# US 2019/0168418 A1 · Device and method for producing a dyed and an undyed plastic melt > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168418 A1 - Document ID: US20190168418A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/326,027 - Filed: 2017-07-27 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-17 - Assignees: Coperion GmbH - Applicants: Coperion GmbH - Inventors: Ulrich CONRAD; Norbert KERN; Markus SCHMUDDE; Bernhard STÖHRER; Heiko HORNBERGER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168418A1 ## CPC - B29B 7/603: {in measured doses, e.g. proportioning of several materials} - B29B 7/404: {with feeding or valve actuating means, e.g. with cleaning means} - B29B 7/483: {the other mixing parts being discs perpendicular to the screw axis} - B29B 7/487: {with consecutive casings or screws, e.g. for feeding, discharging, mixing} - B29B 7/488: {Parts, e.g. casings, sealings; Accessories, e.g. flow controlling or throttling devices (discharging B29B7/582; feeding B29B7/60)} - B29B 7/72: Measuring, controlling or regulating - B29B 7/728: {Measuring data of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed, power, vibration (B29B7/724 takes precedence)} - B29B 7/7461: {Combinations of dissimilar mixers} - B29B 7/802: {Constructions or methods for cleaning the mixing or kneading device (cleaning in general B08B)} - B29B 7/88: Adding charges {, i.e. additives} - B29B 9/06: in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion - B29C 48/2526: {Direct drives or gear boxes} - B29C 48/2692: {Material change} - B29C 48/271: {of feeding units} - B29C 48/2715: {of plasticising units} - B29C 48/297: {at several locations, e.g. using several hoppers or using a separate additive feeding} - B29C 48/385: using two or more serially arranged screws in separate barrels - B29C 48/39: a first extruder feeding the melt into an intermediate location of a second extruder - B29B 9/12: characterised by structure or composition - B29C 2948/92095: Angular velocity - B29C 2948/9239: Screw or gear - B29C 2948/92457: Drive section, e.g. gearbox, motor or drive fluids - B29C 2948/926: Flow or feed rate - B29C 2948/92828: Raw material handling or dosing, e.g. active hopper or feeding device - B29K 2105/0032: {Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents} - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract A device for producing a dyed plastic melt and an undyed plastic melt includes a multi-shaft screw extruder, a first metering installation, a second metering installation, and a control installation for selecting between a first operating mode for producing the dyed plastic melt and a second operating mode for producing the undyed plastic melt. The first metering installation serves for feeding an undyed plastic material through a first infeed opening into a housing of the multi-shaft screw extruder, and the second metering installation serves for feeding at least one color granulate through a second infeed opening into the housing. The plastic material is fed exclusively by way of the first infeed opening such that residual color granulate or dyeing agent contained therein, respectively, which is still located in the second metering installation or in the region of the second infeed opening does not contaminate the undyed plastic melt. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for producing a dyed plastic melt and an undyed plastic melt, the device comprising: a multi-shaft screw extruder for providing a plastic melt, the multi-shaft screw extruder having a housing, at least two mutually penetrating housing bores configured in the housing, a first infeed opening, a second infeed opening and at least two treatment element shafts disposed so as to be rotatingly drivable in the housing bores, the first infeed opening and the second infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; a first metering installation for feeding an undyed plastic material through the first infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; a second metering installation for feeding at least one color granulate through the second infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; and a control installation for selecting between a first operating mode for producing the dyed plastic melt and a second operating mode for producing the undyed plastic melt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control installation is configured such that: in the first operating mode the undyed plastic material by the first metering installation through the first infeed opening, and the color granulate by the second metering installation through the second infeed opening, are capable of being fed into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; and in the second operating mode the undyed plastic material by the first metering installation is capable of being fed through the first infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second metering installation comprises a first metering unit for feeding the color granulate, and a second metering unit for feeding a cleaning granulate, the first metering unit and the second metering unit opening into the second infeed opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control installation is configured such that in a cleaning mode a cleaning granulate is capable of being fed through the second infeed opening into the at least two housing bores via the second metering installation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap is defined between the at least two treatment element shafts, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.003 and less than or equal to 0.05. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two treatment element shafts and a housing internal wall of the housing define a gap, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.004 and less than or equal to 0.03. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second infeed opening is disposed upstream of the first infeed opening in a conveying direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the at least two treatment element shafts comprises one shaft to provide at least a plurality of shafts, and kneading elements are rotationally fixed on the shafts between the first infeed opening and the second infeed opening. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the at least two treatment element shafts comprises one shaft to provide at least a plurality of shafts, and screw elements are rotationally fixed on the shafts between the first infeed opening and the second infeed opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least two treatment element shafts comprises one shaft to provide at least a plurality of shafts, and screw elements and kneading elements are disposed so as to be rotationally fixed on the shafts downstream of the first infeed opening and the second infeed opening. ### Claim 11 A method for producing a dyed and an undyed plastic melt, the method comprising the following method steps: providing a multi-shaft screw extruder having a housing, at least two mutually penetrating housing bores configured in the housing a first infeed opening, a second infeed opening and at least two treatment element shafts rotatingly drivable in the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores, the first infeed opening and the second infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; providing a first metering installation and a second metering installation; selecting between a first operating mode for producing the dyed plastic melt and a second operating mode for producing the undyed plastic melt via a control installation, wherein in the first operating mode an undyed plastic material via the first metering installation through the first infeed opening, and a color granulate via the second metering installation through the second infeed opening, are fed into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores, wherein in the second operating mode the undyed plastic material via the first metering installation is fed through the first infeed opening into the at least two mutually penetrating housing bores; and operating the multi-shaft screw extruder, the first metering installation and the second metering installation in a selected operating mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second metering installation comprises a first metering unit for feeding the color granulate, and a second metering unit for feeding a cleaning granulate, the first metering unit and the second metering unit opening into the second infeed opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control installation is configured such that in a cleaning mode a cleaning granulate is capable of being fed through the second infeed opening into the at least two housing bores via the second metering installation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a gap is defined between the at least two treatment element shafts, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.003 and less than or equal to 0.05. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two treatment element shafts and a housing internal wall of the housing define a gap, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.004 and less than or equal to 0.03. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second infeed opening is disposed upstream of the first infeed opening in a conveying direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap is defined between the at least two treatment element shafts, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.004 and less than or equal to 0.035. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap is defined between the at least two treatment element shafts, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.011 and less than or equal to 0.02. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two treatment element shafts and a housing internal wall of the housing define a gap, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.005 and less than or equal to 0.025. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two treatment element shafts and a housing internal wall of the housing define a gap, and a width of the gap in relation to an external diameter of the at least two treatment element shafts is greater than or equal to 0.012 and less than or equal to 0.019.