Wood plank and method of manufacturing the same
A method of injecting a colorant into an extruded material and an artificial wood plank formed from said method. The method includes steps of extruding the material from an extruder to at least one die, shaping the material into a board via the at least one die, injecting the colorant into the material with at least one color injector in a pre-defined pattern, and forming a bubble in the material to impart a simulated woodgrain appearance into the material downstream of the at least one die.
1 . A method of injecting a colorant into an extruded material, comprising:
extruding the material from an extruder to at least one die;
shaping the material into a board via the at least one die;
injecting the colorant into the material with at least one color injector in a pre-defined pattern, injecting the colorant into the material via the at least one color injector while the material passes through at least one of an injection block or a feed throat, the at least one color injector includes a first color injector and a second color injector, the first color injector being used to deliver a first colorant at a first injection depth relative to at least one of the injection block or the feed throat, the second color injector being used to deliver a second colorant at a second injection depth relative to at least one of the injection block or the feed throat, the first colorant being a different material than the second colorant, the first injection depth being different than the second injection depth; and
forming a bubble in the material to impart a simulated woodgrain appearance into the material downstream of the at least one die.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
delivering the colorant to the at least one color injector via a continuous feed; and
transferring the colorant from the at least one color injector into the material via a nozzle of the at least one color injector.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of injecting the colorant into the material further comprises:
directing the material through the injection block downstream of the at least one die; and
injecting the colorant into the material via the at least one color injector while the material passes through the injection block.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
adjusting the at least one color injector to a chosen injection depth relative to the injection block;
wherein the colorant is injected into the material at the chosen injection depth.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
adjusting at least another color injector to another chosen injection depth relative to the injection block;
wherein the colorant is injected into the material at the another chosen injection depth that is different than the chosen injection depth of the colorant.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of shaping the material into the board further comprises:
shaping the material into the board via the at least one die and the injector block.
7 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
directing the material into an extrusion gap defined between the injection block and a calibrator;
forming the bubble of the material in the extrusion gap; and
directing the material into the calibrator downstream of the injection block and the extrusion gap.
8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of extruding the material from the extruder to the at least one die further comprises:
directing the material from an exit of the extruder to the at least one die via the feed throat operably connected therebetween.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of injecting the colorant into the material further comprises:
injecting the colorant into the material via the at least one color injector while the material passes through the feed throat.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting the at least one color injector to a chosen injection depth relative to the feed throat;
wherein the colorant is injected into the material at the chosen injection depth.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting at least another color injector to another chosen injection depth relative to the feed throat;
wherein the colorant is injected into the material at the another chosen injection depth that is different than the chosen injection depth of the colorant.
12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
directing the material into an extrusion gap defined between the at least one die and a calibrator;
forming the bubble of the material in the extrusion gap; and
directing the material into the calibrator downstream of the at least one die and the extrusion gap.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of injecting the colorant into the material further comprises:
injecting the first colorant into the material via the first color injector while the material passes through the feed throat; and
injecting the second colorant into the material via the second color injector while the material passes through the injection block.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting the first color injector to the first injection depth relative to the feed throat, wherein the first colorant is injected into the material at the first injection depth; and
adjusting the second color injector to the second injection depth relative to the injection block.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is injected into the material in such a manner as to yield an accurate woodgrain coloration in an extruded plastic lumber product.
16 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising adjusting a chosen injection depth of the at least one color injector relative to the injection block.
17 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the bubble formed in the extrusion gap is configured to create at least one of patterns or designs in the material to thereby impart the simulated woodgrain appearance.
18 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the extrusion gap is in a range of one-half inch to one inch wide.