Various methods and systems are provided for mixing and dispensing viscous materials for the creation of additive structures. As one example, during a mixing and dispensing operation of a multi-dimensional printing apparatus, one or more liquids may flow into a mixing chamber via one or more material inlets arranged in a wall of the mixing chamber below a high pressure bearing of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber; and movement of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber is adjusted based on an operating condition of the printing apparatus.

A system includes a dip tube, a feed line, and a check valve. The dip tube is inserted through an opening in a source of chemical precursor and into the chemical precursor in the source. A portion of the feed line is located in the dip tube. The feed line passes out of the dip tube. The chemical precursor is capable of flowing out of the source through the feed line in a downstream direction. The check valve is located in the portion of the feed line in the dip tube. The check valve permits the chemical precursor to pass substantially only in the downstream direction. The feed line is coupled to a transfer pump that draws the chemical precursor out of the source through the portion of the feed line in the dip tube.

An injector device for supplying a chemically reactive component to a mixing head includes a modular structure defined by a hollow housing and guiding body extending around a longitudinal symmetry axis and having one or more supply openings for supplying the chemically reactive component; in the hollow body a nozzle orifice is obtained arranged to face and communicate with a mixing chamber obtained in the mixing head; a pin-shaped partialization and control element, which is housed and slidably movable—along the longitudinal symmetry axis—in the hollow body and configured to vary a narrowed active section of the nozzle orifice; on the partialization and control element a tip portion is obtained that is conformed to receive pressure from the respective polymer component delivered to said hollow body so as to move away said partialization and control element from said nozzle orifice to vary the area of said narrowed active section; a modular adjusting and contrasting unit, which is removably couplable with the hollow body and with the partialization and control element and configured to exert an axisymmetric thrust action on the partialization and control element to arrange the partialization and control element in an initial position and preload condition to adapt the narrowed active section to a reference flowrate and pressure of the polymer component and subsequently to vary the position of said partialization and control element to adjust the narrowed active section according to the flowrate variation, exerting the contrasting force that is suitable for balancing the pressure exerted by the polymer component; the modular adjusting and contrasting unit includes a series of interchangeable elastic elements of conical disc shape, configured to exert a non-linear elastic action that is such as to contain the retracting stroke of the partialization and control element, limiting as much as possible the pressure variation at the variation of the flowrate of the respective polymer component entering the hollow housing and guiding body; the modular adjusting and contrasting unit, the tip portion and the nozzle orifice cooperate mutually to confer to the injector device a geometric conformation with high section gain, corresponding to a high ratio between the variation of the area of narrowed active section and the longitudinal shift of the partialization and control element.

The invention relates to a mixing chamber in which a first liquid comes into contact with a second liquid, and a gas injection device designed to inject a gas into the mixing chamber, wherein the gas injection device comprises: a gas source to provide the gas at a predetermined pressure, and a metering unit to limit the gas provided by the gas source to a predetermined flow rate, wherein the metering unit is in contact with the mixing chamber on a gas outlet side of the metering unit, wherein the gas outlet side of the metering unit comprises an elongated gap, wherein the gas passes out of the metering unit into the mixing chamber via the elongated gap, and wherein the gas passes out of the metering unit into the mixing chamber.

A nozzle unit for a reaction molding machine, comprising an inlet channel prepared for connection to a mixing head outlet and comprising a first dispensing nozzle, which is prepared for applying a reactive mixture and which is connected to the inlet channel in a first operating state, a second dispensing nozzle being present, which is connected to the inlet channel in a second operating state and which is likewise prepared for applying a reactive mixture. Further disclosed is a mixing head device for a reaction molding machine having the nozzle unit, to a reaction molding machine having the mixing head device, and to a method for producing a plastic part.

A fluid dispenser (10) includes a housing (12) and a valving rod (14). The housing includes an inlet (28) that receives a fluid product, an internal chamber (26) in fluid communication with the inlet, a discharge port (20) in fluid communication with the internal chamber that dispenses fluid from the internal chamber, a dispensing fluid inlet (38) that receives a dispensing fluid, and a dispensing fluid passage system that carries the dispensing fluid to the discharge port. The valving rod is disposed in the housing and moves within the internal chamber between an open position and a closed position. The dispensing fluid passage system includes a first passageway (44) that carries the dispensing fluid in a first direction and a second passageway (48) that carries the dispensing fluid in a second direction. The second passageway has a distal end that dispenses the dispensing fluid proximate the discharge port.

A mixing module includes two inlets, an integrator, and a valve member. The integrator has two chambers each having a near end and a far end, and the valve member is movable between two positions. One of the inlets is connected to the near end of one of the chambers and the other inlet is connected to the near end of the other chamber when the valve is in one position. When the valve is in the other position, one of the inlets is disconnected from the chambers and the near ends of the chambers are connected.

A mixing device includes a first feed opening for a first liquid—preferably gas-laden—plastics component, a second feed opening for a second liquid plastics component, and a discharge opening for discharging a mixture of the first and the second liquid plastics component. The mixing device has a rotating agitator for mixing the first and second liquid plastics components, and a gap remains between the agitator and the discharge opening. An adjustment device is provided which either varies the gap by a relative movement between the discharge opening and the agitator, or varies the size of the discharge opening. A regulating device is connected in signal-transmitting fashion to a sensor for determining a pressure prevailing in the mixing device. The regulating device sets the gap, or the size of the discharge opening, by the adjustment device such that the pressure prevailing in the mixing device has a predetermined value.

A system includes a source, a detector, and a controller. The source is configured to emit electromagnetic energy toward two plies of film. A portion of the emitted electromagnetic energy is within a range of wavelengths. The detector is arranged to detect electromagnetic energy propagating away from the two plies of film. The detector detects electromagnetic energy within the range of wavelengths and generates signals indicative of intensity of detected electromagnetic energy. The controller controls operation of the foam-in-bag system based the signals from the detector. The film is transmissive of electromagnetic energy in the range of wavelengths. When dispensed between the two plies of film, one or both of foaming chemical precursors or foam formed from a reaction thereof is opaque to electromagnetic energy in the range of wavelengths.

A system includes a dispenser, first and second feed lines, and heating zones. The dispenser dispenses a first chemical precursor and a second chemical precursor. The first feed line permits flow of the first chemical precursor from a first source to the dispenser. The second feed line permits flow of the second chemical precursor from a second source to the dispenser. The heating zones are located along the first and second feed lines. The heating zones include a first heating zone located around a first portion of the first feed line and a second heating zone located around a first portion of the second feed line. The first heating zone and the second heating zone are independently controllable to independently control temperature around the first portion of the first feed line and temperature around the first portion of the second feed line.