Systems, feeder devices and methods for moving particulate hot melt adhesive from an adhesive supply to an adhesive melter. A feeder device includes a body having an inlet and an outlet, and an interior communicating with the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is configured to receive particulate hot melt adhesive from an outlet of the adhesive supply, and the outlet is configured to provide particulate hot melt adhesive to an inlet of the adhesive melter. The feeder device further includes a mechanical agitator positioned in the interior for urging the particulate hot melt adhesive in a flow direction toward the outlet.

An extrusion device (11) for compound-containing containers (6), including a receiving chamber (12) for the container (6), a piston rod (13) which is displaceable relative to the receiving chamber (12), a motor (21) for moving the piston rod (13), a trigger member (26) for generating a control signal in response to actuation of the trigger member (26), and a control unit (31) for controlling the motor (21) is provided. The control unit (31) has a power module for connecting the motor (21) to a power supply (19), and a separate signal input which is electrically connected to the trigger member (26). The power module connects the motor (21) to the power supply (19) when the corresponding control signal is present at this signal input. A method for controlling such an extrusion device (11) is also provided.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing device for manufacturing a large amount of micro-scaffolds for a long period of time such that stable and uniform particles can be fabricated. The manufacturing device comprises: a first solution storage portion for storing a polymer support structure solution; a second solution storage portion for storing an emulsifier solution; a gas storage portion connected to each of the first solution storage portion and the second solution storage portion; a pressure control portion for controlling the pressure of the transporting gas flowing into the first solution storage portion and the second solution storage portion from the pressurization portion, respectively; a scaffold injector portion for receiving the polymer support structure solution and the emulsifier solution provided by the transporting gas, respectively; and a scaffold generating portion for receiving the scaffold dispersion discharged through the scaffold injection portion.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing device for manufacturing a large amount of micro-scaffolds for a long period of time such that stable and uniform particles can be fabricated. The manufacturing device comprises: a first solution storage portion for storing a polymer support structure solution; a second solution storage portion for storing an emulsifier solution; a gas storage portion connected to each of the first solution storage portion and the second solution storage portion; a pressure control portion for controlling the pressure of the transporting gas flowing into the first solution storage portion and the second solution storage portion from the pressurization portion, respectively; a scaffold injector portion for receiving the polymer support structure solution and the emulsifier solution provided by the transporting gas, respectively; and a scaffold generating portion for receiving the scaffold dispersion discharged through the scaffold injection portion.

An additive manufacturing build material container comprises a reservoir to hold build material and a build material outlet structure.

An additive manufacturing build material container comprises a reservoir to hold build material and a build material outlet structure.

A powder supply method for causing a powder supplied from a top end 70t of a tube 70 to flow down within the tube 70 and be discharged from a bottom end 70b of the tube, in which if M [kg/s] is a supply flow rate of the powder and A.sub.S [m.sup.2] is a cross-sectional area of the bottom end 70b of the tube 70, the following expression is satisfied.

1.5≤(M/A.sub.S)≤135

A bottom-up powder conveying mechanism for a powder bed-based laser melting (PBLM) system includes a powder reservoir having a movable floor operable as a piston to convey powder towards an upper opening in the powder reservoir opposite the floor and through the upper opening to a working plane of the PBLM system. The bottom-up powder conveying mechanism further includes an external reservoir connected, via a sloping conduit, to the powder reservoir for conducting powder to the powder reservoir. The powder reservoir includes a side wall with a lower opening that is lower than the upper opening in the powder reservoir and through which the powder reservoir can be filled with the powder. The lower opening is connected in a gas-tight and releasable manner to the sloping conduit in order to be able to conduct the powder in a gravity-driven manner from the external reservoir into the powder reservoir.

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of composite materials from natural fibers and thermoplastic polymers. Examples of fibers are wood fibers originating from pulping processes known as refiner pulp (RMP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP) or chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), but the process can also be applied to other kinds of natural fiber containing raw materials. In the process according to the present invention, fibers are introduced from the blowline or the housing of a refiner into a flash tube dryer, separated from humid air in a cyclone, introduced into a compounder and mixed with at least one thermoplastic polymer and the product is subsequently pelletized. The process according to the present invention is advantageously run as a continuous process.

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of composite materials from natural fibers and thermoplastic polymers. Examples of fibers are wood fibers originating from pulping processes known as refiner pulp (RMP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP) or chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), but the process can also be applied to other kinds of natural fiber containing raw materials. In the process according to the present invention, fibers are introduced from the blowline or the housing of a refiner into a flash tube dryer, separated from humid air in a cyclone, introduced into a compounder and mixed with at least one thermoplastic polymer and the product is subsequently pelletized. The process according to the present invention is advantageously run as a continuous process.