A nozzle is provided for controlling the flow of extruded material, such as e.g., rubber material, from an extrusion machine. Movable pins are positioned into the path of material flow through an internal cavity. The pins are arranged across the path of flow upstream of the extrusion die. By moving the pins in and out, the flow of material through the cavity can be controlled at different locations across the width of the path of flow to the die. Manual and automatic controls can be provided for determining the position of the pins and thereby controlling the flow.

A shim stack foaming die for making foam slabs comprises a plurality of shims that are layered together under pressure to form a shim stack, wherein the shims combine to collectively define a plurality of die orifices in a working face, to define a main body of the shim stack foaming die, and also to define a plurality of die cavity that is fluidly connected to the plurality of die orifices. And articles foamed from the shim stack foaming die have found wide use in various applications, thermal or acoustic insulation, reinforcing layers and/or space-filling layers, and so on.

An extruder, such as a double-screw extruder includes a double cylinder and a double-lead screw arranged therein with a drive train for the screw. The drive train has a coupling with the screw. The extruder includes a sensor for recording a moment load having torque and/or bending moment and for generating electronic data from the recorded moment load. A controller is provided in operative connection to a drive for the drive train and the sensor is in data connection with the controller. The controller is adapted to evaluate the data on the recorded moment load and to trigger a protective action if a threshold value set in the controller is exceeded. The evaluation includes a bending moment calculation. A plastic molding plant produces a film with the extruder along with a nozzle unit and a cooling and wind-up unit or a compounding plant. A method for operating such a plant for manufacturing a film includes the extruder.

A method of controlling a slot die comprises, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, changing the position of the actuators with the controller to either increase the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators or substantially close the fluid flow path adjacent the actuators, and after changing the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, repositioning each of the actuators with the controller according to the set of discrete settings to resume operating the slot die with the actuators positioned according to the set of discrete settings.

A variable extrusion die apparatus includes a first die into which an extrusion material is injected. A second die is coupled to the first die and has an extrusion nozzle having a shape corresponding to a cross section of an extrusion product. A swivel core is rotatably installed in the extrusion nozzle, wherein a cross section of the extrusion nozzle is varied by rotation of the swivel core.

A pressure chamber is provided for a blown film extrusion apparatus having (i) a die head for extruding a tubular polymer bubble, and (ii) a cooling assembly down-stream of the die head for receiving the bubble and applying a cooling fluid to the bubble. The pressure chamber includes an upstream end wall sealed around the die head outlet, and extending outward from the seal; a side wall movable between a closed position for controlling air flow from a chamber volume surrounding the bubble to the atmosphere, and an open position for permitting air flow from the chamber volume to the atmosphere. The upstream end wall has an inlet for receiving air from an air supply, and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to direct the air into the chamber volume to pressurize the chamber volume when the side wall is in the closed position.

A ram extrusion apparatus including a die having several thermal zones, a hopper for introducing a granular polymer resin to the die, and a ram for moving the granular polymer resin through the thermal zones of the die and out from an outlet end thereof at a temperature above the crystalline melt temperature of the polymer resin. The hopper may be designed to deliver the polymer resin into a resin inlet of the die in a plurality of specifically metered amounts which may vary across a width of the resin inlet end of the die. The apparatus may further include one or more finishing tables positioned after the outlet end of the die for receiving and moving the extruded resin away from the outlet end of the die so that there is no backpressure on the extruded resin, and which provide compression force and even cooling to the extruded resin.

The invention relates to a process for extruding plastic compositions. The process in particular relates to the conveying, kneading and/or mixing of plastic compositions, in particular of polymer melts and mixtures of polymer melts, above all thermoplastics and elastomers, particularly preferably polycarbonate and polycarbonate blends, also with the incorporation of other substances such as for example solids, liquids, gases or other polymers or other polymer blends.

Gas-permeable barrier films include a polyolefin and an inorganic filler dispersed in the polyolefin. Methods for forming polymeric films and articles of manufacture prepared therefrom are described.

A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device having a housing configured for manipulation by a user's hand and to accept a feed stock that is, in certain embodiments, a strand of thermoplastic. The drawing device has a nozzle assembly with an exit nozzle and a motor connected to a gear train that engages the strand of thermoplastic feed stock such that rotation of the motor causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.