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Thermoplastic pultrusion die system and method

  • US 8,747,098 B1
  • Filed: 10/09/2013
  • Issued: 06/10/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A thermoplastic pultrusion die system for pultruding a thermoplastic composite, comprising:

  • a first pultrusion die member with a curved, spherical, concave top surface;

    a second pultrusion die member with a curved, spherical convex bottom surface;

    a curved die cavity gap formed between the curved, spherical concave top surface of the first pultrusion die member and the curved, spherical convex bottom surface of the second pultrusion die member;

    a die cavity gap adjustment mechanism that imparts movement to at least one of the first pultrusion die member and the second pultrusion die member to vary the die cavity gap from closed to a first predetermined location to open at a second predetermined location;

    a pultrusion gripper mechanism having one or more grippers in series, anda computer numerical control (CNC) computer system controlling the die cavity gap adjustment mechanism,wherein the (CNC) computer system includes a computer readable medium configured to store executable programmed modules;

    a processor communicatively coupled with the computer readable medium configured to execute programmed modules stored therein;

    one or more computer programmed module elements stored in the computer readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor, wherein the one or more computer programmed module elements configured to incrementally consolidate the thermoplastic composite by compressing the thermoplastic composite with the thermoplastic pultrusion die system at a zero line speed alternated with pultruding the thermoplastic composite on incremental distance at no compression using the pultrusion gripper mechanism whereby the pultrusion gripper mechanism configured to accelerate and decelerate the thermoplastic composite over a predetermined programmed distance until the zero line speed is again achieved.

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