Method and apparatus for extruder barrel and shaft cooling

A cooling apparatus for an extruder for extruding structures from a ceramic-forming mixture, the cooling apparatus comprising:

• a supply line configured to receive bulk coolant from a supply circuit via an inlet, wherein the supply line delivers a supply coolant to the extruder along a flow path in the supply line;
• a return line that communicates expelled coolant from the extruder;
• a circulation line that connects the supply line to the return line, wherein the circulation line supplies a recirculated portion of the expelled coolant to the supply line and mixes the bulk coolant with the recirculated portion of the expelled coolant forming the supply coolant;
• a bypass line connecting the supply line to the return line;
• and
• a flow control valve connecting one of the supply line or the return line to the bypass line, wherein a proportion of the expelled coolant to the bulk coolant forming the supply coolant is adjusted by the flow control valve.

A temperature control method for an extrusion manufacturing system, the method comprising:

• receiving bulk coolant in a cooling circuit from a coolant supply;
• communicating supply coolant to an extruder;
• receiving expelled coolant from the extruder;
• recirculating a recirculated portion of the expelled coolant and mixing the recirculated portion with the bulk coolant forming the supply coolant;
• controlling a proportion of the expelled coolant to the bulk coolant forming the supply coolant by adjusting a volume of the recirculated portion;
• and
• controlling a supply temperature of the supply coolant based on the proportion of the recirculated portion of the expelled coolant to the bulk coolant.