3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Ephiphony, Inc.

John E Krech

Mario Alberto Perez

Domasius Nwabunma

Paul D Driscoll

Donald F Reuter

James R Harrison

Denis M Miling

Prior art methods base inventory management on maximizing cost. The present invention shifts the focus to maximizing economic profit, taking income tax into account. Systems and methods are provided for digitally calculating an economic profit quantity that maximizes economic profit, defined as the excess of net operating income over capital charge, as well as the corresponding values of economic profit and recommended safety stock. Methods are provided for utilizing the economic profit quantity and associated recommended safety stock quantity for automatically placing orders, for choosing among suppliers, and for calculating space requirements.

Automated replenishment using an economic profit quantity

A polymeric composition comprises a thermosetting resin and a polyolefin resin that cures to a semi-interpenetrating polymer network and is useful for producing plastic shipping and storage containers. The containers exhibit one or more friction surfaces, and can include fire resistance and other properties derived from property enhancing agents.

Plastic shipping and storage containers and composition and method therefore

The present invention provides a method of making sheet articles, for example, abrasive articles, retroreflective articles (such as traffic signs), pavement marking articles, or traction or non-skid articles. The method includes passing particles through a thermal sprayer to heat the particles and impinging the heated particles into a polymeric sheet so that the particles are at least partially embedded in the polymeric sheet. Preferably, the polymeric sheet is heated before impingement of the heated particles. One preferred method of softening the sheet is by a thermal sprayer that is used to heat the particles. A preferred thermal sprayer is a flame sprayer having a nozzle for emitting a flame, where the nozzle has a cross-web width and a downweb thickness, the width being substantially greater than the thickness.

Method of making articles in sheet form, particularly abrasive articles

Abrasive articles and methods for their manufacture are described. The articles are screen abrasive articles including a durable backing member having a patterned array of portions thereon arranged around a plurality of openings extending through the backing with the openings comprising between about 20% and about 80% of the total area of the backing. A coating of abrasive material is adhesively affixed to the array of portions on the backing, forming abrasive surfaces arranged around the openings to cooperatively function as a single abrasive surface while the openings allow debris to pass through the article during abrasive applications. In at least one aspect of the invention, the portions of the backing include a plurality of first surface portions and a plurality of second surface portions having surface areas greater than the surface areas of the first portions.

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Eagan, MN, United States of America

John E Krech