Abstract: A method for plugging a subset of cells of a honeycomb structure that includes: covering a first end face of the honeycomb structure with a mask that comprises a body and a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings of the mask is coincident with a plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure; providing a plug of material upon a film material; applying a force to the film material with a piston to push the plug of material through the plurality of openings of the mask and into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure; and measuring a plurality of pressures within the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure during the applying step.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and related equipment are provided, comprising: delivering a molten material into a forming and sizing assembly, processing the molten glass via the at least one pair of forming and sizing rollers to form a glass ribbon having a width and a thickness; imparting, at least one pinch region into the cross-sectional thickness of the glass ribbon to provide a pinched glass ribbon, rolling a pressure roller over the pinched glass ribbon on the sequentially spaced mold surfaces to impart a characteristic into the pinched glass ribbon to form a glass ribbon product.

Abstract: A media conditioning vessel is provided for a perfusion bioreactor system. The media conditioning vessel includes a vessel having an interior cavity to hold a volume of liquid cell culture media; a media inlet to return cell culture media from a perfusion bioreactor to the vessel; and a media outlet to transfer cell culture media out of the vessel to the perfusion bioreactor. Sensors to measure or detect a characteristic of the cell culture media are provided in the form of inline sensors in at least one of the media inlet and the media outlet or patch sensors attached to a sidewall or bottom of the media conditioning vessel.

Abstract: A method for plugging a subset of cells of a honeycomb structure that includes: covering a first end face of the honeycomb structure with a mask that comprises a body and a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings of the mask is coincident with a plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure; providing a plug of material upon a film material; applying a force to the film material with a piston to push the plug of material through the plurality of openings of the mask and into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure; and measuring a plurality of pressures within the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure during the applying step.

Abstract: A method for plugging a subset of cells of a honeycomb structure that includes: covering a first end face of the honeycomb structure with a mask that comprises a body and a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings of the mask is coincident with a plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure; providing a plenum, a movable plunger and a flow plate; positioning a cylinder between the honeycomb structure and the plenum; dispensing a plugging material into the plenum; moving the plunger toward the flow plate with a force to push the plugging material through the flow plate into the cylinder, the moving generating a pressure in the plenum and the cylinder that forces the plugging material through the mask into the plurality of cells of the honeycomb structure to a predetermined depth; and determining the pressure within the cylinder during the moving of the plunger.

Abstract: Extrusion systems and methods with temperature control are disclosed. The ceramic batch material is flowed through a front section wherein the temperature of the batch material is locally adjusted through its perimeter at multiple locations. The temperature-adjusted ceramic batch material is then extruded through the extrusion die to form the extrudate. Temperatures of the extrudate at multiple outer surface locations having different azimuthal positions are measured. The temperature adjustment of the ceramic batch material is then controlled in a first feedback loop to control the shape of the extrudate based on the measured outer surface temperatures. The front section can also be cooled using a second control loop.

Abstract: Methods of operating an extrusion apparatus are provided for extruding ceramic or ceramic-forming material. The extrusion apparatus includes an extrusion die mounted with respect to a barrel. At least one screw is rotatably mounted within the barrel, and a feeder is configured to introduce a batch material to the screw. Example methods can adjust at least one of a rotational rate of the screw to an initial rotational rate or a feed rate of the feeder to an initial feed rate when based on a changed operating condition and/or when the batch material reaches the extrusion die. At least one of the rotational rate of the screw or the feed rate of the feeder can then be increased during a transient state until a steady state is reached.

Abstract: Extrusion systems and methods with temperature control are disclosed. The ceramic batch material is flowed through a front section wherein the temperature of the batch material is locally adjusted through its perimeter at multiple locations. The temperature-adjusted ceramic batch material is then extruded through the extrusion die to form the extrudate. Temperatures of the extrudate at multiple outer surface locations having different azimuthal positions are measured. The temperature adjustment of the ceramic batch material is then controlled in a first feedback loop to control the shape of the extrudate based on the measured outer surface temperatures. The front section can also be cooled using a second control loop.

Abstract: Methods of operating an extrusion apparatus are provided for extruding ceramic or ceramic-forming material. The extrusion apparatus includes an extrusion die mounted with respect to a barrel. At least one screw is rotatably mounted within the barrel, and a feeder is configured to introduce a batch material to the screw. Example methods can adjust at least one of a rotational rate of the screw to an initial rotational rate or a feed rate of the feeder to an initial feed rate when based on a changed operating condition and/or when the batch material reaches the extrusion die. At least one of the rotational rate of the screw or the feed rate of the feeder can then be increased during a transient state until a steady state is reached.

Abstract: An exhaust after treatment system includes a wall-flow particulate filter and a flow-through substrate positioned upstream of the filter. The substrate has a plurality of channels defining a mean channel length, a first flow-through region including a first portion of the channels, and a second flow-through region including a second portion of the channels. The first flow-through region includes unplugged channels having lengths less than the mean channel length and the second flow-through region includes unplugged channels having lengths greater than the mean channel length.