Extruding Nozzle with Integrated Radiator for Consistent Pelletizing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extruded materials that are not completely solidified during the pelletization process tend to smear instead of being cut, resulting in inconsistently sized pellets and clogging of pelletizing machines, particularly with highly-filled materials like thermoset resin and thermoplastic materials.
Innovation Solution
An extruding nozzle system with a radiator and material-flow channels that rapidly cool the extruded material before breaking it into pellets using a breaker head, ensuring consistent pellet sizes and reducing dust and fine particles, while maintaining the integrity of reinforcing fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the extruded material is cut immediately after extrusion, then the pelletization process is faster, but the material smears instead of being cut cleanly because it is not completely solidified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a cooling section in the nozzle that pre-cools the extruded material before it reaches the cutter. This advance cooling action ensures the material achieves sufficient solidification to be cut cleanly, preventing smearing while maintaining continuous operation. The cooling section is integrated into the nozzle structure, allowing heat transfer to occur during the extrusion process itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If the extruded material is cooled more to ensure complete solidification, then cutting quality improves, but the pelletization process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function with the extrusion process by integrating a cooling section directly into the nozzle structure. The cooling section receives coolant through dedicated channels and transfers heat to the extruded material as it passes through, combining two operations (extrusion and cooling) into a single integrated process step. This eliminates separate cooling time and ensures continuous production flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling process occurs continuously during material extrusion rather than as a separate batch operation. The extruded material passes through the cooling section while still in the extrusion flow, allowing heat transfer to occur continuously without interrupting the production process. This maintains continuous useful action throughout the pelletization operation.
3Device complexity
If a standard cutter is used on semi-solidified material, then the equipment is simpler, but the cutter clogs and generates inconsistently sized pellets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-cooling the extruded material in the cooling section to prevent the harmful effect of smearing during cutting. By reducing the material temperature and increasing its solidification before it reaches the cutter, the system pre-counteracts the tendency of semi-solidified material to smear and clog the cutting mechanism, ensuring reliable operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves consistent pellet lengths, prevents smearing, and reduces clogging by cooling the extruded material to ambient temperature before breaking it, resulting in intact reinforcing fibers at the broken ends of the pellets.
Implementation Method 1
transferring heat between the extruded material flowing through the at least one material-flow channel and the radiator
Data Source
AI summary
A method for pelletizing an extruded material with an extruding nozzle includes inserting the extruded material into the extruding nozzle so that the extruded material flows through at least one material-flow channel, extending through a radiator of the extruding nozzle. Heat is transferred between the extruded material, flowing through the at least one material-flow channel, and the radiator. At least a portion of the radiator is located within a housing of the extruding nozzle.