A device and a method are provided for setting a press-in element into a workpiece at a predetermined location. The device includes main body; a fixing unit, which is attached to the main body and which is designed to fix the workpiece; and a processing unit, which is attached to the main body and includes: a boring unit, which is designed to create a bore in the workpiece fixed by the fixing unit; and a pressing unit, which is designed to press a press-in element into the bore. The method fixes the workpiece; creates a bore in the workpiece; positions a press-in element over the bore; and presses the press-in element into the bore, wherein a single device is used to carry out the method.

In an embodiment, a paint roller manufacturing system and method uses a fabric-coating applicator to apply a fabric adhesive onto a portion of a perforated paint roller cover fabric material having a plurality of perforations through which adhesive may flow, and into the plurality of perforations and into interstitial spaces of the fabric material, to yield a length of coated fabric. An inner strip and an outer strip are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. A strip-coating applicator is used to apply a strip adhesive to the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. Simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, a portion of the coated paint roller fabric material is received at the outer strip and the length of coated fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube.

A paint roller manufacturing system includes a cover dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of paint roller cover fabric, a fabric supporting and advancing device for supporting the fabric and maintaining a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric as the fabric advances, a fabric coating applicator for applying a coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric while the fabric supporting and advancing device maintains the fabric in a width-wise dimension, and a compressing roller positioned downstream of the fabric coating applicator and configured to apply a compressive force on the coating after it has been applied to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric and while the fabric is supported by the fabric supporting and advancing device. In two-strip embodiments, first and second strip dispensers continuously dispense a first and second windable width of strip material. A guide system guides the first and second strip coming from the first and second strip dispensers to be wound about a mandrel and guides the coated paint roller cover fabric from the fabric supporting device to be wound about the first and second strips. An adhesive applicator is configured to apply adhesive on substantially all of the outer side of the first and second windable strips and positioned to apply adhesive to the outer side of the first and second windable strips upstream of a location where the coated paint roller cover fabric is wound about the first and second strips.

In an embodiment, a paint roller manufacturing system and method uses a fabric-coating applicator to apply a fabric adhesive onto a portion of a perforated paint roller cover fabric material having a plurality of perforations through which adhesive may flow, and into the plurality of perforations and into interstitial spaces of the fabric material, to yield a length of coated fabric. An inner strip and an outer strip are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. A strip-coating applicator is used to apply a strip adhesive to the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. Simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, a portion of the coated paint roller fabric material is received at the outer strip and the length of coated fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube.

A system and method are provided for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process. The system and method provide an inline fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip. The fabric conditioning unit may be used to perforate the fabric, to remove loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover, to buff the paint roller fabric, and to orient the paint roller cover fibers. The continuous paint roller manufacturing process includes steps of feeding an inner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the inner strip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the inner strip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths.

The present disclosure concerns apparatus and methods for reinforcing composite materials by insertion of reinforcement pins. Example embodiments include an apparatus for reinforcing a composite preform, comprising: a carriage for introducing reinforcement pins into the composite preform, the carriage comprising a drill module, a pin feeder module and a tamper module, the assembly being translatable relative to the composite preform, wherein the drill module and pin feeder module are exchangeable between a common actuation position on the carriage.

A utility cover identification system including a cover, a tray having a recess and being embedded within the cover, and an identification plate insertable into the tray to engage the tray recess to retain the identification plate within the tray. A method of forming the cover identification system includes the steps of coupling the cover and a tray together, curing the cover to secure the tray to the cover, and inserting an identification plate into the tray and retaining the identification plate in the tray.

Polymeric based closed cell foams, such as shape memory polymer foams, contain bubbles. Making these bubbles continuous is called reticulation. Disclosed are embodiments of a device and method to controllably reticulate polymer-based closed cell foams by puncturing the membranes of these polymer-based closed cell foams.

A manufacturing system includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel, and laminate securing mechanisms. The first mandrel has a first mandrel surface and a first mandrel surface edge. The second mandrel has a second mandrel surface and a second mandrel surface edge, and is positionable in a closed position in which the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge are in contact to form a continuous mandrel surface collectively defined by the first mandrel surface and the second mandrel surface. The second mandrel translates to an open position defining a gap between the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge for receiving a forming die. The laminate securing mechanisms secure the composite laminate on at least one of the first mandrel and the second mandrel during trimming and/or forming of the composite laminate.

In an embodiment, a paint roller manufacturing system and method uses a fabric-coating applicator to apply a fabric adhesive onto a portion of a perforated paint roller cover fabric material having a plurality of perforations through which adhesive may flow, and into the plurality of perforations and into interstitial spaces of the fabric material, to yield a length of coated fabric. An inner strip and an outer strip are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. A strip-coating applicator is used to apply a strip adhesive to the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. Simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, a portion of the coated paint roller fabric material is received at the outer strip and the length of coated fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube.