In at least one embodiment, a molding method for producing a molded article is provided. The method may include introducing polymer and fiber separately into an extruder in a first ratio to produce a first extruded material having a first fiber content and in a second ratio to produce a second extruded material having a second fiber content different from the first fiber content. The method may further include filling a first region of a mold with the first extruded material and a second region of the mold with the second extruded material. The extruded material may be formed as blanks for use in compression molding or may be introduced into an injection chamber for use in injection molding. The method may be used to form molded articles having a plurality of regions having different fiber contents.

A process of forming a macromolecular block copolymer includes forming a first high molecular weight polymer using a first extruder of an extruder system that includes multiple extruders. The first extruded high molecular weight polymer has a first length terminating at a joiner of the extruder system and has a first set of material properties along the first length. The process also includes forming a second high molecular weight polymer using a second extruder of the extruder system. The second extruded high molecular weight polymer has a second length terminating at the joiner of the extruder system and has a second set of material properties along the second length. The process further includes bonding the first extruded high molecular weight polymer to the second extruded high molecular weight polymer to form a macromolecular block copolymer having a first segment of the first length and a second segment of the second length.

A fiber placement head for applying a plurality of composite tape segments on a mold including one or more powered wheels that are configured to engage and move composite tape; and one or more elongated fingers that closely conform to or abut an outer surface of the powered wheel(s) such that a portion of the elongated finger(s) forms at least a portion of a lane path.

Control means performs control such that a head section 20 is caused to perform reciprocating scanning in one direction, a model material MA and a supporting material SA are ejected onto a shaping plate 40, and the model material MA and/or the supporting material SA are cured in at least any one of forward and backward paths of the reciprocating scanning, to form slices, and relative positions of the shaping plate 40 and the head section 20 are moved in a height direction to repeat lamination of the slices, thereby performing shaping, and on a line where the model material MA and the supporting material SA are located in a scanning direction of a shaped object, the model material MA and the supporting material SA are not simultaneously ejected during the same reciprocating scanning, but only one shaping material can be ejected and cured.

A method and an apparatus for forming annular doses provides a flow of plasticised material supplied by an extruder which passes through a channel that is first cylindrical and then annular. The material exits from an annular outlet in front of which a cutting element passes that separates an annular dose of material. The dose is deposited on a surface of a capsule having a capacity to adhere to the dose that is greater than the cutting element. The surface and the cutting element are distanced from one another in such a manner that the annular dose remaining adhering to the capsule is detached from the element. Detachment can be promoted by a flow of air.

The compact resin molding machine is capable of efficiently performing a sequence of molding actions from feeding a work and resin to accommodating the molded work. The resin molding machine comprises: a work conveying mechanism including a robot, which has a robot hand for holding the work and which is capable of rotating and linearly moving; a work feeding section for feeding the work; a resin feeding section for feeding the resin; a press section including a molding die set, in which the work is resin-molded; a work accommodating section for accommodating the molded work; and a control section controlling the entire resin molding machine. The work feeding section, the resin feeding section, the press section and the work accommodating section are located to enclose a moving area of the robot of the work conveying mechanism.

A three dimensional printer which prints at using at least one composite material having an inherently abrasive filler or fiber material has a Mohs hardness greater than substantially 1, or a Knoop/Vickers hardness greater than substantially 300 kg/mm.sup.2, or a Rockwell C hardness at least C30, and where a nozzle tip may contact a top surface of a previously deposited line of material may have a nozzle body includes a material having a thermal conductivity at least 35 w/M-K to conduct heat to the nozzle, and a nozzle throat and/or nozzle tip each include a material having a Rockwell C hardness at least C40, to resist wear from sliding contact of the nozzle tip with the previously deposited lines of the material being printed or another previously deposited material, or from the material being printed as it is printed through the nozzle throat.

A runner for supplying resin to a cavity includes a sprue that is supplied resin from a nozzle of an injection molding machine, a first path formed in the runner, where the resin flows in the first path from the nozzle when the nozzle connects to the sprue, a first pin that moves to a first position to increase the size of the first path before the resin is supplied to the first path and moves to a second position to decrease the size of the first path before the nozzle separates from the sprue.

Chopped fiber composite systems and methods are disclosed. Sorting systems include a conveyor, an imager, a plurality of receptacles, a pneumatic device, and controller. Molding systems include a conveyor, an imager, a mold, a pneumatic device, and a controller. The controller directs the pneumatic device to alter the freefall of chopped fiber composite pieces based on characteristics of the chopped fiber composite pieces as they drop from the conveyor and into a receptacle or a mold. Sorting and molding methods include dropping chopped fiber composite pieces, detecting characteristics of the dropping pieces, and directing the pieces based on the detected characteristics.

A moulding device and a method for moulding food products from a mass of foodstuff which can be transferred by pumping are provided. The device includes a stationary frame with a revolving moulding drum assembly having a peripheral surface in which mould cavities are provided, and a mass feed device including a shoe member with a filling mouth adjoining the peripheral surface of the moulding drum assembly in order to fill said cavities with the foodstuff as they move past. In operation, the pressurized mass of foodstuff introduced into a mould cavity causes an outward force onto said shoe member. A non-revolving component is provided, concentrically supported by the moulding drum assembly, including the shoe member and an interconnected moulding drum assembly engaging counterforce element to counteract the entire outward force exerted by the pressurized foodstuff on the shoe member.