Patent ID: 8813332

Claim:
A method of fitting a component in a receiver, the method comprising: a) compressing a selected component by application of an external applied force thereby to produce a compressed component, wherein said selected component comprises a polymeric material and said polymeric material comprises a first polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 100° C.; or (a*) selecting a compressed component compressed according to step (a) which comprises a polymeric material wherein said polymeric material comprises a first polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 100° C.; wherein either step (a) or step (a*) is in combination with the following steps: (b) arranging the compressed component in position within the receiver; and (c) subjecting the compressed component to an increase in temperature whereby the compressed component expands to fit the receiver, and wherein between steps (a) or (a*) and (b) the component is maintained in its compressed state by maintaining the temperature of the compressed component below the Tg of the first polymer in said polymeric material.