Provided is a kneading device that can check a progress of wear of an inner wall face of a kneading chamber provided in a casing without stopping the kneading device. A kneading device includes a sensor-mount space provided in a wall of a casing, a wear detecting sensor of which a detecting section is disposed at a bottom of the sensor-mount space, and a controller that receives a signal output from the wear detecting sensor, the controller including a wear determining unit that determines that wear of an inner wall face of a kneading chamber has progressed based on a change in the signal.

An injection molding apparatus and method of fabricating a molded part are provided. The apparatus may include a barrel, a nozzle enclosing an end of the barrel and defining an opening in fluid communication with an inside of the barrel, and an extrusion screw positioned at least partially inside the barrel and rotatable relative to the barrel. The extrusion screw may include a screw tip. Relative axial movement between the barrel and the extrusion screw may open or close the opening of the nozzle to permit or prevent, respectively, material flow through the opening of the nozzle. The method may include clamping a mold, opening a nozzle, rotating the extrusion screw to pump a molten material into the mold until the mold is filled, closing the nozzle, and unclamping the mold to release a molded part.

A method of processing solid polymer particles of a poly condensate by a multi-rotation system. Polymer particles are melted in a first extruder section having an extruder screw that rotates. The partly molten polymer mass containing between 5% by volume and 50% by volume of unmolten polymer particles is passed into a second extruder section with a poly-rotation unit and multiple satellite screws that rotate therein. A diameter of the poly-rotation unit is increased compared to the screw diameter of the first extruder section and a transition cone is formed between the extruder sections and a conical gap is formed with respect to the housing. Ambient pressure plastification of the remaining polymer particles is performed by passage through a drive zone. The polymer mass is guided completely molten in the drive zone onward through a venting zone under reduced pressure.

The invention relates an extrusion device (100) for extruding a semi¬finished product made of elastomeric material, comprising an extrusion body (10) extending along a feeding direction (A) and a pump (20) arranged downstream of the extrusion body (10) along said feeding direction (A). The extrusion body (10) comprises a hopper (30) for loading an elastomeric material and an extrusion screw (50) extending along said feeding direction (A) and having an inlet portion (50a) arranged close to the hopper (30) and an exit portion (50b) arranged close to the pump (20). The extrusion body (10) also comprises a motorised roller (40) arranged at the inlet portion (50a) of the extrusion screw (50) and configured to receive the elastomeric material from the hopper (30) and feed it to the extrusion screw (30). The extrusion screw (50) has a length and a diameter such that the ratio between length and diameter is comprised between 4 mm and 8 mm. The invention also relates to an extrusion process carried out through the aforementioned extrusion device (100).

The invention relates an extrusion device (100) for extruding a semi-finished product made of elastomeric material, comprising an extrusion body (10) extending along a feeding direction (A) and a pump (20) arranged downstream of the extrusion body (10) along said feeding direction (A). The extrusion body (10) comprises a hopper (30) for loading an elastomeric material and an extrusion screw (50) extending along said feeding direction (A) and having an inlet portion (50a) arranged close to the hopper (30) and an exit portion (50b) arranged close to the pump (20). The extrusion body (10) also comprises a motorised roller (40) arranged at the inlet portion (50a) of the extrusion screw (50) and configured to receive the elastomeric material from the hopper (30) and feed it to the extrusion screw (30). The extrusion screw (50) has a length and a diameter such that the ratio between length and diameter is comprised between 4 mm and 8 mm. The invention also relates to an extrusion process carried out through the aforementioned extrusion device (100).

An injection molding apparatus and method of fabricating a molded part are provided. The apparatus may include a barrel, a nozzle enclosing an end of the barrel and defining an opening in fluid communication with an inside of the barrel, and an extrusion screw positioned at least partially inside the barrel and rotatable relative to the barrel. The extrusion screw may include a screw tip. Relative axial movement between the barrel and the extrusion screw may open or close the opening of the nozzle to permit or prevent, respectively, material flow through the opening of the nozzle. The method may include clamping a mold, opening a nozzle, rotating the extrusion screw to pump a molten material into the mold until the mold is filled, closing the nozzle, and unclamping the mold to release a molded part.

Methods and apparatuses for encoding and/or decoding digital images or video streams, wherein the encoding apparatus includes a processor configured for reading a portion of the image (f), computing difference values between pixel values of the image, quantizing such pixel difference values for obtaining a quantized weight map (W), computing an edge map (f) composed by elements (f.sub.i) indicating whether a corresponding pixel of the portion of the image is an edge or not on the basis of the quantized weight map, determining a reconstructed weight map (W) on the basis of the edge map (f), determining a graph transform matrix (U) on the basis of the reconstructed weight map (W), computing transform coefficients (f{circumflex over ()}) on the basis of the graph transform matrix (U) and said portion of the image (f), transmitting the computed transform coefficients (f{circumflex over ()}) and the edge map (f).

An extrusion assembly, a method of constructing an extrusion assembly, and an additive manufacturing system including an extrusion assembly are disclosed. The extrusion assembly includes an extrusion die; a channel having an inlet and an outlet, which is in fluid communication with the extrusion die; and a heating element that melts a filament material drive through the channel so that the melted material is extruded by the extrusion die. The heating element can be helically wound about the channel or extend parallel to the channel, among other configurations. Further, the extrusion assembly includes a temperature sensor that is positioned adjacent to the channel between the extrusion die and the heating element. The channel, heating element, and temperature sensor are enclosed together within a sheath as a single integral unit. An additive manufacturing system utilizing the extrusion assembly can include a drive assembly, a support assembly, and a controller.

A screw extruder for extruding a kneaded material includes a screw and a casing housing the screw and having a material supply port on an upstream side in an extrusion direction of the kneaded material and a tip-side opening on a downstream side in the extrusion direction. A pressure sensor for measuring a pressure inside the casing is provided between a downstream end of the supply port and the tip-side opening of the casing. A rotational speed of the screw is controlled depending on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor.

An injection molding apparatus and method of fabricating a molded part are provided. The apparatus may include a barrel, a nozzle enclosing an end of the barrel and defining an opening in fluid communication with an inside of the barrel, and an extrusion screw positioned at least partially inside the barrel and rotatable relative to the barrel. The extrusion screw may include a screw tip. Relative axial movement between the barrel and the extrusion screw may open or close the opening of the nozzle to permit or prevent, respectively, material flow through the opening of the nozzle. The method may include clamping a mold, opening a nozzle, rotating the extrusion screw to pump a molten material into the mold until the mold is filled, closing the nozzle, and unclamping the mold to release a molded part.