A processing system for bulk material comprises a processing device for the bulk material, at least one bulk material storage container for storing the bulk material, a bulk material dosing device connected to the at least one bulk material storage container for dosed discharge of the bulk material from the bulk material storage container, a bulk material downcomer connected to the bulk material dosing device for conveying the bulk material into the processing device, at least one additive feed for feeding an additive, an additive dosing device connected to the at least one additive feed for dosed discharge of the additive from the additive feed, and an additive downcomer connected to the additive dosing device for conveying the additive into the processing device, wherein the bulk material downcomer directly connects the bulk material dosing device to the processing device.

A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form includes a powder container for receiving building material in powder form and a filling chamber for filling in building material in powder form into the powder container. The powder discharge unit is configured to fluidise the building material in powder form in the powder container and the building material in powder form in the filling chamber independently of one another.

A conveying device for conveying a viscous material from a container includes a follower plate that can be inserted into the container, and a pump by means of which the viscous material can be conveyed through the follower plate. Moreover, a measuring chamber for accommodation of a measuring sample of the viscous material is provided. The measuring chamber includes a closable material inlet opening for this purpose. A closable disposal line leads away from the measuring chamber. Moreover, a closable material return line extends from the measuring chamber via the follower plate into the container. The conveying device also includes a controller that is designed and can be operated appropriately such that it determines the compressibility of each of multiple measuring samples. The controller opens the disposal line or the material return line to the measuring sample present in the measuring chamber as a function of the compressibility thus determined.

A powdery-material feeding device includes a controller configured to selectively conduct constantly keeping-control of constantly keeping rotational speed of a motor, current or voltage applied to the motor without any change as a manipulated variable for a predetermined period, or feedback-control of repetitively obtaining a difference between a discharge flow rate of the powdery material and a target value thereof at predetermined cycles and adjusting by increasing or decreasing the manipulated variable at each of the predetermined cycles in order to reduce the difference, the controller conducts the constantly keeping-control immediately after a motor starts, shifts to the feedback-control when the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof has an absolute value less than a threshold after the period for the constantly keeping-control elapses, and conducts constantly keeping-control without shifting to the feedback-control when the absolute value of the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof is more than the threshold after the period for the constantly keeping-control elapses, and the manipulated variable during the repeated constantly keeping-control is changed in accordance with the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof after elapse of the period for latest constantly keeping-control.

A powdery-material feeding device includes a controller configured to selectively conduct constantly keeping-control of constantly keeping rotational speed of a motor, current or voltage applied to the motor without any change as a manipulated variable for a predetermined period, or feedback-control of repetitively obtaining a difference between a discharge flow rate of the powdery material and a target value thereof at predetermined cycles and adjusting by increasing or decreasing the manipulated variable at each of the predetermined cycles in order to reduce the difference, the controller conducts the constantly keeping-control immediately after a motor starts, shifts to the feedback-control when the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof has an absolute value less than a threshold after the period for the constantly keeping-control elapses, and conducts constantly keeping-control without shifting to the feedback-control when the absolute value of the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof is more than the threshold after the period for the constantly keeping-control elapses, and the manipulated variable during the repeated constantly keeping-control is changed in accordance with the difference between the discharge flow rate of the powdery material and the target value thereof after elapse of the period for latest constantly keeping-control.

A plasticizing device includes: a material storage unit having a charging port and configured to store pellet-shaped resin pellets; a plasticizing unit having a supply port in communication with the charging port and configured to plasticize at least a part of the resin pellets to generate a shaping material; a coupling pipe having a coupling path coupling the charging port and the supply port; a first material sensor configured to detect a remaining quantity of the resin pellets in the coupling path; and a control unit. The material storage unit includes a material supply mechanism configured to supply the resin pellets to the coupling path, and when the remaining quantity of the resin pellets detected by the first material sensor is less than a first reference value, the control unit controls the material supply mechanism to supply a predetermined quantity of the resin pellets to the coupling path.

Described is a system for transferring a dose of polymeric material comprising a head for supplying the polymeric material and at least one conveying device, provided with a conveying wall, which is configured for advancing along a path through the supplying head for transferring to the conveying wall a dose obtained from the polymeric material supplied from the supplying head; and wherein the supplying head comprises a duct which is provided with a straight outfeed region extending along an axis which is configured to supply the polymeric material to a supplying outfeed. The outfeed region comprises at least a first zone and a second zone facing each other, the supplying head having at least one variation configuration in which the first zone and the second zone are asymmetrical to disturb a flow of polymeric material in the outfeed region in such a way as to control the supplying direction of the polymeric material, supplied from the supplying outfeed and to transfer to the conveying wall. A method is also proposed for transferring the dose of polymeric material from the supplying head to the conveying device and a method for supplying the dose.

Described is a system for transferring a dose of polymeric material comprising a head for supplying the polymeric material and at least one conveying device, provided with a conveying wall, which is configured for advancing along a path through the supplying head for transferring to the conveying wall a dose obtained from the polymeric material supplied from the supplying head; and wherein the supplying head comprises a duct which is provided with a straight outfeed region extending along an axis which is configured to supply the polymeric material to a supplying outfeed. The outfeed region comprises at least a first zone and a second zone facing each other, the supplying head having at least one variation configuration in which the first zone and the second zone are asymmetrical to disturb a flow of polymeric material in the outfeed region in such a way as to control the supplying direction of the polymeric material, supplied from the supplying outfeed and to transfer to the conveying wall. A method is also proposed for transferring the dose of polymeric material from the supplying head to the conveying device and a method for supplying the dose.

A dosing system and method for delivery of contact lens formulation(s) to a contact lens forming mold. The system includes a carrier portion configured for holding a contact lens mold, and an alignment mandrel configured for retaining a lens formulation delivery device. The lens formulation delivery device is retained in a specified position relative to the contact lens mold for precise location of delivery of the lens formulation within the contact lens mold. A first lens formulation can be dosed to a center location in the mold, and a different second lens formulation can be dosed to a ring-shaped pattern around the center location, to form a contact lens having different center and edge characteristics.

An apparatus including a co-extrusion device for extruding a multi-layer structure having at least one primary layer and at least one secondary layer, so that the multi-layer structure leaves the co-extrusion device along an exit direction; a mould provided with a pair of elements, at least one of the elements being movable towards the other in a moulding direction, so as to compression mould an object from a multi-layer dose which was severed from the multi-layer structure; a transport device for carrying the dose towards the mould; an arrangement for modifying orientation of the dose while the dose is being transported by the transport device, so that the dose is introduced into the mould with an orientation in which the secondary layer extends transversely to the moulding direction.