Modeling parison formation in extrusion blow molding by neural networks

A series of experiments were carried out on the parison formation stage in extrusion blow molding of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) under different die temperature, extrusion flow rate, and parison length. The drop time of parison when it reached a given length and its swells, including the diameter, thickness, and area swells, were determined by analyzing its video images. Two back‐propagation (BP) artificial neural network models, one for predicting the length evolution of parison with its drop time, the other predicting the swells along the parison, were constructed based on the experimental data. Some modifications to the original BP algorithm were carried out to speed it up. The comparison of the predicted parison swells using the trained BP network models with the experimentally determined ones showed quite a good agreement between the two. The sum of squared error for the predictions is within 0.001. The prediction of the parison diameter and thickness distributions can be made online at any parison length or any parison drop time within a given range using the trained models. The predicted parison swells were analyzed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2230–2239, 2005     

The dynamics of parison free inflation in extrusion blow molding

Parison free inflation behavior, associated with the extrusion blow molding process, is considered both experimentally and theoretically. Experimental observations indicate1 that the parison assumes a rather complex shape under conditions of unrestricted inflation. In particular, the time-dependent shape is markedly ellipsoidal rather than cylindrical in nature. This nonuniform behavior, however, becomes more prominent in relation to the entire length as the parison-length-to-diameter ratio is decreased. Based on the experimental observations, a simplified analytical treatment of the free inflation of a viscoelastic parison is presented. The theoretical results illuminate the influence of material properties and process conditions on the inflation process. Expectedly, inflation is enhanced by an increase in the pressure driving force as well as by a decrease in viscosity. However, melt elasticity is also found to exert a significant influence on the inflation behavior. Moreover, the theoretical analysis suggests that the initial parison dimensions play a central role in controlling the inflation process.     

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     

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     

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.     

Validating injection stretch‐blow molding simulation through free blow trials

A 2D isothermal finite element simulation of the injection stretch‐blow molding (ISBM) process for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers has been developed through the commercial finite element package ABAQUS/standard. In this work, the blowing air to inflate the PET preform was modeled through two different approaches: a direct pressure input (as measured in the blowing machine) and a constant mass flow rate input (based on a pressure–volume–time relationship). The results from these two approaches were validated against free blow and free stretch‐blow experiments, which were instrumented and monitored through high‐speed video. Results show that simulation using a constant mass flow rate approach gave a better prediction of volume vs. time curve and preform shape evolution when compared with the direct pressure approach and hence is more appropriate in modeling the preblowing stage in the injection stretch‐blow molding process. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional simulation of multi‐material injection molding: Application to gas‐assisted and co‐injection molding

This paper presents an overview of the results obtained at the Industrial Materials Institute (IMI) on the numerical simulation of the gas‐assisted injection molding and co‐injection molding. For this work, the IMI's three‐dimensional (3D) finite element flow analysis code was used. Non‐Newtonian, non‐isothermal flow solutions are obtained by solving the momentum, mass and energy equations. Two additional transport equations are solved to track polymer/air and skin/core materials interfaces. Solutions are shown for different thin parts and then for thick three‐dimensional geometries. Different operating conditions are considered and the influence of various processing parameters is analyzed.     

Three‐dimensional numerical analysis of injection‐compression molding process

Injection‐compression molding (ICM) process, combining conventional injection molding (CIM) process with compression molding, has been widely used in the manufacturing of optical media and optical lenses. Most of previous numerical studies regarding ICM process employ the Hele‐Shaw approximation, which is appropriate for thin cavity geometry only. This work presents a three‐dimensional numerical analysis system using a stabilized finite element method (FEM) and an arbitrary Lagrangian‐Eulerian (ALE) method for more rigorous modeling and simulation of ICM process of three‐dimensional geometry. The developed system is verified by comparing the results with existing experimental data as well as simulation data obtained from commercial software. Then, the system is adopted for simulations of ICM process of an optical lens, which is a practical example of three‐dimensional geometry. According to the simulation results, three‐dimensional flow characteristics are found to be significant especially during compression stage because of the squeezing nature of the flow. The results are then compared with those of CIM process, showing that ICM process results in reduced and more uniform distributions of the generalized shear rate and shear stress of the final part. Basic parametric studies are also carried out to understand effects of processing conditions, such as compression velocity and compression gap. POLYM. ENG. SCI.,2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Gas assisted injection molding of a handle: Three‐dimensional simulation and experimental verification

Methods implemented in a three‐dimensional finite element code for the simulation of gas assisted injection molding are described, and predictions compared with the results of molding trials. The emphasis is on prediction of primary gas penetration and plastic wall thickness, including the effects of cooling during a delay before gas injection. For the latter, time dependent heat transfer coefficients at the cavity surface are used, determined in a separate analysis of transient heat conduction through the plastic and the mold tool to the circulating coolant. This shows how the initial value of 25,000 W/m²K falls by about an order of magnitude during the first few seconds of cooling, and also how values vary from cycle to cycle as steady periodic conditions are approached. For a tubular handle molded in polystyrene, with melt flow modeled by a Cross WLF model, comparisons of simulations with sectioned parts show excellent prediction of wall thickness and its variation circumferentially and in bends. The increase in wall thickness due to cooling during a gas delay is accurately modeled, as is the occurrence of a blow out. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 45:1049–1058, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional simulation of microchip encapsulation process

A finite element simulation of moving boundaries in a three‐dimensional inertiafree, incompressible flow is presented. A control volume scheme with a fixed finite element mesh is employed to predict fluid front advancement. Fluid front advancement and pressure variation in a flow domain similar to the mold cavity used for microchip encapsulation are predicted. The predicted fluid front advancement and pressure variation are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental results. As the difference in the thicknesses of mold cavities above and below the microchip is changed, the weld line location and pressure variation during mold filling are found to change significantly.     

Numerical simulation of blow molding—prediction of parison diameter and thickness distributions in the parison formation process

In our previous study, we calculated the time course of parison length in the parison formation stage, but it could predict only the parison area swell. The next target in our study is to calculate the parison diameter and thickness swell. Annular extrudate swell simulation is necessary for the understanding of various kinds of swelling ratios in blow molding. We have examined three kinds of swells (outer diameter, thickness, and area swells) obtained from simulation results of annular extrudate swell, using the Giesekus model, and have developed a method of predicting parison outer diameter and thickness swell values. The predicted values of parison outer diameters are discussed in comparison with experimental data, and reasonable results are obtained by the proposed method. This prediction method could also be applied to the parison formation process using a parison controller. As a result, it is possible to predict approximately the whole process of parison formation by numerical simulation.     

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     

Modeling of complex parison formation in extrusion blow molding: Effect of medium to large die heads and fuel tank geometry

This work presents the effect of die geometry and die gap opening on the extrudate swell phenomenon, in complex parison formation using the vertical wall distribution system (VWDS) and partial wall distribution system (PWDS). The BlowParison^© software from IMI is used to predict the parison formation for a combined VWDS/PWDS system, accounting for swell, sag, and nonisothermal effects. This software couples a fluid mechanics approach to represent the die flow, with a solid mechanics approach to represent the parison behavior outside the die, and a mathematical swell model to account for the pronounced elongational and shear stresses at high Weissenberg numbers. The emphasis is placed on experimental validation of the predicted parison dimensions using four diverging die geometries and different sets of VWDS/PWDS profiles. The experimental and predicted weight profiles for a dissected fuel tank are also presented. Both experimental and simulation results suggest a strong dependence of extrudate swell to the die geometry in the die land zone. The results also demonstrate the validity of the numerical predictions for part design purposes given the multitude of experimental validations presented in this work. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. Published by the Society of Plastics Engineers     

Experimental study of preform reheat temperature in two‐stage injection stretch blow molding

Plastic bottles used for carbonated soft drink (CSD) packages are most commonly made from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by injection stretch blow molding (ISBM). The required bottle performance criteria vary with its application but typically include top‐load strength, burst strength, optical clarity, thermal stability, and barrier properties. An experimental study of the preform reheat temperature was carried out for a 1.5‐l PET bottle produced by a two‐stage ISBM machine. The overall temperature of the preform was changed by controlling the reheat temperature of the preform; all the other process variables and preform dimensions were kept constant. Performance of the PET bottles for differing preform reheat temperatures was measured experimentally in terms of top‐load strength, burst pressure resistance, environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR), and thermal stability. It was observed that the ESCR values and the burst strength decreased with the increasing reheat temperature, whereas the top‐load strength increased. Thermal stability tests confirmed that high‐preform reheat temperatures had a detrimental effect on the self‐standing feature of the bottles. Decreasing the reheat temperature as low as possible, while maintaining a certain preform temperature profile, ensured high ESCR and burst strength values and prevented the concaveness at the bottom of the bottle. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional nonisothermal simulation of a coat hanger die

We studied the nonisothermal flow of Carreau fluid in a coat hanger die. A general three‐dimensional finite volume code was developed for the purpose of flow analysis. The pressure distribution and velocity distribution were obtained in addition to the temperature distribution. The results illustrated that the highest temperature occurred more by the center of manifold than by the die‐lip region. In the regions where the die gap was small relatively, the wall temperature played a key role in the determination of the temperature distribution in the melt. However, in the manifold, the viscous dissipation was the key factor that determined the temperature distribution in the melt where the heat conduction was relatively poor because of the thicker gap. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101:2911–2918, 2006     

Three‐dimensional simulation of primary and secondary penetration in a clip‐shaped square tube during a gas‐assisted injection molding process

This article proposes a generalized Newtonian model to predict the three‐dimensional gas penetration phenomenon in the GAIM process, where the gas and melt compressibility are both taken into account and hence the primary and secondary penetrations in GAIM processes are able to be quantitatively predicted. Additionally, an incompressible model requiring no outflow boundary is also presented to emphasis the influence of gas compressibility on the primary penetration. Based on a finite volume discretization, the proposed numerical model solves the complete momentum equation with two front transport equations, which are employed to track the gas/melt and air/melt interfaces. The modified Cross‐WLF model is adopted to describe the melt rheological behavior. The two‐domain modified Tait equation is exploited to represent the melt compressibility, while a polytropic model is employed to express the gas compressibility. The proposed schemes are quantitatively validated by the gas penetration characteristics in a clip‐shaped square tube, where good prediction accuracy is obtained. The influences of five major molding parameters, such as the injection pressure, mold temperature, melt temperature, delay time, and melt material on the gas penetration characteristics in the same clip‐shaped square tube via the proposed numerical approach are extensively presented and discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional numerical simulation of injection molding filling of optical lens and multiscale geometry using finite element method

This article presents the development, verification, and validation of three‐dimensional (3‐D) numerical simulation for injection molding filling of 3‐D parts and parts with microsurface features. For purpose of verification and comparison, two numerical models, the mixed model and the equal‐order model, were used to solve the Stokes equations with three different tetrahedral elements (Taylor‐Hood, MINI, and equal‐order). The control volume scheme with tetrahedral finite element mesh was used for tracking advancing melt fronts and the operator splitting method was selected to solve the energy equation. A new, simple memory management procedure was introduced to deal with the large sparse matrix system without using a huge amount of storage space. The numerical simulation was validated for mold filling of a 3‐D optical lens. The numerical simulation agreed very well with the experimental results and was useful in suggesting a better processing condition. As a new application area, a two‐step macro–micro filling approach was adopted for the filling analysis of a part with a micro‐surface feature to handle both macro and micro dimensions while avoiding an excessive number of elements. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 46:1263–1274, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional simulation of thermoforming process and its comparison with experiments

Three‐dimensional solid element analysis and the membrane approximated analysis employing the hyperelastic material model have been developed for the simulation of the thermoforming process. For the free inflation test of a rectangular sheet, these two analyses showed the same behavior when the sheet thickness was thin, and they deviated more and more as the sheet thickness increased. In this research, we made a guideline for the accuracy range of sheet thickness for the membrane analysis to be applied. The simulations were performed for both vacuum forming and the plug‐assisted forming process. To compare the simulation results with experiments, laboratory scale thermoforming experiments were performed with acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS). The material parameters of the hyperelastic model were obtained by uni‐directional hot tensile tests, and the thickness distributions obtained from experiments corresponded well with the numerical results. Non‐isothermal analysis that took into account the sheet, temperature distribution measured directly from the experiments was also performed. It was found that the non‐isothermal analysis greatly improved the predictability of the numerical simulation, and it is important to take into account the sheet temperature distribution for a more reliable simulation of the thermoforming process.     

Three‐dimensional isothermal simulation of PP melt flow in laminating‐multiplying elements based on the finite element method

The laminating‐multiplying element (LME) with a high aspect ratio used in coextrusion process is highly desired since it has useful applications for the preparation of multilayer sheets or membranes. In this article, the flow behaviors of a polymeric melt through a high aspect ratio LME channel was simulated by the finite element method and verified by a coextrusion process. The results showed that the velocity Y distortion in LME lead to the interface deformation and the interface deformation can be improved by reducing the velocity Y gradient via decreasing the inlet flow rate or increasing the wall slip. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:973–981, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Three‐dimensional polymer flow in the calender bank

The velocity and pressure field that forms within the gap of a calender is numerically calculated. The numerical calculations are based on a decoupled calculation method for the free surface of the bank. The transport equations for mass and momentum are solved numerically. The position of the free surface of the bank is determined by shifting it until it matches a streamline. The resulting three‐dimensional velocity field gives the vortex patterns within the volume of the bank for fluids with non‐Newtonian and Newtonian rheological behavior. The shape of the free surface of the bank and its position are determined by the gap height, the circumferential speed of the rolls, the speed ratio, the feed mass flow into the gap and the rheological behavior of the polymer. Additionally, there are special requirements to be considered that determine the product quality, such as the thickness of the produced sheet, its uniformity and surface appearance, air inclusions and the mixing of the polymer. The calendering process itself requires limited operating windows for the variation of the process parameters in order to meet the product quality requirements. These operating windows are discussed and graphically plotted. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:1642–1647, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.