2. Equipment

The main components of an abrasive paste extrusion system include the machine, the tooling and the abrasive paste. Each of these is described below.

Abrasive paste extrusion machines are available with extrusion pressures ranging from 700 to 22,000 kPa (7 to 220 bar) and flow rates up to 380 L/min (typical flow rates range from 1 to 50 L/min). Paste flow rate depends on extrusion pressure, paste viscosity and part/assembly configuration. Extrusion pressure and total volume of paste extruded (the displacement of each cylinder multiplied by the total number of round-trip cycles) are adjustable.

Control systems can be added to measure and regulate additional parameters such as temperature, viscosity, wear and dough flow speed. Extrusion systems designed for mass production applications include cleaning and part loading/unloading stations, as...