A method for the manufacture of a tube (10) containing a plastic material is proposed. The plastic material is melted in an extruder (3) so that a plastic melt is obtained, wherein the extruder (3) includes a passage (5). A conveyor (4) is arranged in the passage (5). The passage (5) has a first end (6), wherein the plastic material is introduced downstream of the first end (6) into the passage (5). The plastic material is conveyed through the passage (5, 35) and is converted into a plastic melt. The passage (5) has a second end (7), wherein the plastic melt is directed through the passage (5) into a forming tool (8). The tube (10) is produced by means of the forming tool (8), wherein the tube (10) leaves the passage (5) at the second end (7), wherein the tube (10) leaves the passage (5) on the second end (7). The plastic melt is guided through a cooling device (9), wherein the cooling device (9) comprises a cooling element (19) and a mixing element (40, 41), which is arranged in the interior of the passage (5, 35), wherein the plastic melt flows around the cooling element (19, 49) and the mixing element (40, 41), so that the plastic melt is cooled through the cooling element (19, 49) and the plastic melt is mixed by the mixing element (40, 41).

Co-extruded and extruded high-altitude balloons and apparatus and methods for manufacture. A high-altitude balloon has a plurality of layers of coextruded balloon panel extrudate, a first one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a second one of the layers along a first edge, the second one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a third one of the layers along a strip spaced apart from the first edge, extrusion-bonding of successive layers alternating between the first edge and the strip, the first one of the layers and the last one of the layers extrusion-bonded together along a second edge.

A screw machine includes an inductive heating device for processing of material to be processed. The inductive heating device is used to heat the material in a heating zone. In the heating zone, at least one housing portion is made of an electromagnetically transparent material at least partly, the material being non-magnetic and electrically non-conductive, whereas at least one treatment element shaft is made of an electrically conductive material at least partly. The inductive heating device includes at least one coil formed integrally with a component of the at least one housing portion, in particular in such a way as to form a hybrid component. During the processing of the material, the inductive heating device generates an alternating magnetic field that produces eddy current losses in the at least one treatment element shaft, the eddy current losses leading to a temperature increase of the at least one treatment element shaft.

A co-rotating twin screw extruder for forming fragments is disclosed. The extruder comprises of an intake zone for receiving one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage or one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage along with one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient, a melt zone for softening at least one excipient to form a viscous mass or melt and a fragmenting zone for fragmenting and cooling the viscous mass into cooled fragments and an extruder outlet for recovering the cooled fragments from the extruder.

A co-rotating twin screw extruder for forming fragments is disclosed. The extruder comprises of an intake zone for receiving one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage or one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage along with one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient, a melt zone for softening at least one excipient to form a viscous mass or melt and a fragmenting zone for fragmenting and cooling the viscous mass into cooled fragments and an extruder outlet for recovering the cooled fragments from the extruder.

A method of making thermoplastic polymer particles may include mixing in an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polymer in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to form solidified particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the thermoplastic polymer; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

A method of making thermoplastic polymer particles may include mixing in an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polymer in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to form solidified particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the thermoplastic polymer; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

An extrusion head of an extruder is configured to move along a feedpath independently from a heating element so that the extrusion head can yield to extrusion-related forces. Specifically, the extruder may include an extrusion head movably coupled to a thermal core to permit axial displacement of the extrusion head relative to the thermal core. In use, the extrusion head may be displaced within the thermal core when the extruder is subject to extrusion-related forces (e.g., an upward force created by a refraction of build material or a downward force created by an advance of build material). This motion can facilitate better transitions by the extruder between different layers or z-axis positions in a model during fabrication.

The extrusion device of a solid film comprises a cell provided with an input opening of a material designed to form the solid film, and an output opening of the solid film from the cell. The device comprises a first heat exchanger for applying a first temperature to the output opening and a second heat exchanger for applying a second temperature in a first zone of the cell distinct from the output opening and a control circuit imposing first and second sets of first and second temperatures. The first set enables a volume of the material in solid phase to be formed. The second set enables a temperature gradient to be generated in the volume so as to generate a pressure forcing extrusion of the solid film via the output opening.

A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon. The method includes coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate, extrusion-bonding the layers of extrudate to one another along an edge of the sheets of extrudate to form a seam, and cooling the extrudate.