An apparatus for measuring a degree of cure and a specific volume of a packaging material is provided, including: an upper load module configured for driving the rotation of an upper ball screw via an upper servo motor such that a force plate coupled to the upper ball screw moves downward and is thus positioned; a lower load module having a lower ball screw operating and moving via a lower servo motor such that a load joint group connected to the lower ball screw generates a corresponding displacement; an upper film cavity module connected to the upper load module; and a lower film cavity module disposed on the lower load module. The displacement of the load joint group enables a push rod to move upward. A heating pipe keeps constant the temperature of a subject to be measured in a cavity of the lower film cavity module.

A method of manufacturing a tire is provided that includes curing the tire (10) in a curing press (12) and applying microwave energy at a given frequency band into the tire. The interaction between the microwave energy and the tire is monitored to obtain a complex reflection coefficient. A root-mean-squared error is calculated using the measured complex reflection coefficient and a reference reflection coefficient. The reference reflection coefficient is from a fully cured tire made from the same material as the tire. Continuous monitoring of the interaction takes place to obtain the complex reflection coefficient along with continuous calculation of the root-mean-squared error at different times during the curing of the tire in the curing press. The calculated root-mean-squared errors are used to determine whether to stop the curing of the tire in the curing press.

A thermal system (20) for rapidly heating and cooling a mold surface (24) of a tool (26) comprises a heater-subsystem (40) in fluid communication with the tool (26). The heater-subsystem (40) comprises a heater (42), a tank (44), and a three-way valve (46). The tank (44) contains a mass of heated thermal fluid. The system (20) further comprises an exchanger-subsystem (49) in fluid communication with the heater-subsystem (40) and the tool (26). The exchanger-subsystem (49) comprises an exchanger (51) and a three-way valve (53). The system (20) further comprises a chiller-subsystem (48) in fluid communication with the exchanger-subsystem (49). The chiller-subsystem (48) comprises a chiller (50), a tank (52), and a three-way valve (54). The tank (52) contains a mass of cooled thermal fluid. A controller (56) can be used to control and/or instruct the subsystems (40,48,49). The system (20) and tool (26) can be used for forming a composite article (22), such as a carbon fiber composite (CFC) article (22). A method utilizing the system (20) is also provided.

An injection mold that has an injector mold plate with a first injector mold plate face and an opposite second injector mold plate face, an ejector mold plate having a first ejector mold plate face and an opposite second ejector mold plate face, with the first injector mold plate face faces the first ejector mold plate face, at least one tempering medium channel connecting a tempering medium inlet of the injection mold to a tempering medium outlet of the injection mold, wherein the at least one tempering medium channel traverses an area of at least one of the second injector mold plate face and/or the second ejector mold plate face and defines a free opening in the respective mold plate face along at least a length of the at least one tempering medium channel.

A tool (100) comprises a plurality of layers (102, 104, 106) which are arranged to provide a thermally agile tool face (110) and to protect control circuitry and delicate components (150) from excessive temperatures.

A method of manufacturing a tire is provided that includes curing the tire (10) in a curing press (12) and applying microwave energy at a given frequency band into the tire. The interaction between the microwave energy and the tire is monitored to obtain a complex reflection coefficient. A root-mean-squared error is calculated using the measured complex reflection coefficient and a reference reflection coefficient. The reference reflection coefficient is from a fully cured tire made from the same material as the tire. Continuous monitoring of the interaction takes place to obtain the complex reflection coefficient along with continuous calculation of the root-mean-squared error at different times during the curing of the tire in the curing press. The calculated root-mean-squared errors are used to determine whether to stop the curing of the tire in the curing press.

A composite structure curing system employs a plurality of heaters mounted in at least one array in spaced proximity to a composite structure to be cured. A plurality of temperature sensors are mounted to sense temperature at selected locations on the structure. A control system receives an input from each of the plurality of temperature sensors and is adapted to control each of the plurality of heaters responsive to each input to establish a predetermined temperature profile on the structure during cure.

An injection molding method that includes: (a) fitting an injection molding machine with an injection mold defining one or more molding cavities, with at least one mold plate provided with one or more channels for circulation of a tempering medium, (b) providing a feed of plastic material, (c) heating the molding cavities by circulating through the channels a first tempering medium, (d) injecting plastic material into the closed heated mold to fill the molding cavities, (e) cooling the molding cavities of the filled closed injection mold until at least partly solidifying the molded plastic parts by circulating through the channels a second tempering medium, (f) opening the injection mold by parting the injector plate from the ejector plate, (g) ejecting the at least partly solidified molded plastic parts by actuation of ejector pins of the ejector plate, and (h) repeating the cycle of steps (c)-(g).

An apparatus for measuring a degree of cure and a specific volume of a packaging material is provided, including: an upper load module configured for driving the rotation of an upper ball screw via an upper servo motor such that a force plate coupled to the upper ball screw moves downward and is thus positioned; a lower load module having a lower ball screw operating and moving via a lower servo motor such that a load joint group connected to the lower ball screw generates a corresponding displacement; an upper film cavity module connected to the upper load module; and a lower film cavity module disposed on the lower load module. The displacement of the load joint group enables a push rod to move upward. A heating pipe keeps constant the temperature of a subject to be measured in a cavity of the lower film cavity module.

A tool system for molding an article comprising a tool (100) having a tool surface (110) for forming an article, the tool surface (110) comprising a plurality of tool zones, a plurality of fluid flow paths (151, 152) to direct the flow of a heating or a cooling fluid to individual tool zones, heating means comprising an in-line heater (150) for heating fluid passing through a respective heating fluid flow path and cooling means comprising a cooling fluid flow path, the cooling fluid flow path bypassing the in-line heater of the heating fluid flow path.