A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator. The method includes coupling a first interface to a tube configuration of membrane material at a first tube end by coupling the first interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by generating at least one of: a first bond between the membrane material and one or more first sidewalls of the first interface and a first external face bond between membrane material at the first tube end onto a first external face of the first interface.

A joining method for connecting at least two thermoplastic workpieces is provided to permit the joining even of non-transparent carbon fiber reinforced plastics parts by means of laser welding, in which a splice is produced at the edge regions of the workpieces and the workpieces are subsequently positioned relative to one another in such a manner that the opposite splice regions bound a seam region. Connecting bodies are then inserted into the seam region and heated by means of local heat input by laser beam such that a fixed integrally bonded connection forms between the workpieces and the connecting bodies.

The machine (1) for welding profiled elements comprises: a base frame (2); two retaining members (3, 4) of respective profiled elements (5) made at least partly of plastic and an area to be welded (6), the retaining members (3, 4) being mounted on the base frame (2) and defining a first retaining axis (A) and a second retaining axis (B) forming an angle of welding (7), and along which the profiled elements (5) can be fastened; removal means (8) of material from the profiled elements (5) to make a machining on the area to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); heat sealing means (9) mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to weld the areas to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); adjusting means (10) of the angle of welding (7) adapted to move at least one of the retaining members (3, 4) to incline at least one of the first retaining axis (A) and the second retaining axis (B) to change the angle of welding (7); sliding means (11) of the retaining members (3, 4), mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to move the retaining members (3, 4) in mutual approach or moving away without changing the angle of welding (7).

A method for manufacturing a structural element of a wind turbine blade including forming of at least one injection hole in at least one laminate provided on a top side of a core material of a first portion and a second portion of the structural element and a bottom side of a core material of the first portion and the second portion, so that the at least one injection hole is fluidically connected to the cavity. Further, injecting adhesive through the injection hole into the cavity, curing the adhesive injected into the cavity and thereby forming a joint between an end of the core material of the first portion and an end of the core material of the second portion. Further, a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade and the structural element, the wind turbine blade is also provided.

Methods of tracing a lengthwise half of a board sports board and applying a substrate film cutout onto the board having the steps of centering a centerline of a tracing scale onto a center of the board, the tracing scale having an off-centerline on both sides of the centerline; aligning a centerline mark of the film with the off-centerline of the tracing scale; flipping the board over such that the board is on top of the film; tracing a trace outline of half of the board onto the film, such that the half of the trace outline is incrementally larger or smaller than the half of the board; removing a release liner from the trace outline to expose an adhesive in the film; wetting the adhesive with a solution of water and liquid soap; flattening the wetted film onto the board with a spreader; and wiping with a wiping cloth.

There is provided a polymer fabrication method for forming 3-dimensional shapes from a sheet polymer blank (10) by machining at least one re-entrant, elongate groove forming a reduced thickness portion (25) permitting the blank to be folded and having opposed edges (12) at the surface, folding the blank about the groove to form at least a portion of the 3-dimensional shape, the re-entrant of the groove forming an elongate chamber (21) adjacent the reduced thickness portion and opening through an elongate gap (20) between the opposed edges, hot air welding the opposed edges across the gap with filler rod (22), and heating the reduced thickness portion to a selected thermo-reforming temperature via the chamber.

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator that includes generating a tube configuration with one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material, the tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and an external tube face. The method also includes coupling a first and second interface to the tube configuration at the first and second tube ends by respectively coupling each interface to the tube configuration at a respective tube end by generating at least one of: a first circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and one or more sidewalls of the interface; and an external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the tube end onto an external face of the interface.

The invention relates to a process for the production of at least two-layer thermoplastic sheets via thermal welding of at least one thinner thermoplastic sheet with density (D1) and of at least one second thinner thermoplastic sheet with density (D2), where the density (D1) of the first thinner thermoplastic sheet is smaller than the density (D2) of the second thinner thermoplastic sheet. The process introduces at least one first heating element and at least one second heating element along mutually offset planes between the two thinner thermoplastic sheets, where the surfaces of the thinner thermoplastic sheets do not touch the surfaces of the heating elements. The first heating element transfers a quantity of energy (E1) to the surface of the first thinner thermoplastic sheet, and the second heating element transfers a quantity of energy (E2) to the surface of the second thinner thermoplastic sheet, where the quantity of energy (E1) is smaller than the quantity of energy (E2).

A method, and an apparatus associated therewith, for detecting plastic tube ends clamped in a butt welding machine, the plastic tube ends being planed by means of a plane, which can be introduced between the plastic tube ends, and subsequently being heated by means of a heating mirror, which can be introduced between the plastic tube ends, and the plastic tube ends are welded together after removal of the heating mirror, the plane and/or the heating mirror being tilted in between the plastic tube ends by means of a controlled movement, wherein detection or sensing of the plastic tube ends during the controlled movement of tilting in the plane and/or the heating mirror is carried out by means of at least one sensor arranged on the plane and/or on the heating mirror.

A ultrasonic welding method of joining dissimilar-material workpieces, such as sheet materials, and the joined components formed thereby. The method includes applying ultrasonic energy to a thermoplastic piece to fill a hole of a dissimilar piece to form a weld point that is made up with polymer from the thermoplastic piece. In general, the geometry of the thermoplastic piece is not altered during the process. The dissimilar piece generally has a higher melting temperate and can be metal, thermoset polymers, or other thermoplastic material. The welded pieces can be arranged in a lap, laminate, or double lap configuration. In some embodiments, the hole of the dissimilar sheet material includes undercut features that improve the mechanical interlock between the dissimilar pieces. In some embodiments, the weld point has a mushroom cap to improve mechanical interlock.