APPARATUS FOR THERMOFORMING POLYMER COMPOSITE PANELS

摘要

A system and apparatus for making a plastic panel, combining:
an extruder with a heated barrel having an inlet opening, a discharge outlet and at least one screw flight therebetween;a plurality of molding tools having top and bottom surfaces and sidewalls extending therebetween defining a cavity;a machine press with opposing top and bottom platens configured to receive a molding tool therebetween and apply compressive force to said top and bottom surfaces; andat least one heated vessel for receiving and storing a quantity of mixed melt, wherein the vessel has an inlet port to receive the mixed melt discharged from the barrel outlet of the extruder; a discharge port configured to deliver the mixed melt from the vessel to the cavity of the molding tool; and a metering device set to deliver the selected quantity of the mixed melt from the vessel through the discharge port.

主权项

1. A system and apparatus for making a plastic panel, the apparatus comprising:
an extruder comprising a heated barrel, said heated barrel comprising a feed end inlet, a discharge outlet and at least one screw flight therebetween, wherein said screw flight is configured to form a uniform homogenous mixed melt of an optional glass bead or fiber reinforcing component and a polymer component at the operating temperature of said extruder from a polymer and fiber mixture component delivered thereto through said barrel inlet opening; a plurality of molding tools comprising top and bottom surfaces and sidewalls extending therebetween defining a cavity dimensioned to produce said plastic panel at a predetermined thickness; a heated machine press with opposing top and bottom platens configured to receive one of said molding tools therebetween and apply compressive force to said top and bottom surfaces; and at least one heated vessel for receiving and storing a quantity of said mixed melt selected to form a plastic panel of said predetermined thickness, said vessel comprising an inlet port to receive said mixed melt discharged from said barrel outlet of said extruder; a discharge port configured to deliver said mixed melt from said vessel to the cavity of said molding tool; and a metering device set to deliver said selected quantity of said mixed melt from said vessel through said discharge port to said molding tool cavity.