In in-process inspection or calibration of a print bed or 3D printed part with a 3D printer, toolpaths defining printing material shells for deposition by a 3D printer are compared to surface profile scans from a range scanner to identify differences between the print bed, instructed deposition and the measured result, permitting pausing or alteration of the toolpaths or printing process.

Injection molding utilizing targeted heating of mold cavities when in a non-molding position, thereby facilitating enhancement of the appearance and strength of injection molding parts in a manner that does not significantly increase cycle times or energy consumption.

A method including a first step of performing clamping of a mold, injection and dwelling in an injection molding machine, a second step of performing a conveyance and a cooling of the mold outside of the machine, and a third step of performing a conveyance of the mold into the machine, an opening of the mold and an ejection of a molded part in the machine. The second step is performed for a first mold, the third step and the next first step are performed for a second mold. The first mold is conveyed by a first conveyance apparatus which is arranged on one lateral side of the machine. The second mold is conveyed by a second conveyance apparatus which is arranged on the other lateral side and is independently driven from the first conveyance apparatus.

A structural reinforcement for an article including a carrier that includes: (i) a mass of polymeric material having an outer surface; and (is) at least one consolidated fibrous insert having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement having a plurality of ordered fibers arranged in a predetermined manner. The fibrous insert is envisioned to adjoin the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that is subjected upon the predetermined location (thereby effectively providing localized reinforcement to that predetermined location). The fibrous insert and the mass of polymeric material are of compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert to be at least partially joined to the mass of the polymeric material. Disposed upon at least a portion of the carrier will be a mass of activatable material.

An optical resin formed body manufacturing method includes: (i) depressurizing an inside of a container holding a molten optical resin; (ii) pressurizing the inside of the container holding the molten optical resin; and (iii) shaping the optical resin taken out of the container into a given shape. The steps (i) and (ii) are sequentially performed once each or are alternately performed two or more times each. In the step (i), a duration t1 [min] of the depressurization of the inside of the container is set such that the duration t1 and a viscosity .Math.1 [Pa•s] of the molten optical resin satisfy a relation .Math.1/t1 < 200. In the step (ii), a duration t2 [min] of the pressurization of the inside of the container is set such that the duration t2 and a viscosity .Math.2 [Pa•s] of the molten optical resin satisfy a relation .Math.2/t2 < 200.

A polypropylene comprising within a range from 0.1 wt % to 4 wt % ethylene and/or C4 to C12 α-olefin derived units, one or more clarifiers, or both; wherein the polypropylene has a flexural modulus of at least 200 kpsi (0.05 in/min ASTM D790(A)) and an Mz/Mw of at least 4. The polypropylenes may be made by combining propylene and a comonomer with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst and at least two external electron donors, wherein the concentration of the electron donors is within a range from 1 to 100 ppm. The concentration of electron donors may be decreased to control the haze level of the polypropylene, and/or the level of comonomer derived units may be controlled to reduce the haze level of the polypropylene.

A polymer melt candle filter having a support which comprises a hollow cylindrical body defined by a first end, a second end, and a cylinder wall having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion includes a screw thread on its outside surface and optionally a hex fitting on its inside surface for receiving a hex wrench. The second end portion includes a plurality of holes in the cylinder wall. The area of the openings of the holes on the outside surface of the cylinder wall may be larger than the area of the openings of the corresponding holes on the inside surface of the cylinder wall. The shape of the openings of the holes on the outside surface may be non-circular. A polymer melt filter plate assembly which comprises (a) a support plate comprising a plurality of threaded holes; (b) at least one filter which is screwed into at least one of the threaded holes via the screw thread on the outside surface of the first end portion of the filter support; (c) a tie rod with (i) a first end extending through a hole in a cone insert and a cap located at the second end of the filter support, and (ii) a second end extending through a threaded hole in the support plate; and (d) a cross bar which is attached to the second end of the tie rod for holding the support plate inside a shaft of an apparatus for filtering a polymer melt.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

The invention relates to a filter device for a plastic melt or another highly viscous fluid, comprising a housing with an inlet plate and a discharge plate. At least one spacing element and a screen wheel which can be rotated by a drive device are arranged between the inlet plate and the discharge plate. The inlet plate and the discharge plate are clamped against each other with the inclusion of the spacing element via at least three housing clamping elements. An engagement point of the drive device on the screen wheel is arranged outside of the pretensioning surface. When viewed in the rotational direction, an angle α larger than 110° and smaller than 160° is formed on the screen wheel between a first line that extends between the pretensioning surface centroid on which a resulting frictional force F.sub.R acts and the center of the screen wheel and a second line between the center and the engagement point on which an advancing force Fv acts.

An extruder of a three-dimensional printer may be coupled with one or more filament tubes, each filament tube having its own supply of filament. The extruder may include a drive gear rotatable in a first direction to advance a filament from a filament tube toward at least one extrusion opening defined by the extruder and rotatable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to advance another filament from a different filament tube toward the at least one extrusion opening defined by the extruder. Also, as one filament is advanced by the drive gear, another filament may be retracted by the drive gear to improve the switching of filaments in a three-dimensional printing process. The extruder may work in conjunction with a filament supply-side drive system that feeds filament into one or more filament tubes, reducing a pull force exerted by the drive gear of the extruder.