An apparatus for hybrid manufacturing comprising a frame, a build plate that is adapted to move relative to the frame, a material pump that is adapted to pump one or more materials, a mixing head that is adapted to mix the one or more materials, a mixing hose that is in fluid communication with the material pump and the mixing head, a pump that is adapted to remove air from or introduce air into a mold, a hose that is in fluid communication with the pump and the mold, a vat that is adapted to retain a liquid, and a radiation source that is disposed adjacent to the vat. The apparatus prints the mold and fills the mold. A method comprising printing the mold with material(s), removing air from or introducing air into the mold, filling the mold with one or more primary materials, and dissolving the mold.

A device for polymerizing lactams in molds includes a hopper for storing solid lactam and a lactam feeding component that includes a plasticizing screw so as the lactam to be melted and simultaneously taken in a dosed manner to a mixing chamber. The device further includes a first dosing component to feed a liquid initiator, and a second dosing component to feed a liquid activator. The mixing chamber is configured to receive in a dosed manner the lactam, the initiator, and the activator from the feeding and dosing components. The mixing chamber has three separate inlets to receive, separately, the lactam, the initiator, and the activator, to allow them to flow into the mixing chamber coming into contact with one another for the first time, at the moment immediately prior to entering into a mold located adjacent the chamber and arranged for the polymerization reaction to take place inside the mold.

The present invention provides an apparatus for use in mixing and dispensing a curable fluid stream (stream) into an open mold to fill the mold to make polishing pads for chemical mechanical planarization of substrates. The apparatus comprises an actuator frame on which is mounted (i) a set of two plates releasably attached to the actuator frame and adapted to cut the stream when the mold is full and to release from the actuator frame after cutting the stream, and (ii) a dispenser unit for continuous pouring of the stream into an open mold, the apparatus adapted to enable removal of the released plates from the actuator during the continuous pouring after the mold is full, e.g. by raising the actuator frame and the (ii) dispenser unit, whereby one can place a container above the mold to catch the plates.

An apparatus for providing a liquid polymer component with a predefined air content, in particular for producing a plastic foam, includes a pressure vessel receiving the liquid polymer component through an opening, a pipeline at the bottom of the pressure vessel having a multiplicity of air outlet nozzles, a motor-operated stirring device, a circulation line, a pump between the inflow and outflow, and an outlet valve between the pump and the outflow. An oxygen sensor in the circulation line measures an actual value of the oxygen saturation of the air-charged polymer component, and an electronic control device modifies the pressure and/or amount of the compressed air supplied to the air outlet nozzles based on the actual value of the oxygen saturation measured by the oxygen sensor, such that the oxygen saturation of the liquid polymer component circulated in the circulation line assumes a predefined setpoint value.

An apparatus for hybrid manufacturing comprising a frame, a build plate that is adapted to move relative to the frame, a material pump that is adapted to pump one or more materials, a mixing head that is adapted to mix the one or more materials, a mixing hose that is in fluid communication with the material pump and the mixing head, a vacuum pump that is adapted to remove air from a mold, a vacuum hose that is in fluid communication with the vacuum pump and the mold, a vat that is adapted to retain a liquid, and a radiation source that is disposed adjacent to the vat. The apparatus prints the mold and fills the mold. A method comprising printing the mold with one or more mold materials, removing air from the mold, filling the mold with one or more primary materials, and dissolving the mold.

A melting device includes a container capable of melting a material supplied in a free-flowing state and storing the material in a liquid state. The container includes a first storage section for storing the material in the free-flowing state, a second storage section for storing the material in the liquid state, and a dividing section provided between the first storage section and the second storage section and configured to hold back the material, when the material is in a non-molten or free-flowing state and to allow passage of the material from the first storage section into the second storage section, when the material is in a molten or liquid state.

The present invention provides an apparatus for use in mixing and dispensing a curable fluid stream (stream) into an open mold to fill the mold to make polishing pads for chemical mechanical planarization of substrates. The apparatus comprises an actuator frame on which is mounted (i) a set of two plates releasably attached to the actuator frame and adapted to cut the stream when the mold is full and to release from the actuator frame after cutting the stream, and (ii) a dispenser unit for continuous pouring of the stream into an open mold, the apparatus adapted to enable removal of the released plates from the actuator during the continuous pouring after the mold is full, e.g. by raising the actuator frame and the (ii) dispenser unit, whereby one can place a container above the mold to catch the plates.

A method for the production of plastic parts, in particular of composite parts, utilizes at least two components to be mixed in a mixing chamber and a cavity formed between a first and a second mold half of a molding tool. The cavity comprises a mold part section and a sprue section, and the sprue section or the mold part section is used as mixing chamber.

A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, and a production line and a preparation method thereof are provided. The production line includes a loading system, an internal-mixing extrusion device, a calendering lamination device, a cooling device, a tractor, and a cutter that are arranged sequentially along a material conveying direction, where the internal-mixing extrusion device includes an internal mixing mechanism, an extrusion mechanism, and a hopper. In an internal mixing stage of the internal-mixing extrusion device, materials are quickly dispersed and plasticized, and plasticized materials directly enter an extruding stage through the hopper for extrusion molding. The production line achieves a desirable plasticization effect, and prevents the problem that a PVC hard product without a plasticizer is forcibly plasticized by a conventional extruder to cause a poor plasticization effect. Without passing through a high-speed mixer, the plasticized materials are directly extruded.

A cavity between inner and outer walls of an open-box-shaped mold is filled with a polyurethane reaction mixture, containing an isocyanate and an emulsion of an isocyanate-reactive composition with three polyols and a blowing agent, which is cured to a polyurethane containing polymer. The inner and outer wall are a fixed distance from one another and each wall comprises a bottom and sides. The mixture is fed through an inlet in the bottom of the outer wall. Before filling the cavity, the mold is turned downwards so that the mixture foams upwards, filling the cavity. The three polyols are polyether polyol obtained by adding an epoxy to carbohydrates or difunctional or higher-functional alcohols; polyether polyol obtained by adding an epoxy to an aromatic amine; and polyester polyether polyol obtained by adding an epoxy to the esterification product of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid derivative and a difunctional or higher-functional alcohol.