Additive manufacturing apparatus and methods for mixing and dispensing materials, and articles with controlled particle concentrations. Additive manufacturing apparatus includes a mixer; a reservoir in fluidic communication with the mixer; and a build plate parallel to the reservoir. Additive manufacturing apparatus includes a mixer and a solid particle dispensing system and/or a slurry dispensing system. A method for handling precursors during additive manufacturing includes (a) providing first and second precursor materials and/or a slurry to a mixer; (b) mixing the materials in the mixer; (c) transporting the mixed materials directly to a reservoir disposed in parallel with a build plate; (d) curing at least a portion of the transported and mixed materials; and (e) repeating step (d) at least once. An article includes a plurality of adjacent layers, a concentration of particles in each layer defining a controlled concentration gradient and/or vary by no more than ±50%.

A method for mixing a heat-dissipating material, is provided. The method for mixing a heat-dissipating material includes determining a capacity (V) of the static mixer based on an injection amount (Q) per process unit time, a process unit time (td) and a time (t2) during which the viscosity of the heat-dissipating material flowing out of the static mixer becomes twice of the initial mixing viscosity, where when the heat-dissipating material is sequentially injected into first and second external devices using the static mixer, the process unit time is the difference between a first time point on which the heat-dissipating material starts to be injected into the second external device and a second time point on which the heat-dissipating material starts to be injected into the first external device.

Provided is a flexible tube production apparatus capable of shortening the length of a resin layer in which the mixing ratio between two kinds of resins changes. The flexible tube production apparatus includes: two extruders extruding resins different from each other; two valves provided corresponding to the two extruders, respectively; a kneading mechanism kneading the resins supplied from the two extruders via the two valves; a die extruding the resins kneaded by the kneading mechanism; and a control device controlling the two valves to switch from a first state where one extruder and the kneading mechanism communicate with each other and communication between the other extruder and the kneading mechanism is cut off, to a second state where the other extruder and the kneading mechanism communicate with each other and communication between the one extruder and the kneading mechanism is cut off, when the flexible tube is extruded.

Provided is a kneading device that can check a progress of wear of an inner wall face of a kneading chamber provided in a casing without stopping the kneading device. A kneading device includes a sensor-mount space provided in a wall of a casing, a wear detecting sensor of which a detecting section is disposed at a bottom of the sensor-mount space, and a controller that receives a signal output from the wear detecting sensor, the controller including a wear determining unit that determines that wear of an inner wall face of a kneading chamber has progressed based on a change in the signal.

A method of filling a mold comprising filling a majority of a mold cavity with an extrudate from at least one extruder wherein the extrudate, which is conveyed to an inlet of the mold, is at a pressure of 1-500 psi, subsequently isolating the mold cavity from a conduit which conveys the extrudate to the mold cavity, and subsequently using a pressurization member to fill a remainder of the mold cavity with additional extrudate, wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 500 psi on the additional extrudate.

Device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components under pressure, having a mixing chamber, into which the plastics components are injected in each case by way of a component-feeding opening, wherein a reversible control piston is provided for opening and closing the component-feeding openings and for discharging plastics mixture remaining within the mixing chamber, wherein the control piston is connected to an electric drive. Alternatively, in the case of a transfer mixing head, the cleaning piston may be coupled to an electric drive. A method for operating such a mixing head is also disclosed.

A production method for a low molecular weight polymer suitable for a melt-blown non-woven fabric and a production device for melt-blown non-woven fabric, with which a high molecular weight polymer can be reduced in molecular weight by applying a shear force to the high molecular weight polymer without adding an additive. The low molecular weight polymer and the melt-blown non-woven fabric are produced using a continuous high shearing device that applies a shear force to the high molecular weight polymer serving as a raw material by rotation of a screw body to reduce the molecular weight of the high molecular weight polymer so as to obtain a low molecular weight polymer, and cools the low molecular weight polymer by passing the low molecular weight polymer through a passage arranged in the axial direction inside the screw body.

Provided herein is a method for preparing antimicrobial thermoplastic resins and products thereof.

The apparatus of the invention includes: an acquisition unit 101 that acquires input information including resin properties and acquires, as output information, a specified value of a physical quantity related to a kneaded resin or a kneading machine; a storage unit 16 that stores a knowledge file 162 containing correlations among the input information, the physical quantity and a plurality of screw configurations; and a search unit 106 and a configuration generator unit 107 together that infers, on the basis of the input information and the knowledge file 162, such a screw configuration that is able to meet the specified value.

Provided are an assembly and process for the continuous or semi-continuous preparation of addition-crosslinking liquid silicone rubbers and to liquid silicone rubber compositions made therefrom. Also disclosed are articles made from the liquid silicone rubber compositions.