A friction stir spot welding apparatus including a controller that (A) operates a rotary driver and a tool driver such that a pin and a shoulder are brought into contact with a welded workpiece; (B) operates, after the step (A), the rotary driver and the tool driver such that the pin separates from the welded workpiece; and (C) operates, after the step (B), the rotary driver and the tool driver such that the pin advances toward the welded workpiece. The controller controls the tool driver such that pressing force applied to the welded workpiece from the pin and the shoulder in the step (C) is smaller than that in the step (B) and/or controls the rotary driver such that rotational frequencies of the pin and the shoulder in the step (C) are lower than those in the step (B).

An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

A three-dimensional decorative piece that is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin and can retain bulkiness and shape by a core and a method of producing the same. The three-dimensional decorative piece includes an upper layer molded body made of an upper layer material with a metal vapor-deposited layer and having a three-dimensional shape with a convex portion formed on its front surface side through a high-frequency dielectric heating, a core formed by curing a flowable synthetic resin filled in the convex portion of the upper layer molded body, and a substrate bonded a back surface side of the core by fusion.

A method and/or a machine is for tabbing a free end on a roll of sheet material. Converting a master roll of sheet material to the roll of sheet material and winding a first roll of sheet material onto a spindle at a winding position. Tabbing the free end of the roll of sheet material at a tabbing position. Where a tabber carrying a joiner are both in an initial position away from the first roll of sheet material, moving the tabber to a second position adjacent the roll of sheet material, moving the joiner into an engagement position where the joiner is engaged with the free end of the roll of sheet material. The joiner creates a tab with a combination of mechanical entanglement and heat welding. Returning the tabber and joiner to the initial positions. Doffing the tabbed roll of sheet material. The roll produced by the foregoing.

A method of bonding a first object to a second object includes the steps of: providing the first object including thermoplastic material in a solid state, providing the second object including a proximal surface, applying a mechanical pressing force and a mechanical excitation capable to liquefy the thermoplastic material until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is flowable and penetrates into structures of the second object, and stopping the mechanical excitation and letting the thermoplastic material resolidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and the second object. The second object has a region of low density, wherein the protrusion penetrates the region of low density at least partly before the thermoplastic material is made flowable, and wherein the first object includes a protruding portion after the step of letting the thermoplastic material resolidify, the protruding portion at least partly penetrates the region of low density.

A workstation for a film-processing packaging machine defines a film transport plane in which the packaging film can be transported. In addition, the workstation comprises an electrically operable heating assembly. The latter in turn comprises an electrically conductive planar resistance heating element which in a plane parallel to the film transport plane has dimensions that are greater by a factor of at least 5, preferably at least 10, than in a direction perpendicular to the film transport plane. The resistance heating element is arranged between a heating plate and a clamping plate. The disclosure also relates to a packaging machine with such a workstation and to a method for operating such a workstation.

A composite assembly with a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material is disclosed having pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a part with a body with protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad. The pad is bonded to the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint. The assembly is manufactured by pressing the protrusions into the pad, and after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad, curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad, and bonding the pad to the laminate.

A method of manufacturing an armour layer of a flexible pipe for transporting fluid from a subsea location and apparatus are provided. The method comprises winding a first length of composite tape to form a first section of the armour layer and positioning an end region of the first length of composite tape over an end region of a second length of composite tape to form an overlapping tape section. Heat and pressure is applied to the overlapping tape section to form a joined overlapping tape section in which the first length of tape is joined to the second length of tape such that the joined overlapping tape section has a lap shear strength of at least 11 MPa. The joined overlapping tape section and the second length of composite tape are wound to form a second section of the armour layer.

The present invention provides a life jacket. In an embodiment, the life jacket includes a jacket member; and an air blowing member which is provided in the jacket member to inject air to the jacket member, wherein the air blowing member includes a base part coupled with the jacket member; and a tube part extending from the base part, wherein a flexible portion is formed in a part or the entire of the tube part.

An assembly is provided for induction welding. This induction welding assembly includes a fixture. The fixture includes a first support structure and a second support structure. The second support structure includes a frame and a plurality of trunks. Each of the trunks is connected to and repositionable on the frame. The fixture is configured to secure a workpiece vertically between the first support structure and the second support structure using the trunks during induction welding of the workpiece.