There is provided a polymer fabrication method for forming 3-dimensional shapes from a sheet polymer blank (10) by machining at least one re-entrant, elongate groove forming a reduced thickness portion (25) permitting the blank to be folded and having opposed edges (12) at the surface, folding the blank about the groove to form at least a portion of the 3-dimensional shape, the re-entrant of the groove forming an elongate chamber (21) adjacent the reduced thickness portion and opening through an elongate gap (20) between the opposed edges, hot air welding the opposed edges across the gap with filler rod (22), and heating the reduced thickness portion to a selected thermo-reforming temperature via the chamber.

A process for forming a container from a blank, the process comprising the steps of: thermally inducing one or more fold lines on at least one surface of a container blank fabricated from a thermal insulation sheet material, wherein the blank comprises: a first panel portion; a second panel portion located adjacent the first panel portion and sharing a first common edge therewith; and a third panel portion located adjacent the second panel portion and sharing a second common edge therewith, the second common edge being substantially parallel to the first common edge, wherein the first panel portion and the third panel portion are each associated with a pair of flap members adapted for folding movement relative to the respective first and third panel portions such that, when assembled, each of the flap members overlies an edge of the second panel portion substantially perpendicular to the first common edge and the second common edge, folding the first panel portion of the container blank along a first fold line, wherein when folded, the first panel portion is substantially perpendicular to the second panel portion of the container blank; folding the third panel portion of the container blank along a second fold line, wherein when folded, the third panel portion is substantially perpendicular to the second panel portion and substantially parallel to the first panel portion; sealing a portion of each of the pair of flap members of the first panel portion to a portion of each of the pair of flap members of the third panel portion to form a side seam joint; and sealing a portion of the first panel portion adjacent the side seam joint and a portion of the third panel portion adjacent the side seam joint to an edge of the second panel portion to form a bottom seam joint.

A method for bonding composite substrates includes coupling a first co-cure prepreg layer having a first off-set amine to epoxide molar ratio onto a surface of a first composite substrate and coupling a second co-cure prepreg layer having a second off-set amine to epoxide molar ratio onto a surface of a second composite substrate. The first and second composite substrates are cured to the first and second co-cure prepreg layers, respectively, using a first cure cycle (including B-stage and cure temperatures) to form a first and a second co-cure prepreg layer portion. The method further includes coupling the first co-cure prepreg layer portion to the second co-cure prepreg layer portion and applying a second cure cycle to cure the first co-cure prepreg layer portion of the first composite substrate to the second co-cure prepreg layer portion of the second composite substrate to form a monolithic covalently bonded composite structure.

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 welding method for welding a first component to a second component using a welding device including an upper tool mounted to an upper support for receiving the first component, a lower tool mounted to a lower support for receiving the second component as well as a preheating arrangement for preheating the first and/or the second component and a controller. A welding device in accordance with the welding method is further provided.

An apparatus (1) for processing cups (2), adapted to be filled with coffee or other products, whether solid or liquid, and to be closed with respective lids to form corresponding capsules, comprises: a plurality of pockets (50) for housing the cups (2); an infeed station (4) for receiving the cups (2) and placing them in respective pockets (50) of the plurality of pockets (50); at least one tool (31) for applying a process to a rear face (23B) of an annular flange (23) of a cup (2) housed a respective pocket (50), to form a sealing profile (230); an outfeed station (6) configured to release the cups (2) with the sealing profile (230) formed on them.

The present invention concerns a method of bundling a plurality of monofilaments into a bundle of monofilaments by means of a laser, a paint brush head including such bundle of monofilaments and a paint brush including such paint brush head.

A horizontal pillow packing apparatus includes a center sealer configured to wrap a packing target object by bringing both end portions of a back surface of a belt-shaped film in a width direction into contact with each other and seal a center seal portion at which the both end portions of the back surface in the width direction are in contact with each other, and an end sealer configured to seal and cut both side portions of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object in the width direction. The center sealer includes at least two pairs of heating rollers configured to nip and heat the center seal portion of the belt-shaped film wrapping the packing target object, and a pair of compression rollers configured to cool and compress, to bond the center seal portion, the center seal portion heated by the at least two pairs of heating rollers.

A hybrid manufacturing machine comprises a workpiece platform, a powder delivery system, and a scan head. The powder delivery system delivers powder from a powder storage system to the workpiece platform. A controller executes a program to perform a manufacturing operation on a part situated on the workpiece platform based upon a three-dimensional representation of the part. The scan head is controlled by the controller to emit a first energy beam that implements an additive process on the part, and a second energy beam that implements a material manipulation process on the part. The hybrid manufacturing machine can also include a measurement device, e.g., a laser profilometer, camera, microscope, etc. Under this configuration, the controller can control the scan head to emit the second energy beam to perform the material manipulation operation as a micro-machining operation to remove structure from the part based upon an output from the measurement device.

A method of making a tube (60) includes forming at least one tube layer (101, 106, 108); and forming at least one film layer (102, 103, 104) on the at least one tube layer, wherein the at least a portion of the at least one film layer does not completely overlap the at least one tube layer.