A molded resin strand includes a first layer containing thermoplastic resin, and a second layer covering the first layer and containing thermoplastic resin exhibiting physical properties different from those of the first layer. For example, the second layer is melt-extruded with the second layer covering the first layer. A three-dimensional object is modeled by lamination deposition by fusion between adjacent second layers. In a molded resin strand manufacturing method, a melt-kneaded resin material is continuously extruded from a ferrule of an extruder. The extruded molded resin strand is vacuum-sucked while passing through a sizing device. Subsequently, the molded resin strand is wound up after cooling solidification. The sizing device is provided with a space having a circular cross section, and a surface of the sizing device facing the space is provided with a plurality of vacuum suction grooves.

A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.

Provided is a molded resin strand configured so that interlayer fusion of a shaped object can be improved and mechanical aptitude (specifically, stiffness) in a 3D printer can be more improved even in a case where an inorganic filler such as carbon fibers is mixed. The molded resin strand contains thermoplastic resin, an inorganic filler, and α-olefin elastomer. The thermoplastic resin is polypropylene, for example. The inorganic filler is carbon fibers, for example. The α-olefin elastomer is ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, for example. The molded resin strand of the present invention is used for a 3D printer employing a fused deposition modeling method.

The method for setting an operating point of a film stretching system comprises the method steps: acquiring an input, wherein the input contains: a) a target value for the first production variable; or b) a target value for the second production variable; or c) a target value for the third production variable; specifying: a) a setting value for the second production variable and the third production variable in order to achieve the target value for the first production variable; or b) a setting value for the first production variable and the third production variable in order to achieve the target value for the second production variable); or c) a setting value for the first production variable and the second production variable in order to achieve the target value for the third production variable; controlling the motor arrangement and the extruder arrangement by the control device in such a way that the operating point consisting of the target value and two setting values is reached.

A process for fabricating a powder coating composition having a desired color from solid input filaments. A plurality of solid input filaments is fed to a mixer in accordance with an input formulation for a color. The input filaments are liquefied at the mixer, and the liquefied input filaments are combined together in the mixer into an extrudate mixture. The extrudate mixture is removed from the mixer, solidified, and then the solidified extrudate mixture is milled into a powder.

Method and apparatus for pulling polymeric material from an extrusion die as a tubular extrusion uses a pair of mutually-facing endless belts for pulling the extrusion from the extrusion die by frictional contact with the extrusion, the belts being spaced apart from one another for frictional driving passage of the tubular extrusion therebetween, spacing of the belts being continuously adjusted in response to signal from a gauge continuously measuring outer diameter of the tubular extrusion upstream of the belts.

A process and system for rapidly fabricating small batches of powder coating compositions having desired colors from one or more solid input filaments. An additive manufacturing filament fabricator feeds one or more single-color solid polymer input filaments into a heated mixer in accordance with an input formulation to be liquefied and mixed to produce a homogenous extrudate mixture. The extrudate mixture is solidified on an extrudate receiving platform and is then comminuted by an extrudate mill into a finished powder coating composition having a desired color.

A non-penetrating multi-layer continuous hose and a preparation method thereof are provided. The hose includes an outer coating, a reinforcement layer, and an inner coating. The inner coating and the outer coating can have one or more layers with different materials and have an adjustable thickness. The hose is prepared by simultaneously performing extrusion coating inside and outside the reinforcement layer rather than penetrating the fiber reinforcement layer. The hose exhibits improved layer-to-layer adhesion and has high strength, and continuous production can be achieved to meet the length requirement in various kinds of construction, which has high applicability.

A system for executing a rod member extrusion-molding method of the present invention has an extrusion-molding machine of a rod member, a transfer conveyor, a delivery line of the rod member between the extrusion-molding machine and the transfer conveyor, a measurement position defined on the delivery line and dividing the delivery line into an upstream section and a downstream section, a measurement device measuring an outer diameter of the rod member in the measurement position, a first roller conveyor forming a part of the section at least directly upstream of the measurement position, a second roller conveyor forming the downstream section, and a control device performing feedback control of a transfer speed of the transfer conveyor based on the outer diameter obtained in the measurement device.

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for automatic extrudate loading and alignment. An extrudate handling system includes a head end assembly and an imaging device (which may be part of the head end assembly). The imaging device is configured to image an end face of an extrudate, and generate, during translation of the extrudate, an imaging output signal indicative of a rotational position of the end face of the extrudate. The head end assembly includes a rotational effector to rotate the extrudate during translation thereof and a fixed effector rotationally fixed relative to a track. The extrudate handling system is able to determine the rotational position of the web angle of the extrudate and precisely adjust the rotational position while linearly translating the extrudate along the track. The extrudate handling system provides greater accuracy, reduced costs, and improved results.