Apparatus and methods for extruding plastic materials are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a feeding portion; a melting portion in communication with the feeding portion and configured to transmit heat into material received from the feeding portion; and an output die in communication with the melting portion to permit extrusion of the material. The melting portion comprises: a melting barrel having an inner surface defining a melting chamber in communication with the feeding portion; and a melting insert inside the melting chamber. The melting insert comprises an outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the melting barrel where the outer surface comprises one or more open-ended channels formed therein. In some embodiments, the feeding portion and the melting portion may be thermally insulated from each other and a propeller of the feeding portion may be disposed entirely outside of the melting portion.

Apparatus and methods for extruding plastic materials are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a feeding portion; a melting portion in communication with the feeding portion and configured to transmit heat into material received from the feeding portion; and an output die in communication with the melting portion to permit extrusion of the material. The melting portion comprises: a melting barrel having an inner surface defining a melting chamber in communication with the feeding portion; and a melting insert inside the melting chamber. The melting insert comprises an outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the melting barrel where the outer surface comprises one or more open-ended channels formed therein. In some embodiments, the feeding portion and the melting portion may be thermally insulated from each other and a propeller of the feeding portion may be disposed entirely outside of the melting portion.

An extruder screw for the plasticizing of at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture, with a melting zone, a wave zone and a mixing zone arranged between the melting zone and the wave zone, wherein a conveying web extending in a helix-like manner along a screw longitudinal axis is formed in the melting zone and in the wave zone, wherein a conveying web of the melting zone terminates at an end of the melting zone facing the mixing zone, and a conveying web of the wave zone begins at an end facing the mixing zone. The application also relates to an extrusion device with this extruder screw, and a method for plasticizing at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture.

There is provided with a screw that is inserted into a cylinder an inside of which a material is loaded, and is rotatably supported in both end portions on an upstream side and a downstream side, or in an end portion on the upstream side, in the cylinder; a first kneading blade including a plurality of first blades that are helically provided on the screw and send the material toward the downstream side with rotation of the screw; and a second kneading blade including a second blade that is helically provided on the screw and returns the material, which is sent toward the downstream side by the first kneading blade, toward the upstream side, the number of blades in the second blade being smaller than the number of blades in the first blade.

There is provided with a screw that is inserted into a cylinder an inside of which a material is loaded, and is rotatably supported in both end portions on an upstream side and a downstream side, or in an end portion on the upstream side, in the cylinder; a first kneading blade including a plurality of first blades that are helically provided on the screw and send the material toward the downstream side with rotation of the screw; and a second kneading blade including a second blade that is helically provided on the screw and returns the material, which is sent toward the downstream side by the first kneading blade, toward the upstream side, the number of blades in the second blade being smaller than the number of blades in the first blade.

A co-rotating self-cleaning two-screw extruder with a gradual number of threads and through self-cleaning function, and a processing method using the same, are disclosed. The screw assembly in the extruder includes a first screw (3) and a second screw (4) that co-rotate at the same speed in engagement; the first screw (3) includes a first single threaded element, a first transition element, a multiple threaded element, a second transition element and a second single threaded element that are connected in sequence; and the second screw (4) includes a first single threaded element, a third transition element, a multiple threaded element, a fourth transition element and a second single threaded element that are connected in sequence. The materials are transferred by rotation of the first (3) and second screws (4), and get their respective compositions mixed based on the structure of a gradual number of threads; with the flow passage expanded, contracted and re-expanded in shape in sequence, the materials undergo the single-to-multiple threaded, multiple-to-single threaded and again single-to-multiple threaded chaotic mixing in sequence; and the first and second screws achieve the self-cleaning effect by wiping each other.

An additive manufacturing system may include an extruder. The extruder may include a barrel having a bore. Additionally, the extruder may include an extruder screw at least partially received within the bore of the barrel. The additive manufacturing system also may include a gear pump fluidly coupled to the bore of the barrel. The extruder screw may extend at least partially into the gear pump.

A twin-screw extrusion kneader includes: two rotating shafts provided side by side in an internal space; a rotational driving portion configured to rotationally drive the rotating shafts; and paddles provided in the rotating shafts and configured to rotate along with the rotating shafts so as to knead a kneading material. Further, the twin-screw extrusion kneader includes movable portions provided as members constituting a part of the housing, the part of the housing including an inner wall surface of the housing, the inner wall surface being opposed to radially outer peripheral surfaces of the paddles. The movable portions can be moved in a direction to approach the paddles and in a direction to be distanced from the paddles. The twin-screw extrusion kneader can control the viscosity of electrode paste by moving the movable portions.

An additive manufacturing system may include an extruder. The extruder may include a barrel having a bore. Additionally, the extruder may include an extruder screw at least partially received within the bore of the barrel. The additive manufacturing system also may include a gear pump fluidly coupled to the bore of the barrel. The extruder screw may extend at least partially into the gear pump.

A continuous kneading device including a pair of kneading rotors, capable of increasing mesh between the kneading rotors while also suppressing a kneading load applied to the kneading rotors. The continuous kneading device including a barrel and a pair of kneading rotors housed in the barrel. The kneading rotors rotate in mesh in directions different from each other. Each kneading rotor includes a plurality of kneading flights for kneading a material supplied into the barrel. The material is fed axially from the upstream kneading section to the downstream kneading section to be sequentially kneaded. The kneading flight constituting the downstream kneading section has a rotational outer diameter larger than a rotational outer diameter of the kneading flight constituting the upstream kneading section.