Jason A Waite

US Patent:

20010048181, Dec 6, 2001

Filed:

Jan 22, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/767036

Inventors:

Suresh Shah - Troy MI, US
Edward Wenzel - Troy MI, US
Carl Visconti - Clarkston MI, US
Jason Waite - Lake Orion MI, US

International Classification:

B29C045/00

US Classification:

264/328800, 264/328180, 425/130000, 425/256000, 425/557000

Abstract:

An apparatus having a single screw extruder and a twin screw extruder. The extruders are designed to operate intermittently in a batch-type process. The single screw extruder contains a plurality of barrel segments with an internal cavity, an inlet and a transfer die located at an outlet. The barrel segments provide processing flexibility in that the L/D ratio of the single screw extruder can be varied to accommodate various materials, fillers and material throughputs. The twin screw extruder includes a body having an internal cavity disposed therein. The body includes an inlet at a first end, an outlet at a second end and an inlet located along the length of the twin screw extruder to accept fiber material (fibers) from a side stuffer. A transfer valve is connected to the outlet of the twin screw extruder. The transfer valve controls the flow of melt from the twin screw extruder into an injection plunger. A polymer material (resin) is fed into the internal cavity of the single screw extruder by a feeding device. The fiber material is fed from a fiber source into the internal cavity of the twin screw extruder through an inlet. The outlet of the twin screw extruder is coupled with transfer valve. An injection plunger releasably docks or couples with the transfer valve. The injection plunger includes an outlet and an internal cavity, and is movably mounted on a positioning unit. The positioning unit allows the injection plunger to be coupled to the transfer valve and also to be uncoupled from the transfer valve, and moved in three dimensions (x, y, z coordinate planes) over a core.

US Patent:

6444153, Sep 3, 2002

Filed:

Dec 28, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/473279

Inventors:

Suresh Deepchand Shah - Troy MI
Jason Alan Waite - Lake Orion MI

Assignee:

Delphi Technologies, Inc. - Troy MI

International Classification:

B29C 4738

US Classification:

26421121, 264322

Abstract:

According to the present invention an in-line compounding/extrusion deposition and molding apparatus and method of using the same are provided. The apparatus comprises a single step compounding and extrusion apparatus which includes an extruder screw. The apparatus includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone. The first zone is used to melt an inlet material before the screw advances the melted inlet material into the second zone which comprises a preparation and cutting zone. Simultaneously, as the inlet material is melted in the first zone, the screw rotation feeds a reinforcing fiber bundle into the second zone where the reinforcing fiber bundle is prepared for melt impregnation and is sheared to a desired length. While in the second zone, mixing begins between the melted inlet material and the sheared reinforcing fiber bundle. Next the mixture is advanced into the third zone for uniform distributive mixing and impregnation of the sheared reinforcing fiber bundle with the melted inlet material to form a fiber bundle filled melt.