Die plate heating/changing system and method for changing plates in a pelletizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11981064-B2
Application number	US-202017613139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2020
Priority date	Jun 3, 2019
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

A die plate changing system holds first and second die plates and selectively transitions the first and second die plates into and out of communication with a material source. The die plate changing system has a frame having a body defining a first recess that receives the first die plate and a second recess that receives the second die plate, where the frame is heats the first and second die plates when the first and second die plates are disposed in the first and second recesses, respectively. The die plate changing system also includes a movement assembly operably coupled to the frame and that selectively moves the frame between a first position, where the first die plate receives material from the material source, and a second position, where the second die plate receives the material from the material source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A die plate changing system configured to hold first and second die plates and selectively transition the first and second die plates into and out of communication with a material source, the die plate changing system comprising:
a frame having a body defining a first recess configured to receive the first die plate and a second recess configured to receive the second die plate, wherein the first and second die plates are disposed in the first and second recesses, respectively, and are heated; and
a movement assembly operably coupled to the frame and configured to selectively move the frame linearly along a direction between a first position, where the first die plate is configured to receive material from the material source, and a second position, where the second die plate is configured to receive the material from the material source, whereby the first position of the frame and the second position of the frame are offset from one another along the direction.

2. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , wherein the frame is configured to heat the first and second die plates when the first and second die plates are disposed in the first recess and the second recess, respectively.

3. The die plate changing system of claim 2 , wherein the frame includes a first input, a first input passage extending from the first input to the first recess, a second input, and a second input passage extending from the second input to the second recess,
wherein the first input passage is configured to receive a heated liquid from the first input and supply the first die plate with the heated liquid, and the second input passage is configured to receive the heated liquid from the second input and configured to supply the second die plate with the heated liquid.

4. The die plate changing system of claim 3 , wherein the frame includes a first output, a first output passage extending from the first recess to the first output, a second output, and a second output passage extending from the second recess to the second output,
wherein the first output passage is configured to receive the heated liquid from the first die plate and direct the heated liquid to the first output, and the second output passage is configured to receive the heated liquid from the second die plate and direct the heated liquid to the second output.

5. The die plate changing system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first valve in fluid communication with the first input and configured to selectively prevent the heated liquid from flowing to the first input; and
a second valve in fluid communication with the second input and configured to selectively prevent the heated liquid from flowing to the second input.

6. The die plate changing system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a third valve in fluid communication with the first output and configured to selectively prevent the heated liquid from flowing through the third valve; and
a fourth valve in fluid communication with the second output and configured to selectively prevent the heated liquid from flowing through the fourth valve.

7. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a support structure,
wherein the movement assembly comprises a linear track coupled to the support structure, and wherein the frame is configured to selectively move along the linear track between the first and second positions.

8. The die plate changing system of claim 7 , wherein the frame is configured to be manually transitioned between the first and second positions.

9. The die plate changing system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a motor operatively connected to the frame, wherein the motor is configured to move the frame along the linear track between the first and second positions.

10. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines a plurality of bores configured to receive a plurality of fasteners that are configured to secure the first and second die plates to the frame.

11. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines a plurality of bores configured to receive a plurality of fasteners that are configured to secure the frame to the material source.

12. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of heating cartridges configured to extend through the frame and at least partially into one of the first and second die plates, such that the plurality of heating cartridges are configured to heat the frame and the first and second die plates.

13. A pelletizing system comprising:
the die plate changing system of claim 1 ; and
a pelletizer, wherein the pelletizer is linearly movable away from the frame of the die plate changing system.

14. The pelletizing system of claim 13 , further comprising:
tracks that the pelletizer is positioned on, wherein the pelletizer is configured to move along the tracks when the pelletizer is not coupled to the frame.

15. The die plate changing system of claim 1 , wherein the direction is a lateral direction, and wherein the first die plate is configured to direct the material received by the first die plate from the material source along a longitudinal direction that is orthogonal to the lateral direction, when then frame is in the first position.

16. A method of changing die plates in a pelletizing system, the method comprising:
heating a first die plate;
providing a material to the first die plate when a frame is in a first position;
heating a second die plate;
moving the frame linearly along a direction from the first position to a second position; and
providing the material to the second die plate when the frame is in the second position, whereby the first position of the frame and the second position of the frame are offset from one another along the direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the heating the first die plate comprises heating the first die plate within the frame, and the heating the second die plate comprises heating the second die plate within the frame.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the heating the first die plate comprises providing a heated liquid to the first die plate; and
the heating the second die plate comprises providing the heated liquid to the second die plate.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the direction is a lateral direction that is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction that the material provided to the first die plate flows along when flowing through the first die plate, and wherein moving the frame comprises linearly translating the frame from the first position to the second position.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein moving the frame comprises manually moving the frame.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein moving the frame comprises automatically moving the frame using a motor.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the heating the first die plate comprises powering a plurality of heating cartridges; and
the heating the second die plate comprises powering the plurality of heating cartridges.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Schlief Dirk
• Schnellbach Nikolai

Classifications

• B29B9/06

  in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion · CPC title

• B29C48/25 Primary

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B29C48/2562 Primary

  Mounting or handling of the die · CPC title

• B29C48/04

  Particle-shaped (making granules B29B9/00) · CPC title

• B29C48/2556

  provided in or in the proximity of dies (B29C48/302, B29C48/31, B29C48/325 take precedence) · CPC title