POLYMER COATED POWDER HEATING AND FEEDING SYSTEM FOR A COMPACTING PRESS

摘要

A system for heating and feeding polymer coated powder to a heated die cavity of a compacting press. The system comprises at least one heated vertical pipe for heating the polymer coated powder and for delivering the polymer coated powder by gravity from source thereof to the entry end of at least one horizontally oriented auger conveyor. The at least one auger conveyor is heated and imparts heat to the individual powder particles through a mixing action. The at least one auger conveyor delivers the polymer coated powder to the heated hopper of a shuttle assembly. The shuttle assembly is shiftable between a retracted position wherein the polymer coated powder is discharged from the shuttle hopper to a heated powder ring, to an extended position wherein the polymer coated powder is discharged from the powder ring to the heated die cavity of the compacting press. The system heats the individual particles of the polymer coated powder to a temperature just below the coagulation point thereof. The temperature of the polymer coated powder is rapidly increased to the "set" point by the combination of the heated die cavity and the energy imparted during the actual compacting stroke.