An article of manufacture (200) comprises a strip (202) that extends along and is centered on a virtual curvilinear path (128), comprising an arc (156), having an arc length (154) and a radius (134). A ratio of the strip-width (208) to the radius (134) is greater than or equal to 0.003. The arc length (154) is equal to or greater than a product of the radius (134) and /64. Within each of discrete strip-regions (222) of the strip (202), one of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers (132) that is closest to the first longitudinal strip-edge (204) is more buckled than another one of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers (132) that is closest to the second longitudinal strip-edge (206). Ones of the unidirectional reinforcement fibers (132) that are buckled are parallel to a smallest one of virtual surfaces, joining the first longitudinal strip-edge (204) and the second longitudinal strip-edge (206).

A method and apparatus for forming pouches and/or bags is disclosed. A seal and/or insert is crushed using a multiphase sealer or crusher.

A method may produce an axially movable connection between two components with a plastic as a sliding material arranged therebetween. The method may involve providing the two components and either at least one of the two components has a plastic coating or a plastic sleeve is provided between the components, joining the two components to form a unit via a pressing force in an axial direction, clamping the unit in a device in which the two components are clampable and subjectable to a displacement force in the axial direction, pressing a sonotrode against an outer of the two components and bracing the outer component against a counter-holder, injecting an ultrasound signal into the sonotrode and moving the two components back and forth in the axial direction until a displacement force or a displacement velocity reaches a target, and ending the ultrasound signal and removing the unit from the device.

A method for operating a packaging machine comprising a work station with an exchangeable tool. A control device may be integrated into the tool. When the tool is in a state of the tool installed into the work station, the control device may regulate a temperature of the tool based on an operating temperature target specification by suitably supplying a heating device integrated into the tool with electrical power. Further, when the tool is in a state removed from the work station, the tool may be connected to an external power supply, and the control device may regulate the temperature of the tool based on a preheating temperature target specification by suitably supplying the heating device with electrical power provided by the external power supply.

A method and apparatus for sealing a plastic enclosure is provided. The apparatus includes a handle including elements pivotally coupled together at a first end. The apparatus also includes a pair of spaced apart heating elements positioned along an inner surface of an element and connected to a power source where a longitudinal axis of the heating elements is oriented parallel with a longitudinal axis of the element. Plastic material including first and second plastic layers is positioned at an interface between the second elements. Upon pivoting the first elements from an open position to a closed position the heating elements increase a temperature at the interface to melt the plastic material and form a pair of spaced apart seals between the first and second plastic layers.

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 first aspect of the invention provides a method of joining a part to a composite component, the composite component comprising fibres impregnated with a matrix material, and the part comprising a plurality of projections, the method comprising: inserting the projections into the composite component; and pre-heating the projections before they are inserted into the composite component, so that the projections are at a higher temperature than the composite component as they are inserted into the composite component. The projections locally heat the matrix material of the composite component as they are pushed into the composite component. Increased temperature during insertion is advantageous as the reduced matrix viscosity, due to the increased temperature of the matrix, results in better consolidation of the fibres around the projections and minimises the distortion of the fibres. The composite component is only heated locally where heating is required, which removes the need to heat the entire composite component.

There is provided a polymer fabrication method for forming 3-dimensional shapes from a sheet polymer blank (10) by machining at least one re-entrant, elongate groove forming a reduced thickness portion (25) permitting the blank to be folded and having opposed edges (12) at the surface, folding the blank about the groove to form at least a portion of the 3-dimensional shape, the re-entrant of the groove forming an elongate chamber (21) adjacent the reduced thickness portion and opening through an elongate gap (20) between the opposed edges, hot air welding the opposed edges across the gap with filler rod (22), and heating the reduced thickness portion to a selected thermo-reforming temperature via the chamber.

An apparatus for packaging a product comprises a packaging assembly to fix a film sheet to a support. The packaging assembly includes a lower tool having seats for receiving the support and an upper tool facing the lower tool and comprising a film holding plate for holding the film sheet. The film holding plate has an active surface for receiving the film sheet, where the upper and lower tools cooperating to define a packaging chamber. The packaging assembly is open to receive the film sheet in a first operating condition and is hermetically closed in a second operating condition. The film holding plate has a lateral surface extending substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the active surface, the film holding plate comprising ejectors arranged in the lateral surface for ejecting a stream of gas substantially parallel to said plane and substantially away from a center of the active surface.

An ultrasonic processing method and an ultrasonic processing device may include a controlling/regulating module, preferably a digital controlling/regulating module, which is integrated into a signal processing of the ultrasonic generator so that a plurality of generator data with respect to the ultrasonic generator are processible in the ultrasonic generator. At this, a power actual value P.sub.ist is compared with a power reference value P.sub.soll of the ultrasonic generator via a gap regulator in the controlling/regulating module to specify a position reference value POS.sub.soll of the sonotrode relative to the roll for adjustment of the power reference value P.sub.soll of the ultrasonic generator, and/or a power actual value P.sub.ist is compared with a power reference value P.sub.soll of the ultrasonic generator via an amplitude regulator in the controlling/regulating module to specify an amplitude reference value A.sub.soll to the ultrasonic generator for adjustment of the power reference value P.sub.soll.