The problem to be solved is, when printing a 3D object by using a 3D printer of fused-deposition-modeling type or another type, to enable printing it even when the filament is not supported from underneath by avoiding filament drop by generating force to push the extruded filament to the neighbor filament, and to enable arraying the filaments to a horizontal direction. To avoid filament drop, force that pushes the newly extruded filament to the neighboring filament is generated, and filament drop is avoided. To do so, compression or extension power is generated by controlling the filament cross section by controlling the filament cross-section (i.e., the extrusion amount) and stiffness of the filament is controlled by controlling the temperature or light.

The instant disclosure provides a die assembly for producing an annular microcapillary product. The die assembly is operatively connectable to an extruder having a thermoplastic material passing therethrough. The die assembly includes a shell, an inner manifold, an outer manifold, and a die assembly. The inner and outer manifolds are positionable in the shell with matrix flow channels thereabout to receive the thermoplastic material therethrough such that matrix layers of the thermoplastic material are extrudable therefrom. The die insert is disposable between the inner and the outer manifolds, and has a distribution manifold with a tip at an end thereof defining microcapillary channels to pass a microcapillary material therethrough whereby microcapillaries are formed between the matrix layers.

An apparatus, such as an extruding machine, configured to form a sheath, e.g. insulative layer, over an elongate member, e.g. a wire cable including an extruder to apply the material forming the sheath, a drive mechanism configured to move the elongate member through the extruder at a line speed, a thickness sensor to determine the thickness of the material, and a controller. The controller is programmed to determine a deviation between the actual material thickness a desired thickness, determine a correction factor value based on the deviation between the actual thickness and the desired thickness of the material applied, and adjust the line speed, via the drive mechanism, based on the line speed, an extruder feeder speed, the correction factor value and a material factor value that is based on rheological properties of the material. A method of operating such an extruding machine is also presented.

A process for forming a film for dynamically vulcanized alloy comprising at least one elastomer dispersed within a thermoplastic resin domain wherein the film is characterized by low shrinkage rates after completion of the formation of the extruded film. The film has a shrinkage rate, measured at not earlier than 96 hours after formation of the film, of less than 1.5% relative to the film width as measured just after film formation. During formation of the film, the extruded film is subjected to a cooling rate of less than 97 C. per second and the frost line of the extruded film is greater than 135 mm.

Silicone tube structures are formed having a particular dimensional accuracy. In one embodiment, a silicone tube structure can include an extruded hollow body having an inner bore. The extruded hollow body can have an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a length of at least approximately 20 m. The extruded hollow body can also have a dimensional accuracy that is measured by the standard deviation of the inner diameter being no greater than approximately 0.8% of an average inner diameter of the extruded hollow body over the length. In an embodiment, the silicone tube structure can be cut to form a number of silicone tubes.

An additive manufacturing guide for variable size additive manufacturing is provided. The additive manufacturing guide includes an actuator movable between a maximum flow position and a minimum flow position. The additive manufacturing guide also includes an adjustable port defining a variable area outlet aperture. The actuator is configured to deform the adjustable port to selectively resize the variable area outlet aperture. The maximum flow position corresponds to a maximum area of the variable area outlet aperture and the minimum flow position corresponds to a minimum area of the variable area outlet aperture. An additive manufacturing system including the additive manufacturing guide is also provided. A method of additive manufacturing with variable bead sizes using the additive manufacturing guide is further provided.