The invention relates to mixing elements that have a larger number of basic geometric periods per section and an improved dispersing effect for multi-shaft screw extruders comprising screw shafts that co-rotate in pairs. The invention further relates to the use of the mixing elements in multi-shaft screw extruders, a corresponding screw extruder comprising the mixing elements, and a method for extruding kneadable materials.

A system for depositing a composite filler material into a channel of a composite structure includes an end-effector configured to extrude a bead of the filler material into the channel. The filler material can comprise a first group of relatively long fibers, a second group of relatively short fibers and a resin. A drive system is configured to move the end-effector relative to the channel, and a position sensor is configured to detect the position of the bead relative to the channel. A controller is configured to operate the drive system in response to the detected position and to operate the end-effector to heat and compress the filler material so as to orient the longer fibers in a substantially longitudinal direction relative to the channel and the shorter fibers in substantially random directions relative to the channel when the bead is extruded into the channel.

The present invention relates to a method enabling either the selection, the modification of existing and/or the creation of newly developed polymer materials which may provide an improved response to the application of a local shear and/or extensional deformation inside the polymer melt in different manufacturing technologies such as and without being exclusive injection molding (IM), injection stretch blow molding (ISBM), direct injection (DI), extrusion blow molding (EBM), sheet extrusion, thermoforming, etc. In addition, a method for manufacturing a polymer article is provided comprising injecting or extruding a molten polypropylene, polyethylene or polyester based polymer for converting it into a (semi) final shape while applying a shear and/or extensional deformation on the polymer melt, wherein applying shear and/or extensional deformation on the polymer melt comprises selectively modifying the flow path of the molten semi-crystallizable polymer as a function of local pressure profile over at least part of the flow path, said local pressure profile being determined as a function of optimized response of the polymer melt to the applied local shear and/or extensional deformation over at least said part of the flow path.

The invention relates to a monitoring method for monitoring the energy requirement of an extrusion installation (10), comprising the following steps: Setting of a balancing limit (20), in whose balancing space (22) the extrusion installation (10) is assembled, Monitoring of at least one energy flow (30) into the balancing space (22), Monitoring of a feed flow (40) of granules in the extrusion installation (10), Determining the relation between the at least one energy flow (30) and the feed flow (40).

Apparatus has a vacuum pump for conveying granular plastic resin material from a supply to receivers retaining and dispensing resin when needed by a process machine with a flow limiter connected to the suction head of the vacuum pump, with the vacuum pump being a controlled, variable speed device.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.

An extrusion blow molding method includes detecting an exit velocity of a tube exiting a head during a blow molding cycle for forming the tube. A melt accumulator receives part of the melt conveyed by an extruder or discharges melt in addition to the melt conveyed by the extruder in dependence on the detected exit velocity. The melt accumulator discharges melt if the detected exit velocity is less than a target value for the exit velocity and receives melt if the detected exit velocity is greater than the target value for the exit velocity.

The invention relates to a method for determining at least one layer property of a layer to be determined, in particular a foam layer (16), in an extrusion process, where a supply material (7) is at least partially foamed and an extrusion product (2) with the foam layer (16) is put out, comprising at least the following steps: a) irradiating said extrusion product (2) using electro-magnetic radiation (S), b) electro-magnetically measuring at least one radiation (R) having travelled through said foam layer (16), c) measuring at least one feed-in rate or feed-in volume of the supply material (7), and d) determining the at least one material property of said layer (16) to be determined from the measured feed-in volume (z) and the electro-magnetic measurement.

A molding member shape control device includes: a flowable molding material flow passage; a flow resistance member advancing into and withdrawing from the flowable molding material flow passage; a sensor measuring a speed of a molding member formed by extruding a molding material from the flowable molding material flow passage; and a control unit advancing and withdrawing the flow resistance member on the basis of a difference between a speed of the molding member measured by the sensor and a target speed of the molding member at a position of the sensor.