An improved, high-capacity die assembly (10) for a food or feed extruder (12) is provided and is particularly useful for the production of high quality aquatic feeds. The die assembly (10) includes a mount (20), which is secured to the discharge end of an extruder barrel (14), with a plurality of tubular die components (22, 24) coupled with the mount (20). Each component (22,24) includes wall structure (38) defining an outwardly diverging tubular chamber (40) with a die plate assembly (50) coupled to the outer end of the wall structure (38). A flow diverter element (54) is located within each chamber (40) and has a large diameter end adjacent the assembly (50) and a smaller diameter end closer to the chamber inlet. The assembly (50) has a plurality of openings (52) outboard of the element (54).

Systems (200) and methods for making different plastic products (202, 204) in a single melting process are provided. A method includes melting a plastic resin in a first extruder (104) to form a melt (106) and transferring at least a portion of the melt to a second extruder (114). Any portion of the melt (106) that is not transferred to the second extruder (114) is formed into a first plastic product (202). Additives (116) are blended with the melt in the second extruder to form a second melt (118), and a second plastic product (204) is formed from the second melt (118).

A large concentric co-extrusion die (1) is described having a plurality of annular or conical die mandrel layers (201-205). Each layer is formed between a pair of adjacent annular or conical die mandrels (101-106) defining between them a flow path for molten thermoplastics material from an inlet to an annular extrusion outlet (110) through which a thermoplastics tubular extrusion is formed in use. Extrusion takes place through the multiple annular layer outlets (301-305) to form a multi-layered product. At least one layer (203) of the annular or conical die mandrels has a plurality of molten material inlets arranged around the external circumference of the co-extrusion die with each inlet being connected to a feed channel (403) which has plural bifurcations (403.1, 403.2, 403.3) providing 2.sup.n subsidiary outlet feed channels (503) where n is the number of bifurcations. Each subsidiary outlet feed channel being connected to a corresponding helical outlet channel (703).

To suppress the thermal expansion of a slide bar and to prevent occurrence of failures such as galling or malfunctioning to the slide bar, a resin discharge mechanism, provided in mixing equipment that includes a barrel having a hollow interior and a pair of mixing rotors accommodated in the barrel and that mixes a resin material by causing the paired mixing rotors to rotate within the barrel, for discharging a part of the resin material mixed by the mixing rotors to an outside of the barrel, the resin discharge mechanism including: a resin discharge passage provided in the barrel, and communicating an inside of the barrel with the outside of the barrel; a slide bar closing or opening the resin discharge passage by moving across the resin discharge passage; and a cooling device provided within the slide bar, and cooling the slide bar using a cooling fluid.

Distributor of polymeric filament for spunbond and/or melt-blown type implant expanding along a main plane between a first interface side, to be coupled with an extrusion head, and a second interface side, to be coupled with a spinneret. Including distribution holes distributed within an extrusion area defined on the first side parallel to the main plane, extending along respective secondary axes transverse to the main plane from the first to the second side. Each defining a countersink converging from the first to the second side and delimited by perimetrical edges at the first side. Each perimetrical edge of a given hole is at least partially coincident with part of the perimetrical edges of other holes positioned around the given hole to realise a distribution surface, defined by the whole of the areas enclosed by the perimetrical edges, at least 80% of the extrusion area.

Distributor of polymeric filament for spunbond and/or melt-blown type implant expanding along a main plane between a first interface side, to be coupled with an extrusion head, and a second interface side, to be coupled with a spinneret. Including distribution holes distributed within an extrusion area defined on the first side parallel to the main plane, extending along respective secondary axes transverse to the main plane from the first to the second side. Each defining a countersink converging from the first to the second side and delimited by perimetrical edges at the first side. Each perimetrical edge of a given hole is at least partially coincident with part of the perimetrical edges of other holes positioned around the given hole to realise a distribution surface, defined by the whole of the areas enclosed by the perimetrical edges, at least 80% of the extrusion area.

An improved, high-capacity die assembly (10) for a food or feed extruder (12) is provided and is particularly useful for the production of high quality aquatic feeds. The die assembly (10) includes a mount (20), which is secured to the discharge end of an extruder barrel (14), with a plurality of tubular die components (22, 24) coupled with the mount (20). Each component (22, 24) includes wall structure (38) defining an outwardly diverging tubular chamber (40) with a die plate assembly (50) coupled to the outer end of the wall structure (38). A flow diverter element (54) is located within each chamber (40) and has a large diameter end adjacent the assembly (50) and a smaller diameter end closer to the chamber inlet. The assembly (50) has a plurality of openings (52) outboard of the element (54).

In one embodiment, a method of forming an extruded board includes mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate, forming a board with the differentially expanded voids and uniformly colored extrudate, and forming lightened portions on an outermost surface of the formed board.

Novel extruded ceiling fan blades, compositions and methods of making the blades from plastic material such as polystyrene are disclosed. The blades can be formed from two extruders so that different colors and/or finishes, such as wood grain looks can be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the blades.

A method is disclosed for manufacturing connectable or non-connectable elongate porous plastic profiles 12 from substantially continuous randomised extruded plastic strands made of recycled thermoplastics. Current manufacturing processes can manufacture similar products, comprising short partially melted plastic particles melded together forming planks. These planks, however, are inherently friable, easily broken and not readily connectable. These shortcomings are caused by the manufacturing method used, being friction plate agglomeration. This invention utilises an extrusion process, which produces substantially endless random strands of thermoplastic 13 which drop and are welded together to form a porous mass, which is then compressed into boards or planks by pulling the mass through a forming tool 6 and 7. The profile can be adjusted to form edge recesses allowing the planks to be fitted together, for instance to form area coverings, or they can simply be laid end to end to form drainage channels.