A method of manufacturing an armour layer of a flexible pipe for transporting fluid from a subsea location and apparatus are provided. The method comprises winding a first length of composite tape to form a first section of the armour layer and positioning an end region of the first length of composite tape over an end region of a second length of composite tape to form an overlapping tape section. Heat and pressure is applied to the overlapping tape section to form a joined overlapping tape section in which the first length of tape is joined to the second length of tape such that the joined overlapping tape section has a lap shear strength of at least 11 MPa. The joined overlapping tape section and the second length of composite tape are wound to form a second section of the armour layer.

A system for joining at least two workpieces of thermoplastic material by laser transmission welding, the system comprising at least one device for generating laser radiation and an imaging optics having a first optical axis, wherein laser radiation emitted by the device for generating laser radiation is guided into a joining zone and wherein the imaging optics is configured for optical imaging from a joining plane in the joining zone to a detection plane of a radiation detecting device. According to an aspect, a deflection mirror is arranged at a coupling point on a second optical axis running parallel to the first optical axis for deflecting the laser radiation from an entrance axis enclosing a non-zero angle, preferably a right angle, with the second optical axis into a direction along the second optical axis.

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for establishing a connection having material continuity or having material continuity and shaping matching or for separating such a connection of at least one metal or ceramic component and of a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in which the components to be joined together can be pressed together by a pressing device having a counterholder and a plunger. A heating device is present at the plunger and/or at the counterholder or acts there. A heating of the at least one metal or ceramic component up to above the softening temperature of the component formed from or by polymer can be achieved with the heating device, with the heating device being having at least one electrical resistance heating element that is covered by an electrically insulating, preferably ceramic, protective film, and/or having at least one laser beam that is directed to the metal component(s) within the joining region, and/or having at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or at the counterholder for the inductive heating of the meal component(s).

Applied power as a function of time is ramped up at the onset of an RF welding process in a manner that is predetermined to match source and load impedance as reflected by maximized forward power during at least the majority of the welding process. The ramp-up portion takes the form of a non-linear curve, such as an S-shaped curve, as opposed to one or more discrete steps. The applied power may then be maintained at or near that maximum required value at least a majority of the remainder of the heating portion of the welding process. The shape of the non-linear ramp-up portion of the applied power curve may be predetermined using, for example, virtual motor control using applied power as a virtual axis.

A method for sensing intensity of laser light in a simultaneous laser welding system includes placing a smart part in a weld area. The smart part includes at least a laser light intensity sensor for sensing laser light directed at it. Laser light intensity is sensed by the laser light intensity sensor of the smart part which provides an output signal indicative thereof to a controller.

A method for producing sterile solution product bags includes positioning a manifold assembly onto a filling machine. The manifold assembly includes a plurality of bags, a first filter, and a connection line in fluid communication with the first filter. Each of the plurality of bags includes a bladder and a stem in fluid communication with the bladder and with the connection line. The method includes activating a pump and at least partially filling one or more of the bladders by pumping fluid through the feed line, the first filter, and the connection line. The method includes sealing the stem of each of the filled product bags at a location between the connection line and the bladder, thereby creating one or more at least partially filled and sealed product bags. The method includes separating each of the at least partially filled and sealed product bags from the connection line.

An automatic bonding apparatus and a method for thermally induced seam bonding of weldable and/or gluable flat flexible material layers with each other which are each configured as a material web, material band and/or material piece and arranged so that they overlap at least partially wherein the bonding is performed by an electrically controlled contact heating arrangement through a heating wedge welding method. A temperature and/or a power of the heating wedge which is formed by a thin folded steel sheet blank is controlled as a function of a relative velocity between the material layers and the automatic bonding apparatus. This is performed so that a thermal energy that is transferred from the heating wedge to the material layers to be glued is kept constant. For this purpose the relative velocity is detected and the power of the heating wedge is automatically adjusted when the relative velocity changes.

Plastic parts are welded in a laser welding system. An infrared laser source in a laser chamber is controlled by a controller using closed-loop feedback control with a corrected feedback signal that is compensated for background infrared radiation in the laser chamber. Prior to the infrared laser source being turned on, the controller senses with the optical sensor an intensity of background infrared radiation in the laser chamber. Once the laser is on, the controller senses with the optical sensor an intensity of infrared laser radiation in the laser chamber. The controller calculates the corrected feedback signal by subtracting the intensity of the background infrared radiation sensed when the infrared laser source was off from the intensity of the infrared laser radiation sensed when the infrared laser source is on.

Applied power as a function of time is ramped up at the onset of an RF welding process in a manner that is predetermined to match source and load impedance as reflected by maximized forward power during at least the majority of the welding process. The ramp-up portion takes the form of a non-linear curve, such as an S-shaped curve, as opposed to one or more discrete steps. The applied power may then be maintained at or near that maximum required value at least a majority of the remainder of the heating portion of the welding process. The shape of the non-linear ramp-up portion of the applied power curve may be predetermined using, for example, virtual motor control using applied power as a virtual axis.

Sensors incorporated within a waveguide detect a laser light output from at least a laser delivery optical fiber to provide in situ feedback of the laser light intensity detected by the sensor. The sensors may detect laser light directly from the laser delivery optical fiber or as reflected back from a plurality of work pieces during a weld cycle. In various aspects, the feedback provided from the sensors is used to control the laser light intensity or to alert an operator that the laser light intensity is below a predetermined parameter.