A modular plastic pipe formation apparatus, wherein at least two components of the pipe formation apparatus are disposed with respect to at least one or more respective modules.

An extrusion system, for example for extruding a food product, that includes: an extruder, which propels extrudate through an outlet of the extruder; and a valve. The valve includes: an inlet, which receives extrudate from the extruder outlet; a main conduit, which extends from the inlet to a main outlet; a dumping conduit, which extends from a junction with the main conduit to a dumping outlet; and a flow control member, which is operable to move between: a plurality of flow controlling positions, in which extrudate is directed to the main outlet, with the flow control member providing, for each flow controlling position, a respective amount of impedance to flow along the main conduit; and a flow diverting position, in which extrudate is directed along the dumping conduit to the dumping outlet.

A method for using the quantity of heat output from an extrudate during a cooling operation in an extrusion process, wherein a fluid, in particular air, is guided along the extrudate and/or through the die counter to an extrusion direction, at least some of the heat from the extrudate and/or the die is transmitted to the fluid, the heated fluid is supplied from a first sub region of a process chain, comprising at least one die, a calibrating and cooling device and a take-off apparatus, via a connecting region, preferably consisting of at least one connecting pipe, to a second sub region of the process chain, comprising at least one suction apparatus. In the connecting region, an extraneous fluid can be added to the heated fluid in order to reduce the actual temperature of the heated fluid at least below a predetermined maximum value before said fluid is supplied to the second sub region of the process chain.

A modular plastic pipe formation apparatus to extrude plastic pipe is disclosed and includes a plurality of modules each having a transportable container and at least one component of the pipe formation apparatus located therein. The plurality of modules are aligned in a predetermined manner during formation of plastic pipe with the components aligned for pipe extrusion. The apparatus may also include a closed circuit fluid cooling system to provide cooling fluid to some of modules to cool the pipe being formed, the cooling circuit may flows in a counter direction to the direction of pipe forming in the pipe formation apparatus.

A heat-insulating shroud for facilitating temperature control of a heated article includes a flexible cover, made from a heat-insulating material, for covering a surface of the heated article, at least one air inlet defined in a first section of the flexible cover, and at least one air outlet defined in a second section of the flexible cover. In a cooling mode of operation, the flexible cover defines an air channel over the surface of the heated article for channeling an air stream from the air inlet(s) over the surface of the heated article towards the air outlet(s). The channeling of the air stream facilitates cooling the heated article. In a heat-conservation mode of operation, the flexible cover of heat-insulating material insulates the heated article from heat loss. Each air outlet may have a closure that opens during the cooling mode of operation and closes during the heat-conservation mode of operation.

An apparatus for producing an object from a polymeric material having a melting temperature comprises: a melting device for melting the polymeric material, a heat exchanger for cooling the polymeric material melted by the melting device below the melting temperature, a mould arranged downstream of the heat exchanger for forming the object from the polymeric material, while the polymeric material has a temperature lower than said melting temperature, a heat recovery device associated with the heat exchanger, the heat recovery device being configured to recover at least part of the heat released by the polymeric material to the heat exchanger.

A modular plastic pipe formation apparatus to extrude plastic pipe is disclosed and includes a plurality of modules each having a transportable container and at least one component of the pipe formation apparatus located therein. The plurality of modules are aligned in a predetermined manner during formation of plastic pipe with the components aligned for pipe extrusion. The apparatus may also include a closed circuit fluid cooling system to provide cooling fluid to some of modules to cool the pipe being formed, the cooling circuit may flows in a counter direction to the direction of pipe forming in the pipe formation apparatus.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of panels for floor or wall coverings comprising the steps of mixing and homogenizing raw materials, thereby obtaining a dryblend, extruding said dryblend, thereby obtaining one or more thermoplastic layers, laminating the aforementioned thermoplastic layers, thereby obtaining a panel for floor or wall coverings, wherein said raw materials and/or said dryblend are predominantly transported vertically downwards during the weighing, mixing and/or homogenizing of said raw materials and during the feeding of said dryblend to extruders via feeding units.

Methods and systems for controlling the moisture content of biodegradable and bioresorbable polymer resin during extrusion above a lower limit that allows for plasticization of the polymer resin melt and below an upper limit to reduce or prevent molecular weight loss are disclosed. Methods are further disclosed involving plasticization of a polymer resin for feeding into an extruder with carbon dioxide and freon.

A method for operating a molding machine includes providing dependencies between, in particular unsorted and/or partially circularly interdependent, actions for performing at least one task. The at least one task is or comprises an operation, a startup or shutdown, a maintenance and/or an optimization of a molding process and/or a molding machine and/or a mold. The method further includes sorting the actions based on the dependencies between the actions.