A plasticizing device includes a passage defining section that is coupled to a hopper which stores a material and that defines a supply passage to which the material is supplied from the hopper, a plasticizing section that includes an introduction portion which communicates with the supply passage, and a screw, and that plasticizes the material supplied from the introduction portion by rotation of the screw to form a molten material, and a material detection section that detects the presence or absence of the material in the supply passage.

A molding apparatus includes a plurality of axially extending extruders. Each of the extruders is fluidly connectable with a common mold whereby the mold may be concurrently filled from each of the extruders. Each of the extruders has a feed inlet, and the feed inlets are axially spaced from each other. Another molding apparatus includes a plurality of axially extending extruders, and a heated conduit in flow communication with the extruders. The heated conduit is connectable to a mold, whereby the mold may be concurrently fillable from each of the extruders.

An injection molding apparatus and method of fabricating a molded part are provided. The apparatus may include a barrel, a nozzle enclosing an end of the barrel and defining an opening in fluid communication with an inside of the barrel, and an extrusion screw positioned at least partially inside the barrel and rotatable relative to the barrel. The extrusion screw may include a screw tip. Relative axial movement between the barrel and the extrusion screw may open or close the opening of the nozzle to permit or prevent, respectively, material flow through the opening of the nozzle. The method may include clamping a mold, opening a nozzle, rotating the extrusion screw to pump a molten material into the mold until the mold is filled, closing the nozzle, and unclamping the mold to release a molded part.

A melt dispenser for plastic molding comprises a barrel unit removably mountable to a drive unit. A feed screw is received within a barrel of the barrel unit and is rotated by the drive unit to dispense molten molding material through an outlet of the barrel. A coupling mechanism can be engaged to hold the barrel unit against the drive unit and on to connect the screw to the drive. The coupling mechanism is operable by an actuator.

A self-cleaning dosing apparatus includes a material hopper for containing pellets of material, a feed screw, a first material outlet through which pellets of material fall by gravity onto a first end of the feed screw for the feeding of pellets to a process machine. A second material outlet is located beneath the first end of the feed screw, with a slide gate blocking the second material outlet. A pneumatic piston is provided for pulling the slide gate to unblock the second material outlet, and a Venturi pump is located under the second material outlet for pulling pellets through the second material outlet when the slide gate is opened.

Pressure moulding process, and related device (100), for manufacturing an article, the process comprising: providing a substrate (70) made of a composite material comprising a first polymeric material and fibres impregnated with said first polymeric material; providing a coating sheet (71); heating said substrate (70) to a temperature of the substrate (70) greater than 160? C.; subsequently, during a first compression step, compressing under pressure the substrate (70) and the coating sheet (71) between a first conformation surface (1) and a second conformation surface (2) for conforming the substrate (70) and the coating sheet (71) and for firmly fixing the substrate (70) and the coating sheet (71) to each other; during a second compression step subsequent to the first compression step, compressing under pressure the substrate (70) and the coating sheet (71) between the first (1) and second conformation surface (2) and injecting a second polymeric material in an injection cavity (3) having an outlet mouth (4) onto the first conformation surface (1), wherein a first face of the substrate (70) opposite to the coating sheet (71) is in contact with the first conformation surface (1); cooling the second polymeric material for firmly fixing the second polymeric material to the first face of the substrate (70), wherein, during the first compression step, a temperature of the first (1) and second conformation surface (2) is less than 120? C.

The invention relates to a material conveying device for feeding at least one injection molding and/or extrusion unit with a non-free-flowing or viscous feed material, having a feed hopper rotatable relative to a bracket about an axis of rotation and a screw conveyor arranged rotatably along an inner jacket surface of the feed hopper in a screw shaft of the bracket, which is designed to convey the feed material from the feed hopper to an outlet, wherein the screw shaft is connected to a hopper outlet of the feed hopper, and wherein the screw conveyor is drivable via at least one drive device.

In order to enable the conveying of feed materials with different properties in the simplest possible way, it is provided that at least one media feed channel opens into the screw shaft, which is designed to feed at least one additional medium to the feed material, wherein at least one mixing device is arranged in the region of the screw conveyor and/or downstream of the screw conveyor, which is designed to mix the feed material and the additional medium.

Injection molding plastic parts includes furnishing resin material to a screw barrel having a rotatable screw therewithin, rotating the screw to work the resin material into a molten state, furnishing additive such as liquid color or another additive to the screw barrel interior at a first rate during screw rotation and driving the screw longitudinally from a first position to a second position to force an additive-resin material mixture resulting from screw rotation into a mold while furnishing additive with resin to the screw barrel interior at a second additive addition rate.

The present disclosure provides a molding machine and a method of molding a part. The molding machine may include multiple molding systems (e.g., extruders) for pumping molten material into one or more mold cavities. The multiple molding systems may pump the same material or different materials into the one or more mold cavities. The multiple molding systems may be individually and/or collectively controlled. A method of molding a part may include pumping material into one or more mold cavities via multiple molding systems, ceasing pumping material into the one or more mold cavities when one or more pressures associated with the multiple molding systems are achieved, and releasing a molded part from the one or more mold cavities after the one or more pressures are achieved.

A device for imparting vibrational energy to polymeric pellets in a feed path of an extruder is disclosed. The device includes a feed path vibrator having an elongate imparting portion for being disposed within the feed path of the extruder, and a transfer portion extending from the imparting portion. The transfer portion is configured for coupling to a source of vibration energy, and the elongate imparting portion includes at least one twisted portion along its length.