Composite fasteners, associated blanks and also methods and apparatus for the installation of such fasteners are disclosed. An exemplary composite rivet disclosed comprises an elongated body including braided reinforcement fibers embedded inside the body and supported in a matrix material. Also disclosed are structural assemblies comprising composite fasteners and panels or other parts comprising composite and/or other materials.

A two different process continued performance type product assembly device may include a punching jig having a punch and configured to ascend and descend, a punching tool located on a lower portion of the punching jig and having a punching die that is located below the punch during a punching work, a fusion tool located on the lower portion of the punching jig and having a fusion horn that is located below the punch during a fusion work, and a tool exchange cylinder configured to push the punching die so that the fusion horn secedes from a position below the punch during the punching work and to pull the punching die so that the fusion horn comes into the position below the punch during the fusion work.

A film fin sealing device is disclosed herein which may have a groove defining a base. The base of the groove of the fin sealing device may be oriented at a skewed angle with respect to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor of a heat sealing machine. Edges of a thermoplastic sheet or two stacked layers of thermoplastic sheets are introduced into the groove of the film fin sealing device and placed in contact therewith to both heat and fuse the distal edge portions of the thermoplastic sheet(s) to join the edge portions thereof to form a fin seal.

A method for connecting two components is proposed where a pressure acting on an adhesive between two join partners is supported by an auxiliary body which rests on a cutout of one of the components. Both components to be connected together and the auxiliary body are covered by a vacuum film and once the air has been sucked out, the compressive force is generated below the vacuum film.

Composite fasteners, associated blanks and also methods and apparatus for the installation of such fasteners are disclosed. An exemplary composite rivet (10) disclosed comprises an elongated body including braided reinforcement fibers (14) embedded inside the body and supported in a matrix material (16). Also disclosed are structural assemblies comprising composite fasteners and panels or other parts comprising composite and/or other materials.

A method for connecting at least two structural parts of an orthopedic component, wherein the structural parts are retained in an orienting device while oriented in relation to each other, and an intermediate space thus being formed between the structural parts. The orienting device and the structural parts together form a cavity, which has a flow connection to at least one feed connection, via which an adhesive for adhesively bonding the structural parts is introduced into the cavity.

A bonder and a method for bonding corrugated sidewalls to a thermoplastic belt at a splice joint. Two heating jaw assemblies with complementary and confronting corrugated vertical faces clamp a thermoplastic belt to a base of the bonder with a corrugated sidewall section separated from the belt across a splice joint received in a corrugated slot formed between the confronting vertical faces. Corrugated bonding strips at the bottoms of the corrugated vertical faces apply heat to melt the bottom of the sidewall section on opposite sides to bond the corrugated sidewall section to the base.

A welding apparatus for use in welding first and second sheets of material together includes a seal die, a platen, a control unit, and a power source adapted to provide energy to the seal die. The seal die is made of a conductive material and is configured to impart thermal-mechanical energy to the first and second sheets of material. The seal die includes a bottom surface configured to contact the first sheet, an inner edge, a chamfer extending between the bottom surface and the inner edge, a first blend radius, and a second blend radius. The first radius extends between the chamfer and the bottom surface, while the second radius extends between the chamfer and the inner edge. The platen is configured to support the second sheet, while the control unit is programmed to cause the seal die to be directed towards the platen.

A tube seal apparatus including a sealing iron having a tube sealing end, an insulating shroud having a tube clamping end, wherein the sealing iron is at least partially disposed within the insulating shroud. The apparatus further includes an anvil having a cutting detail and a non-stick membrane disposed between the anvil and the tube clamping end of the insulating shroud. The sealing iron and insulating shroud are configured to advance towards a tube to be sealed positioned between the non-stick membrane and the anvil. The tube clamping end is configured to clamp the tube through the non-stick membrane. The sealing iron is configured to advance towards the tube to melt and seal the tube against the cutting detail through the non-stick membrane.

A packaging material sealing device, in particular cross seam packaging material sealing device for a vertical packaging machine, includes a first sealing jaw and at least a second sealing jaw, at least one movement unit for actuating the two sealing jaws along a sealing direction, and at least one control unit. In at least one operating state the control unit controls a rotation of the two sealing jaws relative to a transport direction of a packaging material. At least two guiding rails of the movement unit for moving the two sealing jaws along at least the sealing direction each have clearance with respect to their bearings in order to allow rotation of the two sealing jaws relative to the transport direction.