A method of fastening at least one second object to at least one first object, wherein mechanical vibration acts from a sonotrode on the second object to fasten the second object to the first object. Between the sonotrode and the second object, an auxiliary sheet is placed, for example of paper. After the vibration stops, the auxiliary sheet is displaced relative to the sonotrode for a next fastening step.

A method for making a connection between a pair of objects includes using a fixture to hold in place shims used to control the gap thickness between the objects. The gap may be subsequently filled with adhesive that is then cured. The fixture may be a flexible piece of material that is able to withstand the cure environment, for example being able to withstand heat used to cure the adhesive. The fixture may facilitate maintaining the proper gap by holding the shims in their proper places and orientation until the adhesive is cured and the shims are removed. The use of the fixture may improve the uniformity of the gap at less effort, and may reduce defects in the adhesive layer, for example by facilitating removal of the shims without disturbing or damaging the adhesive, such as by pulling the shims straight out of their locations in the gap.

A system and method for bonding a first layer of material to a second layer of material includes a first electrically conductive plate, a second electrically conductive plate spaced apart from the first electrically conductive plate. The second electrically conductive plate is electrically grounded. A high frequency generator in electrical communication with the first electrically conductive plate supplies high frequency electrical signals to the first electrically conductive plate. An adhesive applied to one of the first and second layers of material has an electromagnetic susceptor material that when subjected to the electric field heats the adhesive to an adhesive curing temperature to bond the first layer of material to the second layer of material. A clamping mechanism applies pressure to one of the first and second layers of material to maintain contact between the first and second layers until an adhesive cure time has lapsed.

A process for placing a circuit array on a sheet having adhesive during a pick and place operation in which a vacuum is used during its placement to minimize air bubbles between the adhesive layer and the circuit array.

A system including two pre-fixed substrates, wherein a first substrate and a second substrate. Each of the substrates has an opening in an overlap region, and an adhesive is arranged between the overlap regions, wherein the adhesive connects the two substrates together and is arranged at least partly in the openings. The adhesive is locally cured in the region of the openings. A cured sub-region of the adhesive extends from the first opening into the second opening, and a second sub-region of the adhesive is not cured.

Embodiments provide methods of assembling an apparel product. The methods include applying a composition to a portion of a major component of the apparel product or a portion of a minor component of the apparel product. The methods include coupling the portion of the minor component with the portion of the major component via the composition. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion that is configured to be coupled to the major component with an adhesive. The composition is cured to form the adhesive and the apparel product. The adhesive includes a polymer having a cyclodextrin moiety bonded to an azobenzene moiety.

A light, durable, and user friendly cover for a laptop computer that integrates the protective qualities of hard shell cases with the aesthetics of soft cut-and-sew covers is disclosed herein. The cover includes top and bottom panels configured to cover the display and keyboard portions, respectively. Each panel is independent and separate from the other and each is formed as a unitary component of a molded resilient polymer material, such as polycarbonate, that is configured to reversibly and retentively snap-fit over the outer surface of the laptop computer. Each panel includes a raised lip along its perimeter edge region that defines an internally extending recessed region on the panel's outer surface. Fabric and/or leather overlays are positioned, sized, and adhesively coupled atop the recessed regions and are protected from delaminating, fraying, and/or peeling by the raised perimeter lip.

A composite vehicle driveshaft assembly includes a composite tube and a yoke bonded to one of the ends of the tube. The yoke has an inner sleeve that is concentrically received in the end of the tube. The sleeve has an outer peripheral surface that faces the inner peripheral surface of the tube with a cavity formed therebetween. An adhesive injection passage is formed in the yoke and extends at an acute angle from an inlet that is formed in an axial surface of the yoke to an outlet that is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve and that opens into the cavity. Also disclosed is a method of bonding a yoke of such a driveshaft assembly to a composite tube.

Improvements relating to wind turbine blade manufacture 5 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 10 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 15 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.

In order to thermally cure a thermosetting adhesive quickly and with less energy, the bonded article (10) according to the present invention comprises an adherend member (1) having a thermal conductivity of 1 w/m.Math.K or more, an adherend member (2) made of a material which can adhere to the adherend member (1), and an adhesion portion that is formed of a cured product of a thermosetting adhesive (3) and that is in contact with both the adherend member (1) and the adherend member (2), wherein the adherend member (1) has a heat transfer-inhibiting structure (4) which inhibits the transfer of heat from a portion thereof in contact with the adhesive (3) to a peripheral portion thereof.