A powdery-material feeding device is configured to feed a powdery material to a compression-molding machine configured to obtain a molded product by filling a die bore with the powdery material and to compress the powdery material with punches. The powdery-material feeding device includes a detector configured to detect a biologically-originated foreign matter mixedly contained in the powdery material to be fed to the compression-molding machine, and a controller configured to control to remove the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter detected by the detector to avoid feeding of the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter to the compression-molding machine, or to control to stop the feeding of the powdery material to the compression-molding machine.

A method for operating a mixing apparatus of a manufacturing plant comprises supplying multiple powdered products to the mixing apparatus. An inlet mass flow rate of the multiple powdered products into the mixing apparatus and a weight of the multiple powdered products in the mixing apparatus are measured. The multiple powdered products in the mixing apparatus are mixed to form a mixed product. The weight of the multiple powdered products in the mixing apparatus and an outlet mass flow rate of the mixed product from the mixing apparatus are predicted based on the measured inlet mass flow of the multiple powdered products. The predicted outlet mass flow rate of the mixed product from the mixing apparatus is corrected based on the measured weight of the multiple powdered products in the mixing apparatus. The mixed product is processed into final products

A powdery-material mixing degree measurement device includes a supplier configured to be fed with a mixed-powdery materials, a discharger configured to discharge to feed, with the mixed-powdery materials, a filling device configured to fill a die bore of the compression-molding machine with a powdery material, a rotator including a plurality of movable portions and configured to capture the mixed-powdery materials fed through the supplier and to transfer the mixed-powdery materials to the discharger a first sensor configured to measure a mixing degree of the mixed-powdery materials captured by the movable portions of the rotator, a second sensor configured to detect whether or not the mixed-powdery materials in the supplier have an upper surface level kept within a constant target range, and a controller configured to adjust rotational speed of the rotator such that the upper surface level of the mixed-powdery materials in the supplier is kept within the constant target range.

Provided is a method for producing a compressed body of a powder capable of improving a hardness while suppressing a decrease in production efficiency of the compressed body of the powder. A compressed body 14 of a powder is compression molded by compressing a powder supplied into die holes 18 by a lower punch 31 and an upper punch 32. In the compression molding, a first compression and a second compression following the first compression are performed. In the first compression, the compression is performed at a first compression speed, and in the second compression, the compression is performed at a second compression speed that is lower than the first compression speed.

In a method for measuring or calibrating utensils, in particular in pressing processes, different dimensions and/or positions of the utensils, such as tools, stamps (16, 17), die units (22), chucks (14, 15, 21) or the like, are determined. A measuring device (10) is provided, with which the utensils are placed relative to one another in the press as in the installed state and are displaceable relative to one another at least in the axial direction (A) of the opening in the die unit (22) forming the die and are measured and/or calibrated individually and relative to one another. The pressed parts and workpieces to be produced using a press can thus be manufactured in a highly precise manner, moreover in high numbers using the same utensils.

A press apparatus includes a pressure vessel arranged to hold pressure medium therein during use of the press apparatus. The pressure vessel includes a top end closure and a bottom end closure. A furnace chamber is arranged within the pressure vessel so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber, the furnace chamber at least in part defining a treatment space arranged to accommodate at least one article. The press apparatus includes at least one outer convection loop pressure medium guiding passage in fluid communication with the furnace chamber and arranged to form an outer convection loop within the pressure vessel. The outer convection loop is arranged to guide the pressure medium after having exited the furnace chamber in proximity to an inner surface of one or more wall(s) of the pressure vessel to a space between the furnace chamber and the bottom end closure.

A tooling inspection and analysis system measures tooling quality of a multi-tip tablet punch having a barrel with a plurality of tips each having a tip cup for forming a tablet. The system comprises a base. A carriage assembly has a cavity for supporting a multi-tip tablet punch, which when in use is aligned with an X-axis. A Y-axis linear slide mounts the carriage assembly to the base for movement relative to the base along a Y-axis. A sensor is adapted to measure distance. A Z-axis linear slide mounts the sensor to the base for movement relative to the base along a Z-axis. A programmable controller is operatively connected to the Y-axis linear slide, the Z-axis linear slide and the sensor. The controller is programmed to move the carriage assembly and the sensor to automatically align the sensor to measure working length of each tip of a multi-tip tablet punch mounted in the cavity.

A system (100) and method to control rheology of ceramic pre-cursor batch during extrusion is described herein. An extrusion system (100) comprises an extruder (122) with an input port (144) configured to feed ceramic pre-cursor batch into a first section (120) of an extruder barrel and a discharge port configured to extrude a ceramic pre-cursor extrudate (172) out of the extruder barrel downstream of the input port (144). A liquid injector (210) is configured to inject liquid into the ceramic pre-cursor batch. A sensor (106) is configured to detect a rheology characteristic of the ceramic pre-cursor batch. A controller (108) is configured (i) to receive the rheology characteristic from the sensor (106), (ii) compare the rheology characteristic to a predetermined rheology value of the ceramic pre-cursor batch, and (iii) generate a command based on the comparison. A liquid regulator (110) is configured to receive the command and adjust liquid flow to the liquid injector (210) based on the command.

There is disclosed a system and method for identifying a powder material. A powder press has a die for receiving a powder to be compacted. A press member is arranged to be moveable so as to compact the powder within the die. A load sensor senses a load applied by the press member to the powder so as to generate multiple load readings during movement of the press member. A processor is arranged to receive the load readings from the load sensor and to compare the load readings during movement of the die with predetermined load data. The processor outputs an identification signal for the compacted powder based on said comparison.

Pressing arrangement (100) comprising a pressure vessel (1, 16, 17) and a furnace chamber (18) arranged therein defining a treatment region for an article (5), the treatment cycle including a cooling phase. The pressing arrangement (100) comprises a fan (35) configured to circulate a pressurised gas within the pressure vessel (1, 16, 17) and a heating device (36) for heating the pressurised gas in the treatment region. It further comprises a control and processing module (6) configured to, during the cooling phase: obtain temperature values in the treatment region; based on these values, determine a cooling power for cooling of the pressurised gas in the treatment region; determine a difference between a cooling power required to obtain a selected value of cooling rate of the pressurised gas and the determined cooling power; and based on this difference, control the fan's (35) rotational speed so as to make the difference decrease. If the cooling power provided by the operation of the fan (35) exceeds a cooling power corresponding to the desired cooling rate of the pressurised gas, the control module (6) is configured to, based on the determined difference, heat the pressurised gas using the heating device (36) to make the difference decrease.