Various systems, methods and apparatus for locating emitters embedded in tubing are disclosed herein, as well as forming outlets in said tubing and confirming the placement accuracy of such outlets. In one form, an emitter locator is disclosed having: a housing defining a generally enclosed space and having an inlet located in a first side of the housing and an outlet located in a second side of the housing positioned opposite the inlet; a cutter positioned within the generally enclosed space between the inlet and outlet; a first optical instrument located proximate the inlet; a second optical instrument located proximate the outlet; and a controller connected to the cutter and first and second optical instruments, the controller configured to detect a tubing target area desired for placement of an outlet opening in tubing that passes through the inlet and cut the tubing target area to form the outlet opening therein.

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an extrusion nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to extruding the filament from the extrusion nozzle.

A three-dimensional model built with an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, and having a perimeter based on a contour tool path that defines an interior region of a layer of the three-dimensional model, where at least one of a start point and a stop point of the contour tool path is located within the interior region of the layer.

An apparatus (100) for depositing an extrudable substance (102) comprises a bracket (104) and a sleeve (110), comprising an inner tubular sleeve wall (114) and an outer tubular sleeve wall (112). The sleeve (110) is coupled to the bracket (104) and is rotatable relative to the bracket (104). The apparatus (100) also comprises a cartridge (124), comprising an inner tubular cartridge wall (126) and an outer tubular cartridge wall (128). The cartridge (124) is configured to be positioned between the inner tubular sleeve wall (114) and the outer tubular sleeve wall (112). The apparatus (100) also comprises a valve (140), configured to be communicatively coupled with the cartridge (124), a nozzle (152), configured to be communicatively coupled with the valve (140), a linear actuator (138) to control flow of the extrudable substance (102) from the valve (140) to the nozzle (152), an annular plunger (148), positioned between the inner tubular cartridge wall (126) and the outer tubular cartridge wall (128), and a push-lock pressure cap (150), configured to be hermetically coupled with the cartridge (124).

A system for depositing a composite filler material into a channel of a composite structure includes an end-effector configured to extrude a bead of the filler material into the channel. The filler material can comprise a first group of relatively long fibers, a second group of relatively short fibers and a resin. A drive system is configured to move the end-effector relative to the channel, and a position sensor is configured to detect the position of the bead relative to the channel. A controller is configured to operate the drive system in response to the detected position and to operate the end-effector to heat and compress the filler material so as to orient the longer fibers in a substantially longitudinal direction relative to the channel and the shorter fibers in substantially random directions relative to the channel when the bead is extruded into the channel.

Pipe corrugators having opposed series of pushed mold blocks forming a moving mold tunnel are subject to significant thermal expansion and are designed with a thermal expansion gap. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for measuring changes in this expansion gap and preferably recognizing potential thermal issues before serious problems occur. A sensor is provided adjacent a mold block drive that preferably detects a time duration between sensing a trailing portion of a lead mold block and a leading edge of a following mold block separated from the lead mold block by the thermal expansion gap. This time duration in combination with a speed of the pushed mold blocks is used to calculate the size of the thermal expansion gap.

A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for forming films having uniform thicknesses across the entire width of the film. The films are also disclosed. The apparatus for forming the film includes a first nip roller and a second nip roller, each of the first nip roller and the second nip roller being configured to compress the powder as it passes between the first nip roller and the second nip roller and thereby form the film, whereby in the absence of a force counteracting the pressure of the passage of the powder between the first nip roller and the second nip roller the first nip roller is deflected to a greater degree than the second nip roller. Furthermore, the first nip roller and the second nip roller are each associated with one or more eccentric bearings that rotate to apply force vectors to the first nip roller and the second nip roller.

A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.

The invention provides a rapid prototyping device and method thereof. The rapid prototyping device comprises an environmental temperature sensor, a control module, a nozzle, and a heating device. The rapid prototyping method comprises following steps of: sensing an environmental temperature, acquiring a nozzle heating temperature according to the environmental temperature; and heating a nozzle till reaching the nozzle heating temperature. After the preparation of the rapid prototyping device, the environmental temperature sensor senses an environmental temperature, then the control module acquires a nozzle heating temperature based on the environmental temperature, and then the control module controls the heating device for heating the nozzle to the nozzle heating temperature. By the temperature compensating function of the present invention, the quality of the heating material ejected by the nozzle can be maintained.