Apparatus for making objects by means of compression moulding

Apparatus for forming an object, comprising an extruding device for supplying a continuous extrudate of polymeric material, at least one separating element for cutting the continuous extrudate thereby separating from the continuous extrudate a dose of polymeric material, the apparatus including at least one mould movable along a path and at least one transport element movable along a trajectory for conveying the dose from the extruding device towards the mould, the trajectory being in the form of a closed loop, with said trajectory and said path intersecting in a common releasing portion where the transport element releases the dose on a receiving part of said mould, the mould comprising a first mould part and a second mould part aligned with each other along a moulding direction, the first mould part and the second mould part being movable relative to one another between an open position, in which the dose is rested on said receiving part selected from the first mould part and the second mould part, and a closed position, in which a forming chamber is defined between the first mould part and the second mould part, the forming chamber having a shape corresponding to said object, wherein the apparatus further comprises a thermal conditioning device, and wherein the thermal conditioning device is adapted to act on the dose while the dose is interposed between the first mould part and the second mould part, after the dose has been released into said at least one mould and before the closed position is reached, by thermally conditioning at least one surface portion of the dose which is distinct from a resting portion of the dose which is resting on the receiving part,

• wherein the thermal conditioning device comprises a tubular containment structure which at least partly encloses at least the receiving part of the mould along at least part of said path, said containment structure extending along the path between an entrance opening, through which the receiving part of the moulds enters the containment structure downstream the releasing portion, and an exit opening, through which the receiving part comes out of the containment structure near the point of the path at which the closed position of the mould is reached.

Apparatus for forming an object, comprising an extruding device for supplying a continuous extrudate of polymeric material, at least one separating element for cutting the continuous extrudate thereby separating from the continuous extrudate a dose of polymeric material, the apparatus including at least one mould movable along a path and at least one transport element movable along a trajectory for conveying the dose from the extruding device towards the mould, the trajectory being in the form of a closed loop, with said trajectory and said path intersecting in a common releasing portion where the transport element releases the dose on a receiving part of said mould, the mould comprising a first mould part and a second mould part aligned with each other along a moulding direction, the first mould part and the second mould part being movable relative to one another between an open position, in which the dose is rested on said receiving part selected from the first mould part and the second mould part, and a closed position, in which a forming chamber is defined between the first mould part and the second mould part, the forming chamber having a shape corresponding to said object, wherein the apparatus further comprises a thermal conditioning device, and wherein the thermal conditioning device is adapted to act on the dose while the dose is interposed between the first mould part and the second mould part, after the dose has been released into said at least one mould and before the closed position is reached, by thermally conditioning at least one surface portion of the dose which is distinct from a resting portion of the dose which is resting on the receiving part,

• wherein the thermal conditioning device comprises a localized heat source located and active along the path operatively downstream of the releasing portion for directing thermal energy onto a selected portion of the dose before the dose is deformed between first mould part and the second mould part.