A joining method of joining two pieces of subjects to be joined together, the subjects being a first member and a second member that has a joint insertion portion in which the first member is inserted, the method including: heating the second member that is set in an expansion restricting member and in which the first member is inserted to the joint insertion portion to first temperature to cause the second member to have thermal expansion and thereby causing the joint insertion portion to have plastic deformation in a direction in which a diameter shrinks with mechanically restricting thermal expansion of the second member by an inner surface of the expansion restricting member; and cooling the second member after the heating to join the first member and the second member together.

An electrode package includes an electrode pad to be attached to a subject, the electrode pad having a gel layer, a lead wire having one end electrically coupled to the gel layer, and a packaging cover having an opening portion, the opening portion being sealed such that the electrode pad and a part of the lead wire are housed inside the packaging cover. A sealing width in at least a part of a section where the packaging cover is sealed together with the lead wire is narrower than a sealing width in a section where only the packaging cover is sealed. A sealing apparatus is configured to seal the packaging cover.

A method for joining at least two joining partners includes performing a plurality of ultrasonic joining operations in direct succession, wherein performing an individual ultrasonic joining operation includes, with a second joining tool, applying pressure to a second joining partner arranged adjacent to a first joining partner, thereby pressing the second joining partner against the first joining partner, and, with the second joining tool, applying high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations to the joining partners. The method further includes, during at least one intermediate time interval between two directly successive ultrasonic joining operations, at least one of actively cooling and heating the second joining tool.

A thermally conductive curing process adds conductive additives to create pathways for dissipating heat during a curing process, thereby reducing the cure time, increasing the output capability, and reducing cost. Conductive particles or short fibers can be dispersed throughout the resin system or composite fiber layers in pre-impregnated or RTM-processed composite material. By disposing conductive particles or short fibers in a resin as part of the curing process, heat generated during the curing process can dissipate more quickly from any type of composite, especially thick composites. Conductive additive examples include multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), graphene/graphite powder, buckyballs, short fibrous particulate, nano-clays, nano-particles, and other suitable materials.

A repair patch includes a composite material to repair a a repair target of a composite material. The repair patch includes bonding surfaces which face a bonded surface of a counterbored hole formed in the part to be repaired, and are bonded to the counterbored hole; and an opposite surface opposite to the bonding surfaces in a thickness direction. The opposite surface has a curved plane with a first surface side curvature radius protruding toward the opposite surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the opposite surface. The bonded surface has a curved plane with a second surface side curvature radius protruding toward the bonding surfaces facing the bonded surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the bonded surface. The first surface side curvature radius is smaller than the second surface side curvature radius.

An electrode package includes an electrode pad to be attached to a subject, the electrode pad having a gel layer, a lead wire having one end electrically coupled to the gel layer, and a packaging cover having an opening portion, the opening portion being sealed such that the electrode pad and a part of the lead wire are housed inside the packaging cover. A sealing width in at least a part of a section where the packaging cover is sealed together with the lead wire is narrower than a sealing width in a section where only the packaging cover is sealed. A sealing apparatus is configured to seal the packaging cover.

An apparatus for welding composite thermoplastic materials comprises a welding member configured to receive the composite thermoplastic materials there at; and a controller for controlling a temperature by which composite thermoplastic materials received at the welding member are heated, the controller being configured to provide a plurality of heating cycles during which the composite thermoplastic materials are welded. There is also a method for welding composite thermoplastic materials, the method comprises receiving the composite thermoplastic materials at a welding zone; and applying a plurality of heating cycles to the composite thermoplastic materials at the welding zone.

A portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus is provided that includes an upper press assembly and a lower press assembly which include, respectively, upper and lower platen assemblies. The upper and lower press assemblies may each include a forced air cooling system for rapidly cooling platens of the platen assemblies. The upper and lower press assemblies may include insulating assemblies with resilient members that support the upper and lower press assemblies. The resilient members provide structural support and insulate the platens from the frame which reduces the power required to heat the platens. In one form, the apparatus includes a power supply circuit that can alternate between providing power to upper and lower heaters in response to the apparatus being connected to different types of standard power supplies. Further, the power supply circuit permits the use of a single recipe for a particular belt irrespective of the type of power supply.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

A low mass staking module includes a punch having a cavity on a first side, a contact surface on the second side opposite the first side, and a circular flange extending about an outer edge thereof, the punch formed of a thermally-conductive material, an annular housing engaged with the punch about the circular flange at a first end, and a heating element located inside the annular housing. The heating element has an output side in contact with the contact surface of the punch, the contact surface having a shape conforming to a shape of the output side of the heating element. The punch is desirably a low thermal mass punch, while the heating element may be a high power (watt) density, solid state, ceramic, resistant heating element (e.g., aluminum nitride or boron nitride heaters).