JP4495510B2 - Multi-axis kneading apparatus and material kneading method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-axis kneading apparatus and a material kneading method that have a plurality of screws and a material kneading member to knead a material and also to extrude the material.

Conventionally, there is a mixer apparatus named “Measuring Mixers” as an apparatus for testing processability such as kneadability for a small amount of a material such as a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. The mixer device includes a gear unit having a blade for mixing materials, and a small amount of material can be kneaded for a long time. (For example, refer nonpatent literature 1.).
Brabender OHG, “Measuring Mixers”, [online], Brabender OHG homepage, [Search April 22, 2003], Internet <URL: http://www.brabender.de/2_2_1.html>

  However, the mixer device does not have a mechanism for transporting the mixed material, and the processed material must be taken out from the mixer device as a lump, and there is a problem in handling the material. In addition, since the mixer device simply mixes the materials, the mixer device described above is used when the mixer device is scaled up to an extruder having a conveying function using a screw even if the kneadability of the material is evaluated. It is difficult to obtain a similar evaluation.

  In order to improve the handleability of the material, it is conceivable to add the transport mechanism by providing the mixer apparatus with a screw structure provided in a so-called extruder. However, when a conveyance mechanism having a screw structure in which the gap between the screw and the casing is narrowed is provided, a flow in one direction of the material is generated in the path, so a material discharge port is required for the material input port. Become. If only a short-distance transport mechanism is added, sufficient melt-kneading cannot be obtained, which causes a problem that a large load is applied to the apparatus. Therefore, even if the transport mechanism is added, good material kneadability cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if the conveying mechanism has a long axis, the structure becomes the same as that of a so-called extruder, and a large amount of material is required.

  Further, even if a material kneading member called kneading is provided in the mixer device instead of the screw structure, the material may be unevenly distributed or remain in a part of the device only with the material kneading member. The device tends to be overloaded, or it may be difficult to remove air bubbles mixed in the material, making it impossible to obtain good material kneadability.

On the other hand, in order to increase the material kneading property as in the mixer apparatus using only an extruder, it is necessary to lengthen the kneading part, that is, to increase the screw shaft length. However, an increase in the screw shaft length causes a problem that a large amount of material is charged as described above. For example, a material for nanotechnology in recent years has a very expensive unit price, and it is economically difficult to use a material exceeding a necessary amount. Although a method of lowering the processing amount with an ultra-small extruder can be considered, even in this case, it is difficult to perform the processing with a material amount on the order of several grams.
Another possible method is to use a short-shaft extruder and knead the material that has been kneaded, discharged from the extruder, and once taken out, into the material supply unit and repeatedly kneaded. However, in this method, there is a problem that by taking out the material from the extruder, the heat history acting on the material such as cooling, solidification, re-melting, and kneading changes, and the physical property evaluation of the material cannot be performed accurately. .
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and includes a multi-axis kneading apparatus having a plurality of screws and having a material conveying function and a kneading function, and the multi-axis kneading apparatus. It is an object to provide a material kneading method.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
That is, the multi-axis kneading apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of first conveying members that are screw-shaped and meshed with each other and arranged in parallel to each other, and a material supply unit for the material to be kneaded, A material supply transport unit that transports the material in the transport direction along the axial direction of the first transport member by rotation of the first transport member;
A kneading unit having a kneading member connected to the material supply and conveyance unit along the axial direction and kneading the material conveyed by the material supply and conveyance unit;
A plurality of second conveying members that are coupled to the kneading part along the axial direction, meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other, and the material kneaded in the kneading part are conveyed to the second conveying part. A discharge transport unit that transports the material to the material discharge port by rotation of the member,
A material return unit connected to the material discharge port and supplying the material discharged from the material discharge port to the material supply and conveyance unit again;
It is provided with.

  The material return section has a material return pipe for supplying the material discharged from the material discharge port to the material supply / conveyance section again, and the material return pipe is installed immediately before the kneading section. It can also be configured to connect to the material supply / conveyance section at a return position separated from the kneading section by at least one or more threads in the first conveyance member.

  The material return section further includes a sampling section that is provided immediately before the return position in the material return pipe and samples the material returned to the material supply / conveyance section through the material return pipe from the material return pipe. It can also be configured.

  In addition, the material return unit can be configured to further include a measuring instrument that measures a physical quantity in the material return pipe of the material that is provided in the material return pipe and is returned to the material supply / conveyance unit.

  In addition, the material return portion may be configured to further include a test piece preparation mold portion that is provided in the material return pipe and that makes a test piece of the material using the material staying in the material return pipe. .

  Moreover, it can also be comprised so that the switching part which is provided in the said material discharge port and supplies the material discharged | emitted from this material discharge port to any one of the said material return part and the nozzle | cap | die which shape | molds a material can also be provided.

  Further, it may be configured to further include a temperature adjusting device that performs at least one of heating and cooling of the material during conveyance and kneading of the material.

  Moreover, it can also be comprised so that the gas removal part which is provided in the said discharge conveyance part and removes gas from the said material may be further provided.

  Further, it may be configured to further include a liquid supply unit that is provided in at least one of the material supply conveyance unit and the discharge conveyance unit and supplies a liquid to the material.

  Moreover, it can also be comprised so that the gas supply part which is provided in the said material supply conveyance part and supplies gas to the said material may be further provided.

  Moreover, it can also comprise so that the seal | sticker part which has a screw-shaped sealing member which has a reverse screw structure with respect to the said 2nd conveyance member between the said kneading | mixing part and the said discharge conveyance part can also be comprised.

Furthermore, in the material kneading method of the second aspect of the present invention, the supplied material is conveyed in the conveying direction along the axial direction of the first conveying member by the screw-shaped first conveying member,
Kneading the material that has been transported,
The kneaded material is conveyed to the material discharge port by the screw-shaped second conveying member,
The material discharged from the material discharge port is returned to the first conveying member again through the material return pipe and the material is kneaded repeatedly.
It is characterized by that.

  Further, in the material kneading method, the material returning by the material return pipe is a return that is separated from the material kneading operation by at least one or more threads in the first conveying member installed immediately before the material kneading operation. You may make it return to a position.

  As described above in detail, according to the multi-axis kneading apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention and the material kneading method of the second aspect, the material can be repeatedly kneaded in the kneading section, and the material supply / conveyance section and the discharge are discharged. The material can be conveyed while being moved by the conveying unit, and the material is not unevenly distributed at a specific place. In the above movement, since the material is conveyed while being mixed, bubbles that may be mixed inside the material can be sufficiently removed, and the material kneadability can be improved as compared with the conventional apparatus. . Further, by having the material return portion, it is possible to prevent the kneading apparatus from becoming longer, and the physical properties of the material can be evaluated with a small amount of material in the kneading operation of the material having the material transport function. Therefore, according to the multi-axis kneading apparatus of the present embodiment, the material can be efficiently and sufficiently kneaded while having a material conveying function as compared with the conventional apparatus.

  Furthermore, by providing the switching unit, the kneaded material can be taken out of the apparatus, and further, it can be molded and taken out by passing through a die.

A multi-axis kneading apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention and a material kneading method executed by the multi-axis kneading apparatus will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component in each figure.
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a basic type multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 in this embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 of FIG.
The multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 basically includes a plurality of screw shafts 180 that have so-called corrugated screws and are meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other along the circumferential direction by a motor 190 that is a drive source. The structure of the extruder inserted in the barrel 185 is provided so that the material discharged from the material discharge port is fed back to the vicinity of the material supply unit again. . Therefore, the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 includes a material supply transport unit 110, a kneading unit 120, a discharge transport unit 130, and a material return unit 140 as basic components.
In addition, although this multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 is a case where the two screw shafts 180 are provided, it can be provided with screw shafts 180 having two or more axes, for example, four axes.

Further, on the outer surface of the barrel 185, a temperature adjusting device 150 having a plate heater or the like for performing at least one of heating and cooling with respect to the material conveyed and kneaded in the barrel 185 can be provided.
In addition, a material discharge portion at the tip of the barrel 185 is provided with a base 195 for forming the discharged material into an appropriate shape, for example, a string shape or a plate shape, and continuously discharging the material. It is preferable to do this.
In this embodiment, the tip end portion of the barrel 185 provided with the base 195 is constituted by a barrel head portion 185-1 which is a separate member from the main body portion of the barrel 185. The barrel head portion 185-1 can be detachably fastened to the main body portion of the barrel 185. In addition, the barrel 185 can also be formed with one member to the front-end | tip part, without using another member like the barrel head part 185-1. When the barrel 185 is formed from a single member, the pressure resistance of the barrel 185 can be increased, so that extrusion with a high tip pressure of the screw shaft 180 is possible.
In the following description, the main body portion of the barrel 185 and the barrel head portion 185-1 are collectively referred to as a barrel 185.

The material supply / conveyance unit 110 rotates a screw-shaped first conveyance member 111 constituting a part of the screw shaft 180, a material supply unit 112 for introducing a material to be kneaded, and a first conveyance member 111. And a barrel 185 serving as a casing for fitting and loading and installing the material supply unit 112, and the first transport member 111 is rotated by the motor 190 so that the screw shaft 180, that is, the first In the conveying direction 181 along the axial direction 180 a of the one conveying member 111, the material input from the material supply unit 112, for example, the material A and the material B are mixed and conveyed in the barrel 185.
Note that the materials to be supplied are not limited to the above two types, and one or more types of materials are supplied. In addition, the supplied material is mixed and melted during the conveyance. In the present embodiment, the material supply unit 112 is merely a material input port, but a material supply device that forcibly supplies the material to the material supply conveyance unit 110 may be provided.
FIG. 3 shows the rotation direction 182 of each screw shaft 180 as viewed from the tip end side of the screw shaft 180 in the vicinity of the material discharge port 186. As each screw shaft 180 rotates in the rotational direction 182, the material present in the valley portion of each first transport member 111 is transported in the transport direction 181 while moving in the direction indicated by the arrow 181a. .

The kneading unit 120 is connected to the material supply / conveying unit 110 along the axial direction 180a, and includes a kneading member 121 and a barrel 185 as a casing for loading the kneading member 121. In the embodiment, the kneading unit 120 and the material supply / conveying unit 110 are integrally formed. The kneading member 121 constitutes a part of the screw shaft 180, is formed integrally with the first conveying member 111 of the material supply conveying unit 110, and the material that has been conveyed by the first conveying member 111 is used. Knead.
The kneading member 121 is also called kneading, and has a configuration in which a plurality of substantially elliptical members such as a leaf shape are arranged at different arrangement angles as shown in FIG. By changing the arrangement angle, the kneading member 121 is generally of a type that can convey the material in the conveying direction 181 when rotated in the rotation direction 182, and conveys the material in the direction opposite to the conveying direction 181. There are three types: possible types and types that do not have a material transfer function. In the present embodiment, the above transportable types are used, but each of the above types can be used.
In the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101, two kneading members 121 are juxtaposed along the axial direction 180a. However, the number of kneading members 121 is 1 or more in response to a request for increase / decrease in the degree of kneading of the material. Can be set. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, three kneading members 121 can be provided side by side. When arranging a plurality of kneading members 121 in parallel, only one of the above three types may be used, or a combination of the three types may be used.

  The discharge transport unit 130 is connected to the kneading unit 120 along the axial direction 180a, and serves as a casing for rotatably fitting and loading the second transport member 131 and the first transport member 111. In this embodiment, the discharge transport unit 130 and the kneading unit 120 are integrally formed. The second conveying member 131 is a screw-like member similar to the first conveying member 111 described above, constitutes a part of the screw shaft 180, and is formed integrally with the kneading member 121. In the present embodiment, the second transport member 131 has the same structure as the first transport member 111 described above. Such a second conveying member 131 conveys the material kneaded by the kneading member 121 to the material discharge port 186 by rotating in the rotation direction 182. Further, the discharge transport unit 130 also functions as a boosting unit for transporting the material through a material return pipe 141 of a material return unit 140 described below.

Further, in the present embodiment, a vent port 132 constituting a gas removal unit for removing gas from the material is formed in the barrel 185 in the discharge transport unit 130, and the vacuum device 133 is provided in the vent port 132. Are connected, and the vent port 132 portion is depressurized to a degree of vacuum of, for example, about 2.3 kPa (about 17 Torr) at all times. Such a reduced pressure state can be effectively achieved by providing a seal portion 175 described later. Further, it is desirable that the vent port 132 should be installed when processing a material whose dispersibility is lowered by mixing with gas, for example, air. For example, when a material such as nanocarbon is kneaded, the vent port 132 and the vacuum device 133 are indispensable configurations.
Further, in order to efficiently remove gas from the material being conveyed, the vent port 132 extends over a length of about two by the screw thread in the second conveying member 131 along the axial direction 180a. Is preferred.

The material return unit 140 is a part that is connected to the material discharge port 186 and supplies the material discharged from the material discharge port 186 to the material supply transport unit 110 again. A material return pipe 141 leading to 110 is included. In the present embodiment, the material return pipe 141 is formed in the barrel 185 and the return block 142, and the return block 142 is attached to the barrel 185.
In the present embodiment, the switching unit 143 is provided in the vicinity of the material discharge port 186 after the material discharge port 186. The switching unit 143 is a part that supplies the material discharged from the material discharge port 186 to either the material return pipe 141 or the base 195 of the material return unit 140, as shown in FIGS. The flow path is switched by the driving device 144. In the present embodiment, the switching unit 143 has a ball valve structure and switches the flow path by rotating the flow path switching portion with the drive device 144. In addition, the structure of the switching part 143 is not limited to the said ball-valve structure, A person skilled in the art can take a structure that can be easily conceived. Normally, as shown in FIG. 5, the switching unit 143 is switched so as to connect the material discharge port 186 to the material return pipe 141, and at the discharge pressure of the material discharged from the material discharge port 186, the material is The material is conveyed and supplied to the material supply and conveyance unit 110. In addition, it is also possible to provide the material return pipe 141 with a material conveyance device that forcibly conveys and supplies the material discharged from the material discharge port 186 to the material supply / conveyance unit 110.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the connection position of the material return pipe 141 in the material supply / conveyance unit 110 is a position corresponding to the first conveyance member 111 -L provided immediately before the kneading unit 120. The return position 145 is such that there is at least one thread of the first conveying member 111-L. The reason for connecting the material return pipe 141 to such a return position 145 is that the return material returned through the material return pipe 141 can be conveyed to the kneading part 120 by the rotation of the first conveying member 111-L. . That is, if the material return pipe 141 is connected immediately before the kneading part 120, the thread of the first conveying member 111-L does not exist, and the return material is difficult to supply or cannot be supplied to the kneading part 120. Because.
The connection position of the material return pipe 141 in the material supply / conveyance unit 110 is most preferably the return position 145, but the position between the position where the one screw thread exists and the material supply unit 112 is selected. You can also.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the number of the kneading members 121 is changed, it is necessary to change the return position 145 of the material return pipe 141. In order to cope with such a change in position, for example, each return block 142 in which a material return pipe 141 having a length corresponding to each return position 145 is formed is prepared. It is preferable to devise such as a structure that can be attached to and detached from 185 or a structure in which the material return pipe 141 can be expanded and contracted.

As an example of the dimension of each part in the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 in this embodiment, the diameters of the screw-shaped first conveying member 111 and the second conveying member 131 are 15 mm, and the material supply conveying unit along the axial direction 180a. The length of 110 is about 80 mm, the length of the discharge conveying unit 130 is about 40 mm, and the length of the kneading unit 120 is about 30 mm.
Further, as described above, the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 is not merely an apparatus for kneading materials, but can also extrude the kneaded material to the outside of the apparatus, and circulates the material in the apparatus system for material kneading. It can be carried out. Therefore, the multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 of this embodiment can also be called an extruder with a multi-axis kneading part or an extruder with a material circulation type multi-axis kneading part.

The multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 having the above-described configuration can also have the following configuration as a modified example.
As in the multi-axis kneading apparatus 102 shown in FIG. 7, the material supply / conveyance unit 110 is located behind the material supply unit 112 and constitutes a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the material to be conveyed. A supply port 171 and a gas supply device 172 that supplies gas to the gas supply port 171 can be further provided. As an example of the gas to be supplied, there is a nitrogen gas for preventing oxidation of a material to be conveyed.
In addition, the discharge transport unit 130 is located behind the vent port 132 and supplies a liquid supply port 173 that constitutes a liquid supply unit that supplies liquid to the discharged material, and supplies liquid to the liquid supply port 173. A liquid supply device 174 for performing can be further provided. An example of the liquid to be supplied is a plasticizer or a lubricant. By providing such a liquid supply function, it is possible to improve the workability of the material or improve the fluidity by adding a liquid to the material.
Note that the liquid supply port 173 and the liquid supply device 174 can be installed at appropriate locations behind the material supply unit 112 in the material supply conveyance unit 110.
The other configuration of the multi-axis kneader 102 is not different from the configuration of the multi-axis kneader 101 described above.

  Furthermore, as already described above, a configuration in which the number of kneading members 121 provided in the kneading unit 120 is three, or three or more or one can be adopted as in the multi-axis kneading apparatus 103 shown in FIG. . The other configuration of the multi-axis kneader 103 is not different from the configuration of the multi-axis kneader 101 described above.

  Furthermore, a seal portion 175 can be provided between the kneading portion 120 and the discharge conveying portion 130 as in the multi-axis kneading apparatus 104 shown in FIG. The seal portion 175 is a screw-like seal member 176 having a reverse screw structure with respect to the second transport member 131 of the discharge transport portion 130, and a casing that rotatably fits and loads the seal member 176. With a barrel. The seal member 176 is a part of the screw shaft 180 and is formed integrally with the kneading member 121 and the second conveying member 131. In the multi-axis kneading apparatus 104, the length of the seal member 176 in the axial direction 180a is the length of a half thread of the screw, but the length of the seal member 176 is not limited to this.

By providing such a seal portion 175, the material movement from the kneading unit 120 to the discharging conveyance unit 130 is suppressed, while the material is supplied from the material supply conveyance unit 110 to the kneading unit 120. The material pressure in the kneading part 120 can be improved. That is, when the vacuum decompression venting is performed from the vent port 132 without providing the seal portion 175, the material filling rate in the vent port 132, the kneading unit 120, and the material supply / conveyance unit 110 is low due to poor sealing performance. Depending on the case, the material may be sucked from the vent port 132. On the other hand, by providing the seal portion 175, even when vacuum decompression venting is performed from the vent port 132, the material pressure in the kneading unit 120 is high, so that sealing performance is generated in the seal portion 175, and suction force in the vent port 132 is generated. Can be prevented from acting on the material supply / conveyance unit 110. Therefore, the degree of vacuum at the vent port 132 can be maintained. When a small amount of material is added, the filling volume inside the apparatus is small, so that it is often impossible to maintain a vacuum only with the kneading member 121. Therefore, in a multi-axis kneading apparatus that processes a small amount of material, providing the seal portion 175 is an effective means for maintaining a vacuum.
In addition, since the material supply to the kneading unit 120 is improved by providing the seal portion 175, the kneadability of the material in the kneading unit 120 can be improved.
The other configuration of the multi-axis kneader 104 is not different from the configuration of the multi-axis kneader 101 described above.

  It is also possible to produce a multi-axis kneader having a configuration in which the configurations of the various multi-axis kneaders 101 to 104 described above are appropriately combined.

The operation in the multi-axis kneader configured as described above, that is, the material kneading method will be described below. The multi-axis kneading apparatus 101 will be described as an example.
The motor 190 is operated to rotate the first conveying member 111, the kneading member 121, and the second conveying member 131 in the rotation direction 182 at a predetermined number of rotations, for example, the material A and the material B. . As an example of the material, a total of 5 grams of 3 grams of resin material and 2 grams of filler material is added. By the rotation, the material is transported in the transport direction 181 while moving along the arrow 181 a by the first transport member 111. The materials are mixed by the conveyance, and may be melted by heating or cooling by the temperature control device 150. Then, the material is supplied to the kneading unit 120 by the conveyance.
In the kneading unit 120, the material is kneaded by the kneading member 121, and after being kneaded, is supplied to the discharge conveyance unit 130 at the next stage. In the discharge transport unit 130, the kneaded material is transported in the transport direction 181 by the second transport member 131. The kneaded material is supplied to the material return pipe 141 through the material discharge port 186 and the switching unit 143 at the discharged pressure, and is supplied to the material supply / conveyance unit 110 again through the material return pipe 141. The

The material is repeatedly supplied from the material discharge port 186 to the material supply transport unit 110 through the material return pipe 141 until the kneadability of the supplied material can be evaluated.
When it is determined that the evaluation is possible, the driving device 144 is operated to switch the flow path of the switching unit 143 from the material return pipe 141 side to the base 195 side. Then, the sufficiently kneaded material is formed into a desired shape such as a cylindrical shape or a flat plate shape by the die 195 and discharged.

As described above, according to the multi-axis kneading apparatus of the present embodiment, the material can be repeatedly kneaded particularly in the kneading unit 120, and the material along the arrow 181a in the material supply conveyance unit 110 and the discharge conveyance unit 130. The material can be conveyed while being moved, and the material is not unevenly distributed or left in a certain place. Further, in the movement along the arrow 181a, since the material is conveyed while being mixed, bubbles that may be mixed inside the material can be sufficiently removed, and the material kneadability can be improved as compared with the conventional apparatus. Can be improved. Therefore, according to the multiaxial kneading apparatus of the present embodiment, the material can be efficiently and sufficiently kneaded as compared with the conventional apparatus.
Furthermore, by providing the switching unit 143, the kneaded material can be taken out of the apparatus, and further, the material can be molded and taken out by passing through the base 195.
Further, according to the multi-axis kneading apparatus of this embodiment, since the apparatus can be prevented from being elongated by having the material return portion 140, the kneading operation of the material having the material conveying function can be performed with a small amount of material, for example, 5 The physical property of the material, for example, kneadability can be evaluated with a material in an amount of about gram. In addition, by including the material return portion 140, even when the material is not sufficiently melted and kneaded by one transport and kneading, the kneading degree of the material can be adjusted at an arbitrary number of times and time. Therefore, the problems of overload and kneading dispersion that are problems in the conventional apparatus do not occur in the multi-axis kneading apparatus of this embodiment.
In addition, by having the material return portion 140, it is not necessary to take out the kneaded material once outside the apparatus, so there is little influence on the heat history such as cooling, solidification, and re-heating and melting acting on the material. The physical property evaluation can be performed more accurately.

  Further, in this embodiment, the barrel 185 is configured to be detachable as the barrel head portion 185-1 so that the barrel 185 is not divided into upper and lower parts, and the driving portion of the motor 190 is attached to the barrel 185. In this state, the screw shaft 180 can be extracted from the front. Therefore, for example, the inside of the barrel can be easily cleaned. Further, as will be described later, the material is sampled from the sampling unit 146 provided in the material return unit 140-1 and the like, and based on the physical property value of the sampled material, for example, replacement of the screw shaft 180, extension of the barrel, etc. These operations can be easily performed even when performing the above.

  Although the above-described multi-axis kneading apparatuses 101 to 104 are described as being suitable for conveying and kneading a small amount of material, it goes without saying that the material can be returned by scaling up each part such as the diameter of the first conveying member 111. A large multi-axis kneading apparatus having the portion 140 may be manufactured. According to this large-sized multi-shaft kneading apparatus, an extruder having a small L / D value, which is a ratio between a screw outer peripheral movement distance when the screw makes one rotation and a groove depth of the screw, It can also be used as a substitute for a shafted extruder.

  In the above description, the case where the filler material is simultaneously added to the resin material has been described as an example. However, only the resin material is charged first, and the filler material is charged after the resin material is melted or after a certain amount of time has elapsed. You can also. For example, when processing a fiber-based material such as glass fiber, the fiber length is easily shortened in the multi-axis kneading apparatuses 101 to 104. Therefore, it is more preferable to knead after melting than kneading before melting the material. Can be maintained for a long time.

  The material return unit 140 described above has a function of simply returning the material to the material supply / conveyance unit 110. For example, the material return speed, return pressure, return amount, temperature, and the like of the material in the material return pipe 141 are returned. It is difficult to measure physical quantities, and it is difficult to grasp, for example, kneading time in the material supply / conveyance unit 110, the kneading unit 120, and the discharge conveyance unit 130. Therefore, the following material return portion can be adopted as a modification of the material return portion 140.

  As an example, the material return part 140-1 shown in FIG. 10 can be provided in place of the material return part 140. The material return unit 140-1 includes a sampling unit 146. Other configurations of the material return unit 140-1 are the same as those of the material return unit 140. The sampling unit 146 is provided in the material return pipe 141 immediately before the return position 145 in the material transport direction, and the material returned to the material supply transport unit 110 through the material return pipe 141 can be sampled from the material return pipe 141. It is a part to do. Similar to the switching unit 143, the sampling unit 146 has a ball valve structure in this embodiment, and a channel switching portion 1461 that switches the conveyance of the material to the return position 145 side or the sampling port 1463 side, and the channel switching. And a driving device 1462 for rotating the portion 1461. In order to sample the circulated material in the same state as possible with the material circulated to the material supply / conveyance unit 110 using the material return unit 140-1, the return position from the center of the flow path switching portion 1461 The sampling unit 146 is configured such that the path 1464 to 145 and the path 1465 from the center of the flow path switching portion 1461 to the sampling port 1463 have the same conditions. For example, the route 1464 and the route 1465 have the same length, route cross-sectional shape, route shape, and the like.

  By providing such a material return portion 140-1, the flow path switching portion 1461 is rotated by the driving device 1462 depending on the situation even while the material is circulating through the material return portion 140-1. Then, the flow path is switched from the return position 145 side to the sampling port 1463 side, and the circulating material can be taken out of the system. By the take-out operation, the physical quantity of the circulating material, for example, the discharge amount of the material per unit time in the material return pipe 141, the return conveyance speed, the pressure, the temperature, and the like can be measured. Further, at least the sampling port 1463 has a circular cross section so that the material can be taken out from the sampling port 1463 in a string shape, and the taken material can be pelletized by cutting into a certain length. Optimal for secondary processing.

As another example, a material return portion 140-2 shown in FIG. 11 can be provided in place of the material return portion 140. The material return unit 140-2 has the configuration of the material return unit 140-1 in the present embodiment, and has a measuring device 147 that measures the physical quantity of the material being circulated. As the measuring device 147, in this embodiment, two pressure detectors 147-1 and 147-2 are provided with a specified measuring distance ML in the material return pipe 141.
In the conventional extruder, the viscosity of the material could not be confirmed during the kneading, but it was circulated by providing the pressure detectors 147-1 and 147-2 at the material return unit 140-2 as described above. It is possible to obtain the change with time of the material, that is, the change in viscosity of the material due to kneading by measuring the pressure loss between two points. Therefore, by obtaining the relationship between the retention time and the viscosity change, it is possible to infer an appropriate L / D when continuous molding is performed in a multi-screw extruder as an actual machine.
Further, a thermometer or a glass window for visualization that allows visual observation of the flow state of the material can be attached as the measuring device 147.

When the kneading of the material is completed at the specified number of circulations, the material is discharged from the base 195 to the outside by switching the flow path to the base 195 side by the switching unit 143 as described above. On the other hand, by providing the material return portion 140 and the like as described above, when the flow path is switched to the base 195 side by the switching portion 143, the material present in the material return pipe 141 in the material return portion 140 and the like. In this case, the conveying force does not act, and the material stays in the material return pipe 141. The staying material needs to be removed by washing or the like. However, as another example of the material return unit 140, a material return unit 140-3 shown in FIG. is there.
That is, the material return portion 140-3 is provided in place of the material return portion 140, has the configuration of the material return portion 140-1, and is a test piece of the material with the material staying in the material return pipe 141. A test piece manufacturing mold part 148 for manufacturing the test piece. Conventionally, after molding pellets with an extruder, test pieces are molded with an injection molding machine. By providing the material return part 140-3, a test piece can be produced without going through the above-described conventional process. Is possible. The said test piece preparation type | mold part 148 has a shape which can shape | mold the 1-4 type test piece for material tests as prescribed | regulated to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) K7113 (2003 edition). FIG. 12 shows a test piece preparation mold portion 148 for forming a test piece corresponding to a No. 2 type test piece, and FIG. 13 described later shows a test piece for forming a test piece corresponding to a No. 4 type test piece. A fabrication mold part 148 is shown.

By providing the test piece preparation mold part 148, when the circulation of the material for kneading is completed and the flow path is switched to the base 195 side at the switching part 143, the material return part 140-3 is removed from the barrel 185. Cool and stagnant material is solidified. By this operation, the test piece can be automatically molded and produced by the test piece production mold part 148. Therefore, it is efficient and material loss can be reduced. Although not shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the test piece produced by the test piece production mold part 148 is taken out from the material return part 140-3. Has an open / close mechanism for taking out the test piece.
Further, in order to prepare various test pieces, a plurality of material return portions 140-3 can be prepared corresponding to the test piece preparation mold portions 148 of the respective shapes and replaced with the barrel 185.
The test piece may not be prepared after the circulation of the material for kneading, and the test piece can be produced by the test piece producing mold part 148 depending on the situation even during the kneading. In this case, the material return unit 140-3 needs to be replaced.
In addition, when the test piece preparation mold part 148 is provided, the amount of the material to be introduced into the first transport member 111 is set to the test piece as compared with the case of the other material return parts 140, 140-1, 140-2. It is necessary to increase the corresponding amount.

Furthermore, as another example, a material return portion 140-4 shown in FIG. 13 can be provided in place of the material return portion 140. The material return unit 140-4 combines the configuration of the material return unit 140-2 shown in FIG. 11 and the configuration of the material return unit 140-3 shown in FIG. And a portion 148.
According to such a material return part 140-4, both the effect by the structure of the material return part 140-2 and the effect by the structure of the material return part 140-3 shown in FIG. 12 can be show | played. In particular, in the material return part 140-4 shown in FIG. 13, since the shape of the test piece preparation mold part 148 is a shape corresponding to the No. 4 type test piece, the No. 2 type test as shown in FIG. Compared with the case of a piece, the influence of the pressure loss of the material in the test piece preparation mold part 148 is small. Therefore, the pressure detectors 147-1 and 147-2 can be provided in addition to the test piece preparation mold part 148.

  In addition, although the above-mentioned material return part 140-2, 140-3, 140-4 has the structure which arranged the sampling part 146 of the material return part 140-1, it is not limited to this structure, A sampling part A configuration without 146 may also be employed.

  The present invention is applicable to a multi-axis kneading apparatus having a plurality of screws and a material kneading member for kneading materials and for extruding materials.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the multiaxial kneading apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the multi-axis kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the screw shaft with which the multiaxial kneading apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is provided, and its rotation direction. It is a figure which shows the shape and rotation direction of the member for kneading | mixing with which the multiaxial kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the switching part with which the multi-axis kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the switching part with which the multi-axis kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the multiaxial kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another modification of the multiaxial kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another modification of the multiaxial kneading apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the material return part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the material return part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another modification of the material return part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another modification of the material return part shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101-104 ... multi-axis kneader,
110 ... Material supply / conveyance unit, 111 ... First conveyance member, 112 ... Material supply unit,
120 ... kneading section, 121 ... kneading member, 130 ... discharging transport section,
131: second conveying member, 140: material returning unit, 143: switching unit,
146 ... Sampling part, 147 ... Measuring instrument, 148 ... Mold part for specimen preparation,
150 ... Temperature control device, 173 ... Liquid supply port, 174 ... Liquid supply device,
175 ... Sealing part, 176 ... Sealing member, 180a ... Axial direction,
181... Transport direction, 186... Material discharge port, 195.

Claims (10)

A plurality of first conveying members (111) meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other, and a material supply section (112) for the material to be kneaded, and the first conveying member is rotated by the rotation of the first conveying member. A material supply transport unit (110) for transporting the material in the transport direction (181) along the axial direction (180a) of the one transport member;
A kneading part (120) having a kneading member (121) that is coupled to the material supply and conveyance part along the axial direction and kneads the material conveyed by the material supply and conveyance part;
A plurality of second conveying members (131) connected to the kneading part along the axial direction, meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other, and the material kneaded in the kneading part A discharge transport section (130) for transporting to the material discharge port (186) by rotation of the second transport member;
A material return unit (140) connected to the material discharge port and having a material return pipe (141) for supplying the material discharged from the material discharge port to the material supply and conveyance unit again;
A switching portion (143) provided at the material discharge port and configured to supply all the material discharged from the material discharge port to either the material return pipe or the die (195) for forming the material. ,
The material return pipe has at least one or more threads in the screw thread in one of the first transport members (111-L) among the plurality of first transport members installed immediately before the kneading section. A multi-axis kneading device connected to a return position (145) provided at a more distant position . The material return part further includes a sampling part (146) provided in the material return pipe immediately before the return position and sampling the material returned to the material supply / conveying part through the material return pipe from the material return pipe. The multiaxial kneading apparatus according to claim 1 . The material returning portion further includes measuring apparatus for measuring a physical quantity in the material return tube of the material to be returned to the material supply conveyance section provided in the material return pipe (147), according to claim 1 or 2 Multi-axis kneader. The material returning portion further includes a test piece prepared mold section to produce a test piece of the material in the material staying in the material return pipe provided in the material return pipe (148), claims 1 to 3 The multiaxial kneading apparatus according to any one of the above. The multi-axis kneading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a temperature adjusting device (150) that performs at least one of heating and cooling of the material during conveyance and kneading of the material. The multi-axis kneading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a gas removing unit (132, 133) that is provided in the discharge conveying unit and removes gas from the material. The liquid supply part (173, 174) which is provided in at least one of the said material supply conveyance part and the said discharge conveyance part, and supplies a liquid to the said material was further provided in any one of Claim 1 to 6 Multi-axis kneader. The multiaxial kneading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising a gas supply unit (171, 172) that is provided in the material supply / conveyance unit and supplies gas to the material. The seal part (175) which further has a screw-like seal member (176) which has a reverse screw structure to the 2nd conveyance member between the kneading part and the discharge conveyance part. The multiaxial kneading apparatus according to any one of 1 to 8 . A plurality of first conveying members (111) meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other in a screw shape, the material (A,) in the conveying direction (181) along the axial direction (180a) of the first conveying member. B)
Kneading the conveyed material with the kneading member (121),
The kneaded material is conveyed to the material discharge port (186) by a plurality of second conveying members (131) meshed with each other and arranged in parallel with each other,
At a return position (145) provided at a position separated from the kneading member by at least one thread in the thread of one first conveying member (111-L) among the plurality of first conveying members, All materials discharged from the material discharge port are returned again through the material return pipe (141), and the materials are kneaded repeatedly,
Thereafter, the material returning operation through the material return pipe is stopped, and the material kneaded is taken out from the base (195) connected to the material discharge port.

Images