A system for opening and closing a mixing manifold includes a drive motor, a cam plate, and a valving rod connector. The drive motor imparts movement in first and second directions. Movement imparted in the first direction causes the cam plate to move linearly in a third direction and movement imparted in the second direction causes the cam plate to move linearly in a fourth direction. Movement of the cam plate in the third direction causes the valving rod connector to move linearly in a fifth direction and movement of the cam plate in the fourth direction causes the valving rod connector to move linearly in a sixth direction. Movement of the valving rod connector in the fifth direction causes retraction of a valving rod of the mixing manifold and movement of the valving rod connector in the sixth direction causes extension of the valving rod.

A system holds a roll of film that includes a core and film wound around the core. The system includes a rod having an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the core, a proximal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod, and a distal wing located on the rod and configured to rotate about the rod. Each of the proximal and distal wings includes contact surfaces configured to contact diametrically-opposed locations on a side of an inner surface of the core and non-contact surfaces that span between the contact surfaces of the wing. The non-contact surfaces of the wings do not contact the core if the core has a cylindrical shape. The distal wing is capable of rotating around the rod independently of the proximal wing.

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.

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 with a mixing and dispensing head of a multi-dimensional printing apparatus, linear movement of a mixing rod positioned within a mixing chamber of the mixing and dispensing head, at least along a central axis of the mixing chamber, is adjusted based on an operating condition of the printing apparatus and dispensing of mixed liquids from the mixing and dispensing head is stopped by stopping one or more pumps fluidly coupled to the mixing chamber and linearly moving the mixing rod upward and away from a dispensing nozzle of the mixing and dispensing head.

Various methods and systems are provided for mixing and dispensing viscous materials for the creation of additive structures. As one example, in a multi-dimensional printing apparatus, one or more materials flow into a mixing chamber via one or more corresponding inlet channels, a rotational speed of a mixing rod positioned within a mixing chamber is adjusted based on a volume of the mixing chamber and a flow rate of the one or more materials into the mixing chamber, the mixing rod including a set of straight cutaways extending along a length of a bottom portion of the mixing rod and forming flat side surfaces of the mixing rod; and a mixture of the one or more materials is dispensed from the mixing chamber via a dispensing nozzle of a mixing and dispensing head.

A component mixing jet including a jet nozzle housing with at least one component inlet and one component outlet. An axially movable jet needle is arranged in a reception in the jet nozzle housing and can rest against the jet nozzle housing with an axial end in the region of the component outlet in a sealable manner. The jet needle is connected with a membrane fixed in the jet nozzle housing. A pressure chamber is arranged in the jet nozzle housing at the side of the membrane averted from the axial end of the jet needle. The membrane is a holding element for the jet needle and guides the jet needle axially and holds it radially in the reception. The axial region between the membrane and the axial end of the jet needle is free from any bearing element for the jet needle in the region of the component outlet.

A longitudinal sealer includes a housing, an arm, and a heating element. The housing is configured to be installed in a foam-in-bag system. The arm is movably coupled to the housing. The heating element has a leading edge exposed through an exterior surface of the arm. A position of the arm with respect to the housing is controllable so that the arm is movable between a first location where the leading edge of the heating element is not in contact with a film in a film path of the foam-in-bag system and a second location where the leading edge of the heating element is in contact with the film in the film path of the foam-in-bag system.

A device for mixing at high-pressure two or more reactive liquid components or resins comprises a head-body provided with a mixing chamber with inlet and outlet openings for the injecting and recirculating reactive components; a single-piece tubular element, for delivering the mixture, communicates, through an intermediate transversal hole with the mixing chamber and slidingly houses a cleaning member; a valve member with longitudinal recirculation slots slides in the mixing chamber between a backward position, in which the inlet openings are released, and an advanced position, in which the inlet openings are put in communication with the respective outlet openings for recirculating the respective reactive components; the tubular element is removably inserted into a pass-through hole of the head-body, transversal to the mixing chamber, and it has an annular shoulder zone, separated and distant from the transversal hole; fixing elements removably lock the annular shoulder zone at the head-body for holding the tubular element in the aforesaid hole; a clearance gap between the tubular element and the pass-through hole of the head-body limits the contact area among them and minimizes the exchange of forces inside the hole; when the valve member is in the advanced position and penetrating into the hole of the tubular element, a gap, with a sealing element interposed, separates it from the aforesaid hole; between the surface of a cap and a second hole on the tubular elementobtained in a position opposite to the holea respective gap is defined and an elastic sealing is interposed; the aforesaid gaps are provided such that the connecting and engagement forces transmitted between the tubular element, the head-body and the spacer chamber are exchanged through the annular shoulder zone; sealing and centering elements keep the tubular element axially centred and separated from the hole by means of the gap, avoiding the direct contact between the respective cylindrical surfaces, and avoid leakages of polymeric mixture towards the clearance gap; similarly the sealing elements make it possible to avoid leakages of reacting polymeric mixture and to insert the front part of the valve element keeping a gap, i.e. without direct metal contact with the transversal hole, and to assemble the front cylindrical part of the cap keeping a gap, not in direct metal contact with the respective surface of the housing cylindrical hole; this prevents a coupling with metal-on-metal contact between the respective cylindrical surfaces from transmitting engagement forces between the tubular delivery element and the head-body. Deformation-detecting elements detect locally the deformation condi

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 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.