Provided is a die roll for manufacturing softgels, a softgel, and methods for producing a softgel. The die roll includes a die roll surface and a pocket defined therein. The pocket includes a floor, an interior sidewall surface, a chamfer, and an exterior sidewall surface. The floor is recessed relative to the die roll surface and the interior sidewall surface is connected to the floor and extends above the die roll surface to the chamfer. The pocket also includes a landing surface that is elevated from the die role surface and connects the chamfer to the exterior sidewall surface of the pocket. The landing surface includes a taper (such that the landing surface tapers inwardly towards the pocket floor) and a radius (such that the landing surface is not flat). Also provided is a softgel having a trailing edge thickness that is at least about 40% the thickness of the softgel wall thickness.

Methods and structures are disclosed. An example method includes: rotating a tubular mandrel about a longitudinal axis of the tubular mandrel; depositing a composite material on an inner surface of the tubular mandrel to form a composite tubular member on the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; inserting and expanding an inner expandable mandrel within the composite tubular member to cause the inner expandable mandrel to press the composite tubular member against the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; curing the composite tubular member; removing the inner expandable mandrel; placing a frame within the composite tubular member; and removing the tubular mandrel so as to obtain the composite tubular member with the frame placed therein.

Provided is a sizing apparatus including: a die set including a die plate that holds a die provided with a through hole to which a workpiece is to be supplied, and upper and lower punches that are to be inserted into the through hole to press the workpiece; a press main body that includes punch driving mechanisms that actuate the punches and in which the die set is configured to be attached to and detached from a predetermined position; and a turntable that is rotated on the die plate and supplies a workpiece to the die and discharges a workpiece from the die. The die set includes the turntable, and a supporting base on which the turntable is placed. The supporting base includes an axis positioning portion that is provided coaxially with a central axis of the turntable and positions the central axis at a predetermined position of the supporting base.

A method for conveying a concave object having a lateral wall away from a mould comprises the steps of: providing a removing element, movable along a path, and a guiding element; extracting the object from the mould and releasing the object onto a supporting surface in a position interposed between the removing element and the guiding element, while the removing element is at a distance from the object; displacing the removing element towards the object, so that the removing element makes contact with the lateral wall; moving the removing element along a portion of the path, to convey the object towards a delivery position.

A male element (100) of a mould (10) for the compression moulding of a parison comprises: a die (110), extending along a longitudinal axis (A) and including a body (112) having, inside it, a longitudinal cavity (113) 5 extending along the longitudinal axis (A) and, at one end of it, a socket (111) in communication with the longitudinal cavity (113); a stretching rod (120), slidably inserted in the longitudinal cavity (113) and including a terminal portion (121) at one end of it, the stretching rod (120) being movable relative to the die (110) between a retracted position, in which the 10 terminal portion (121) is housed inside the socket (111), and an extracted position, in which the terminal portion (121) is extracted from the socket (111).

A method for applying a sealant to the surface of an object includes forming an annular dose of synthetic plasticised material supplied from an extruder, depositing the dose on the surface of object and compression forming the dose to form a seal. The extruder includes an annular outlet which is opened and closed to deposit successive doses. Each dose that exits the annular outlet is separated from a supply of plasticized material in the extruder.

A distributor device is arranged for controlling a plurality of actuators, each of which is intended to open or close a corresponding mould.

The distributor device comprises a rotary part rotatable about an axis and connectable to the actuators, and a stator part in fluid communication with the rotary part.

The stator part is provided with: a low pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a first pressure to the rotary part, so that one actuator of the plurality of actuators moves a first component and a second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from a distanced position to an intermediate position; a high pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a second pressure higher than the first pressure to the rotary part, so that the actuator moves the first component and the second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from the intermediate position to a forming position; a maintaining distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid to the rotary part, so that the actuator maintains the first component and the second component in the forming position.

A distributor device is arranged for controlling a plurality of actuators, each of which is intended to open or close a corresponding mould.

The distributor device comprises a rotary part rotatable about an axis and connectable to the actuators, and a stator part in fluid communication with the rotary part.

The stator part is provided with: a low pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a first pressure to the rotary part, so that one actuator of the plurality of actuators moves a first component and a second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from a distanced position to an intermediate position; a high pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a second pressure higher than the first pressure to the rotary part, so that the actuator moves the first component and the second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from the intermediate position to a forming position; a maintaining distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid to the rotary part, so that the actuator maintains the first component and the second component in the forming position.

An apparatus including a co-extrusion device for extruding a multi-layer structure having at least one primary layer and at least one secondary layer, so that the multi-layer structure leaves the co-extrusion device along an exit direction; a mould provided with a pair of elements, at least one of the elements being movable towards the other in a moulding direction, so as to compression mould an object from a multi-layer dose which was severed from the multi-layer structure; a transport device for carrying the dose towards the mould; an arrangement for modifying orientation of the dose while the dose is being transported by the transport device, so that the dose is introduced into the mould with an orientation in which the secondary layer extends transversely to the moulding direction.

An apparatus including a co-extrusion device for extruding a multi-layer structure having at least one primary layer and at least one secondary layer, so that the multi-layer structure leaves the co-extrusion device along an exit direction; a mould provided with a pair of elements, at least one of the elements being movable towards the other in a moulding direction, so as to compression mould an object from a multi-layer dose which was severed from the multi-layer structure; a transport device for carrying the dose towards the mould; an arrangement for modifying orientation of the dose while the dose is being transported by the transport device, so that the dose is introduced into the mould with an orientation in which the secondary layer extends transversely to the moulding direction.