A nozzle assembly for a printer head of a 3D printer includes a guide held in a fixed position relative to the printer head and extending from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis. A drive mechanism extends from a feed end to a discharge end along the longitudinal axis. The feed end defines a feed opening for receiving a filament from a feed system, and the discharge end defines a discharge opening for discharging the filament from the nozzle assembly. The drive mechanism is movable relative to the guide, and the drive mechanism includes a drive surface for engaging the filament and causing the filament to move from the feed opening to the discharge opening, in response to the drive mechanism moving relative to the printer head. The nozzle assembly further includes a motor for moving the drive mechanism relative to the printer head.

An apparatus for additively manufacturing an article comprises a heat block, a nozzle configured to receive a feed material in operable communication with the heat block, and a radiator configured to transfer heat from the heat block to an external environment by thermal radiation. Related tools for additively manufacturing a material in a vacuum, and related methods are also disclosed.

An extruder or other similar tool head of a three-dimensional printer is slidably mounted along a feedpath of build material so that the extruder can move into and out of contact with a build surface according to whether build material is being extruded. The extruder may be spring-biased against the forward feedpath so that the extruder remains above the build surface in the absence of applied forces, and then moves downward into a position for extrusion when build material is fed into the extruder. In another aspect, modular tool heads are disclosed that can be automatically coupled to and removed from the three-dimensional printer by a suitable robotics system. A tool crib may be provided to store multiple tool heads while not in use.

A method for charging at least one extruder with at least one material web including rubber and/or plastics mixtures includes: transporting the at least one material web, at a distance from at least one material feed of the at least one extruder, into a region of a material feed, in each case by a conveying device; and receiving and/or processing and introducing, by at least one handling device having at least one tool, an initial region of the at least one material web into the at least one material feed of the at least one extruder. At least the at least one extruder, the conveying device, and the at least one handling device comprise a production plant.

A system (10) for butt-joining two or more rubber strips (B1, B2) selected in accordance with a predetermined rubber mixture recipe in order to feed at least one extruder with a complex strip of rubber material (B12) made from the butt joined rubber strips is disclosed. The system includes at least one conveyor that transports the rubber strips from an inlet (12) of the system to an outlet (14) of the butt-joining system; a frame (18) that operationally supports the conveyor to allow the continuous transport of the rubber strips and also to allow the simultaneous butt-joining of the rubber strips fed to the system; and a roller system (20) that butt-joins the rubber strips without penetration. The invention also relates to a process for butt-joining rubber strips that is performed by the system.

Provided are a rubber material supplying method and a rubber material supplying device, whereby a rubber material can be smoothly supplied to a rubber inlet even when the width of the rubber material is greater than the width of the rubber inlet. The rubber material supplying method includes a separation step S1, a processing step S2, and an input step S3. In the separation step S1, a plurality of different cutouts 30 are formed in a leading end section GF of a rubber material G, and the leading end section GF is separated into three or more strip shape sections 31. In the processing step S2, second strip shape sections B, and not first strip shape sections 31A, among the plurality of strip sections 31 are each cut out or folded. In the input step S3, the leading end section GF is input to the rubber inlet 3A from the first strip shape sections 31A.

A method for producing a densified material includes: obtaining a film including at least one first layer of plastic material and one second layer with a composition distinct from the first layer, the first layer having a first melting temperature, or obtaining pieces of such a film; compressing the obtained film or the obtained pieces of film through at least one die of at least one extruder, and obtaining a profile of densified material, the extruder including at least one rotary endless screw pushing the obtained film or pieces of film along a screw axis; and optionally cutting the profile in order to obtain granules of densified material, the compression step being carried out at a maximum compression temperature for the obtained film or pieces of film, the maximum compression temperature being less than the first melting temperature. Also disclosed are installation and use of the densified material.

A method for charging at least one extruder with at least one material web including rubber and/or plastics mixtures includes: transporting the at least one material web, at a distance from at least one material feed of the at least one extruder, into a region of a material feed, in each case by a conveying device; and receiving and/or processing and introducing, by at least one handling device having at least one tool, an initial region of the at least one material web into the at least one material feed of the at least one extruder. At least the at least one extruder, the conveying device, and the at least one handling device comprise a production plant.

An additive manufacturing tool configured to couple to a spindle of a CNC machine, comprises a plurality of drive wheels movable between an engaged position wherein they compress filament from a filament source against a drive disc and a disengaged position wherein they are spaced apart from the filament, and a delivery assembly including a heating element and a nozzle having an outlet opening. When the plurality of drive wheels are in the engaged position and the drive disc is rotated, the filament is drawn into the tool from the filament source and routed around the drive disc to the nozzle, where heat transferred from the heating element to the nozzle melts the filament so that the filament flows through the outlet opening.

Disclosed are cable types, including a type THHN cable, the cable types having a reduced surface coefficient of friction, and the method of manufacture thereof, in which the central conductor core and insulating layer are surrounded by a material containing nylon or thermosetting resin. A silicone based pulling lubricant for said cable, or alternatively, erucamide or stearyl erucamide for small cable gauge wire, is incorporated, by alternate methods, with the resin material from which the outer sheath is extruded, and is effective to reduce the required pulling force between the formed cable and a conduit during installation.