A portable welding device comprising: a base facing a work surface, designed to receive tapes in electrically conductive composite materials to be joined or defined by at least one already positioned tape; an operating head receiving one tape at a time and movable with respect to the base along at least a first movement line parallel to the work surface; a motorized arm connecting the operating head to the base and selectively activatable to impart movements to the operating head; and feeding means selectively activatable to feed one tape at a time to the operating head and connected to the operating head; the operating head comprises a positioning roller receiving a tape at a time; a pressure roller spaced from and aligned with the positioning roller along the first movement line; and an inductor interposed between the positioning roller and the pressure roller with reference to the first movement line.

An induction heated tool system for receiving and heating polymer-fiber components from a starting temperature to a target temperature includes a tool part having a receiving cutout, the tool part formed from a thermally dimensionally stable material so it has a coefficient of thermal longitudinal expansion less than 10×10.sup.−6 K.sup.−1, or less than 5×10.sup.−6 K.sup.−1, or less than 4×10.sup.−6 K.sup.−1 in the plane of the largest dimension of the receiving cutout, at temperatures between the starting and target temperatures. A receiving cutout for receiving a polymer-fiber component is in the tool part, the receiving cutout delimited by a receiving surface portion so a polymer-fiber component received in the receiving cutout can lie against the receiving surface portion. A susceptor element includes a ferromagnetic material with a first Curie temperature. The susceptor element is on a surface portion of the tool part outside the receiving cutout and the receiving surface portion.

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

Heating apparatus and methods for thermally processing a part including improved control of temperature. A thermal management system is coupled to a back surface of a table thermally coupled to an inductive heating circuit. The thermal management system includes a chamber defining an interior space, at least one cooling fin disposed within the chamber, an inlet extending through the chamber and fluidly communicating with the interior space, and an outlet extending through the chamber and fluidly communicating with the interior space. In some applications, an air source fluidly communicates with the inlet and is selectively operable to generate an air flow through the chamber, so that the thermal management system may be selectively operated in an insulator mode and a cooling mode.

Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

A method of heat treating post-tensioning strand wedges that enhances efficiency, repeatability and safety is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of post-tensioning strand wedges, transporting each post-tensioning strand wedge to a heating assembly having a first induction heater, heating each post-tensioning strand wedge using the first induction heater of the heating assembly to form a heated post-tensioning strand wedge in a plurality of heated post-tensioning strand wedges, and delivering the plurality of heated post-tensioning strand wedges to perform a series of actions.

A composite forming apparatus includes an end effector, a forming feature that is coupled to the end effector, and a heating element that is coupled to the forming feature to heat the forming feature. The end effector moves the forming feature relative to a composite ply to form the composite ply over a forming tool or over a prior formed composite ply. The forming feature heats the composite ply via conduction.

A composite forming apparatus includes an end effector, a forming feature, and a non-contact heater. The forming feature is coupled to the end effector. The end effector moves the forming feature relative to a composite ply to form the composite ply over a forming tool or a prior formed composite ply. The non-contact heater heats to a portion of the composite ply before the portion of the composite ply is formed over the forming tool or the prior formed composite ply.

Methods of embedding an elongate susceptor within a thermoplastic body and systems that perform the methods are disclosed herein. The methods include extending the elongate susceptor such that an extended portion of the elongate susceptor extends between a guide structure and a body-contacting structure. The methods also include heating a segment of the elongate susceptor to produce a heated portion of the elongate susceptor. The methods further include pressing a leading region of the heated portion of the elongate susceptor through a body surface of the thermoplastic body and into the thermoplastic body. The methods also include operatively translating at least one of the guide structure, the body-contacting structure, and an application tool that includes the guide structure and the body-contacting structure along an embedment pathway for the elongate susceptor.

Various systems and apparatuses for heating molds, including for example tire molds, are disclosed. Heating of molds may be effected via induction heating technology. In one embodiment, a system for heating a tire mold is provided, the system comprising: a tire mold formed from a mold material having a base material relative permeability, wherein the tire mold includes a mold surface for contacting a tire, the mold surface for contacting a tire having a mold surface for contacting a tire relative permeability, wherein the tire mold includes a mold back oriented substantially opposite the mold surface for contacting a tire, and wherein the mold surface for contacting a tire relative permeability is greater than the base material relative permeability.