A process for fabricating a partially polymerized prepreg material. Fibers are impregnated with thermosetting resin. The resin is partially polymerized to a degree of polymerization between 10% and 60%. The thermosetting composite parts are produced by drape forming of the prepreg material. The material laid-up in the form of tapes and heated at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the prepreg state. The laid-up material is pressed and cooled to return the laid-up material to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the prepreg state in question.

The present invention discloses a device for producing a reinforcing structure, which comprises a strip that is fibre-reinforced and comprises thermoplastic material, on the surface of a moulding. The device is characterized in that it is designed such that the laser diode array directly irradiates the heating-up area of the strip and/or the heating-up area of the surface of the moulding or of the already formed reinforcing structure, wherein the laser diodes of the laser diode array are formed as surface emitters.

An enhanced digital light processing-based mask projection stereolithography method and apparatus are disclosed, where the apparatus comprises: a control platform capable of slicing a model of a to-be-prototyped object into layers, converting the layer into a bitmap, and further dividing the layer into a main body area and boundary filling areas; a digital light processing unit that is controlled by the control platform and capable of emitting a first light beam used for the corresponding main body area of the layer of the to-be-prototyped object; and a laser marking unit that is controlled by the control platform and capable of emitting a second light beam used for the corresponding boundary filling areas of the layer of the to-be-prototyped object. The present invention can not only implement high-speed prototyping but also avoid an edge distortion, thereby improving precision of object prototyping.

An apparatus for forming a fiber-bundle-based preform from a preform precursor material includes a process head coupled to a robotic arm. The process head has at least two rollers, a heated region, and a cooled region. A length of preform precursor material is passed through the rollers and fixed at a first end thereof. The process head moves relative to the preform precursor material, following a path defined by the movement of the robotic head. The path comports with the desired shape of the fiber-bundle-based preform. As the process head moves, it softens a portion of the preform precursor material, which then passes through the two rollers, the combination thereof incrementally altering the shape of preform precursor material to that of the preform. After passing the rollers, the newly formed region of preform is cooled to set its shape. The process head continues to move relative to the preform precursor material until the preform is fully formed.

A process for forming a flexible composite driveshaft includes providing a mandrel having a rigid region and a compressible region, applying fiber tape to the mandrel using automated fiber placement with in-situ laser curing in the rigid region and without in-situ laser curing the compressible region, and compressing the fiber tape and compressible material in the compressible region to form diaphragms that extend radially outward to a diameter that is at least twice the size of a diameter of the composite driveshaft in the rigid region.

A device is provided for making an implant having a hollow region, the device comprising a print surface rotatable in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction about an axis of rotation; a print head disposed adjacent to and substantially transverse to the print surface, the print head configured to apply material used to make the implant on at least a portion of the print surface or heat material disposed on at least a portion of the print surface used to make the implant; and a base disposed adjacent to the print head and contacting the print surface, the base configured to be movable in forward, backward and lateral directions relative to the print head to make the implant having the hollow region. Methods of using the device and are also disclosed.

Provided herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for generating a three-dimensional (3D) object using an energy beam array. Also provided herein are systems, apparatuses and methods for generating a 3D object with small-scaffold features, as well as systems, apparatuses and methods for generating a 3D object using roll-to-roll. The roll-to-roll apparatus may include a moving platform of the 3D object. The 3D object can be formed by an additive manufacturing process from a material such as powder.

Assisted magnetic forming uses a magnetic field to assist in the forming or molding of metallic and non-metallic materials. For example, such a forming process may form a blank of ferromagnetic metals like high-strength steel and high-hard armor, non-ferromagnetic metals like aluminum and magnesium, as well as non-metals like ceramics, plastics, and fiber-reinforced composites into formed or molded parts. The magnetic field is generated to partially or completely saturate the blank during the forming process, which increases the blank's formability and/or moldability while in the presence of the magnetic field.

A system and method (10) for heating objects (O) during a thermal treatment process in a production line (P) is described. The system (10) comprises a transport system (11), a minor arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) comprising a first mirror surface (21, 21′, 21″) and a second minor surface (22, 22′, 22″) arranged at opposite sides, so that the objects (O) may be transported between the minor surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) along the production line and a radiation device (30) comprising a number of lasers for generating light (L). The radiation device (30) and the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) are constructed such that the main direction (R) of light (L) that enters the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is directed towards the first mirror surface (21, 21′, 21″) at an angle to the production line (P), and the light (L) subsequently undergoes multiple reflections between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) so that a series of multiple reflections of the light (L) travels in the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the minor surface (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) or travels against the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the minor surface (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) and heats the objects (O) being transported between the minor surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″).

A female loop portion for a hook and loop self-adhesive, comprising a film (1) made of at least one thermoplastic and a plurality of filaments (2) which are separate from one another and attached to one of the surfaces of the film, each filament comprising a series of fastening sections (15) and a series of loop sections (4) alternating with the fastening sections, the filaments being attached to the film along the fastening sections while the loop sections are at a distance from the film so as to form loops, and characterized in that a cross-sectional area of one loop section of a filament is less than a cross-sectional area of one fastening section of said one filament.