B29C65/4835

Forming a rigid cable harness with a curable sleeve

Provided are methods for forming a rigid cable harness. An example method includes providing a curable sleeve comprising a curable compound, an adhesive, and a backing; wherein the curable adhesive tape has a longitudinal direction. The method further includes placing a plurality of cables on the sleeve in the longitudinal direction and wrapping the curable sleeve around the placed plurality of cables to form a cable harness, wherein the wrapping comprises wrapping the plurality of cables with the curable sleeve in the longitudinal direction. The method additionally includes positioning the cable harness into a desired shape and curing the curable compound of the cable harness to form the rigid cable harness, wherein the rigid cable harness has the desired shape.

ENERGY CONVERTING FILMS AND ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING THE SAME
20210237369 · 2021-08-05 ·

Various embodiments disclosed relate to an energy converting film. The energy converting film comprises a polymer component. The energy converting film further comprises a susceptor component at least partially distributed in the polymer component.

Processing apparatus for gas-diffusion layer sheets
11094943 · 2021-08-17 · ·

The processing apparatus includes: a first roller 10 around which a gas-diffusion layer sheet (carbon paper CP) is wound, the gas-diffusion layer sheet being an electrically conductive porous member; a second roller 20 configured to take up the carbon paper CP wound around the first roller 10; and a processing oven configured to heat process a portion of the carbon paper CP, the portion having been fed from the first roller 10 but not yet taken up by the second roller 20. A heat-resistant lead LE is provided, the heat-resistant lead LE having a length at least extending from the first roller 10 to the second roller 20 through the processing oven, being configured to be taken up by the second roller 20, and being bonded to the carbon paper CP impregnated with a thermosetting resin AD.

Bonded nutplate rapid cure system

Embodiments of systems and methods for positioning and bonding a nutplate to a substrate comprising at least one aperture, wherein the system includes a nutplate engagement fixture formed from a rigid tube and an elastomeric tube, a heater operable to deliver heat to a bonding surface of the nutplate, at least one temperature sensor operable to measure the temperature of the bonding surface of the nutplate, a temperature sensor retention fixture operable to position and secure the at least one temperature sensor to the nutplate, and a heater controller operable to control the output from the heater.

Method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade having an internal web
11072129 · 2021-07-27 · ·

A method and apparatus for assembling a wind turbine blade (10) including first and second outer shell portions (16, 18) and an internal web (12) are provided. An adhesive material (42) is applied to a top end (30) of the internal web (12) as well as the edges (62, 64) of the first outer shell portion (16) for connection to the second outer shell portion (18). Localized heat energy is applied to pre-cure the adhesive material (42) at the top end (30) of the internal web (12) before applying heat energy to fully cure all of the adhesive material (42) in the wind turbine blade (10). The pre-curing is performed by a removable localized heater device (72), and it assures that the integrity of the bond between the internal web (12) and the second outer shell portion (18) is maintained during the full curing of the blade (10), when temporary thermal deformation of the outer shell (14) sometimes occurs.

Method for reversible bonding
11130293 · 2021-09-28 · ·

A method of reversible bonding based on deposition of a coating capable of an indefinite number of reversible bonding cycles as enable by bond exchange reactions is provided. This is accomplished by deposition of crosslinkable aromatic polyester oligomers on a substrate. The coated article is heated to produce a fully thermoset network by condensation reactions. The fully thermoset network has access to a type of bond exchange reaction within the resin that permits the dynamic exchange of ester bonds within the resin. To execute the bonding step a source of heat is applied at a pressure. To debond, there is applied force in tension and/or shear that causes the coating to fail. The reversibility of the process is contingent on the cohesive (rather than adhesive) failure of the coating—that is, the coating must not delaminate from the substrate. Failure must occur in the resin of the reversible coating.

Method of Bonding Perfluoroelastomeric Materials to a Surface

The invention includes a method of bonding a perfluoroelastomer material to first surface that includes: (a) contacting a first surface with a bonding agent comprising a curable perfluoropolymer and a curing agent; (b) curing the bonding agent to form a perfluoroelastomer material that is bonded to the first surface. In the practice of such method, the bonding agent may be a solution prepared by dissolving the curable perfluoroelastomer and the curing agent in a solvent. In an embodiment of the invention, the perfluoroelastomer material formed in step (b) is a coating layer or, alternatively, the first surface is a surface of a perfluoroelastomer member and the perfluoroelastomer material formed is a perfluoroelastomer weld.

Footwear component tooling for use with microwave energy
11033080 · 2021-06-15 · ·

The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR JOINING MOULDED PARTS BY ELECTROMAGNETIC WELDING

A method for joining moulded parts by electromagnetic welding. A joining inductor is moved along contact surfaces of the moulded parts, generating an electromagnetic field in an induction-sensitive component of the moulded part(s) to heat a thermally activated coupling means of the moulded part(s) to above a melting temperature of the coupling means. The strength of the electromagnetic field suitable for joining is determined by previously moving a sensing inductor along the contact plane, generating a relatively weak electromagnetic field to slightly heat the thermally activated coupling means to a sensing temperature, measuring the field strength generated by the sensing inductor in the moulded part(s), determining a discrepancy between the measured field strength of the sensing inductor and the field strength suitable for joining, and adjusting the field strength suitable for joining to close the discrepancy. A device for carrying out the method.

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURE
20210180560 · 2021-06-17 ·

A method of making a wind turbine blade is described. The method involves providing a blade shell having an inner surface defining a mounting region and positioning a web in the mounting region. One or more web restraining devices are used to secure the position of the web in the mounting region. Each restraining device has a first portion attached to the web and a second portion attached to the inner surface of the blade shell. The restraining devices are configured to prevent movement of the web in a first plane substantially parallel to the mounting region and to permit movement of the web in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the mounting region. The method further comprises moving the web in the second plane away from the mounting region and performing one or more preparatory operations on the mounting region with the web moved away from the mounting region. The web is then repositioned in the mounting region by moving the web in the second plane back towards the mounting region.