Extruder and molding assembly

Abstract

A method of filling a mold comprising filling a majority of a mold cavity with an extrudate from at least one extruder wherein the extrudate, which is conveyed to an inlet of the mold, is at a pressure of 1-500 psi, subsequently isolating the mold cavity from a conduit which conveys the extrudate to the mold cavity, and subsequently using a pressurization member to fill a remainder of the mold cavity with additional extrudate, wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 500 psi on the additional extrudate.

1 . A method of filling a mold comprising:
 (a) filling a majority of a mold cavity with an extrudate from at least one extruder wherein the extrudate, which is conveyed to an inlet of the mold, is at a pressure of 1-500 psi,   (b) subsequently isolating the mold cavity from a conduit which conveys the extrudate to the mold cavity; and,   (c) subsequently using a pressurization member to fill a remainder of the mold cavity with additional extrudate, wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 500 psi on the additional extrudate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the extrudate, which is conveyed to an inlet of the mold, is at a pressure of 10-200 psi. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 1,000 psi on the additional extrudate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pressurization member excepts a pressure above 1,000 psi on the additional extrudate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising heating the additional extrudate during step (a). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the additional extrudate comprises some of the extrudate that is delivered to the mold cavity in step (a) and which exits the mold cavity and enters the pressurization member. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising heating the additional extrudate during step (a). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pressurization member comprises a storage chamber, the storage chamber is filled during step (a) and step (c) comprises moving at least some of the additional extrudate from the storage chamber into the mold cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising heating the additional extrudate during step (a). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the additional extrudate comprises some of the extrudate that is delivered to the mold cavity in step (a) and which exits the mold cavity and enters the pressurization member. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the storage chamber is filled concurrently with the mold cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pressurization member comprises a storage chamber that is downstream from an extruder, the storage chamber is upstream from the mold cavity wherein additional extrudate is provided to the storage chamber prior to the additional extrudate entering the mold cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising heating the additional extrudate during step (a). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pressurization member comprises a storage chamber that is downstream from mold cavity during step (a) and is upstream from the mold cavity during step (b), whereby the additional extrudate is provided to the storage chamber during step (a) and is delivered to the mold cavity during step (b). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising heating the additional extrudate during step (a).