielectric material.

A system and a method for manufacturing laminated composite components is described. The system may include a cutting station configured to separate component layers from a ply of composition material according to a predefined pattern, a build station configured to stack the component layers according to a predetermined orientation, and a finishing station configured to compact the stacked component layers and provide the laminated composite component to an installation station.

A device and a method for manufacturing a rotor blade for a wind energy installation, wherein the rotor blade includes at least two rotor blade shells which are bonded together, includes a holding device arranged to hold a rotor blade shell such that at least one bonding surface on the rotor blade shell and/or on a web attached to the rotor blade shell is exposed. The bonding surface of the rotor blade shell can be bonded to a further rotor blade shell. The device further includes a robot arm arranged to apply adhesive to the at least one bonding surface, a carriage on which the robot arm is mounted, and a guide device mounted on the holding device. The carriage is mounted on the guide device so as to be movable. The guide device is arranged to guide the carriage and the robot arm along the holding device, in particular along the bonding surface.

A bonding system includes a supporting jig having a mounting surface on bonding substrates which are mounted, a bonding device that sandwiches and welds the bonding substrates between itself and the mounting surface, an articulated robot to which the bonding device is attached, and a control unit that controls the articulated robot and the bonding device.