Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into a conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.

An additive manufacturing system is capable of extruding poly-fiber strand having a fiber core coated with a polymer with a high range of flexibility in positioning and orienting extruded fibers. Extruded fibers may be laid in a single direction, or may curve or turn to be laid in multiple directions. Structures of devices and components may be created using interconnected extruded strands having interstitial spaces between and around the strands. This structure may be infused with resin or polymer using a pressure or vacuum based infusion system. In this manner, durable polymeric objects can be created without requiring expensive molds. Other techniques are also possible, including varying the types of strands used in an object to create areas of the object that will preferentially twist or flex in certain ways or directions, as well as producing objects with zones having different types of resin or no resin.

Composite reinforcing strip comprising: a covering capsule surrounding a plurality of longitudinal channels developing parallel to a longitudinal development direction of the composite reinforcing strip and arranged in sequence between opposite lateral ends of said composite reinforcing strip, a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing fibres arranged inside reinforcing channels of the plurality of longitudinal channels, and a plurality of longitudinal permeable fibres arranged inside at least one permeable channel of the plurality of longitudinal channels.

The covering capsule has, at least at an upper surface of the covering capsule opposite to a lower surface of the covering capsule, a plurality of surface openings leading to the at least one permeable channel so as to define a fluid communication between the plurality of longitudinal permeable fibres and an external environment.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing webs (1) that are intended to be involved in the makeup of a reinforcing ply (2) for a pneumatic tyre (20), said method comprising a preparation step (a), during which a plurality of straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207), which are each formed of a plurality of continuous reinforcing threads (4) that are embedded in a layer of rubber (5), are prepared, a butt-joining step (b), during which said straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207) are butt-joined in pairs to form a straight-thread ply (3), then a cutting step (c), during which the straight-thread ply (3) is inserted into a cutter (8) and the straight-thread ply (3) is severed transversely so as to form webs, wherein, in said method, the frontal width (W3) of the straight-thread ply (3) that is produced during the butt-joining step (b) and then inserted into the cutter (8) is equal to or greater than 50%, equal to or greater than 75%, equal to or greater than 80%, or even equal to or greater than 90%, of the cutter inlet width (W8), whereas the widest frontal width (W7, W107, W207) of the straight-thread strips is less than or equal to 50%, less than or equal to 40%, less than or equal to 25%, less than or equal to 10%, or even less than or equal to 5%, of said cutter inlet width (W8).

A liquid crystal polyester resin composition includes resin pellets including a first liquid crystal polyester resin and a fibrous filler, a second liquid crystal polyester resin, and a metal salt of higher fatty acid, in which the second liquid crystal polyester resin has a lower flow starting temperature than the resin pellets, flow starting temperatures of the resin pellets and the second liquid crystal polyester resin are both 250° C. or higher, and a difference in the flow starting temperatures between the resin pellets and the second liquid crystal polyester resin is more than 10° C.

The invention relates to a process for the production of a tape comprising a plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands and a polymer sheath which intimately surrounds the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands, wherein each of the plurality of impregnated multifilament strands extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein each of the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands comprises at least one continuous glass multifilament strand, wherein the at least one continuous glass multifilament strand is impregnated with an impregnating agent, wherein the process comprising the steps of a) unwinding from a package the continuous glass multifilament strands, b) applying the impregnating agent to the continuous glass multifilament strands to form the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands, c) placing the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands in parallel alignment in the longitudinal direction and d) applying a sheath of a thermoplastic polymer composition around the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands of step c) to form the tape, wherein steps c) and d) are performed in a die having a guiding means arranged for placing the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands in parallel alignment in the longitudinal direction, wherein the plurality of impregnated continuous multifilament strands pass through a melt of the thermoplastic polymer composition inside of the die downstream of the guiding means.

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.

In one embodiment, a method includes fastening a plurality of components of a composite structure in an assembly fixture, wherein the assembly fixture comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the assembly fixture further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the assembly fixture; and heating the assembly fixture in an autoclave to bond the plurality of components of the composite structure.

An additive manufacturing system is capable of extruding poly-fiber strand having a fiber core coated with a polymer with a high range of flexibility in positioning and orienting extruded fibers. Extruded fibers may be laid in a single direction, or may curve or turn to be laid in multiple directions. Structures of devices and components may be created using interconnected extruded strands having interstitial spaces between and around the strands. This structure may be infused with resin or polymer using a pressure or vacuum based infusion system. In this manner, durable polymeric objects can be created without requiring expensive molds. Other techniques are also possible, including varying the types of strands used in an object to create areas of the object that will preferentially twist or flex in certain ways or directions, as well as producing objects with zones having different types of resin or no resin.

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.