A composite assembly with a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material is disclosed having pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a part with a body with protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad. The pad is bonded to the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint. The assembly is manufactured by pressing the protrusions into the pad, and after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad, curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad, and bonding the pad to the laminate.

A method of dissipating heat from a surface of a first thermoplastic composite (TPC) being inductively welded with a second thermoplastic composite (TPC) includes flexing a heat sink during placement to conform to the surface of the first TPC, cooling the heat sink, applying inductive heat to a weld interface area between the first TPC and the second TPC, and drawing off heat via the heat sink from the surface of the first TPC.

A process for welding profiles (1) of a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer to a top layer (3) of a belt (2), such as a conveyor belt, also being made of a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer. The process uses thermal impulse welding and applies the welding heat onto the surface (21) of the belt (2) which is opposite to the top layer (3). The process is in particular suited for welding TPO profiles to TPO top layers.

Pile articles (20,22), especially pile weather stripping, and a method and apparatus (10) for making such articles where the backing (24) and the pile (26) are of unlike material, especially nylon yarn for the pile (26) and polypropylene containing material for the backing (24), wherein prior to the welding of the pile (26) to the backing (24) the pile is first pre-heated using ultrasonic energy to melt the pile in a region (65) thereof where the pile is ultrasonically welded to the backing and before the weld is made. The ultrasonic melting occurs upstream of the location where the pile (26) is welded to the backing (24) so that the ultrasonically pre-heated melted region (65) of the pile (26) can cool and become at least partially solidified. Then pile (26) at the pre-heated melted region (65) is welded to the backing (24) and causes a reactive or chemical weld to occur, thereby attaching the pile (26) to the backing (24).

A thermoplastic welding assembly includes a structural cage that supports a press and one or more hydraulic and pneumatic actuators. The press includes first and second plates that movable toward and away from each other to load and remove thermoplastic components to be held together for thermoplastic welding. Specifically, the first plate of the press includes non-conductive tooling inserts that are positioned to form a slot for a welding prove, and the second plates includes non-conductive tooling inserts that form cavities for plungers to move through. Plungers that are movable using the actuators are positioned in the cavities of the second plate, and compressible pressurizers are attached to the ends of the plungers. An operator uses electrical controls to move the plungers in the plunger cavities toward the thermoplastic components in the press to drive the pressurizers into the thermoplastic components and provide stabilizing pressure on the components during welding.

An optical element includes an optical material including a first edge and an opposing second edge. The optical element further includes a plurality of micro-channels arranged within the optical material. Each of the micro-channels of the plurality of micro-channels extends from the first edge to the second edge of the optical material.

A method of anchoring a connector element (10) in a receiving object (66) comprises inserting a distal end of the connector element (10) into a mounting hole in an insertion direction along an insertion axis; inserting a sleeve (36) comprising a thermoplastic material into the mounting hole, the sleeve (36) enclosing the connector element (10); and transferring energy to liquefy at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the sleeve (36). A machine (500) configured for carrying out the method and a connector element anchoring kit comprising a connector element (10) and a sleeve (36) comprising thermoplastic material.

A shaving razor with an angled wash through channel. A razor blade is sandwiched between a base member and a blade cover. The based member is unitarily molded to include an integral blade guard that resides ahead of a cutting edge of the razor blade in a cutting direction, the base member also defines a wash through channel opening at an angle in the range of 30-70 degrees.

A system and method for thermoplastic composite welding comprising a cooling means and a heat source. The cooling means cools a heat-side laminate so as to create a thermal gradient in the heat-side laminate. The heat source heats the heat-side laminate after the cooling step is initiated but before the thermal gradient dissipates so that a first side of the heat-side laminate closer to the heat source does not deform as faying surfaces of the heat-side laminate and another laminate farther away from the heat source are welded together.

A method of fixing a membrane to a surface is disclosed. The method includes affixing a metallic washer having a heat-activated adhesive layer on a surface; arranging a membrane on top of the surface and the heat-activated adhesive layer of the metallic washer; heating the metallic washer to activate the heat-activated adhesive layer such that the membrane is fixable to the metallic washer; positioning a magnetic clamping heat sink assembly on the membrane; magnetically clamping the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly to the metallic washer causing the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly to apply a force against the membrane when the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly sufficiently overlaps the metallic washer to form a secure bond; and cooling the metallic washer, the heat-activated adhesive layer, and the membrane by removing heat through the magnetic clamping heat sink assembly.