A method for welding at least two parts including a thermoplastic material and having respective surfaces to be welded, including: inserting an insert between the surfaces to be welded of the two parts; generating heat via the insert; wherein the insert moves in relation to the parts to be welded in a welding direction. Also, an installation adapted for implementation of this method.

A cup sealing apparatus with a shaft, a heating element, an alignment plate, and a spring biasing the alignment plate into engagement with the alignment cone. The shaft extends has an alignment cone at an end thereof, the alignment cone having a modified cone taper surface centered about a longitudinal axis. The heating element includes a heating surface operable to adhere a seal to a cup presented to the heating surface. The alignment plate is spaced from the opposite axial surface, and has a profile corresponding with the taper surface so that the profile and the taper surface form a non-circular interface between the alignment cone and the alignment plate. With deflection of the spring, the alignment plate and the heating element are free to deviate from a prescribed orientation and out of coaxial alignment to match a cup axis of a cup presented to the heating surface.

A sensorless temperature sensing and control system and method uses electrical voltage and current feedback signals to monitor and control the temperature of heating elements used in a heat sealing process wherein sensors are not physically connected to a heat seal bar during the heat sealing process. After calibration of a heat seal bar using a sensor, voltage and current feedback signals are processed by a programmable logic controller (PLC) to calculate the real-time electrical resistance of each heating element. Data and electrical resistance is used to calculate real-time temperature of the heat seal bar during heating.

A composite wingbox structure formed of reinforced thermoplastic. The composite includes carbon fiber reinforcement and a plurality of insulation elements to localize the heat formed during the process of manufacturing the structure. The process of manufacturing the wingbox includes the steps of interleaving a series of insulations elements within a plurality of laminae and consolidating the insulation elements and laminae to form a laminate. The laminate is then aligned with a support structure such that the insulation elements overlie the supports structure. The laminate is then fused to the support structure using a non-contact heating process, such as inductive welding.

A composite wingbox structure formed of reinforced thermoplastic. The composite includes carbon fiber reinforcement and a plurality of insulation elements to localize the heat formed during the process of manufacturing the structure. The process of manufacturing the wingbox includes the steps of interleaving a series of insulations elements within a plurality of laminae and consolidating the insulation elements and laminae to form a laminate. The laminate is then aligned with a support structure such that the insulation elements overlie the supports structure. The laminate is then fused to the support structure using a non-contact heating process, such as inductive welding.

A three-dimensional object printer comprises a conveyor having a surface configured to convey a three-dimensional object in a first direction; and a leveling assembly configured to level a surface of the three-dimensional object as the conveyer conveys the three-dimensional object in the first direction, the leveling assembly comprising (i) a roller having a cylindrical shape, the roller having an outer surface that moves upon the surface of the three-dimensional object to level the surface of the three-dimensional object; and (ii) a guide device arranged between the roller and the planar surface of the conveyer, the device being configured to mechanically interact with the roller to maintain a constant distance between the outer surface of the roller and the planar surface of the conveyer.

A three-dimensional object printer comprises a conveyor having a surface configured to convey a three-dimensional object in a first direction; and a leveling assembly configured to level a surface of the three-dimensional object as the conveyer conveys the three-dimensional object in the first direction, the leveling assembly comprising (i) a roller having a cylindrical shape, the roller having an outer surface that moves upon the surface of the three-dimensional object to level the surface of the three-dimensional object; and (ii) a guide device arranged between the roller and the planar surface of the conveyer, the device being configured to mechanically interact with the roller to maintain a constant distance between the outer surface of the roller and the planar surface of the conveyer.

A battery cell sealing apparatus includes: a first sealing block and a second sealing block pressurizing a case, provided with an accommodation space in which an electrode assembly is accommodated, to seal the case; a moving unit connected to at least one of the first sealing block and the second sealing block and moving at least one of the first sealing block and the second sealing block; and a heating unit connected to the first sealing block and the second sealing block and supplying heat energy to the first sealing block and the second sealing block. The first sealing block and the second sealing block may include a plurality of block members, and may pressurize the case with the plurality of block members to form a plurality of sealing portions on the case.

Bag-sealing apparatus is provided for heat-sealing a bag. The apparatus has a heater arrangement operable to apply heat to heat-seal an open end of the bag. A bag detector detects the location of the bag relative to the heater arrangement. The heater arrangement is formed of plural heater portions. The heater arrangement is operable such that only the or each heater portion that overlies the bag as detected by the bag detector is caused to operate to apply heat to the bag.

Bag-sealing apparatus is provided for heat-sealing a bag. The apparatus has a heater arrangement operable to apply heat to heat-seal an open end of the bag. A bag detector detects the location of the bag relative to the heater arrangement. The heater arrangement is formed of plural heater portions. The heater arrangement is operable such that only the or each heater portion that overlies the bag as detected by the bag detector is caused to operate to apply heat to the bag.