A method for producing an optical coupling element made of elastomer includes filling a free-flowing elastomer formulation or its constituents into a mold so as to produce a flat sheet whose thickness is adapted to a thickness of the optical coupling element that is to be produced. The elastomer formulation or its constituents is cured to form an inherently stable elastomer. Individual optical coupling elements are cut out of the flat sheet.

A method for producing an optical coupling element made of elastomer includes filling a free-flowing elastomer formulation or its constituents into a mold so as to produce a flat sheet whose thickness is adapted to a thickness of the optical coupling element that is to be produced. The elastomer formulation or its constituents is cured to form an inherently stable elastomer. Individual optical coupling elements are cut out of the flat sheet.

The invention relates to a method for applying a joint (2, 102) onto a plate (3), in particular a plate having shape defects. An edge of interest is defined on a portion of the plate (3) onto which the joint (2, 102) is intended to be applied. The plate (3) is then placed on a tool (4, 104) comprising a supporting element (5, 105) made of solid material and a supporting element (6, 106) made of flexible material, in such a way that the edge of interest rests on a portion of the supporting element made of flexible material. While the joint is applied onto the edge of interest, the plate is maintained in a predetermined reference position and the element made of flexible material is pushed against the plate, perpendicularly to an outer surface of the element made of flexible material, the outer surface being opposite to the surface on which the edge of interest rests.

The invention relates to a method for applying a joint (2, 102) onto a plate (3), in particular a plate having shape defects. An edge of interest is defined on a portion of the plate (3) onto which the joint (2, 102) is intended to be applied. The plate (3) is then placed on a tool (4, 104) comprising a supporting element (5, 105) made of solid material and a supporting element (6, 106) made of flexible material, in such a way that the edge of interest rests on a portion of the supporting element made of flexible material. While the joint is applied onto the edge of interest, the plate is maintained in a predetermined reference position and the element made of flexible material is pushed against the plate, perpendicularly to an outer surface of the element made of flexible material, the outer surface being opposite to the surface on which the edge of interest rests.

A foam molding method includes: sealing a core material and a skin material with a sealing part; and molding a foam layer on the inside of the sealing part. The sealing of the core material and the skin material with the sealing part includes sealing the core material and the skin material so that the sealing part includes a self sealing part for which an edge part of the skin material is housed in a recess provided in the core material, a clamp sealing part sealed by clamping the core material and the edge part of the skin material by foam molding molds, and a crimp sealing part arranged in a switchover part between the clamp sealing part and the self sealing part, and sealed by crimping the edge part of the skin material to the core material.

The present invention provides a microneedle array, a support member, a method of producing a microneedle array, and a microneedle array unit which enable reduction of a drying time during production and prevention of breakage during drying. Provided are a microneedle array 120 including a sheet portion 41, a plurality of needle-like protrusions 44, and a support member 50 formed of a gripping portion 52 and a beam portion 54 having one end that is connected to the gripping portion 52, in which the sheet portion 41 is an integrally molded body which is integrally molded with the support member 50, in which at least a part of the beam portion 54 is buried under the other surface 43 of the sheet portion 41, opposite to the one surface where the needle-like protrusions 44 are provided, the gripping portion 52 is provided on the other surface 43 of the sheet portion 41, and the beam portion 54 is deformable toward a center of the sheet portion 41. Further, provided are the support member 50, a method of producing the microneedle array 120, and a microneedle array unit 300 including a container 310.

An additive manufacturing method includes removing material from a sheet to create a plurality of individual layer segments formed, placing at least two first layer segments adjacent to each other at the same height to form a first layer having a hollow interior, the at least two first layer segments defining a first portion of an exterior of a part, and placing at least one second layer segment above the at least two first layer segments to form a second layer having a hollow interior, the at least one second layer segment defining a second portion of the exterior of the part. The method includes attaching the first layer to the second layer and removing material from the first layer and from the second layer to form the part having a continuous surface that extends along the first layer and the second layer.

A method for manufacturing a boat windshield comprising providing a piece of glass of an arbitrary shape to form a portion of a boat windshield; and providing a mold or cast defining a cavity for molding or casting an appropriate material therein. The cavity defines a shape of a frame to be molded or cast and having a shape complementary to a contour of the corresponding piece of glass having the arbitrary shape, said frame having otherwise an arbitrary frame shape including variable cross-section, width or thickness along a length thereof; or it can longitudinally extend in a curved manner. After molding or casting said frame (alternatively: additive manufacturing), together with functional features, said frame is secured to the corresponding piece of glass or encapsulating the corresponding piece of glass into said frame having been molded or cast, forming a sub-frame assembly being a panel of the boat windshield.

A method for manufacturing a boat windshield comprising providing a piece of glass of an arbitrary shape to form a portion of a boat windshield; and providing a mold or cast defining a cavity for molding or casting an appropriate material therein. The cavity defines a shape of a frame to be molded or cast and having a shape complementary to a contour of the corresponding piece of glass having the arbitrary shape, said frame having otherwise an arbitrary frame shape including variable cross-section, width or thickness along a length thereof; or it can longitudinally extend in a curved manner. After molding or casting said frame (alternatively: additive manufacturing), together with functional features, said frame is secured to the corresponding piece of glass or encapsulating the corresponding piece of glass into said frame having been molded or cast, forming a sub-frame assembly being a panel of the boat windshield.

The method regards manufacturing devices by replication, wherein each of the devices comprises a device surface. The method comprises producing the devices from a replication material by replication using a replication tool (1), wherein the replication tool (1) comprises a tool material comprising replication sites (4) comprising a replication surface (5) each. Each of the replication surfaces (5) corresponds to a negative of the device surface of a respective one of the devices. The tool material comprises, in addition to the replication sites, one or more mitigating features (7) for reducing asymmetric form errors of the device surfaces. Replication tools (1) and methods for manufacturing these are also described.