Extruder feed system. The system includes a pair of spaced-apart, internally and oppositely threaded rotatable elements for receiving and engaging a plastic filament material. An electric motor rotates the rotatable elements in opposite directions thereby to drive the filament into a liquefier chamber for subsequent discharge through a nozzle. The system provides very accurate layer-by-layer build up.

Provided is an extruder and a method for extruding cord reinforced tire components, wherein the extruder has an extruder head with a die and a cord guide. The die is provided with a cross sectional profile that defines a first cross section of the extrusion material in the die, wherein the cross sectional profile has a profile height. The cord guide is arranged for guiding the cords into the die at a cord entry height. The extruder head is provided with first heating elements. The extruder has a control unit that is operationally connected to the first heating elements for generating an adjustable height temperature gradient in the extrusion material across the profile height to control swelling of the extrusion material relative to the cord entry height from the first cross section to a second cross section after the extrusion material leaves the die.

Methods and apparatus are described for the partitioning of difficult to handle materials such as viscous and sticky materials. The partitioning is accomplished accurately and precisely using an apparatus to extrude the material in portions on or in receptacles disposed on a stage.

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.

A two-color spiral strip injection machine based on PLC control, comprising: a frame having a strip injection machine body, a motor, a PLC control box and a transmission mechanism, wherein the motor is connected to the strip injection machine body via the transmission mechanism; the strip injection machine body includes a cast aluminum heating cylinder, a core regulating lead screw; the core regulating lead screw includes a copper wire inlet, a head and a snout; the snout is connected to the transmission mechanism; the cast aluminum heating cylinder includes a head flange and a sizing inlet; the head includes a strip injection nozzle, the cast aluminum heating cylinder further includes a temperature sensor; the control box includes a PLC control program; the automated two-color strip injection is implemented by obtaining the real-time monitoring and feedback information of the temperature sensor.

An article may include a carcass or jacket, and at least one composite member arranged within the carcass or jacket for inhibiting longitudinal stretch of the article. The composite member may include a plurality of fibers arranged in a polymeric binder, the polymeric binder bonding the composite member to the carcass or jacket. The carcass or jacket may be formed substantially of rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. The plurality of fibers may include fibers formed substantially from at least one of S-glass, aramid and carbon fiber. The polymer binder may be formed substantially of a thermoplastic material or of a thermoset material. In manufacturing of the article, the carcass or jacket may be extruded to surround the composite member. The article may be a handrail or an elevator belt.

A three dimensional printer extruder, comprising: a heating member comprising two or more heating member tunnels, each tunnel adapted for receiving a filament; and a nozzle comprising: a single extrusion aperture for extruding material; and two or more nozzle tunnels each connecting to one of the two or more heating member tunnels, and each having an output end at most 1.5 mm from the single extrusion aperture, wherein each filament is melted in a separate space comprising a heating member tunnel and a corresponding nozzle tunnel.

An apparatus for extruding a jacket and/or insulative material onto an extruded product with one or more longitudinal stripes incorporated onto the surface of said extruded product comprising a body, a primary feed conduit for conveying a primary extrusion material, a striping die, a secondary feed conduit for conveying a secondary extrusion material, a striping die adapter, a striping feed conduit extending through the striping die adapter for conveying striping extrusion material. The striping die adapter may also include a thermocouple for maintaining the viscosity of the striping extrusion material and a thermocouple for monitoring the temperature of said striping die adapter. The striping die includes one or more striping extrusion outlets for conveying striping extrusion material onto the extruded product. The striping die may also include a wishbone-shaped trough for delivering equal amounts of striping extrusion material to said extrusion outlets for extrusion onto the product.

An apparatus for extruding a jacket and/or insulative material onto an extruded product with one or more longitudinal stripes incorporated onto the surface of said extruded product comprising a body, a primary feed conduit for conveying a primary extrusion material, a striping die, a secondary feed conduit for conveying a secondary extrusion material, a striping die adapter, a striping feed conduit extending through the striping die adapter for conveying striping extrusion material. The striping die adapter may also include a thermocouple for maintaining the viscosity of the striping extrusion material and a thermocouple for monitoring the temperature of said striping die adapter. The striping die includes one or more striping extrusion outlets for conveying striping extrusion material onto the extruded product. The striping die may also include a wishbone-shaped trough for delivering equal amounts of striping extrusion material to said extrusion outlets for extrusion onto the product.

Automatic process control of additive manufacturing. The system includes an additive manufacturing device for making an object and a local network computer controlling the device. At least one camera is provided with a view of a manufacturing volume of the device to generate network accessible images of the object. The computer is programmed to stop the manufacturing process when the object is defective based en the images of the object.