A system for opening and closing a mixing manifold includes a drive motor, a cam plate, and a valving rod connector. The drive motor imparts movement in first and second directions. Movement imparted in the first direction causes the cam plate to move linearly in a third direction and movement imparted in the second direction causes the cam plate to move linearly in a fourth direction. Movement of the cam plate in the third direction causes the valving rod connector to move linearly in a fifth direction and movement of the cam plate in the fourth direction causes the valving rod connector to move linearly in a sixth direction. Movement of the valving rod connector in the fifth direction causes retraction of a valving rod of the mixing manifold and movement of the valving rod connector in the sixth direction causes extension of the valving rod.

A system holds a roll of film that includes a core and film wound around the core. The system includes a rod having an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the core, a proximal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod, and a distal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod. Each of the proximal and distal wings includes contact surfaces configured to contact diametrically-opposed locations on a side of an inner surface of the core and non-contact surfaces that span between the contact surfaces of the wing. The non-contact surfaces of the wings do not contact the core if the core has a cylindrical shape. The distal wing is capable of rotating around the rod independently of the proximal wing.

A system includes a dip tube, a feed line, and a check valve. The dip tube is inserted through an opening in a source of chemical precursor and into the chemical precursor in the source. A portion of the feed line is located in the dip tube. The feed line passes out of the dip tube. The chemical precursor is capable of flowing out of the source through the feed line in a downstream direction. The check valve is located in the portion of the feed line in the dip tube. The check valve permits the chemical precursor to pass substantially only in the downstream direction. The feed line is coupled to a transfer pump that draws the chemical precursor out of the source through the portion of the feed line in the dip tube.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling welding. One embodiment is a method for controlling welding. The method includes initiating induction welding by operating an induction coil along a weld interface of a first composite part comprising a matrix of thermoplastic reinforced by fibers, in order to join the first composite part to a second composite part, determining a measured magnetic field strength at a location distinct from the induction coil, and determining a welding temperature at the weld interface of the first composite part based on the measured magnetic field strength.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling welding. One embodiment is a method for controlling welding of a composite part. The method includes locating a linear fiber optic sensor along a composite part comprising a matrix of thermoplastic reinforced by fibers, measuring temperatures along the weld line via the linear fiber optic sensor, performing induction welding at the composite part along the weld line, determining a continuum of weld temperatures along the weld line, and controlling the induction welding based on the continuum of weld temperatures.

An automatic bonding apparatus and a method for thermally induced seam bonding of weldable and/or gluable flat flexible material layers with each other which are each configured as a material web, material band and/or material piece and arranged so that they overlap at least partially wherein the bonding is performed by an electrically controlled contact heating arrangement through a heating wedge welding method. A temperature and/or a power of the heating wedge which is formed by a thin folded steel sheet blank is controlled as a function of a relative velocity between the material layers and the automatic bonding apparatus. This is performed so that a thermal energy that is transferred from the heating wedge to the material layers to be glued is kept constant. For this purpose the relative velocity is detected and the power of the heating wedge is automatically adjusted when the relative velocity changes.

A longitudinal sealer includes a housing, an arm, and a heating element. The housing is configured to be installed in a foam-in-bag system. The arm is movably coupled to the housing. The heating element has a leading edge exposed through an exterior surface of the arm. A position of the arm with respect to the housing is controllable so that the arm is movable between a first location where the leading edge of the heating element is not in contact with a film in a film path of the foam-in-bag system and a second location where the leading edge of the heating element is in contact with the film in the film path of the foam-in-bag system.

A method for joining primary and secondary members includes providing a primary member, a secondary member and a heating element which is joined to one of the primary and secondary members. The heating element includes an electrically insulating matrix material and an electrically conductive reinforcing element extending through the matrix material. The method further includes bringing the other of the primary and secondary members and the heating element into engagement and controlling a flow of electrical current in the reinforcing element so as to resistively heat and fuse at least some of the matrix material of the heating element with a matrix material of the other of the primary and secondary members. The method may be used to join a primary member such as a composite tubular and a secondary member such as a component for terminating the composite tubular.

A packaging system for film including: a controller; and a seal jaw controlled by the controller, wherein the seal jaw includes: a first sealing bar; a second sealing bar; a servo motor controlling movement of at least one of the first and the second sealing bars between an open position and a closed position, where the sealing bars are in contact; and a pneumatic cylinder, connected with at least one of the first and second sealing bars, and controlling a pressure between the sealing bars when in the closed position. A method of creating a seal in packaging film, the method including: moving, via a servo motor, a first sealing bar and a second sealing bar from an open position to a closed position; and upon reaching the closed position, clamping, via a pneumatic cylinder, the sealing bars to create a seal in the packaging film.

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).