A simulation device for calculating a predetermined physical quantity in a kneading extruder, the simulation device comprises: an acquisition unit configured to acquire at least a characteristic of a first raw material and a characteristic of a second raw material, the first raw material and the second raw material being injected into the kneading extruder; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a physical quantity of a mixture of the first raw material and the second raw material based on the characteristics of the first raw material and the second raw material acquired by the acquisition unit.

A method for processing pharmaceutical powders, which comprises providing a feeder module including a plurality of feeder units each with a storage hopper, a weighing cell, a conveyer, and a discharge end, connecting the storage hopper to a refilling system with a refilling valve, connecting the refilling valve to a level or weight indicator disposed above the refilling valve, connecting the discharge end to a common receiving container, refilling the storage hopper with a powder intermittently 40 to 80 times per hour, storing data during refilling, transporting powder from the storage hopper with the respective conveyer, and discharging powder from each feeder unit into the common receiving container. During each refilling of the storage hopper, the refilling valve dispenses powder into the storage hopper and, during the step of transporting the powder from the storage hopper, the conveyer is operated according to the data collected during previous refills.

Provided is a molding material for a material of a molded article including: a biomass material obtained from a water-containing organic matter; and a thermoplastic or a thermosetting resin, the biomass material having a moisture content of 20% or less, a bacterial count of mesophilic aerobic bacteria of 10.sup.5/g or less, and a maximum exothermic peak by a differential thermal analysis method of 300° C. or higher.

A method for producing a foam-molded product by using a plasticizing cylinder, includes: plasticizing and melting the thermoplastic resin to provide the molten resin in a plasticization zone of the plasticizing cylinder; introducing a pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at a fixed pressure into a starvation zone of the plasticizing cylinder to retain the starvation zone at the fixed pressure; allowing the molten resin to be in the starved state in the starvation zone; bringing the molten resin in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent at the fixed pressure, in the starvation zone in a state in which the starvation zone is retained at the fixed pressure; and molding the molten resin having been brought in contact with the pressurized fluid containing the physical foaming agent into the foam-molded product.

Process for densification of a poly(arylene ether ketone) (PAEK) powder or of a mixture of poly(arylene ether ketone) (PAEK) powders, the process being mixing the powder or the mixture of powders, in a mixer equipped with a rotary stirrer including at least one blade, for a period of between 30 minutes and 120 minutes, preferably of between 30 and 60 minutes, at a blade-tip speed of between 30 m/s and 70 m/s, preferably of between 40 and 50 m/s.

Process for densification of a poly(arylene ether ketone) (PAEK) powder or of a mixture of poly(arylene ether ketone) (PAEK) powders, the process being mixing the powder or the mixture of powders, in a mixer equipped with a rotary stirrer including at least one blade, for a period of between 30 minutes and 120 minutes, preferably of between 30 and 60 minutes, at a blade-tip speed of between 30 m/s and 70 m/s, preferably of between 40 and 50 m/s.

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.

The invention relates to a process for the production of articles, exemplarily a plastic article, by means of an extruder (1) to which a first plastic composition of a first main component and at least one associated minor component is supplied from a first group of dosing stations (21, 24). According to the invention, during the production time of a first production order there is prepared a second group of dosing stations (31, 33) at the extruder for a second production order for which a second plastic composition of a second main component and at least one associated minor component that is different from the first plastic composition has to be supplied to the extruder. After completion of the first production order it is reset to the second production order by terminating the supply of the first plastic composition by closing a first shut-off device (8) and starting the supply of the second plastic composition by opening a second shut-off device (8′).

In an injection molding method, using a heating cylinder having on the front end thereof a discharge nozzle, a single axis screw is rotatable inside the heating cylinder, a fiber-supplying device fills reinforcing fiber into the heating cylinder, and injection molding is performed while supplying the reinforcing fiber and the resin starting material separately and supplying the reinforcing fiber on the front side of the resin starting material. The method includes a plasticization process for obtaining a specified amount of a kneaded product by retracting the screw while rotating in the normal direction to melt the resin starting material and knead reinforcing fiber into the melted resin starting material, and an injection process for discharging the kneaded product from the discharge nozzle by advancing the screw. Reinforcing fiber is supplied into the heating cylinder in the injection process.

A molded product production system includes at least two measuring feeders configured to simultaneously adjust an amount of a discharged powdery material to a target value and feed the powdery material, a mixer configured to mix at least two powdery materials fed from the measuring feeders to obtain mixed powdery materials, a filler configured to fill, with the mixed powdery materials obtained by the mixer, a die bore of a compression-molding machine configured to compress a powdery material to mold a molded product, a sensor configured to measure a mixing degree of the mixed powdery materials obtained by the mixer, and a controller configured to adjust an amount of at least one of the powdery materials fed by the measuring feeders, or motion speed of a mixing member configured to agitate powdery materials in the mixer in accordance with the mixing degree of the mixed powdery materials measured by the sensor.