A contact filter block, a method of producing structural elements of a nontact filter block and an apparatus for producing structural elements of a contact filter block

摘要

A method of producing the structural elements of a contact filter block is disclosed, using an apparatus (10) that includes: I) a reservoir (18), for storing granulate material, that has a first inlet (16) and a second inlet, II) a heating and pressurising unit (12), III) a path of travel through the heating unit including heating and pressurising elements (20) distributed along the path of travel, IV) an extruder unit (28), the extruder unit (28) including an extruder heating unit, the extruder unit generating a mesh-type tubular structure (34), V) a cooling unit (14) mounted at the extruder unit for rapidly cooling the material output from the extruder unit (28), and VI) a measuring and cutting device The method includes the steps of: a) supplying the granulate material to the heating and pressurising unit from the reservoir via the second inlet, b) conveying the granulate having a first melting point material along the path of travel, the granulate material including a foaming additive having a second melting point, c) heating the granulate material to an elevated temperature and pressurising the granulate material to an elevated pressure while conveying the granulate material along the path in the heating and pressurising unit (12), the heating and pressurising performed according to a specific heating and pressurising profile, d) transferring the heated and pressurised granulate material to the extruder unit, e) heating the granulate material within the extruder heating unit (28) to a temperature above the first melting point and/or at or above the second melting point, f) extruding the mesh-type tubular structure (34) from the granulate material, the heating of the granulate material causing an expansion of the foaming additive causing the mesh-type tubular structure (34) to obtain an porous structure, g) cooling the extruded mesh-type tubular structure (34) by the cooling unit (14) according to a specific cooling profile thereby stopping or halting expansion of the granulate material and/or the foaming additive and locking or fixating the porous structure of the mesh-type tubular structure (34), and h) cutting the mesh-type tubular structure using the measuring and cutting unit.