# US 2014/0151915 A1 · Extrusion systems and methods with temperature control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151915 A1 - Document ID: US20140151915A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,642 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Corning Incorporated - Inventors: Kenneth Charles Sariego; Joel Andrew Schultes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151915A1 ## CPC - B28B 3/201: {Means for heating or cooling the barrel} - B28B 3/2654: {Means for heating or cooling the die} - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) ## Abstract Extrusion systems and methods with temperature control are disclosed. The ceramic batch material is flowed through a front section wherein the temperature of the batch material is locally adjusted through its perimeter at multiple locations. The temperature-adjusted ceramic batch material is then extruded through the extrusion die to form the extrudate. Temperatures of the extrudate at multiple outer surface locations having different azimuthal positions are measured. The temperature adjustment of the ceramic batch material is then controlled in a first feedback loop to control the shape of the extrudate based on the measured outer surface temperatures. The front section can also be cooled using a second control loop. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a shape of an extrudate made of ceramic batch material extruded from an extrusion die of an extruder, comprising: flowing the ceramic batch material through an extruder cavity immediately adjacent the extrusion die, wherein the batch material has a temperature and wherein the cavity has a central axis and defines a perimeter of the ceramic batch material; locally adjusting the temperature of the ceramic batch material through its perimeter at multiple locations; extruding the temperature-adjusted ceramic batch material through the extrusion die to form the extrudate, with the extrudate having an outer surface; measuring temperatures of the extrudate at multiple outer surface locations having different azimuthal positions; and controlling the local adjusting of the temperature of the ceramic batch material based on the measured outer surface temperatures to control the shape of the extrudate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the locally adjusting the temperature of the ceramic batch material includes either locally heating the ceramic batch material through its periphery or locally heating and cooling the ceramic batch material through its periphery ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the cooling is accomplished by flowing a coolant, and wherein the coolant flow is maintained substantially constant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the cooling is accomplished by flowing a coolant, and wherein at least one of the coolant flow and extrudate temperature is adjusted based on the measured temperatures of the multiple outer surface locations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the coolant flow varies as a function of an azimuthal angle defined relative to the cavity central axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the local heating is applied non-uniformly so that the extrudate has a substantially uniform cylindrical shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: performing the local heating using multiple heating elements, each element having a temperature defined by an amount of electrical power provided to each of the heating elements; measuring the heating-element temperatures; and controlling the measured heating-element temperatures in a second control loop. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the measuring of the local heating of the ceramic batch material and the measuring of the temperatures of the extrudate are performed at substantially the same azimuthal positions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein measuring temperatures of the extrudate at multiple outer surface locations includes: arranging a plurality of non-contact temperature sensors about the outer surface of the extrudate; generating temperature signals from the temperature sensors; and receiving the temperature signals at a temperature controller configured to control the local adjustment of the temperature of the ceramic batch material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the shape includes bow, and controlling the local adjustment of the temperature of the ceramic batch material is performed in a manner that controls the bow. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the extrudate has a skin having a thickness, and wherein controlling the local adjustment of the temperature of ceramic batch material is performed in a manner that controls the skin thickness. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the extrudate has a skin with at least one type of defect, and wherein controlling the local adjustment of the temperature of the ceramic batch material is performed in a manner that reduces or eliminates the at least one type of skin defect. ### Claim 13 An extrusion system for controlling the extrusion of a ceramic batch material to form an extrudate having an outer surface and a desired extrudate shape, comprising: an extruder having a long axis and a cavity configured to contain the ceramic batch material and that contains at least one extrusion screw operable to cause a flow of the ceramic batch material; an extrusion die operably arranged at an output end of the extruder; a front section of the extruder that resides immediately adjacent the extrusion die; a plurality of heating elements azimuthally arranged about at least a portion of the cavity periphery at the front section and configured to provide, in response to power signals, localized heating of the ceramic batch material as it flows through the front section; a plurality of first temperature sensors azimuthally arranged relative to the long axis at the extruder front end and configured to make non-contact measurements of surface temperatures of the extrudate outer surface and generate first temperature signals representative of the measured surface temperatures; and a temperature controller operably connected to the plurality of heating elements and the plurality of first temperature sensors and configured to receive the first temperature signals and control, via the power signals, amounts of heat generated by the heating elements in response to the measured surface temperatures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a cooling jacket disposed in thermal communication with the front section and operable to cool the ceramic batch material flowing though the front section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the cavity is defined by a wall, and further comprising one or more cooling channels formed in the wall at the front section, wherein the cooling channels are configured to support a flow of coolant to cool the ceramic batch material flowing through the front section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of second temperature sensors operably connected to the temperature controller and arranged adjacent the plurality of heating elements and configured to measure respective temperatures of the heating elements and generate second temperature signals representative of the measured temperatures; and wherein the temperature controller receives and utilizes the second temperature signals to control the amount of power provided to the heating elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a mounting bracket attached to the extruder output end and configured to operably support the plurality of first temperature sensors. ### Claim 18 An extruder system for controlling the extrusion of a ceramic batch material to form an extrudate having an outer surface and a desired extrudate shape, comprising: an extrusion die having a first cavity and an output aperture; a first extruder section arranged immediately adjacent the extrusion die and having a second cavity that is open to the first cavity; a second extruder section arranged immediately adjacent the first extruder section configured to cause the flow of the ceramic batch material through the second cavity to the first cavity and out of the extrusion die output end to form the extrudate; a plurality of first temperature sensors azimuthally disposed about the extrusion die output aperture and operable to measure temperatures of the extrudate outer surface and in response thereto generate first temperature signals; a plurality of first heating elements azimuthally disposed about the second cavity and operable to locally heat the ceramic batch material flowing through the second cavity in response to power signals; and a temperature control unit operably connected to the first temperature sensors and the heating elements and configured to receive the first temperature signals and control the power signals in a first control loop to control amounts of heat generated by the heating element in response to the measured surface temperatures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, further including: a cooling jacket arranged about the first extruder section; and a coolant supply fluidly connected to the cooling jacket and configured to flow a coolant through the cooling jacket. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, further comprising the coolant supply being operably connected to the temperature control unit and being controlled by the temperature control unit in a second control loop to selectively cool the first extruder section.