Patent ID: 9242396
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for continuously forming a polymer comprising: an extruder, including an extruder head, for continuously extruding a polymer extrudate, a forming zone adapted to receive said polymer extrudate above its glass transition temperature, said forming zone defined by a serially advancing first moulding surface of a first mould and a serially advancing second moulding surface of a second mould; a plurality of heat sinks provided on at least one of the first moulding surface and the second moulding surface, the plurality of heat sinks being spaced relative to each other along the forming zone; and a controller configured to actively control the temperature of each of the plurality of heat sinks; wherein the extruder is configured to continuously deposit said polymer extrudate at a linear speed onto the first moulding surface prior to the polymer extrudate advancing into said forming zone, wherein the first moulding surface is configured to carry said polymer extrudate into said forming zone, the polymer extrudate being in a substantially liquid phase when being continuously deposited onto the first moulding surface, wherein a speed of the serially advancing first moulding surface is configured to substantially match the linear speed of the deposited polymer extrudate, so that only gravity moves the deposited polymer extrudate into the first moulding surface before application of any mechanical force by the second moulding surface; wherein the controller is configured to actively control heat removal from the polymer extrudate when the polymer extrudate is in said forming zone by actively controlling the temperature of each of the plurality of heat sinks to progressively remove heat from the polymer extrudate via at least one of the first moulding surface and the second moulding surface, transitioning the polymer extrudate from above the glass transition temperature to below the glass transition temperature within said forming zone; and wherein at least one of the plurality of heat sinks is positioned at a more advanced orientation through said forming zone and is actively controlled to a lower temperature than an adjacent of the plurality of heat sinks at a less advanced orientation through said forming zone in order to progressively reduce the temperature of the polymer extrudate as it advances through said forming zone.