The invention concerns a method for managing captive preforms immobilized in a heating station during an interruption of production, the preforms following a production stream, the heating station including a device for conveying preforms and a heating cavity bordered by at least one row of emitters of monochromatic electromagnetic radiation. The method consists in ejecting from the production stream the cold captive preforms that have been immobilized before they have been exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a recycling stream and rejecting from the production stream the hot captive preforms that have been at least partly exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitters to a reject stream separate from the recycling stream.

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.

A device for end-side welding of plastic profiles, preferably pipes, containing tensioning devices for retaining the plastic profiles in a coaxial position in relation to one another, a heating plate for generating heat rays for contact-free heating up of the plastic profile ends and a reflection outer ring for reflection of the heat radiation onto the plastic profile outer side, wherein a reflection inner ring is arranged on the heating plate, wherein the reflection inner ring reflects the heat rays of the heating plate onto the plastic profile inner side.

An automated fiber placement (AFP) system includes a tool head with a compaction roller and a first variable heat source. The compaction roller is configured to receive at least one of a fiber and a plurality of fibers formed as a laydown tape, and is controlled to apply the laydown tape to a workpiece at a predetermined speed and direction. The first variable heat source is configured to apply a first amount of heat to the laydown tape. The first amount of heat applied is related to the predetermined speed. The AFP system further includes a second variable heat source configured to apply a second amount of heat to the workpiece. The second amount of heat applied is related to at least one of: a position on the workpiece, a thickness of the workpiece at that position, and a separation distance between the second variable heat source and the workpiece.

Systems and methods wherein one or more processing operations on an identification document occur after a radiation curable material is applied to a surface of the identification document but before the radiation curable material is fully cured. The one or more processing operations can occur before any curing of the radiation curable material takes place. Alternatively, the one or more processing operations can occur after the radiation curable material has been partially cured, and before the radiation curable material is fully or completely cured.

A preform for an integrally blow-moulded bag-in-container uses an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the preform forms a two-layer container upon blow-moulding, and wherein the obtained inner layer of the container releases from the thus obtained outer layer upon introduction of a gas at a point of interface between the two layers. At least one of the inner and outer layers includes at least one additive allowing both inner and outer layers to reach their respective blow-moulding temperatures substantially simultaneously.

A device may be provided for additively manufacturing a component, comprising at least one component holder, which is designed to hold the component to be manufactured, and comprising at least one application device, which is designed to heat a thermoplastic material and to deposit it in a predeterminable amount, wherein the device also includes at least one radiation source, which is designed to produce electromagnetic radiation, by means of which at least one partial area of the component can be heated, and the device also includes at least one supply apparatus, which is designed to introduce a fiber reinforcement into the component, which fiber reinforcement includes or consists of an endless fiber. A method for additively manufacturing a component may also be provided.

A thermochromic device includes a film and a number of vanadium dioxide nanowires disposed within the film. The film is manufactured by hot extruding a material that includes a polymer and a plurality of vanadium dioxide nanowires on a drum to form a rough film.

A heat-shrinkable tube heating apparatus of the present invention comprises a pair of heat source boxes that are configured to be plane-symmetrical to each other. A blower pipe and a pair of heating tubes are disposed parallel to each other inside each of the pair of heat source boxes wherein air jet holes are formed side by side on the blower pipe. The pair of heating tubes, each including a heating wire emitting infrared rays, are arranged across an open area on one side of each heat source box, the blower pipe is disposed between the pair of heating tubes to be positioned more inside than the pair of heating tubes from the open area, and the blower pipe is installed so that a pressurized air flowing thereinto is blown out through the air jet holes toward one of both sides of heat-shrinkable tubes placed for being heated.

A method of calibrating a three-dimensional measurement system having a plurality of cameras and at least one projector is provided. The method includes performing a full calibration for each camera/projector pair where the full calibration generates at least two sets of correction matrices. Subsequently, an updated calibration is performed for each camera/projector pair. The updated calibration changes less than all of the sets of correction matrices.