Extrusion Blow Molding

Introduction
  

Extrusion Blow molding Extrusion blow molding

Extrusion


Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed

cross-sectional profile. A material is pushed or drawn through a die of the desired crosssection. The two main advantages of this process over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex crosssections and work materials that are brittle, because the material only encounters compressive and shear stresses. It also forms finished parts with an excellent surface finish.

Extrusion may be continuous (theoretically producing indefinitely long material) or semicontinuous (producing many pieces). The extrusion process can be done with the material hot or cold. Commonly extruded materials include metals, polymers, ceramics, concrete and foodstuffs.

Blow molding


Blow molding (also known as blow moulding or blow forming) is a manufacturing process by which hollow plastic parts are formed. In general, there are three main types of blow molding: extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, and stretch blow molding. The blow molding process begins with melting down the plastic and forming it into a parison or preform. The parison is a tube-like piece of plastic with a hole in one end in which compressed air can pass through. The parison is then clamped into a mold and air is pumped into it. The air pressure then pushes the plastic out to match the mold. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened the mold opens up and the part is ejected. 6

Extrusion blow molding



In extrusion blow molding (EBM), plastic is melted and extruded into a hollow tube (a parison). This parison is then captured by closing it into a cooled metal mold. Air is then blown into the parison, inflating it into the shape of the hollow bottle, container or part. After the plastic has cooled sufficiently, the mold is opened and the part is ejected. Continuous and Intermittent are two variations of Extrusion Blow Molding. In Continuous Extrusion Blow Molding the parison is extruded continuously and the individual parts are cut off by a suitable knife. In Intermittent blow molding there are two processes: straight intermittent is similar to injection molding whereby the screw turns, then stops and pushes the melt out. With the accumulator method, an accumulator gathers melted plastic and when the previous mold has cooled and enough plastic has accumulated, a rod pushes the melted plastic and forms the parison. In this case the screw may turn continuously or intermittently
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Extrusion blow molding is a manufacturing process used to create hollow parts from a plastic material. The extrusion blow molding process is very similar to glass blowing in many ways, and the process is directly based on the process of creating molded glass bottles In extrusion blow molding the parison is formed by forcing molten plastic through an annular orifice in a die that is part of the die head assembly. The orifice is formed by the space between the mandrel and the die. Extrusion may be directly from an extruder, or for large parts for which more material is needed than the extruder can continuously provide an accululator is used. The parison is extruded and drops to between the mold halves and when the mold closes the parison is sealed. Air injected into the parison inflates it to the shape of the mold cavity. After cooling and solidification the mold is opened and the part removed.
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The Extrusion Blow Molding Process



A cylinder of plastic material, also called a parison, is extruded, and one end of the cylinder is pinched closed. Most extrusion blow molded parts will have an obvious point on its base where the pinch occurred. The parison is placed in a mold, and air is blown into the cylinder. The air pressure expands the parison against the walls of the mold and forces the plastic to conform to the shape of the mold. After the plastic part has cooled, it is removed from the mold.

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Controlling Wall Thickness in Extrusion Blow Molded



The primary concern in producing extrusion blow molded parts is controlling the wall thickness. Depending on the shape of the mold, the parison may stretch or compress in areas, causing the wall thickness of the parison to change. There are two ways to control the wall thickness 1- Designing a mold that restricts the amount of stretch. As with die casting or injection molding, certain shapes and contours are better for extrusion blow molded parts, and sharp angles and corners are generally avoided.
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Controlling Wall Thickness in Extrusion Blow Molded



2- Programming the extrusion process to vary the wall thickness of the parison as it is extruded. If a certain portion of the mold causes the parison to stretch, the thickness of the parison in that location can be increased so that after it has stretched, it is the same thickness as the rest of the part.

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Raw Materials
This process usually use commodity materials such as:

Polypropylene PP Polyethylene PE Polyethylene - Terephthalate PET Polyvinyl chloride PVC

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Important factors one should consider for extrusion blow molding include the following:
 

  

Polymer viscosity at high & low shear rates Melt strength (important for uniform wall thickness, no holes) Strain recovery (MW & Distribution) Crystallization rate (slow rate desired) Thermal properties (thermal diffusitivity, thermal conductivity, specific heat, etc.)
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Advantages of Extrusion Blow Molding:

 

Low initial mold tooling costs. Flexibility of tooling. Molds can accommodate interchangeable neck finishes and body sections. Flexibility in production: Neck inner diameters (I.D.) can be easily controlled to varying requirements. Bottle weights are adjustable.

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Advantages of Extrusion Blow Molding:



Container sizes can range from less than 1 oz. to 55 gallons and up. (Custom Bottle's equipment is most efficient producing containers up to 1 liter in capacity.) Container shape is not restricted by blow-up ratios. Bottles can be long and flat or have handles. Wide selection of machine sizes: Molds can be geared to volume requirements.
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Disadvantages of Extrusion Blow Molding:



usually include a high scrap rate, a limited control over wall thickness, and some difficulty of trimming away excess plastic.

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Applications
    

Bottles and containers Automotive fuel tanks Venting ducts Watering cans Boat fenders etc

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Conclusion


In Extrusion Blow Molding (EBM), plastic is melted and extruded into a hollow tube (a parison). This parison is then captured by closing it into a cooled metal mold. Air is then blown into the parison, inflating it into the shape of the hollow bottle, container or part. After the plastic has cooled sufficiently, the mold is opened and the part is ejected.
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Extrusion Blow Molding



Extrusion Blow Molding is the simplest type of blow molding. A hot tube of plastic material is dropped from an extruder and captured in a water cooled mold. Once the molds are closed, air is injected through the top or the neck of the container; just as if one were blowing up a balloon. When the hot plastic material is blown up and touches the walls of the mold the material "freezes" and the container now maintains its rigid shape. Extrusion Blow molding allows for a wide variety of container shapes, sizes and neck openings, as well as the production of handle-ware. Some extrusion machines can produce 300 to 350 bottles per hour. Extrusion blown containers can also have their gram weights adjusted through an extremely wide range, Extrusion blow molds are generally much less expensive than injection blow molds and can be produced in a much shorter period of time. Advantages of extrusion blow molding include a high rate of production, low tooling cost, and a vast majority of machine manufactures. Some disadvantages usually include a high scrap rate, a limited control over wall thickness, and some difficulty of trimming away excess plastic. 23