Process for manufacturing thermoplastic sheet and apparatus therefor

An apparatus for manufacturing a thermoplastic resin comprising

• a T-die in a T-die extruder to fuse a thermoplastic resin and extrude the fused resin into a sheet-like configuration;
• compressing and primary cooling means which is arranged at the downstream side of the T-die for cooling said sheet-like fused resin from the T-die in a primary cooling operation while compressing said sheet-like fused resin between a surface of a cast dram and a metallic endless belt which opposes the drum surface with a predetermined clearance therebetween in an arcuate configuration;
• a cooling tank downstream of the compressing and primary cooling means for immediately secondarily cooling the resin sheet which has been subject to the primary cooling, said tank containing cooling water;
• means downstream of said cooling tank for removing cooling water from the secondarily cooled sheet, and
• thermal treating means downstream of said water removing means for heating the sheet from which the collected water has been removed so as to improve the performance characteristics of the resin,
• wherein said metallic belt is pivotally supported in position by first, second and third rollers, and said first roller lies above the cast dram and adjacent to the T-die and said second metallic roller lies a distance from said first metallic roller and adjacent to said cast drum so as to enable said belt to form a spacing in an arcuate configuration.