The present disclosure provides a pellet. In an embodiment, the pellet includes a body having a first end and an opposing second end. The body is composed of a polymeric material. The body has a length, a diameter (body diameter) and a channel. The channel has a diameter (channel diameter), the channel extends through the body from the first end to the second end. An additive in is the channel.

An extruder or other similar tool head of a three-dimensional printer is slidably mounted along a feedpath of build material so that the extruder can move into and out of contact with a build surface according to whether build material is being extruded. The extruder may be spring-biased against the forward feedpath so that the extruder remains above the build surface in the absence of applied forces, and then moves downward into a position for extrusion when build material is fed into the extruder. In another aspect, modular tool heads are disclosed that can be automatically coupled to and removed from the three-dimensional printer by a suitable robotics system. A tool crib may be provided to store multiple tool heads while not in use.

The present disclosure discloses a method and a device for controlling a temperature of a barrel of a Thixomolding machine, and a Thixomolding machine. The method includes: acquiring a first barrel temperature of the Thixomolding machine, wherein the first barrel temperature indicates a temperature of at least part of barrel sections; delaying, by the Thixomolding machine, an injection operation when the first barrel temperature is in a preset temperature range; recording a first parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates consumption of magnesium material in the barrel of the Thixomolding machine; and increasing the first barrel temperature according to a set rule when the first parameter reaches a first threshold.

A method for rapid manufacturing of three dimensional discontinuous fiber preforms is provided. The method includes the deposition of a polymeric material containing fibers on a surface to form a tailored charge for compression molding. The reinforced polymeric material may be a thermoplastic or a reactive polymer with viscosity low enough to allow flow through an orifice during deposition, yet high enough zero shear viscosity to retain the approximate shape of the deposited charge. The material can be deposited in a predetermined pattern to induce the desired mechanical properties through alignment of the fibers. This deposition can be performed in a single layer or in multiple layers. The alignment is achieved passively by shear alignment of the fibers or actively through fiber orientation control or mixing. The fibers can be of the desired material, length, and morphology, including short and long filaments.

An extruder configured to extrude a solid raw material containing moisture includes a barrel, a hopper coupled to one side of the barrel, a discharge port, a screw, vent disposed between the hopper and the discharge port to discharge vapor generated within the barrel; and a heater mounted on the barrel to heat the raw material. Raw material introduced into the barrel through the hopper is heated by the heater while being transferred within the barrel through the screw. A kneading zone, in which raw materials transferred by the screw threads are compressed, is formed on the screw. Since the raw material is melted within the barrel, a heating temperature of the heater and an axial rotation speed of the screw are controlled so that a sealing membrane that shields an inner transverse section of the barrel is formed from the liquid raw material in the kneading zone.

In one embodiment, a method of forming an extruded board includes mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate, forming a board with the differentially expanded voids and uniformly colored extrudate, and forming lightened portions on an outermost surface of the formed board.

A molding apparatus, a cigarette filter rod and a preparation method thereof are disclosed. The molding apparatus comprises a single-screw extrusion system and a cooling setting system. The single-screw extrusion system comprises a feeder and an extruder. The feeder is arranged on the extruder. The extruder comprises a cylinder. A heater is arranged outside the cylinder. A screw is arranged inside the cylinder, and a mouth mold is arranged at one end of the cylinder. The cooling setting system comprises a round tube and a cooler. The cooler (6) is arranged outside the round tube. One end of the round tube is butted with the mouth mold of the extruder; and multiple groups of grooves are formed on threads of the head of the screw.

A conveyance portion, a barrier portion, and a path are provided at places of a portion of a screw main body in which a kneading portion is provided. In at least one of the places, an entrance is opened to cause raw materials, conveyance of which is limited by a barrier portion to increase pressure on the raw materials, to flow in. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the path in the opposite direction to a conveyance direction of the conveyance portion. An exit is opened in an outer circumferential surface of the screw main body at a position outside the conveyance portion in which the entrance is opened.

An extruder or other similar tool head of a three-dimensional printer is slidably mounted along a feedpath of build material so that the extruder can move into and out of contact with a build surface according to whether build material is being extruded. The extruder may be spring-biased against the forward feedpath so that the extruder remains above the build surface in the absence of applied forces, and then moves downward into a position for extrusion when build material is fed into the extruder. In another aspect, modular tool heads are disclosed that can be automatically coupled to and removed from the three-dimensional printer by a suitable robotics system. A tool crib may be provided to store multiple tool heads while not in use.

A method of filling a mold comprising filling a majority of a mold cavity with an extrudate from at least one extruder wherein the extrudate, which is conveyed to an inlet of the mold, is at a pressure of 1-500 psi, subsequently isolating the mold cavity from a conduit which conveys the extrudate to the mold cavity, and subsequently using a pressurization member to fill a remainder of the mold cavity with additional extrudate, wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 500 psi on the additional extrudate.