Method for creating a billet for molding a part
AssigneeComposite Technologies Corporation
InventorsFredric Louis Abrams, Robert F. Freund
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Abstract
The invention comprises a method for creating a billet for molding a part. A plasticator is loaded with long reinforcing fibers and materials, such as a polyester, a carbocyclic, thermoplastic polymers or mixtures thereof, and heated to a predetermined temperature. The feed is then blended and plasticated to form a molten suspension. Pressure and shear within the plasticator is controlled to provide a process that provides a moldable billet with the length of the reinforcing fibers generally preserved through the plasticating and molding operation.
Claims54
A method for creating a billet for molding a part comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a plurality of molding materials comprising long reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic polymers into a feeding portion of a plasticator having a reciprocating screw;
- (b) heating said plurality of molding materials to a predetermined temperature;
- (c) creating a mixture of said plurality of molding materials and plasticizing said mixture while reciprocating said screw in order to create a molten suspension wherein the length of a majority of said long reinforcing fibers is generally preserved;
- and
- (d) extruding said molten suspension in order to form a billet having preselected billet characteristics.
The method as recited in 1 wherein said plasticator comprises a barrel having a knife located at an extruding opening of the barrel, said method further comprising the steps of:
- extruding said billet through said extruding opening;
- driving said knife to cut said billet to a predetermined shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.