Improvements in the extrusion of thermohardenable materials are achieved by cooling the material in the initial zone of the extruder and reducing residence time by use of a prescribed length to diameter ratio and screw speed, particularly useful for intermittent application during robotically controlled mass production.

Present invention is related to an extrusion equipment for processing a fibre composite. The extrusion equipment comprises a decompression and a melt tank arranged and operated vertically along with the direction of gravity. The melt tank comprises a melt tank impregnation section and a melt tank control section with a melt tank cavity as a channel condition defined within. The channel has its inner diameter or passage gradually decreased from top to bottom. The extrusion equipment provided by the present invention is configured in the direction of gravity for processing the melted thermoplastic resin and the fibre vertically for avoiding fibre fracture or breakage and improving the quality of the final products. As the melted plastic is processed vertically along with the gravity, the melted plastic could transfer or pass through the channel quickly without resulting decomposition due to the high heat and the long retention time in the cavity.

Present invention is related to an extrusion equipment for processing a fibre composite. The extrusion equipment comprises a decompression and a melt tank arranged and operated vertically along with the direction of gravity. The melt tank comprises a melt tank impregnation section and a melt tank control section with a melt tank cavity as a channel condition defined within. The channel has its inner diameter or passage gradually decreased from top to bottom. The extrusion equipment provided by the present invention is configured in the direction of gravity for processing the melted thermoplastic resin and the fibre vertically for avoiding fibre fracture or breakage and improving the quality of the final products. As the melted plastic is processed vertically along with the gravity, the melted plastic could transfer or pass through the channel quickly without resulting decomposition due to the high heat and the long retention time in the cavity.

A worm shaft for a mixing and kneading machine particularly for continual processing having a shaft bar, on the circumferential surface of which blade elements are arranged to be spaced apart from one another extending outwards from the circumferential surface of the shaft bar, wherein the blade elements are arranged on the circumferential surface of the shaft bar, at least in one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, in two rows extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, and wherein each of the blade elements of the at least one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft has an elliptic, oval, or biconvex outer peripheral surface in the top view.

With a mixing and kneading machine (100), wherein a worm shaft (12) moves in a housing (10) in a rotating manner and moves back and forth in a translatory movement, receptacles for kneading elements (12) are distributed non-uniformly. It is thereby possible to equip the receptacles with varying numbers of kneading elements. Quick adaptation is also thereby possible. In one embodiment, the number of kneading elements even varies over the extension direction of the mixing and kneading machine (100).

A worm shaft for a mixing and kneading machine in particular for continuous preparation processes, comprising a shaft rod, on the circumferential surface of which blade elements are arranged which are spaced apart from one another and which extend outward from the circumferential surface of the shaft rod, wherein the blade elements are arranged on the shaft rod, at least in one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, in three rows extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, wherein at least one of the blade elements of one of the rows is different from one of the blade elements of one of the other rows, and/or the rows of blade elements, viewed in cross-section of the shaft rod, are distributed irregularly over the circumference defined by the outer circumferential surface of the shaft rod, and wherein the angular distance between the midpoints M of the outer circumferential surfaces of the blade elements on the circumferential surface of the shaft rod of adjacent rows differs between at least two of the three rows of the at least other two rows, and including wherein, for example, each of the blade elements of the at least one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft has a longitudinal extension which extends in an angle of 45° to 135° to the axial direction of the worm shaft.

A twin screw extruder (10) for producing a fiber-reinforced resin composition, which is obtained by charging the extruder with a thermoplastic resin and reinforcing fibers in roving form and the reinforcing fibers being fibrillated/cut and being dispersed/kneaded into the thermoplastic resin, comprises: a plate-shaped blade (15), which protrudes from the inner surface of a cylinder (11) and faces a screw (20) and the longitudinal direction of which faces the axial direction of the cylinder; and a height adjustment means (16) for adjusting the gap between the blade (15) and the screw (20).

A worm shaft for a mixing and kneading machine in particular for continuous preparation processes, comprising a shaft rod, on the circumferential surface of which blade elements are arranged which are spaced apart from one another and which extend outward from the circumferential surface of the shaft rod, wherein the blade elements are arranged on the shaft rod, at least in one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, in three rows extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft, wherein at least one of the blade elements of one of the rows is different from one of the blade elements of one of the other rows, and/or the rows of blade elements, viewed in cross-section of the shaft rod, are distributed irregularly over the circumference defined by the outer circumferential surface of the shaft rod, and wherein the angular distance between the midpoints M of the outer circumferential surfaces of the blade elements on the circumferential surface of the shaft rod of adjacent rows differs between at least two of the three rows of the at least other two rows, and including wherein, for example, each of the blade elements of the at least one section extending in the axial direction of the worm shaft has a longitudinal extension which extends in an angle of 45° to 135° to the axial direction of the worm shaft.

An improved extruder apparatus is disclosed and which includes a cylindrical barrel having a feed end and a discharge end, the feed end having an inlet in fluid communication with a hopper. The extruder screw is mounted in the cylindrical barrel, and the screw has an outer surface having one or more helical flights mounted thereon, wherein the inlet end of the cylindrical barrel has a support frame mounted thereto, wherein an upper surface of the support frame is connected to a throat of a hopper, wherein an insert is mounted to the support frame and has a lower end which extends down into the cylindrical barrel, wherein the insert has an internal passageway having a first opening on the lower end and a second opening upstream of the screw for relieving the pressure.

A liquefier tube (5) of an extrusion head (4) for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system (1). The liquefier tube (5) describes a passageway (P) having an inlet portion (57) and an outlet (55) downstream of the inlet portion (57). The inlet portion (57) has a substantially circular cross-section for receipt of a filament of material. The passageway (P) transitions from the inlet portion (57) to a non-circular portion (53) downstream of the inlet portion (57) and having a non-circular cross-section.