In some embodiments, systems for creating and heat-treating 3D-printed objects may include a 3D printer configured to create the object. A heat-treatment apparatus may be operatively connected to the 3D printer. The heat-treatment apparatus may be configured to expose the object to an elevated temperature to heat-treat the object. A pressure-transmission medium of the heat-treatment apparatus may be configured to apply pressure to the object during heat treatment. The 3D printer and heat-treatment apparatus may be incorporated into a unified process flow volume. Methods of creating and heat-treating 3D-printed objects may involve creating an object utilizing a 3D printer. The object may be moved from the 3D printer to a heat-treatment apparatus. The object may be exposed to an elevated temperature and pressure may be applied to the object utilizing a pressure-transmission medium of the heat-treatment apparatus. The 3D printer and heat-treatment apparatus may in a unified process flow volume.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be supported by a deployment system that lowers the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets toward, and raises the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets away from, a working surface.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation.

A method for producing a fiber preform or semi-finished textile product comprises providing a fiber preform or semi-finished textile product comprising at least one thermoplastic fiber. The thermoplastic fiber has a core constructed of a first material, a shell constructed of a second material positioned to surround the core, and magnetic particles that are one of mainly arranged in the shell, almost exclusively arranged in the shell, and exclusively arranged in the shell. Continually adding the fiber preform or semi-finished textile product with simultaneous heating thereof in continuous passing through or passing by a magnetic induction heating device or the same by way of a relative movement. Fixing the fiber preform or semi-finished textile product by allowing the fiber preform or semi-finished textile product to rigidify.

This application relates to an imprinting apparatus and method. In one aspect, the imprinting apparatus applies pressure between a master substrate and a polymer film to transfer a pattern formed on the master substrate to the polymer film. The imprinting apparatus includes a plurality of coils and the surface of the master substrate is heated by an electromagnetic field induced by the plurality of coils. Through holes are defined in each of the plurality of coils, and support bars are inserted into the through holes. The positions of the plurality of coils are changed corresponding to the master substrate.

The present invention relates to means for manufacturing micro-beads (polymer micro-particles) comprising thermoplastic polymer and having the average particle size of 10 μm or less, and extending into the nano-range. An original filament comprising a thermoplastic polymer is passed through an orifice under an air pressure (P1) and guided to a spray chamber under a pressure (P2; where P1>P2). The original filament having passed through the orifice is heated and melted under irradiation by an infrared beam, and is sprayed in microparticulate form from the orifice by the flow of air generated by the pressure differential between P1 to P2, whereby micro-beads comprising thermoplastic polymer micro-particles having an average particle size of 10 μm or less, and even less than 1 μm are manufactured.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that the level of adhesion between steel reinforcing elements and rubber products, such as conveyor belts, in which they are embedded can be significantly reduced by heating the steel reinforcing elements by induction heating to break down the level of bonding between the steel reinforcing elements and the rubber in the article. The present invention more specifically discloses a method for recovering steel reinforcements from a conveyor belt carcass having steel reinforcements which are bonded to the carcass of the conveyor belt, said method comprising (1) heating the steel reinforcements in the conveyor belt by induction heating to a temperature which is sufficient to substantially breakdown bonding between the steel reinforcements and the carcass of the conveyor belt and (2) applying a mechanical force to the steel reinforcements which is sufficient to separate the steel reinforcements from the conveyor belt carcass.

A device for consolidating a fiber preform to obtain a panel made of composite material of large dimension, comprising an induction heating system configured to generate at least one electromagnetic field in a heating zone, at least one susceptor incorporated in a first die tool supporting the fiber preform and/or a cladding covering the fiber preform, each susceptor producing a uniform heating of the fiber preform when it is positioned in the electromagnetic field of the induction heating system, and a mechanism configured to induce a relative movement between the induction heating system and the first die tool so that all the fiber preform crosses the heating zone.

A part is inductively heated by multiple, self-regulating induction coil circuits having susceptors, coupled together in parallel and in series with an AC power supply. Each of the circuits includes a tuning capacitor that tunes the circuit to resonate at the frequency of AC power supply.