Parison formation and inflation behavior of polyamide-6 during extrusion blow molding

Parison formation and inflation behavior of three polyamide 6 resins during extrusion blow molding were investigated using cinematography, a transparent mold, a pinch-off mold and a modified blow pin, which allowed the pressure inside the parison to be determined during inflation. The glass fiber filled polyamide exhibited negligible extrudate swell and significant drawdown, whereas polyolefin modified polyamide exhibited appreciable extrudate swell and relatively small drawdown effects. The inflation behavior of the polyolefin modified polyamide was similar to the behavior of conventional blow molding grade polyolefins, whereas the unmodified and glass filled polyamides exhibited different inflation characteristics. Their inflation behavior at different internal pressures was characterized by decreasing and increasing Hencky strain rates with inflation time at high and low internal blow pressures, respectively. The characterized parison formation and inflation behavior of the polyamides emphasize the importance of rigorous blow moldability experiments and the difficulties associated with linking various rheological material functions to the blow moldability of modified polyamides.     

Numerical simulation of suction blow molding process for producing curved ducts

During suction blow molding process, the extruded parison undergoes twisting deformation within the mold cavity, as the air drawing flow around the deforming parison exerts non‐uniform shear stresses on its surface. Such twisting deformation can compromise the specific radial and circumferential variations in parison thickness that are intentionally generated during extrusion. This research is devoted in developing a fluid–structure interaction model for predicting parison deformation during suction blow molding process, with a specific emphasis on the suction stage. A fluid flow model, based on Hele‐Shaw approximations, is formulated to simulate the air drag force exerted on the parison surface. The rheology of the material of the parison is assumed to obey the viscoelastic K‐BKZ model. As the suction process also involves the sliding of the parison within the mold cavity, a modified Coulomb's law of dry friction is used to simulate the frictional contact between parison and mold. The numerical results of this study allowed identifying a clear correlation between the twisting deformation undergone by the parison during the suction stage, also observed experimentally and the design parameters, namely, the air drawing speed, the geometry of the duct mold cavity, and the parison/mold eccentricity. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:418–434, 2019. © 2018 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada     

聚碳酸酯的吹塑成型

简介聚碳酸酯吹塑容器的特性与用途,着重分析其吹塑(包括挤出吹塑、共挤吹塑和注射吹塑)成型的机械(螺杆、机筒、型坯机头与吹塑模具)设计要点及工艺条件。     

Noncontact measurement of parison thickness profiles affected by swell and sag in continuous extrusion blow molding

Optimization of final part thickness distributions is crucial in the extrusion blow molding process in order to minimize resin usage. Prediction of part thickness distributions from basic process and material parameters would be ideal. However, attempts to do so have been unsuccessful, largely because of the inability to predict parison thickness profiles. One must therefore resort to measurement of the parison thickness profile and estimation of the final part thickness distribution by computational methods. This paper describes a new technique for the noncontact estimation of parison thickness profiles in continuous extrusion blow molding. The method accounts for sag and requires no previous knowledge of rheological data. It can be employed on-line for the purposes of process monitoring and control. The approach is based on the measurement of the parison length evolution with time during extrusion, the parison diameter profile, the flow rate, and the melt temperature gradient along the length of the parison. These parameters are utilized in conjunction with a theoretical approach that describes the extrusion of a parison under the effects of swell, sag, and extrusion into ambient conditions. Results are presented for three resins of various molecular weight distributions. The degree of sag is minimal at the top and bottom of the parison, and reaches a maximum near the center of the parison. Results are also presented to demonstrate the versatility of the method under other process conditions, such as varying flow rate, die temperature, and die gap.     

挤出吹塑型坯吹胀的CAD/CAE技术

对挤出吹塑型坯吹胀过程的CAD／CAE技术进行了初步研究。此技术可通过对吹塑CAD几何造型，CAD／CAE间信息传递，以及CAE分析的集成，实现对挤出吹塑型坯吹胀成型工艺过程的模拟和分析。最后用实例验证了此技术的可行性，为塑料制品的设计、材料选择、模具设计、吹塑成型工艺的制定及吹塑成型工艺过程的控制提供了科学依据。     

Parison material distribution: Viscoelastic and programming effects

Blow molding of high performance bottles—including carbonated beverage bottles—requires close control of material usage and distribution. Two parameters—polymer viscoelasticity and mechanical/electronic programming—are investigated to determine their influence on weight distribution within the extruded parison. Barex® 210 Resin is utilized in a study of polymer swell and drawdown forces and the changes in material distribution that occur due to melt temperature, extrusion time, parison length, and weight. A system for multipoint mechanical/electrical parison programming is described and its influence on material distribution determined. This technique enables the blow molder to vary the parison material distribution for high performance and economical resin usage.     

An experimental investigation of capillary extrudate swell in relation to parison swell behavior in blow molding

An experimental study was carried out to study and characterize the capillary extrudate swell and parison swell behavior in extrusion blow molding of two commercial blow molding grade high density polyethylene resins. The capillary extrudate swell behavior of these resins were determined employing a capillary rheometer and a special thermostatting chamber. Parison swell behavior was determined using an Impco A13-R12 reciprocating screw blow molding machine in conjunction with cinematography and pinch-off. The experimental conditions under which capillary extrudate and parison swell data can be related are elucidated. Excellent agreement is found between the area swell values determined on the basis of capillary and parison swell experiments.     

A modeling approach to the effect of resin characteristics on parison formation in extrusion blow molding

The most critical stage in the extrusion blow‐molding process is the parison formation, as the dimensions of the blow‐molded part are directly related to the parison dimensions. The swelling due to stress relaxation and sagging due to gravity are strongly influenced by the resin characteristics, die geometry, and operating conditions. These factors significantly affect the parison dimensions. This could lead to a considerable amount of time and cost through trial and error experiments to get the desired parison dimensions based upon variations in the resin characteristics, die geometry, and operating conditions. The availability of a modeling technique ensures a more accurate prediction of the entire blow‐molding process, as the proper prediction of the parison formation is the input for the remaining process phases. This study considers both the simulated and the experimental effects of various high‐density polyethylene resin grades on parison dimensions. The resins were tested using three different sets of die geometries and operating conditions. The target parison length was achieved by adjusting the extrusion time for a preset die gap opening. The finite element software BlowParison® was used to predict the parison formation, taking into account the swell and sag. Good agreements were found between the predicted parison dimensions and the experimental data. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. Published by Society of Plastics Engineers     

Measurement and calculation of parison dimensions and bottle thickness distribution during blow molding

Experimental data are reported regarding the dynamics of the blow molding process, including parison formation, growth, and inflation. These data have been obtained with the aid of high speed cinematography and pinch mold experiments, in conjunction with two commercial blow molding polyethylene resins. It is shown that pinch mold experiments alone do not yield accurate data regarding thickness and diameter swell. Furthermore, the inflation process involves decreasing rates of inflation with time, as a result of the rise in viscosity due to the cooling of the parison during inflation. Mathematical procedures are proposed for a first-order estimation of parison length and swell as a function of time and the inflation behavior after clamping. In the absence of more dependable basic procedures, the proposed treatment is employed to estimate the effective transient swell functions for the parison using experimental data obtained under the specified conditions. The mathematical treatment is extended to determine the thickness distribution of the bottle. Good agreement is obtained between experimental and calculated results.     

Numerical simulation of blow molding—Viscoelastic flow analysis of parison formation

The simulation of the parison formation process in blow molding has been studied. The flow field was divided into two regions, namely, the extrudate swell region near the die lip and the parison formation region after the exit swell. In the swell region, we predicted the swelling ratio and residual stress distribution for high Weissenberg numbers for steady planar well using the 1-mode Giesekus model. In the parison formation region, the flow is assumed to be an unsteady unaxial elongational flow including drawdown and recoverable swell and is modeled using the 10-mode Giesekus model. We calculated the time course of parison length and thickness distribution, and compare the calculation results of parison length with experimental data. It was found that the predicted values agreed rather well with the experimental values. The calculation results could especially predict the shrink-back, which is the phenomenon where the parison length becomes shorter after the cessation of extrusion, and it was found tat this was caused by the recoverable swell of the parison, which depends on the tensile stress generation in the die. Various flow rates and die geometries were studied and confirmed the reliability and usefulness of the method.     

基于RBF神经网络的挤出吹塑中型坯尺寸的预测

在利用BP神经网络预测挤出吹塑中型坯尺寸工作的基础上,采用径向基神经网络(RBF)来预测挤出吹塑中型坯尺寸,并与BP神经网络的预测结果进行了比较。结果表明,虽然RBF与BP神经网络均能较好地预测挤出吹塑中型坯尺寸,RBF网络的训练时间比BP少很多,只是BP的0.7%。     

The dynamics of parison development in blow molding

An experimental program was carried out to study the dynamics of parison swell and development in extrusion-blow molding. Two commercial blow molding grade polyethylene resins were employed in conjunction with an Impco, Model A13-R12 reciprocating screw blow molding machine equipped with a cylindrical bottle mold. Parison weight swell was measured with the aid of a parison pinch-off mold. In order to obtain more reliable and useful information regarding diameter and thickness swell of the parison and the dynamics of parison formation and development, high speed cinematography was employed. Data obtained by this technique are more reliable than results obtained with the pinch-off mold alone. They also give further insight into the phenomena of swell, sag, and parison spring back or recovery.     

A comprehensive experimental study and numerical modeling of parison formation in extrusion blow molding

Parison dimensions in extrusion blow molding are affected by two phenomena, swell due to stress relaxation and sag drawdown due to gravity. It is well established that the parison swell and sag are strongly dependent on the die geometry and the operating conditions. The availability of a modeling technique ensures a more accurate prediction of the entire blow molding process, as the proper prediction of the parison formation is the input for the remaining process phases. This study considers both the simulated and the experimental effects of the die geometry, the operating conditions, and the resin properties on the parison dimensions using high density polyethylene. Parison programming with a moving mandrel and the flow rate evolution in intermittent extrusion are also considered. The parison dimensions are measured experimentally by using the pinch-off mold technique on two industrial scale machines. The finite element software BlowParison® developed at IMI is used to predict the parison formation, taking into account the swell, sag, and nonisothermal effects. The comparison between the predicted parison/part dimensions and the corresponding experimental data demonstrates the efficiency of numerical tools in the prediction of the final part thickness and weight distributions. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1–13, 2007. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

中空塑件单管坯挤出-多型腔吹塑工艺研究

针对挤出1个管坯吹塑1个塑件传统工艺，提出了中小型中空塑件的单管坯多型腔成型方法。通过对挤出机头、吹塑模具结构设计和成型工艺的研究及实验，解决了多型腔的排布、塑件壁厚均匀、提高结合缝强度、防止坯料粘合、塑件与余料自动切断、减少余料量和顺利排除型腔中气体等关键技术问题。     

Effect of acrylic processing aids on PVC die swell

The die swell behavior of PVC melts is a manifestation of melt elasticity and is of considerable commercial as well as fundamental importance. This behavior is a critical issue in extrusion blow molding application where die swell (i.e. parison thickness) needs to be controlled. Advantageously, the addition of high molecular weight acrylic processing aids to PVC provides better die swell control, thus, improving dramatically the processability of PVC. Hence, knowledge of molecular weight variables of such acrylic processing aids is important from both the commercial and rheological point of view. Various acrylic processing aids were prepared by polymerization designed to provide systematic variation of molecular parameters. Molecular weight distribution of the polymers was characterized by GPC, and their die swell behavior in a typical PVC blow molding formulation was determined at 200°C over various range of residence times using different L/D capillary dies. The results are presented showing effects of specific molecular variables.     

On-line prediction of final part dimensions in blow molding: A neural network computing approach

Control over final part thickness distributions in extrusion blow molding would be very useful in resin optimization. An on-line measurement is essential for process monitoring and control of the part dimensions. Excessive resin usage results in material waste and increased cycle times because of increased cooling requirements. An inadequate thickness results in decreased mechanical strength, especially in regions along the part where large blow ratios or complex geometries exist. Neural networks are investigated as a method for the on-line prediction of the final part distribution from the parison dimensions. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility, for preliminary use, of neural networks for this application. The network inputs include the initial parison thickness and tempera-ture profiles, the bottle mold geometry and a rheological parameter representative of the material. Varying blow-up ratios are obtained from the bottle mold geome-try. The network accesses data from a pool of eighty data sets for the training sequence. The data sets are broadly distributed with regard to the operating conditions, so as to give the network a wide range of applicability. The simulations are performed on data sets not present in the access pool used for training.     

Integrated numerical modeling of the blow molding process

The numerical modeling of the extrusion blow molding of a fuel tank is considered in this work. The integrated process phases are consecutively simulated, namely, parison formation, clamping, and inflation, as well as part solidification, part deformation (warpage), and the buildup of residual stresses. The parison formation is modeled with an integral type viscoelastic constitutive equation for the sag behavior and a semi-empirical equation for the swell behavior. A nonisothermal viscoelastic formulation is employed for the clamping and inflation simulation, since parison cooling during extrusion strongly affects the inflation behavior. Once the parison is inflated, it solidifies while in the mold and after part ejection. Warpage and residual stress development of the part are modeled with a linear viscoelastic solid model. Numerical predictions are compared with experimental results obtained on an industrial scale blow molding machine. Good agreement is observed. A process optimization based on a desired objective function, such as uniform part thickness distribution and/or minimal part weight, is performed. The integrated clamping, inflation, and cooling stages of the process are considered. The optimization is done by the systematic manipulation of the parison thickness distribution. Iterations are performed employing a gradient based updating scheme for the parison thickness programming, until the desired objective of uniform part thickness is obtained.     

Fast online acquisition and analysis for parison swell and sag in blow molding

It is critical to quantitatively and reliably characterize the effects of swell and sag phenomena on the final parison dimensions in extrusion blow molding. To achieve this goal, an online image acquisition and analysis technique was developed. The successive images of parison were automatically taken using the online acquisition apparatus. These images were then analyzed by the combined use of the conventional digital image processing method and the new one developed by the authors. So the development of parison diameter and thickness swells with the extrusion time could be determined online. On the basis of the online obtained actual swell values, the pure swell and sag components were quantitatively determined. The developed technique was tested through a series of experiments using several resins under different processing parameters and die types. Shown in the present article were the results for a converging die under three different die gaps and a high‐density polyethylene. Some new phenomena were observed using the proposed technique. The results showed that the technique yields fast and accurate determination of the evolution of diameter, thickness, and length of parison during its extrusion. The technique can be employed as a part of the closed loop control for blow molded part thickness. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2399–2406, 2006     

现代设计方法在型坯成型研究中的应用

系统地介绍了几种现代设计方法：有限元法、计算机辅助设计和人工神经网络方法；并阐述了几种现代设计方法在塑料挤出吹塑的型坯成型阶段中的应用现状。     

Corotating twin-screw extrusion of poly(lactic acid) PLA/poly(butylene succinate) PBS/ micro-lamellar talc blends for extrusion blow molding of biobased bottles for alcoholic beverages

Extrusion blow molding is a well-established technology for the manufacture of fossil-based plastic bottles. The process is, however, still little used for the manufacture of bottles with a low environmental footprint, especially those based on bioplastic from renewable sources. In this context, the objective of this work is precisely the study and experimental design of poly(lactic acid) PLA/poly(butylene succinate) PBS/micro-lamellar talc compounds for the manufacturing of bioplastic bottles, basically for wine packaging. In particular, the design was carried out to ensure, primarily, an adequate processability of the bioplastic material in the blowing process. Second, the compound was loaded with different micro-lamellar talc content so as to achieve protection from the environmental factors, which is of paramount importance to ensure a long shelf-life to wine. The bio-derived polyester resins are very complex to transform, as they are subject to thermo-hydrolytic degradation phenomena during the processing of the polymer melt. Processability is further limited in the presence of high micro-lamellar talc content that increases the melt viscosity, thus making the material even more difficult to shape by extrusion blow molding. The experimental analysis involved the use of a co-rotating twin-screw extruder for the manufacture of the bioplastic compounds. The compounds were first subjected to thermo-rheological and physical characterization tests. Second, it was tested in the extrusion blow molding process. The experimental results have shown that blends based on bio-derived polyester resins can be adequately processed by extrusion blow molding, showing extremely stable rheological behavior both during the extrusion phase of the parison and the subsequent blowing process of the parison itself. These blends have, therefore, an interesting potential to be used as an alternative with a low environmental footprint to oil-based plastics in the production of wine bottles.