Forming Different Plastic Products From a Single Melt
AssigneeUnivation Technologies, LLC
InventorsDaudi A. Abe, Simon J. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems (200) and methods for making different plastic products (202, 204) in a single melting process are provided. A method includes melting a plastic resin in a first extruder (104) to form a melt (106) and transferring at least a portion of the melt to a second extruder (114). Any portion of the melt (106) that is not transferred to the second extruder (114) is formed into a first plastic product (202). Additives (116) are blended with the melt in the second extruder to form a second melt (118), and a second plastic product (204) is formed from the second melt (118).
Claims22
A system for forming different plastic products from a single melt, comprising:
- a main extruder system, comprising:
- an extruder configured to melt a plastic resin, forming a melt;
- an additive system configured to feed an additive to the melt in the extruder;
- a diverter system configured to transfer at least a portion of the melt to a second product extruder system
- a first die configured to form a first plastic product from the undiverted melt;
- and
- the second product extruder system, comprising:
- a product extruder configured to blend the melt with an additive, forming a second product melt;
- an additive feeder configured to feed the product additive to the second product extruder;
- and
- a second die configured to form a second plastic product from the second product melt
- wherein the second product extruder has a capacity that is about 75% or less than the capacity of the main extruder.
(canceled)
A method for making different plastic products in a single melting process, comprising:
- melting a plastic resin in a first extruder to form a first melt;
- transferring at least a portion of the first melt to a second extruder, wherein any portion of the first melt that is not transferred is formed into a first plastic product;
- blending additives with the melt in the second extruder to form a second melt;
- and
- forming a second plastic product from the second melt;
- wherein the second extruder has a capacity that is 75% or less than the capacity of the first extruder.
A method for making a plurality of plastic products from a single melt, comprising:
- melting a resin in a main extruder to form the melt;
- blending additives with the melt;
- diverting at least a portion of the melt to each of a plurality of product extruders;
- forming a plastic product from the portion of the melt in the main extruder that is not diverted;
- blending a plurality of additives with the melt in each of the plurality of product extruders;
- and
- forming other plastic products from each of the plurality of product extruders.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.