A method and apparatus for manufacturing a duct bank comprising the steps of loading a frame with a series of templates, positioning the frame adjacent a pipe extruder, aligning a set of a plurality of holes with a die of the pipe extruder, extruding a pipe of a first length into the set of holes, repeating the steps of aligning and extruding for each set of holes, thereby forming the duct bank, banding the duct bank, and removing the duct bank from the frame.

Provided is an extruder and a method for extruding cord reinforced tire components, wherein the extruder has an extruder head with a die and a cord guide. The die is provided with a cross sectional profile that defines a first cross section of the extrusion material in the die, wherein the cross sectional profile has a profile height. The cord guide is arranged for guiding the cords into the die at a cord entry height. The extruder head is provided with first heating elements. The extruder has a control unit that is operationally connected to the first heating elements for generating an adjustable height temperature gradient in the extrusion material across the profile height to control swelling of the extrusion material relative to the cord entry height from the first cross section to a second cross section after the extrusion material leaves the die.

A film-making machine that produces stretch film includes an outlet device with an outlet gap for outlet of free-flowing film material and a rotatably mounted casting roll that receives the released free-flowing film material on a surface of the casting roll, and a cleaning device with a rotatably mounted cleaning roll that contacts the film material lying on the surface of the casting roll, wherein the cleaning device has an adjusting mechanism with a circumferential adjustment that adjusts a cleaning position of the cleaning roll along a circumferential direction of the casting roll.

The invention relates to a cooling apparatus and a method for cooling a continuous strip, wherein the cooling apparatus comprises a cooling drum and a guiding device for guiding the strip in a plurality of windings around the cooling drum, wherein the guiding device comprises first and second guiding elements, wherein each one of the first guiding elements forms a set with one of the second guiding elements, wherein the first guiding element of the set receives the strip from a first winding in a first winding direction and directs the strip in a first transition direction towards the second guiding element which receives the strip in a second transition direction and directs the strip into a consecutive winding in a second winding direction, wherein the first transition direction is different from the first winding direction and the second transition direction is different from the second winding direction.

Various methods and systems are provided for mixing and dispensing viscous materials for the creation of additive structures. As one example, during a mixing and dispensing operation of a multi-dimensional printing apparatus, one or more liquids may flow into a mixing chamber via one or more material inlets arranged in a wall of the mixing chamber below a high pressure bearing of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber; and movement of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber is adjusted based on an operating condition of the printing apparatus.

A blow film line and a method for operating the same relates to improving the flow rate in conventional blow film lines without compromising the production quality. The inner cooling body shows an air outlet path, with a cooling ring being embodied in a height-adjustable fashion, with a controller positioning the cooling ring in a lower area of the inner cooling body for the start-up of the facility. The cooling ring is positioned in the upper area of the air outlet path of the inner cooling body in order to achieve the steady-state production.

An extrusion device and method for filling a groove with a filling compound. The extrusion device includes an extrusion head which is designed or configured to spring in and out in an extrusion direction of the extrusion device in a manner that is spring-resilient in the extrusion direction.

A system for making a tire tread includes an extruder, a roller die having a first axis of rotation, and a conveyor that receives a round strip (or noodle) of green rubber from the extruder and feeds the strip of green rubber to the roller die. The system further includes a drum having a second axis of rotation, wherein the roller die is configured to apply the strip of green rubber to the drum. The system also includes a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control a translation of the roller die in a first direction parallel to the first axis of rotation. The controller is configured to control a roller die rotation speed and a drum rotation speed, and the controller varies at least one of the roller die rotation speed and the drum rotation speed during translation of the roller die.

Various systems, methods and apparatus for locating emitters embedded in tubing are disclosed herein, as well as forming outlets in said tubing and confirming the placement accuracy of such outlets. In one form, an emitter locator is disclosed having: a housing defining a generally enclosed space and having an inlet located in a first side of the housing and an outlet located in a second side of the housing positioned opposite the inlet; a cutter positioned within the generally enclosed space between the inlet and outlet; a first optical instrument located proximate the inlet; a second optical instrument located proximate the outlet; and a controller connected to the cutter and first and second optical instruments, the controller configured to detect a tubing target area desired for placement of an outlet opening in tubing that passes through the inlet and cut the tubing target area to form the outlet opening therein.

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.