Extrusion Seal Devices for Consistent Material Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional extruders often produce inconsistent extrusions due to gaps between the barrel and piston, and between the barrel and die, which can lead to material leakage and uneven cross-sections, making them unsuitable for sophisticated arts that require uniformity, such as Nerikomi techniques.
Innovation Solution
The use of a sealing device with a resilient protruding edge to fill gaps between the barrel and piston, and sealing rings to fill gaps between the barrel and base cap, ensuring a consistent extrusion process and preventing material leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional extruder design is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but gaps form between barrel and piston causing material leakage and inconsistent extrusion
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the piston and barrel wall to prevent material leakage. The sealing ring fills the gap that naturally exists between the piston and barrel, acting as a mediator that eliminates the harmful effect of the gap without requiring the piston itself to be perfectly fitted to the barrel wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring is designed as a flexible component that can deform to conform to the barrel wall surface. This flexibility allows the sealing ring to maintain effective contact with the barrel wall while accommodating manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion, ensuring consistent sealing performance throughout the extrusion process.
2Reliability
If tight clearance between piston and barrel is used, then material leakage is prevented, but device complexity and difficulty of assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring's flexible nature allows it to be compressed during assembly and then expand to fill the gap between the piston and barrel. This flexibility enables the sealing ring to achieve reliable sealing without requiring precision fitting or complex assembly procedures, as the ring can accommodate reasonable manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring's cross-sectional dimensions are specifically designed to provide adequate sealing pressure while maintaining ease of assembly. By optimizing the ring's width and thickness parameters, the design achieves reliable sealing effectiveness without creating excessive friction or assembly difficulty.
3Manufacturing precision
If sealing components are added to eliminate gaps, then extrusion uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring serves multiple functions simultaneously: it seals the gap between piston and barrel, prevents material leakage, and can even be used to clean the barrel surface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, offsetting the complexity increase from adding the sealing ring itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring is designed to perform multiple functions within the extruder system. Beyond its primary sealing function, it helps prevent material adhesion to the barrel wall and can be removed for cleaning purposes. This multi-functionality justifies the addition of the component by providing multiple benefits from a single addition.
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 solution ensures a consistent and predictable extrusion by eliminating gaps, improving the uniformity of the extruded material and making it suitable for advanced techniques like Nerikomi, while also facilitating easier operation and cleaning of the extruder.
Implementation Method 1
a barrel seal with a resilient protruding edge may be inserted between the piston and the extrudable material. The protruding edge has a diameter equal to or just greater than the inner diameter of the barrel so that no gap exists between the barrel seal and the barrel.
Implementation Method 2
Sealing rings may be inserted into the gap between the bottom surface of the barrel and the corresponding surface of the base cap. Multiple rings may be stacked on top of each other to fill the entire gap. The rings have roughly the same diameter as the barrel and are held in place by compression force between the barrel and the base cap.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to devices for sealing gaps in an extrusion assembly to provide for a consistent extrusion. In one embodiment, a barrel-shaped sealing device with a resilient protruding edge is used to prevent extrusion material from entering gaps between the piston and the inner surface of the barrel. The sealing device includes a fastener to releasably attach the sealing device to the piston. Sealing rings are inserted into a bottom gap formed between the bottom edge of the barrel and the bottom surface of the die.