Systems and methods are provided for compacting laminates. One embodiment is a method for compacting a laminate onto a surface of a forming tool. The method includes placing the laminate onto the forming tool, disposing a compaction device over the laminate, gripping the compaction device to the forming tool, compacting the laminate with a pressure foot of the compaction device, and removing the compaction device from the forming tool.

A thermoplastic composite component assembly and method of manufacturing the thermoplastic composite component assembly is disclosed. The thermoplastic composite component assembly is manufactured by first performing a molding step to form individual assembly features as discrete assembly feature components, and separately forming a thermoplastic composite component using a first compression molding step. Then, a reprocessing step is performed where the discrete assembly feature components are integrated with the thermoplastic composite component using a second compression molding step. The reprocessing step essentially welds the discrete assembly feature components to the thermoplastic composite component at each of a plurality of desired assembly feature sites.

A waveguide includes an input area, a multi-layered substrate, and an output area. The multi-layered substrate includes a plurality of layers of at least a substrate and at least one partially reflective layers. The input area in-couples light in a first band into the waveguide. The one or more partially reflective layers are partially reflective to light in the first band. Each of the one or more partially reflective layers are located between respective layers of the plurality of layers of the substrate. The output area out-couples light from the waveguide. The pupil replication density of the out-coupled light is based in part on a number of the one or more partially reflective layers and respective locations of the one or more partially reflective layers in the waveguide.

An article is molded from first and second thermosetting elastomer compositions each comprising free-radically curable elastomer and free radical initiator but different from one another. The first thermosetting elastomer composition is molded to fill a first area of a mold cavity at a first temperature at which the first free radical initiator has a half-lifeabout 10 minutes or at which the first thermosetting elastomer composition has an increase in torque less than 10% of a total increase in torque at full cure. The second thermosetting elastomer composition is then inserted into the mold cavity, and the mold is heated to fully cure the article, for example a temperature at which each free radical initiator has a half-lifeabout 1 minute, with the second composition filling a second area of the mold cavity before or during heating and curing.

The invention relates to a method for the production of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. Thereby, a layer of the first ceramic material is filled into the mold, a first open cavity is formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is filled into the first open cavity and the materials are pressed together and are then heat-treated. Both the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material contain, or consists of, lithium silicate glass ceramic.

The method of recycling carbon fiber prepreg waste and transparent thermoplastic waste includes shredding of a volume of transparent thermoplastic waste and a volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste, where the carbon fiber prepreg waste includes a colored backing film. The colored backing film may have a plurality of colors associated therewith, yielding a mixture of multi-colored shreds. A mold is filled with the shredded volume of transparent thermoplastic waste, and the mold is inserted and compressed in a hot press. The shredded volume of transparent thermoplastic waste is cured in the hot press to produce a transparent sheet. The shredded volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste is then heated, such as, for example, with hot air, and then spread on the transparent sheet. The heated, shredded volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste and the transparent sheet are hot pressed to form a colored sheet with a transparent protective layer.

The method of recycling carbon fiber prepreg waste and transparent thermoplastic waste includes shredding of a volume of transparent thermoplastic waste and a volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste, where the carbon fiber prepreg waste includes a colored backing film. The colored backing film may have a plurality of colors associated therewith, yielding a mixture of multi-colored shreds. A mold is filled with the shredded volume of transparent thermoplastic waste, and the mold is inserted and compressed in a hot press. The shredded volume of transparent thermoplastic waste is cured in the hot press to produce a transparent sheet. The shredded volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste is then heated, such as, for example, with hot air, and then spread on the transparent sheet. The heated, shredded volume of carbon fiber prepreg waste and the transparent sheet are hot pressed to form a colored sheet with a transparent protective layer.

The compression molded tooth used for practicing dental cutting treatment of the present invention comprises a composition containing a powder or powders of saccharide, polysaccharide, protein, and/or glycoprotein each having a particle size of 1 to 100 m.

The invention relates to a method for the production of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. Thereby, a layer of the first ceramic material is filled into the mold, a first open cavity is formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is filled into the first open cavity and the materials are pressed together and are then heat-treated. Both the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material contain, or consists of, lithium silicate glass ceramic.

A method for fabricating a stiffened panel. Layers of composite material are placed on a surface of an inner-mold-line tool having protrusions that extend from the surface of the inner-mold-line tool. The layers of composite material laid-up on the surface of the inner-mold-line tool are compacted to form compacted layers of composite material. The compacted layers of composite material are cured to form an inner-mold-line layer having corresponding protrusions. The inner-mold-line layer is joined to an outer-mold-line layer.