A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device having a housing configured for manipulation by a user's hand and to accept a feed stock that is, in certain embodiments, a strand of thermoplastic. The drawing device has a nozzle assembly with an exit nozzle and a motor connected to a gear train that engages the strand of thermoplastic feed stock such that rotation of the motor causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.

In a method of manufacturing an object, a filament is fed to an extrusion head. The filament has a semi-crystalline polymeric reinforcement portion and a polymeric matrix portion. The temperature of the filament is raised in the extrusion head above the melting point of the matrix portion but below the melting point of the reinforcement portion so that the matrix portion of the filament melts within the extrusion head, thereby forming a partially molten filament within the extrusion head. The reinforcement portion of the partially molten filament remains in a semi-crystalline state as it is extruded from the extrusion head. Relative movement is generated between the extrusion head and the substrate as the partially molten filament is extruded onto the substrate in order to form an extruded line on the substrate. The matrix portion of the extruded line solidifies after the extruded line has been formed on the substrate.

In a method and a corresponding device for producing an extrudate, starting products are introduced into an extrusion container, heated, and homogeneously intermixed by dual asymmetric centrifugation of the extrusion container. The extrusion container is rotated about a primary rotation axis that extends outside the extrusion container, and is simultaneously rotated about a secondary rotation axis that extends through the extrusion container and is situated at an acute angle with respect to the primary rotation axis. Lastly, the intermixed starting products are jointly extruded from the extrusion container. The method and the corresponding device are particularly suitable for processing small and very small substance quantities.

An extruder has a barrel extending from a feed inlet end to an extruder outlet end. The barrel has an inner surface, an outer surface, and a wall thickness between the inner and outer surfaces. The extruder also has at least one heating member positioned provided on the barrel; a screw drive motor drivingly connected to a rotatably mounted screw positioned within the barrel, whereby the screw is rotatable at various revolutions per minute (RPM); and a controller is operably connected to the screw drive motor to adjust the RPM of the screw based upon a temperature of material passing through and/or being extruded from the barrel. Methods for operating an extruder filling a mold are also provided.

A printhead a supplying portion with a supplying opening of a filament; a melting portion to melt a filament supplied; a discharging portion having a discharging opening to discharge the melted filament. A heat insulating portion between the supplying portion and the melting portion are integrally formed to effectively suppress heat in the melting portion conducting to the supplying portion even when the melting portion is heated to high temperature, to maintain the temperature of the supplying portion to an appropriate temperature, and to efficiently utilize heat by the melting portion as a result of heating the melting portion.

A poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or alkylsulfate, in combination are useful as a polymer processing additive synergist. Polymer processing additive compositions, homogeneously catalyzed olefin compositions, and other extrudable polymer compositions including a poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or alkylsulfate are disclosed. Methods of reducing melt defects during the extrusion of a thermoplastic polymer, which may be a homogeneously catalyzed polyolefin, are also disclosed.

Provided is a tube comprising a tetrafluoroethylene/fluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, wherein the tube inner surface has a surface roughness Ra of 5 nm or less measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) with an evaluation length set to 3 μm, and the tube has an amount of metals eluted from the tube inner surface of 0.30 ng/cm.sup.2 or less.

The invention relates to a low pressure extruder (3) for manufacturing a low density plastic composite material, characterized in that, the volume between the cylinder and the screw per unit length is not decreased along the direction from the hopper to the die in order that the mixture is extruded at low pressure in the melted state out of the cylinder of the extruder; the die is heated by the heater to maintain the melted state of the material in order not to create resistance to the flow in the process of pushing the material mixture out of the cylinder of the extruder. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method and equipment for manufacturing this material.

A printing apparatus for 3D printing of feedstock. The printing apparatus comprises a hollow nozzle having an inlet and an outlet. The nozzle is mounted within a heating body that holds and heats the nozzle whereby the feedstock passing through the nozzle is heated prior to exiting the outlet. The nozzle can be mounted within the heating body such that an exterior surface of a portion of the nozzle locates outside of and extends away from the heating body to be exposed to ambient atmosphere. As a result, the temperature of the nozzle can vary across the nozzle.

A three-dimensional (3D) drawing pen can include a housing that has a port that permits insertion of a strand of material into the housing, an actuator for controlling a movement of the strand, and a nozzle assembly configured to permit the strand to be extruded out of the 3D drawing pen in a form that retains its shape against gravity in free space to draw a 3D object.