Abstract: A machine learning method includes: acquiring a state variable including at least one first evaluation parameter related to performance evaluation of a kneaded product and at least one kneading condition; calculating a reward for a decision result of the at least one kneading condition based on the state variable; updating a function for deciding the at least one kneading condition from the state variable based on the reward; and by repeating the update of the function, deciding a kneading condition under which the reward obtained becomes maximum, in which the at least one first evaluation parameter includes at least one of physical properties and shape characteristics related to the kneaded product.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid-filled vibration isolator with improved durability. The liquid-filled vibration isolator includes a shaft unit, a first unit, an elastic body coupling the first unit and shaft unit, and a second unit mounted radially outside the first unit. The first unit includes a pair of annular elements, a pair of coupling elements coupling the annular elements, while the elastic body includes outer face portions bonded to outer surfaces of the coupling elements. The outer face portions include lips making contact with the second unit, and first segments making contact with the second unit on areas larger than the lips. The second unit restrains the annular elements along the entire circumferences, and compresses the lips and first segments in the radial direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid-filled vibration isolator with improved durability. The liquid-filled vibration isolator includes a shaft unit, a first unit, an elastic body coupling the first unit and shaft unit, and a second unit mounted radially outside the first unit. The first unit includes a pair of annular elements, a pair of coupling elements coupling the annular elements, while the elastic body includes outer face portions bonded to outer surfaces of the coupling elements. The outer face portions include lips making contact with the second unit, and first segments making contact with the second unit on areas larger than the lips. The second unit restrains the annular elements along the entire circumferences, and compresses the lips and first segments in the radial direction.

Abstract: A mixing rotor includes: a rotor shaft portion that includes a cooling passageway formed therein, and a mixing blade portion that is formed in an outer circumferential portion of the rotor shaft portion, wherein each of the long blades of the mixing blade portion includes a land portion as an end surface of the long blade facing a radially outside of the mixing rotor, a length of each of the long blades in the axis direction is set to be 0.6 times or more as large as a length of the mixing blade portion in the axis direction, a biting angle of each of the long blades is set to an angle equal to or smaller than 31°, and a center angle with respect to a land width as a width of the land portion in the cross-section of each of the long blades orthogonal to the axis direction is set to an angle equal to or larger than 7°.

Abstract: A mixing rotor includes: a rotor shaft portion that includes a cooling passageway formed therein, and a mixing blade portion that is formed in an outer circumferential portion of the rotor shaft portion, wherein each of the long blades of the mixing blade portion includes a land portion as an end surface of the long blade facing a radially outside of the mixing rotor, a length of each of the long blades in the axis direction is set to be 0.6 times or more as large as a length of the mixing blade portion in the axis direction, a biting angle of each of the long blades is set to an angle equal to or smaller than 31°, and a center angle with respect to a land width as a width of the land portion in the cross-section of each of the long blades orthogonal to the axis direction is set to an angle equal to or larger than 7°.

Abstract: A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a cylindrical chamber; a screw assembly rotating in the chamber so that a material to be kneaded is extruded in the axial direction by the rotation, the screw assembly including a screw section having helical blades and a kneading blade section in order to allow the material to flow into the clearance between the inner wall of the chamber and the kneading blade section, and to apply shearing forces to the material; a metering feeder for feeding the material at a substantially constant volumetric or gravimetric rate into the chamber; an injecting device for injecting a heat-removing medium into the chamber; and a discharging device for separating the heat-removing medium from the material and discharging the heat-removing medium from the chamber. A kneading method using the kneading apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A batch mixer having a barrel which forms a cylindrical sealed chamber having a section consisting of two mutually communicated circles, and two rotors housed in the chamber to mix a mixing material by rotation, at least one of the inner wall of the barrel and the surface of the rotor having a plurality of recessed parts or protruding parts. The recessed parts or protruding parts are formed of grooves or projections extended in the direction crossing to the rotating direction of the rotor rotated in the chamber to mix the material. According to this structure, a batch mixer excellent in the controllability of material temperature during mixing can be provided.

Abstract: A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a cylindrical chamber; a screw assembly rotating in the chamber so that a material to be kneaded is extruded in the axial direction by the rotation, the screw assembly including a screw section having helical blades and a kneading blade section in order to allow the material to flow into the clearance between the inner wall of the chamber and the kneading blade section, and to apply shearing forces to the material; a metering feeder for feeding the material at a substantially constant volumetric or gravimetric rate into the chamber; an injecting device for injecting a heat-removing medium into the chamber; and a discharging device for separating the heat-removing medium from the material and discharging the heat-removing medium from the chamber. A kneading method using the kneading apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A plurality of mixing rotors that are housed in a chamber having a cocoon-shaped cross section in a tangential non-intermeshing state, where a plurality of long wings and short wings are provided on a wing portion of the mixing rotors. The long wings and the short wings severally have a plurality of different sizes of tip clearances, a twist angle of the long wings is changed in the axis direction, and makes mixing efficiency and dispersion efficiency compatible. Further, cooling medium paths are provided severally in the chamber and the mixing rotors to suppress excessive increase of the temperature of mixing materials. According to a batch mixer using the mixing rotors, it is possible to control quality reduction of the mixing materials caused by heat generation, and to improve the productivity by increasing the number of the wings without diminishing inherent processing performance of the mixer.

Abstract: A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a chamber, which is a tubular hollow, a biaxial screw set for extruding a material to be kneaded downstream by rotation of the biaxial screw set inside the chamber, and kneading blade sections, mounted in the screw set, for kneading the material by shearing the material in tip clearances and a wedge-shaped space between an inside wall of the chamber and the kneading blade sections. The tip clearance becomes narrower from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of extrusion of the material. The kneading apparatus, which performs a continuous kneading operation, makes it possible to set proper kneading conditions in accordance with changes in the state of a material being continuously kneaded, and achieves high kneading efficiency.

Abstract: A continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein discharge ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to discharge a kneaded product, and one of the plurality of the discharge ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition so as to discharge the kneaded product from only the selected discharge port. Another continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein a plurality of charging ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to supply a material to be kneaded into the chamber, and one of the plurality of charging ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition. The kneading apparatuses and methods permit adjustment and control of a viscosity and a dispersion degree of a compounding agent over a wide range, and continuous kneading to achieve significant rationalization of a process for producing a kneaded product.

Abstract: A heat exchange system includes a rotor, a hole, a main tube, and branch tubes. The rotor, the outer surface of which is in contact with a kneaded object, has a heat-exchange chamber therein, in which a heat medium flows. The hole having a diameter less than that of the heat-exchange chamber is formed on one end of the rotor. The main tube is insertable through the hole and communicates with the heat-exchange chamber. Its diameter is determined such that a given space is ensured between the hole and the main tube. Each branch tube extends from the periphery of the main tube towards the surface of the heat-exchange chamber and has an opening on its top end, through which the main tube communicates with the heat-exchange chamber. The branch tubes are flexible to pass through the space when the main tube is inserted or removed.

Abstract: A plurality of mixing rotors that are housed in a chamber having a cocoon-shaped cross section in a tangential non-intermeshing state, where a plurality of long wings and short wings are provided on a wing portion of the mixing rotors. The long wings and the short wings severally have a plurality of different sizes of tip clearances, a twist angle of the long wings is changed in the axis direction, and makes mixing efficiency and dispersion efficiency compatible. Further, cooling medium paths are provided severally in the chamber and the mixing rotors to suppress excessive increase of the temperature of mixing materials. According to a batch mixer using the mixing rotors, it is possible to control quality reduction of the mixing materials caused by heat generation, and to improve the productivity by increasing the number of the wings without diminishing inherent processing performance of the mixer.

Abstract: A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a cylindrical chamber; a screw assembly rotating in the chamber so that a material to be kneaded is extruded in the axial direction by the rotation, the screw assembly including a screw section having helical blades and a kneading blade section in order to allow the material to flow into the clearance between the inner wall of the chamber and the kneading blade section, and to apply shearing forces to the material; a metering feeder for feeding the material at a substantially constant volumetric or gravimetric rate into the chamber; an injecting device for injecting a heat-removing medium into the chamber; and a discharging device for separating the heat-removing medium from the material and discharging the heat-removing medium from the chamber. A kneading method using the kneading apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a cylindrical chamber; a screw assembly rotating in the chamber so that a material to be kneaded is extruded in the axial direction by the rotation, the screw assembly including a screw section having helical blades and a kneading blade section in order to allow the material to flow into the clearance between the inner wall of the chamber and the kneading blade section, and to apply shearing forces to the material; a metering feeder for feeding the material at a substantially constant volumetric or gravimetric rate into the chamber; an injecting device for injecting a heat-removing medium into the chamber; and a discharging device for separating the heat-removing medium from the material and discharging the heat-removing medium from the chamber. A kneading method using the kneading apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A heat exchange system includes a rotor, a hole, a main tube, and branch tubes. The rotor, the outer surface of which is in contact with a kneaded object, has a heat-exchange chamber therein, in which a heat medium flows. The hole having a diameter less than that of the heat-exchange chamber is formed on one end of the rotor. The main tube is insertable through the hole and communicates with the heat-exchange chamber. Its diameter is determined such that a given space is ensured between the hole and the main tube. Each branch tube extends from the periphery of the main tube towards the surface of the heat-exchange chamber and has an opening on its top end, through which the main tube communicates with the heat-exchange chamber. The branch tubes are flexible to pass through the space when the main tube is inserted or removed.

Abstract: A continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein discharge ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to discharge a kneaded product, and one of the plurality of the discharge ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition so as to discharge the kneaded product from only the selected discharge port. Another continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein a plurality of charging ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to supply a material to be kneaded into the chamber, and one of the plurality of charging ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition. The kneading apparatuses and methods permit adjustment and control of a viscosity and a dispersion degree of a compounding agent over a wide range, and continuous kneading to achieve significant rationalization of a process for producing a kneaded product.

Abstract: A continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein discharge ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to discharge a kneaded product, and one of the plurality of the discharge ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition so as to discharge the kneaded product from only the selected discharge port. Another continuous kneading apparatus and method are provided wherein a plurality of charging ports are provided at a plurality of positions of the barrel to supply a material to be kneaded into the chamber, and one of the plurality of charging ports is selected according to a desired kneading condition. The kneading apparatuses and methods permit adjustment and control of a viscosity and a dispersion degree of a compounding agent over a wide range, and continuous kneading to achieve significant rationalization of a process for producing a kneaded product.

Abstract: Each mixing rotor for a batch mixer is rotatably insertable into a mixing chamber such that tip clearances are defined between tips of mixing blades and an inner surface of a mixing chamber and is provided on its outer circumferential surface with a plurality of mixing blades for imparting shearing forces to a material to be mixed by causing the material to pass through the tip clearances. The plurality of mixing blades include a nonlinear blade which is substantially nonlinear from a start point to a terminal point in a development of the mixing rotor developed into a plane about its longitudinal axis, and other linear blades which are linear in the development and whose helix angle to the longitudinal axis of the mixing rotor is set at 15 to 35°. An appropriate mixing control capable of realizing both sufficient mixing and sufficient dispersion can be executed by mixing and dispersing the material in a well-balanced manner by means of the mixing rotor.

Abstract: A batch mixer having a barrel which forms a cylindrical sealed chamber having a section consisting of two mutually communicated circles, and two rotors housed in the chamber to mix a mixing material by rotation, at least one of the inner wall of the barrel and the surface of the rotor having a plurality of recessed parts or protruding parts. The recessed parts or protruding parts are formed of grooves or projections extended in the direction crossing to the rotating direction of the rotor rotated in the chamber to mix the material. According to this structure, a batch mixer excellent in the controllability of material temperature during mixing can be provided.