Disclosed are additively manufactured extruder components including a surface layer configured to contact extrudable material. The surface layer has a first additively manufactured metal composition. A base support for the surface layer has a second additively manufactured metal composition that is different from the first additively manufactured metal composition. A functionally graded material (FGM) is formed from the first and second additively manufactured metal compositions connecting the surface layer to the base support.

Disclosed are additively manufactured extruder components comprising a lattice structure formed within a structural support frame that defines an impervious surface and an axial aperture. An axial aperture of a screw segment is configured to couple to a drive shaft, and its impervious surface is configured to contact extrudable material. An axial aperture of a barrel segment is configured to contact extrudable material.

An extruder has a valve assembly configured to move pins to open and close the nozzles in a multi-nozzle extruder head independently. The pins of the valve assembly that are driven by actuators into and out of engagement with nozzles in the extruder head are positioned within sleeves that extend between the valve assembly and the extruder head. A gap is provided between the extruder head and the end of the sleeves proximate the extruder head to enable thermoplastic material leaking from the extruder that contacts the pins to remain in a melted or plastic state so the thermoplastic material does not interfere with the movement of the pins.

A monitor system for monitoring a status of a material in an extruder device is provided. The monitor system includes: a heater, a thermal sensor, a hardness measuring module and a material status monitor. The heater is for heating the material in a material delivering part of the extruder device; the thermal sensor is for measuring a thermal variation of the material; the hardness measuring module is for measuring a first hardness value of the material; and the material status monitor is for determining the status of the material according to the thermal variation and the first hardness value.

A device and a method for filtering viscous or highly viscous liquids, in particular plastics melts, includes use of an oscillating filter plate.

A filtering device for removing dirt particles and contaminants from a plastic melt is disclosed. The filtering device includes a housing having a filter chamber, an inlet for feeding plastic melt, an outlet for channeling plastic melt out, and a dirt outlet for discharging dirt particles from the housing. The filtering device also includes a filter element arranged in the filter chamber to retain any dirt particles contained in the stream of melt, and a cleaning unit for cleaning the filter element of dirt particles retained by means of the filter element. The cleaning unit having a cleaning head with a scraper member for detaching dirt particles from the filter element. The scraper member is coupled to a servomechanism to press the scraper member onto the surface of the filter element. The servomechanism has at least one bellows cylinder including a foot section, a head section, a deformable bellows element, and a pressure chamber of variable volume.

An extruder has a valve assembly configured to move pins to open and close the nozzles in a multi-nozzle extruder head independently. The pins of the valve assembly that are driven by actuators into and out of engagement with nozzles in the extruder head are positioned within sleeves that extend between the valve assembly and the extruder head. A gap is provided between the extruder head and the end of the sleeves proximate the extruder head to enable thermoplastic material leaking from the extruder that contacts the pins to remain in a melted or plastic state so the thermoplastic material does not interfere with the movement of the pins.

A device and a method for filtering viscous or highly viscous liquids, in particular plastics melts, includes use of an oscillating filter plate.

A calibration and cooling tank of an extrusion line, which connects to an extrusion tool, wherein a vacuum can be applied to the calibration and cooling tank for calibrating the plastic melt emerging from the extrusion tool, wherein the calibration and cooling tank extends along an extrusion axis. The calibration and cooling tank is modularly structured, wherein at least one module forms a calibration and cooling section and the module has a connection region on both sides to which an additional module can be attached. The connection region includes a flange that extends from the base element of the calibration and cooling tank to the outside.

A polymer melt candle filter having a support which comprises a hollow cylindrical body defined by a first end, a second end, and a cylinder wall having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion includes a screw thread on its outside surface and optionally a hex fitting on its inside surface for receiving a hex wrench. The second end portion includes a plurality of holes in the cylinder wall. The area of the openings of the holes on the outside surface of the cylinder wall may be larger than the area of the openings of the corresponding holes on the inside surface of the cylinder wall. The shape of the openings of the holes on the outside surface may be non-circular. A polymer melt filter plate assembly which comprises (a) a support plate comprising a plurality of threaded holes; (b) at least one filter which is screwed into at least one of the threaded holes via the screw thread on the outside surface of the first end portion of the filter support; (c) a tie rod with (i) a first end extending through a hole in a cone insert and a cap located at the second end of the filter support, and (ii) a second end extending through a threaded hole in the support plate; and (d) a cross bar which is attached to the second end of the tie rod for holding the support plate inside a shaft of an apparatus for filtering a polymer melt.