A plastics material transformation plant (100) comprises a transformation machine (10) for the plastics material by means of moulding or extrusion, a feeding hopper (13) which is positioned upstream of the transformation machine and a metering device (1) which is arranged to add a liquid additive to the transformation machine. The metering device (1) comprises a container (4) in which the liquid additive is contained, a metering pump (5) which is connected to the container in order to take the liquid additive and to supply it to the transformation machine (10), and a thermo-regulation system of the liquid additive which is arranged to maintain the temperature of the liquid additive in a range of 2° C. more or 2° C. less than a predetermined temperature value.

A method for producing thermally crosslinkable polymers in a planetary roller extruder is presented. The planetary roller extruder has a filling part and a compounding part made of a roller cylinder region that comprises at least two, preferably at least three coupled roller cylinders, planetary spindles of which are driven by a common central spindle. The polymers are supplied in a plasticized state. The filling part is supplied with a vacuum. The flow temperatures of the central spindle and the at least two roller cylinders under a vacuum are set such that the polymers to be degassed remain in the plasticized state. One or more liquids, such as thermal crosslinkers, crosslinking accelerators, dye solutions, or dye dispersions, are metered to the plasticized polymers downstream of the vacuum degassing, preferably in a continuous manner. Finally, the resulting mixture is directly supplied to a coating assembly.

A method for producing thermally crosslinkable polymers in a planetary roller extruder is presented. The planetary roller extruder has a filling part and a compounding part made of a roller cylinder region that comprises at least two, preferably at least three coupled roller cylinders, planetary spindles of which are driven by a common central spindle. The polymers are supplied in a plasticized state. The filling part is supplied with a vacuum. The flow temperatures of the central spindle and the at least two roller cylinders under a vacuum are set such that the polymers to be degassed remain in the plasticized state. One or more liquids, such as thermal crosslinkers, crosslinking accelerators, dye solutions, or dye dispersions, are metered to the plasticized polymers downstream of the vacuum degassing, preferably in a continuous manner. Finally, the resulting mixture is directly supplied to a coating assembly.

A method is disclosed for die coating a moving substrate with a high viscosity material such as a polymer. The method includes heating and mixing ingredients to form a homogenous mixture, pumping the mixture around a circulation loop with a first pump, maintaining a predetermined pressure of the mixture within the circulation loop, drawing mixture from the circulation loop with a second pump, delivering the mixture using the second pump to an extrusion die adjacent the moving substrate to coat the substrate, and controlling the second pump as a function of at least the speed of the moving substrate to maintain predetermined characteristics of the coating mixture applied to the moving substrate. An apparatus for carrying out the method also is disclosed.

A method is disclosed for die coating a moving substrate with a high viscosity material such as a polymer. The method includes heating and mixing ingredients to form a homogenous mixture, pumping the mixture around a circulation loop with a first pump, maintaining a predetermined pressure of the mixture within the circulation loop, drawing mixture from the circulation loop with a second pump, delivering the mixture using the second pump to an extrusion die adjacent the moving substrate to coat the substrate, and controlling the second pump as a function of at least the speed of the moving substrate to maintain predetermined characteristics of the coating mixture applied to the moving substrate. An apparatus for carrying out the method also is disclosed.

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.

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.

An introduction port 3 is provided on the rear side of a casing 2, and a discharge port 4 is provided at the tip of the casing 2, Inside the casing 2, two screws 7 are arranged so that a center distance thereof gradually decreases from the introduction port 3 to the discharge port 4, In a rear end wall 11, a drainage port 10 that discharges water produced from a material out of the casing 2 is provided. The drainage port 10 is provided at a position higher than the lowermost end of the rear end wall 11.

An introduction port 3 is provided on the rear side of a casing 2, and a discharge port 4 is provided at the tip of the casing 2, Inside the casing 2, two screws 7 are arranged so that a center distance thereof gradually decreases from the introduction port 3 to the discharge port 4, In a rear end wall 11, a drainage port 10 that discharges water produced from a material out of the casing 2 is provided. The drainage port 10 is provided at a position higher than the lowermost end of the rear end wall 11.

A composite material for use as a deposition material in an additive manufacturing system comprises a polymer component, a filler component, and an extrudability component. The extrudability component is present in the composite material is an amount of from 0.05 wt % to 10 wt % based on the weight of the composite material, and can comprise polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The polymer component comprises a high temperature polymer such as an engineering polymer or a high performance polymer. The filler component comprises at least one of a conductive component and a strengthening component. In some cases, the conductive component is present in an amount such that the composite material is formed as one of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) material and an EMI/EMC shielding material. The composite material can be deposited in a liquid state on a substrate using an additive manufacturing system, to produce a three-dimensional object.