Abstract: An imprint apparatus molds resin dispensed on a shot region of a substrate with a mold and forms a pattern of resin on the shot region. The apparatus includes a mold stage configured to hold the mold, a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate, a drive mechanism configured to change a relative positional relationship between the mold stage and the substrate stage in an X-Y plane that defines a coordinate of the shot region and a Z-axis direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the drive mechanism so that the mold and the shot region perform relative vibration, in the X-Y plane, with respect to a relative position where the mold and the shot region align, and a distance between the mold and the shot region decreases in the Z-axis direction in parallel with the vibration, and the resin is molded by the mold.

Abstract: A method of casting a plastic lens starting material liquid using a casting apparatus comprising at least a mixing and discharging part and a casting part, and casting a plastic lens starting material liquid sequentially into multiple casting molds.

Abstract: To execute a stable pressure control, in a control device for an injection molding machine, a filling/pressure-keeping determining unit determines whether the injection molding machine is performing a pressure keeping operation, an elastic constant identifier acquires, when the filling/pressure-keeping determining unit determines that the pressure keeping operation is in progress, a pressure detection value and a position detection value as operation information of a motor and identifies an elastic constant K based on the acquired pressure detection value and the position detection value, and a pressure-control control-parameter setting unit calculates a proportional gain Ka of a pressure controller such that a product of the proportional gain Ka of the pressure controller and the elastic constant K is smaller than a speed control bandwidth ?sc of a speed controller, and sets the calculated proportional gain Ka to the pressure controller.

Abstract: According to embodiments, there is provided a method (300) of controlling a first melt accumulator (121). The first melt accumulator (121) is part of an injection unit (100), the injection unit (100) including an extruder (102) for preparing molding material and a second melt accumulator (123). The first melt accumulator (121) and the second melt accumulator (123) are configured to sequentially receive molding material from the extruder (102). The extruder (102) is being operable to produce molding material in at least near continuous manner, both the first melt accumulator (121) and the second melt accumulator (123) being associated with a respective shot size set-point. The method comprises detecting (310) an indication of an out-of-boundary condition associated with operation the first melt accumulator (121); responsive to said detecting (310), controlling (320) the first melt accumulator (121) to continue accepting molding material beyond its respective shot size set-point.

Abstract: A multicolored drinking cup is formed by blow molding a multicolored parison. The parison is formed by feeding the outputs of a plurality of controllable rate extruders into an extruding head and varying the flow rates of the extruders in a controlled manner under computer control to produce a parison in which the colors vary in width along the height. The parison is then blow molded to form the container.

Abstract: A co-extrusion process for making decorative moldings having a simulated wood appearance and a given profile includes mixing a base material and color particles to form a mixture, the base material having a rigid polymer and the color particles having a different color from the base material and a higher melt temperature than the base material. The mixture is heated and displaced using a feed screw such that the color particles move helically along the trajectory of the feed screw while avoiding backflow and melting to create corresponding helical vein segments within the base material. The mixture is forced through a tubular channel while controlling heat and shear conditions such that the helical vein segments remain substantially intact.

Abstract: The invention describes a device (1) that is intended for longitudinally stretching film webs (2) and that comprises a plurality of rollers (5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19), some of which are temperature control rollers, and some of which (9-13) form stretching gaps (22), in which the film web (2) can be stretched. At least one of the rollers (5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19) has a drive that is torque controlled.

Abstract: A method for compression molding a thin cover layer over a large or soft core golf ball, wherein the process includes mold press speed of closure, pressure within the mold cavities, temperature of materials being molded, and the movement of the compression press is controlled by as the mold position rather than any fixed amounts of time. A Ram press is moved in a very controlled fashion during the low pressure stage by a servo controller, and is governed by data fed to a control computer by a linear potentiometer, which allows for a very deliberate movement, especially over the last 0.4 inches of closing. A pressure transducer and thermocouples determine the flow point of the cover layer. Once the cover material starts to flow, the Ram press is triggered into a high pressure close wherein the cover layer is formed and then finally cooled.

Abstract: A method for the measurement of the temperature of a plastified plastic material at the exit of an extruder, characterized in that the function of the sound velocity in dependence of the temperature is measured and memorized for at least one plastified plastic material, the sound velocity is measured during the extrusion of the plastic material, and the respective temperature is determined from the velocity measurement values and the function.

Abstract: A method for producing a molded product consisting of a resin polymerized by a melt polycondensation reaction, comprising continuous feeding of a prepolymer in molten state from a prepolymer feeding port to a polymerization reactor, discharging from holes of a porous plate, followed by polymerization while dropping along a supporting substrate under reduced pressure, and molding by transferring to at least one molding machine in molten state without solidification, wherein transfer pressure to said molding machine is controlled so as to maintain at an arbitrary pressure from 0.1 to 100 MPa (absolute pressure).

Abstract: A roller die preformer for use in an extrusion system to form wide extruded components, such as a rubber tire tread, on a surface of a roller. The roller die preformer includes a flow inlet, a flow outlet and a laterally expanding flow channel extending from the flow inlet to the flow outlet. A flow restrictor is configured within the flow channel to urge the flow of material toward the lateral extremities of the flow channel to thereby form an extruded component at the flow outlet having a lateral width which is greater than the lateral width of the flow inlet of the preformer.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a component includes a material storage tank for receiving a liquid material (M), a moulding tool in which a filling region to be filled with material (M) from the material storage tank is formed, and a material supply line which connects the material storage tank to the filling region of the moulding tool. In the region of the material supply line and/or the filling region of the moulding tool an optical fibre has been arranged, into which at least one Fibre Bragg Grating sensor for detecting a parameter that is characteristic of the flow of material through the material supply line and/or the filling region of the moulding tool is integrated.

Abstract: A screw control method of an injection molding machine including a barrel into which a resin is inserted, a screw installed to be rotatable inside the barrel, a check ring on a rear side of a screw head, and a controller controlling operations of the screw includes: measuring an amount of resin to be injected and inserting the resin into the barrel until the amount of resin reaches the measured amount of resin; completing the measurement while melting the inserted resin through rotation of the screw; stopping the rotation of the screw after completing the measurement of the resin; after retracting the screw of which the rotation is stopped a pre-set distance, advancing the screw a pre-set distance; and performing injection molding of the melted resin by advancing the screw, where the rotation, advance, and retraction operations of the screw are made according to control signals of the controller.

Abstract: A process to effect random color variation in multi-color molded articles includes feeding individual colors to molding equipment in a pre-established sequence and manner that prevents substantial mixing of the colors, and at pre-established ratios in relation to a non-integer multiple of volume associated with the molded article.

Abstract: A method for controlling an injection process in an open-loop or closed-loop manner in the production of a molded part injects melt mass by at least one injection unit into at least one cavity enclosed by a tool by means of at least one nozzle. The at least one cavity has at least one measuring location, which is coupled to a binary detector, which can change from a first defined state to a second defined state. The binary detector changes the state thereof at the time at which the melt mass arrives at the measuring location. On the basis of the state change of the binary detector, an open-loop or closed-loop control unit controls the injection velocity V of the at least one injection unit in an open-loop or closed-loop manner, the temperature T of the melt mass before the injection, the termination of the injection at the at least one nozzle, and/or the starting of a subsequent process.

Abstract: The present invention uses a high-gain observer which contains the discrete-time arithmetic expressions derived from a mathematical model of an injection and pressure application mechanism in an electric-motor driven injection molding machine consisting of state equations and outputs an estimate of injection pressure, which is one of the state variables of the above state equations, by using a screw position signal and a servomotor current demand signal or actual motor current signal as inputs. The high-gain observer obtains the exact injection pressure estimate with very small time-lag without using a pressure detector. Thus the estimate of injection pressure fed by the high-gain observer can be adopted as a feedback signal of actual injection pressure for controlling injection pressure.

Abstract: A system for making PET objects including a means for reacting a first PET precursor and a second PET precursor to produce a PET melt; a means for flowing the PET melt to a valve having at least two outlets; a means for flowing the PET melt from at least one of the at least two outlets to at least one die forming line and one pelletizing (cutter) line. A means for controlling individually the mass flow of the PET melt in each of the at least two system lines independently of the other and a means for forming the PET objects from the PET melt. The control scheme is a combination of a feed forward system as well as a feedback loop. The entire control scheme is part of the overall system PLC. The fine tuning of the pressure at the outlet of the die forming loop is controllers to less than +/?1 bar to obtain maximum control of formed part.

Abstract: A print head assembly that includes a receptacle supported from a carriage frame and configured to receive a print head, and a toggle mechanism configured to move the receptacle relative to the carriage frame.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided for assembling polymer-forming molecular components such that highly-structured arrays of polymer strands, such as collagen fibrils, are formed without the need for cells. A polymer nanoloom is designed to control the self-assembly of monomers into fibrils and related tissue constructs including ligament, tendon, cartilage, and bone. A nanoloom system comprises a polymer printhead, a temperature controller, and a movable substrate for polymer printing. A polymer printhead contains one or more nanoreactors that can control the assembly of collagen fibrils or other polymers on a nanoscale. Methods are provided for temperature-driven, enzyme-driven, and cholesteric assembly of collagen or other polymers into two- or three-dimensional tissue constructs.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods and systems for manufacturing a golf ball that precisely control the retraction of mold pins based on feedback sensor data, to avoid the formation of imperfections in the finished golf balls. An embodiment may involve holding a golf ball sub-part within a mold using at least one retractable mold pin; injecting molten molding material into the mold; detecting, during injection, operating conditions within the mold indicative of positions of the molten molding material relative to the at least one mold pin; and based on the detected operating conditions, retracting the at least one mold pin before the molten molding material reaches the at least one mold pin. Other embodiments may retract a mold pin after the molten material contacts the pin but within a duration suitably short enough to avoid undesirable part properties.

Abstract: When controlling each operational process in a molding cycle by variably controlling the number of revolutions of a drive motor 3 in a hydraulic pump 2, a hydraulic pump 2 where at least multiple fixed discharge flow rate Qo and Qs can be set is used as the hydraulic pump 2. At the same time, the fixed discharge flow rates Qo . . . are set corresponding to operational processes based upon predetermined conditions in advance, respectively, and the hydraulic pump 2 is switched to the fixed discharge flow rates Qo . . . by corresponding to each operational process at the time of molding. At the same time, each operational process is controlled by variably controlling the number of revolutions of the drive motor 3.

Abstract: Into a molding path moving in a direction of conveyance is extruded an internal tube from a first extruder and an external tube from a second extruder, the external tube being concentric with the internal tube. During the production of a normal compound pipe, the smooth internal tube is welded together with the external tube which is provided with transverse grooves. At the transition from the normal compound pipe to the expanded pipe socket, the extruder speed of the first extruder is increased from a speed n1,1 to a speed n1,2. During the production of the pipe socket, the speed of the first extruder is reduced to a speed in1,3, wherein n1, 2>n1,3>n1,1 applies.

Abstract: A method comprising building at least one three-dimensional model and a support structure using a layer-based additive technique, where the at least one three-dimensional model is at least partially encased in the support structure, and where the support structure functions as a shipping package for the at least one three-dimensional model.

Abstract: A platform assembly for use in a digital manufacturing system, where the platform assembly comprises a deformable platform having a surface configured to operably receive a deposited material from a deposition head, and at least one mechanism configured to adjust at least a portion of the first surface to compensate for at least one vertical deviation from at least one horizontal axis that the deposition head is directed to move in.

Abstract: A spreader box and method form a bi-laminar paintball shell material. Walls of a box body define a reservoir containing, and an aperture dispensing, a first gel. Walls of a gate body define a reservoir containing, and an aperture dispensing, a second gel. Within the box, the first gel is kept separate from the second gel. The box body aperture dispenses the first gel as a continuous first layer. The gate body aperture dispenses the second gel as a continuous second layer that is adjacent and juxtaposed with the first layer, such that the first gel bonds with the second gel to form the bi-laminar paintball shell material. A paintball, containing a fill material, has a frangible bi-laminar shell including an exterior shell that completely surrounds and contains an interior shell. The paintball is adapted to withstand the normal range of forces sustained in being fired from a paintball gun.

Abstract: In order to allow for aligning a relative position between a transferred object and a stamper with high accuracy without providing an alignment pattern in the transferred object, there are provided: a pattern transfer method, including: when adjusting the relative position between the stamper and the transferred object, a step of detecting at least two or more edge positions of the transferred object and calculating an arbitrary point from the detected edge positions; a step of detecting a position of the stamper from an edge of the stamper or an alignment mark formed in the stamper; and a step of adjusting the relative position between the transferred object and the stamper from the arbitrary point and the position of the stamper; and an imprint device using the same.

Abstract: {Problem} The exact method with small time-lag of detecting screw back pressure for controlling the screw back pressure in the plasticizing process of an electric-motor driven injection molding machine without using a pressure detector has been asked for because the pressure detector is very expensive, necessitates troublesome works for mounting, an electric protection against noise and the works for zero-point and span adjustings and causes a complicate mechanical structure.

Abstract: A method of making a solid layer of a semiconducting material involves selecting a mold having a leading edge thickness and a different trailing edge thickness such that in respective plots of solid layer thickness versus effective submersion time for submersion of the leading and trailing edges into molten semiconducting material, a thickness of the solid layer adjacent to the leading and trailing edges are substantially equal. The mold is submersed into and withdrawn from the molten semiconducting material to form a solid layer of semiconducting material over an external surface of the mold.

Abstract: A method for reformulating reclaimed, contaminated mixed waste plastics into useful articles wherein a plurality of batches of the mixed waste plastics are preprocessed to produce substantially homogeneous mixtures of a desired particle size range that are characterized according to their respective apparent densities, and are thereafter blended to produce a mixed plastic feed material having a color predetermined to be desirable for reprocessing into at least one of such useful articles.

Abstract: A method for reformulating reclaimed, contaminated mixed waste plastics into useful articles wherein a plurality of batches of the mixed waste plastics are preprocessed to produce substantially homogeneous mixtures of a desired particle size range that are characterized according to their respective apparent densities, and are thereafter blended to produce a mixed plastic feed material having a plastic content predetermined to be desirable for reprocessing into at least one of such useful articles.

Abstract: A method for reformulating reclaimed, contaminated mixed waste plastics into useful articles wherein a plurality of batches of the mixed waste plastics are preprocessed to produce substantially homogeneous mixtures of a desired particle size range that are characterized according to their respective apparent densities, and are thereafter blended to produce a mixed plastic feed material having a target density predetermined to be desirable for reprocessing into at least one of such useful articles.

Abstract: A method for additive delivery during a plastics processing is disclosed. The method includes establishing a network of components in a control loop that uses a feedback method to drive at least one pump, thus enabling continuous, robust proportioning of additive in a difficult to control environment. The feedback method includes sending at least one signal from at least one sensor associated with a plastics melting machine to a controller, sending one or more signals from the controller to the at least one pump, monitoring the pressure in the at least one pump and sensing the position of an injection nozzle valve, and sending one or more signals to the injection nozzle valve instructing the valve to open or close.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the quality in the manufacture of composite material which contains fiber based and polymer based material, wherein the manufacture includes a mixing process (1) to form agglomerates from a raw stock mixture. According to the invention, a combination of variables in the mixing process is observed, wherein the variables are selected from the group of moment, current consumption, time, sound, temperature and their combinations, and the mixing process as well as the quality of the agglomerates to be formed is controlled based on the acquired observations (6, 7).

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus may include an optical element, such as an immersion fluid reservoir, which supported at least in part by a bearing, such as a gas bearing. To enable illumination by the lithographic apparatus of an edge of the substrate, a surrounding structure is provided that surrounds the substrate. A level parameter of the substrate, such as a thickness of the substrate, is measured by a sensor, such as a thickness sensor. By means of an actuator, the substrate table on which the substrate is or will be held is positioned with respect to the surrounding structure, such that a surface of the substrate would be on a substantially same level as a surface of the surrounding structure, thus enabling the optical element to transition from the surface of the substrate to the surface of the surrounding structure and vice versa.

Abstract: A startup control method of a resin extruder is provided. The resin extruder extrudes supplied resin material to a die as molten resin by rotating a screw. The resin material is supplied with a low supply amount which is smaller than a target supply amount and the screw is rotated at a low rotational frequency which is smaller than a target rotational frequency when starting the resin extruder. A supply amount of the resin material and a rotational frequency of the screw are gradually increased. After elapse of a set startup time, the supply amount of the resin material is brought into a target supply amount and the rotational frequency of the screw is brought into a target rotational frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and molding system (1) for forming a molded plastic article by wireless control. The molding system includes a primary controller (12) that is adapted to engage in wireless communications with the carriage controller (45) of one or more self-propelled carriages (15). Each carriage (15) includes a carriage location indicator (62) that determines the location of the carriage, which is transmitted substantially continuously to the carriage controller (45), and then communicated substantially continuously and wirelessly from the carriage controller to the primary controller (12). The primary controller (12) wirelessly communicates position directives (e.g., a polymer introduction station position directive) to each carriage controller (45), which correspondingly provides operational position instructions to each carriage's respective propulsion system (30), so as to re-position at least one carriage.

Abstract: The exact method with small time-lag of detecting injection pressure for controlling pressure in an electric-motor driven injection molding machine without using a pressure detector has been asked for because the pressure detector is very expensive, necessitates troublesome works for mounting, an electric protection against noise and the works for zero-point and span adjustings and causes a complicate mechanical structure. The present invention uses a high-gain observer which contains the discrete-time arithmetic expressions derived from a mathematical model of an injection and pressure application mechanism in an electric-motor driven injection molding machine consisting of state equations and outputs an estimate of injection pressure, which is one of the state variables of the above state equations, by using a screw position signal and a servomotor current demand signal or actual motor current signal as inputs.

Abstract: Disclosed is: (i) a method of a compounding molding system, (ii) an extruder of a compounding molding system, (iii) a compounding molding system, (iv) a controller of a compounding molding system, (v) an article of manufacture of a controller of a compounding molding system, (vi) a network-transmittable signal of a controller of a compounding molding system, (vii) a compounded molded article compounded by a compounding molding system, (viii) a molten molding material compounded by a compounding molding system, (ix) a component of a compounding molding system and (x) a mold of a compounding molding system.

Abstract: A method for reformulating reclaimed, contaminated mixed waste plastics into useful articles wherein a plurality of batches of the mixed waste plastics are preprocessed to produce substantially homogeneous mixtures of a desired particle size range that are characterized according to their respective apparent densities, and are thereafter blended to produce a mixed plastic feed material having a rheology predetermined to be desirable for reprocessing into at least one of such useful articles.

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: A method for compression molding a thin cover layer over a large or soft core golf ball, wherein the process includes mold press speed of closure, pressure within the mold cavities, temperature of materials being molded, and the movement of the compression press is controlled by as the mold position rather than any fixed amounts of time. A Ram press is moved in a very controlled fashion during the low pressure stage by a servo controller, and is governed by data fed to a control computer by a linear potentiometer, which allows for a very deliberate movement, especially over the last 0.4 inches of closing. A pressure transducer and thermocouples determine the flow point of the cover layer. Once the cover material starts to flow, the Ram press is triggered into a high pressure close wherein the cover layer is formed and then finally cooled.

Abstract: A method of determining a residence time distribution comprises mixing a molding batch (104) and a tracer (105), wherein the tracer has a ferroelectric curie temperature above 120° C., and transmitting the mixture through a capacitor (107). Further, the method comprises measuring a capacitance of the capacitor, and determining a residence time distribution based on the measured capacitance. In particular, the ferroelectric curie temperature of the tracer may be above 150° C. and preferably the ferroelectric curie temperature of the tracer is above 200° C.

Abstract: A measurement control method uses an ending target position Xes calculated by adding a prescribed length Ls to a measurement ending position Xe. A rotation rate pattern Ar for rotating a screw 2, a back pressure Ps in relation to the screw 2, and a retraction rate pattern Ab for the screw 2 to retract, are set in advance. The remaining rotation rate pattern Ar to stop the rotation of the screw 2 at the ending target position Xes from the detected screw position X, is calculated at the time of measurement, and the rotation of the screw 2 is stopped based on the calculation. Further, the remaining retraction rate pattern Ab is calculated from the detected retraction rate Vd, and the retraction of the screw 2 is stopped based on the calculation. The result is the stopping of the screw at the measurement ending position Xe.

Abstract: A rotational angle of a motor operative to propel forward a screw in an injection molding machine is detected at an encoder. An output from the encoder is employed to obtain an angular velocity ? of the motor. From the obtained angular velocity ?, an estimated melt pressure value ?^ that contains no differential term is derived using a certain observer theory. The estimated melt pressure value ?^ is employed to calculate a torque command value TCMD for the motor, which is fed back to the motor. Thus, precise propelling power control unaffected by noises can be executed without the use of a pressure sensor such as a load cell.

Abstract: When constructing an injection molding machine M that is equipped with hydraulic pumps 2, which control discharge flow rates by variably controlling the number of revolutions of a drive motor 3, and that drives hydraulic actuators 4a . . . by these hydraulic pumps 2; the injection molding machine M is equipped with a hydraulic drive member 6 having multiple hydraulic pumps 2p and 2q, and a hydraulic oil supply circuit 5 jointly or individually supplying hydraulic oil to be discharged from multiple hydraulic pumps 2p and 2q to a hydraulic actuator 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d or 4e selected from the multiple hydraulic actuators 4a . . . .

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for vacuum infusing resin into a fabric preform within a mold. The methods comprise increasing permeability in a selected region, such as by deploying a VIPR chamber in a location corresponding to the resin injection port corresponding to the resin flow front furthest from the mold vent or a location identified by predictive modeling as best to achieve a desired flow front geometry. Suitable apparatus comprise a VIPR chamber, an image detector for detecting resin flow fronts, a processor programmed to identify a desired location to deploy the VIPR chamber, and an automatic positioner for moving the VIPR chamber to the identified location.

Abstract: A method and device for making high precision glass tubes. A glass rod is pushed into a heated chamber and the tube is pulled from the chamber. Preferably, both the push rate and the pull rate are controlled. Fiber optic glass ferrules and other components manufactured by the use of this invention have precision dimensions that fall well within the tight dimensional tolerances required for ferrules and others.

Abstract: A method and means for determining a critical elongation strain rate of a polymer melt, which make it possible to subject a polymer melt to elongation to prepare a bulk oriented melt, are established, and a process for producing bulk polymer oriented crystals and polymer oriented crystals are provided. In the critical elongation strain rate determination process or critical elongation strain rate determining method, a polymer melt (3) in a disc shape having a radius x0 and a thickness of ?z0 is held between transparent plates (an upper transparent plate (1) and a lower transparent plate (2)). The polymer melt (3) is cooled to a supercooled state and is press in a thickness direction at a constant rate v by using the transparent plates. The critical point radius x*, at which the polymer melt (3) is turned to an oriented crystal, is measured, and the critical elongation strain rate ? is calculated by equation ?*=ax*3 wherein ?=v/(2?z0x03).

Abstract: A method and device for making high precision glass forms (110). A glass rod (1) is pushed into a melting tube (47) and the glass form is pulled from the chamber. Preferably, both the push rate and the pull rate are controlled. Fiber optic glass ferrules and other components manufactured by the use of this invention have precision dimensions that fall well within the tight dimensional tolerances required for ferrules and others.

Abstract: A system for automating the casting of concrete panels in which a bed position indicator is fed to a program which compares the bed position to CAD drawings concerning the concrete to be cast and sends the drawing detail for the position of the bed which is then shown on the bed by a laser.