A method for producing a film having a fine irregular pattern intermittently includes feeding a film to be processed intermittently from upstream side to the vicinity of the surface of a die having a fine irregular pattern, transferring the pattern to the surface of the film by pressing the film against the surface of a die, stripping the processed film on which a pattern is formed from the surface of a die, and then feeding a new film to be processed to the die, wherein the processed film is stripped from the surface of a die by gripping and moving the processed film to the upstream side, and then the processed film is fed by a length of intermittent feed to the surface of a die while preventing the processed film from creasing.

In at least one embodiment, a molding method for producing a molded article is provided. The method may include introducing polymer and fiber separately into an extruder in a first ratio to produce a first extruded material having a first fiber content and in a second ratio to produce a second extruded material having a second fiber content different from the first fiber content. The method may further include filling a first region of a mold with the first extruded material and a second region of the mold with the second extruded material. The extruded material may be formed as blanks for use in compression molding or may be introduced into an injection chamber for use in injection molding. The method may be used to form molded articles having a plurality of regions having different fiber contents.

Provided is a position detecting method for detecting a winding position of a reinforced fiber impregnated with resin when a plurality of hoop layers is formed in a cylindrical portion of a liner. The position detecting method includes: an imaging step of taking, by an imaging portion, a captured image of the reinforced fiber just after the reinforced fiber is wound around a hoop layer illuminated with oblique light by a lighting assembly, the imaging portion having an optical axis set at the same angle as an optical axis of the lighting assembly around a central axis of the liner; and a detecting step of detecting the winding position of the reinforced fiber based on the number of high intensity pixels or the number of low intensity pixels in each pixel column arranged in an axial direction of the liner in the binarized captured image.

A fluid-flow-modification plate comprises a monolithic body, having an inlet-side surface, an outlet-side surface, a first passage, a second passage, a third passage, and a fourth passage. The first passage, second passage, third passage, and fourth passage each extend between the inlet-side surface and the outlet-side surface. The first passage and second passage intersect each other at a first intersection boundary. The third passage and fourth passage intersect each other at a second intersection boundary. The first passage and third passage do not intersect each other. The first passage and fourth passage do not intersect each other. The second passage and third passage do not intersect each other. The second passage and fourth passage do not intersect each other. The first-passage-inlet-opening perimeter boundary has single-point contact with the fourth-passage-inlet-opening perimeter boundary. The second-passage-outlet-opening perimeter boundary has single-point contact with the third-passage-outlet-opening perimeter boundary.

A device for shaping a blank for forming a thermoplastic structural part, the blank comprising reinforcing fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, said shaping device comprising a support member for supporting a blank along a longitudinal axis, at least one heating member, at least one inclination member configured to modify the inclination of at least one part of the longitudinal portion of the blank at an angle of inclination that can be parameterised with respect to the horizontal plane in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis, and a movement system from upstream to downstream along the longitudinal axis of the heating member and of the inclination member relative to the support member so as to successively modify the inclination of a part of each longitudinal portion of the blank.

A fluid-flow-modification plate comprises a monolithic body, having an inlet-side surface, an outlet-side surface, a first passage, a second passage, a third passage, and a fourth passage. The first passage, second passage, third passage, and fourth passage each extend between the inlet-side surface and the outlet-side surface. The first passage and second passage intersect each other at a first intersection boundary. The third passage and fourth passage intersect each other at a second intersection boundary. The first passage and third passage do not intersect each other. The first passage and fourth passage do not intersect each other. The second passage and third passage do not intersect each other. The second passage and fourth passage do not intersect each other. The first-passage-inlet-opening perimeter boundary has single-point contact with the fourth-passage-inlet-opening perimeter boundary. The second-passage-outlet-opening perimeter boundary has single-point contact with the third-passage-outlet-opening perimeter boundary.

Provided is a position detecting method for detecting a winding position of a reinforced fiber impregnated with resin when a plurality of hoop layers is formed in a cylindrical portion of a liner. The position detecting method includes: an imaging step of taking, by an imaging portion, a captured image of the reinforced fiber just after the reinforced fiber is wound around a hoop layer illuminated with oblique light by a lighting assembly, the imaging portion having an optical axis set at the same angle as an optical axis of the lighting assembly around a central axis of the liner; and a detecting step of detecting the winding position of the reinforced fiber based on the number of high intensity pixels or the number of low intensity pixels in each pixel column arranged in an axial direction of the liner in the binarized captured image.

Provided is an apparatus that is able to take preform and create a swept rotor blade in a continuous manner. The apparatus has a feeder frame across which the preform moves in a first direction. A main frame moves with respect to the feeder frame and moves the preform in a second direction that is different than the first direction. In order to avoid wrinkles forming in the preform during the creation of the swept rotor blade a tension component may be applied to a feed angle in order to form the shear angle for deformation.

A device for imparting vibrational energy to polymeric pellets in a feed path of an extruder is disclosed. The device includes a feed path vibrator having an elongate imparting portion for being disposed within the feed path of the extruder, and a transfer portion extending from the imparting portion. The transfer portion is configured for coupling to a source of vibration energy, and the elongate imparting portion includes at least one twisted portion along its length.

In at least one embodiment, a molding method for producing a molded article is provided. The method may include introducing polymer and fiber separately into an extruder in a first ratio to produce a first extruded material having a first fiber content and in a second ratio to produce a second extruded material having a second fiber content different from the first fiber content. The method may further include filling a first region of a mold with the first extruded material and a second region of the mold with the second extruded material. The extruded material may be formed as blanks for use in compression molding or may be introduced into an injection chamber for use in injection molding. The method may be used to form molded articles having a plurality of regions having different fiber contents.