1

1 INTRODUCTION
The injection stretch blow moulding (ISBM !rocess
is the m"in method used to m"ss#!roduce $%T
bottles& Now"d"'s modelling techni(ues )or the
ISBM !rocess h"*e become incre"singl' im!ort"nt
in o!timising !roducts "nd !rocesses& $rocess
modelling is used to obt"in better insight into the
!rocess o!er"tion in order to identi)' the critic"l
!rocessing condition which gi*es " !roduct with
o!timum (u"lit'& This reduces tri"l "nd error
e+!eriment"tion,reduces new !roduct turn"round
time "nd c"n be used to reduce bottle weights b'
determining the o!timum distribution o) m"teri"l in
the bottle )or mech"nic"l "nd b"rrier !er)orm"nce&

This !"!er t"-es " ste! b"c- )rom the de*elo!ment
o) ISBM simul"tion "nd "ims to in*estig"te the
in)l"tion o) !re)orm in )ree "ir& This is somewh"t
sim!ler to simul"te th"n the re"l !rocess "s
modelling cont"ct with the mould "nd stretch rod is
not re(uired& The )ree blow "nd )ree stretch blow
e+!eriments "lso o))er the o!!ortunit' to me"sure
the !rocess in much more det"il th"n th"t c"n be
)ound when in)l"ting " !re)orm inside " mould&
. %/$%RIM%NT01 2OR3
4ree blow e+!eriments were c"rried out on "n
instrumented !rotot'!e de*elo!ed in C%M%4 using
m"r-ed !re)orms "ccording to !rotocols de)ined in
!re*ious studies 51,.6& T47 gr"de m"teri"l
(I89:&;< w"s su!!lied )rom Terg"l 4ibre )or the
m"nu)"cture o) "n 1=&>g $%T !re)orm& The
geometr' o) the $%T !re)orm used in the current
stud' is gi*en in 4ig& 1 below&


4ig& 1? The $%T !re)orm

The outer sur)"ce tem!er"tures o) the 1=&>g !re)orm
me"sured just be)ore blowing commenced is shown
in 4ig& .& The d"t" w"s c"!tured using " !'rometer&
0BSTR0CT? 0 .#D isotherm"l )inite element simul"tion o) the injection stretch#blow moulding (ISBM
!rocess )or !ol'eth'lene tere!hth"l"te ($%T cont"iners h"s been de*elo!ed *i" the commerci"l )inite element
!"c-"ge 0B0@USAst"nd"rd& In this wor-,the blowing "ir to in)l"te the $%T !re)orm w"s modelled *i" two
di))erent "!!ro"chesB " direct !ressure in!ut ("s me"sured in the blowing m"chine "nd " const"nt m"ss )low
r"te in!ut (b"sed on " $ressure#8olume#time rel"tionshi!& These two methods were tested with " sim!li)ied
stretch blow moulding !rocess where " !re)orm w"s blown with "nd without " stretch rod in )ree "ir (no
mould& The results cle"rl' show th"t simul"tion with " const"nt m"ss )low r"te "s in!ut g"*e "n e+cellent
!rediction o) *olume *s& time cur*e "nd !re)orm sh"!e e*olution when com!"red with the direct !ressure
"!!ro"ch& In "ddition to this,r"!id in)l"tion o) the $%T !re)orm (C:&:<s w"s )ound to occur in the direct
!ressure "!!ro"ch which w"s not obser*ed in re"lit'& This result re*e"ls th"t the const"nt m"ss )low r"te
"!!ro"ch is more "!!ro!ri"te in modelling the blowing st"ge in ISBM !rocess&

3e' words? $%T,blow moulding,m"teri"l model&
Modelling o) the Injection Stretch Blow Moulding o) $%T Cont"iners *i"
" $ressure#8olume#time ($8#t Thermod'n"mic Rel"tionshi!
C&2& T"n
1
,D&E& Men"r'
1
,F& S"lomei"
1
,C&D& 0rmstrong
1
,M& $ic"rd
.
,N& Billon
.
,%&M&0&
E"r-in#Gones
1
,$&G& M"rtin
1
,3& M"heshw"ri
1

1
Queen's University of Belfast,
Ashby Building, Stranmillis Road,
Belfast, BT9 5A e!mail" g#menary$%ub#a&#u'

(
)&ole de *ines de +aris
,)*)- . U*R ,/RS 0125
31934So5hia Anti5olis 6-ran&e7 e!mail" /oelle#billon$ensm5#fr
h
a
l
-
0
0
5
1
0
3
6
0
,

v
e
r
s
i
o
n

1

-

1
8

A
u
g

2
0
1
0
Author manuscript, published in "11th ESAFORM Conference on Material Forming, Lyon : France (2008)"
DOI : 10.1007/s12289-008-0296-5

.
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
VerticaI distance from neck-ring (mm)
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(

C
)

4ig& .? $re)orm tem!er"ture distribution

Once the !re)orm h"s been he"ted to " !re#de)ined
tem!er"ture,it w"s tr"ns)erred to " stretch#blow
m"chine,where it w"s subjected to " stretch blowing
!rocess ()ree blow e+!eriment in*ol*es onl'
blowing st"ge& 4igs& H "nd >" show the e*olution o)
!re)orm sh"!e "nd the corres!onding !ressure#
*olume *s& time cur*e )or )ree blow e+!eriment
whilst 4igs& I "nd ;" show the e*olution o) !re)orm
sh"!e "nd the corres!onding !ressure#*olume *s&
time cur*e )or )ree stretch blow e+!eriment& 0 -e'
!oint to note is the r"!id in)l"tion o) the !re)orm
coinciding with " r"!id di! in the !ressure&
0ddition"l e+!eriments showed th"t this cur*e
*"ried with di))erent !re)orm tem!er"ture !ro)iles
"nd m"gnitude o) "!!lied nomin"l !ressure&

< 4INIT% %1%M%NT SIMU10TION
2#1 Simulation Set U5
.D )ree blow "nd )ree#stretch blow simul"tions were
de*elo!ed b' using the commerci"l )inite element
(4% !"c-"ge 0B0@USAst"nd"rd *ersion I&>& The
!re)orm geometries h"*e " common s'mmetric"l
lo"ding "+is "bout the middle !l"ne& Thus it w"s
decided to model the !re)orm b' using the
de)orm"ble "+is'mmetric membrane elements
(element t'!e JM0/1K in 0B0@US element
libr"r' in the 4% "n"l'sis& The thic-ness "nd
tem!er"ture o) the $%T !re)orm were de)ined
through the use o) nodal thi&'ness "nd nodal
tem5erature o!tions "long the membr"ne !ro)ile&
Since the steel stretch rod is much sti))er th"n the
$%T !re)orm,it w"s modelled using "+is'mmetric
rigid elements (element t'!e JR0/.K in 0B0@US
element libr"r'&

The stretch rod dis!l"cement "nd !ressure !ro)ile
(u! stre"m line !ressure )or the )ree blow tri"ls
were su!!lied b' C%M%4& The blowing st"ge o) the
initi"l simul"tions is b"sed on the su!!lied d"t"
where the me"sured !ressure !ro)ile w"s "!!lied
directl' into the simul"tion& Eowe*er,it h"s been
!ro*ed !re*iousl' th"t the intern"l !ressure
me"sured inside the !re)orm is signi)ic"ntl'
di))erent to the u! stre"m line !ressure 5<6& It w"s
)ound th"t the line !ressure is not "n in!ut *"ri"ble,
but in )"ct is "n out!ut *"ri"ble in the bottle blowing
!rocess b"sed on the su!!l' !ressure,!re)orm
tem!er"ture "nd !re)orm sh"!e& Thus,"n "ltern"ti*e
method c"lled the )luid )low method (su!!l' the
$%T !er)orm with " )low r"te o) "ir )orm which the
!ressure is subse(uentl' c"lcul"ted b"sed on ide"l
g"s l"w w"s used to model the blowing "ir in the
two in*estig"ted !rocesses& In this simul"tion the
numeric"l coding o) "n 0b"(us UM0T o) the
Buc-le'#Gones#0d"ms

5H,>,I6 w"s used in modelling
the constituti*e beh"*iour o) $%T& The m"teri"l
const"nts )or the studied $%T m"teri"l (T47 gr"de
were est"blished through s'stem"tic )itting o) the
e+!eriment"l d"t" (simult"neous e(u"l bi"+i"l
testing to the model 5;6&

2#( *ass -lo8 Rate )valuation
The m"ss )low r"te o) "ir w"s c"lcul"ted b"sed on
the !ressure "nd *olume *s& time cur*es me"sured
during the )ree blow tri"ls (4ig <& The cur*e is
di*ided in to two regions,Lone 0 h"s tr"nsient )low
in const"nt *olume "nd Lone B h"s ste"d' )low with
ch"nging *olume& %(u"tions 1 "nd . were then used
to c"lcul"te the m"ss )low r"te in Lone 0 "nd Lone
B res!ecti*el'& It should be noted th"t since the r"tio
between the su!!l' !ressure (:&; M$" "nd the
me"sured !ressure in the !re)orm is gre"ter th"n or
less th"n 1&7 then it is re"son"ble to "ssume the )low
is Mcho-edN "nd there)ore const"nt 5=6& B"sed on the
c"lcul"tions,"n "*er"ge m"ss )low r"te o) :&:1H -gAs
is used in the current simul"tions&















4ig& <? M"ss )low r"te c"lcul"tion )rom !ressure *s& time cur*e

=
1 (
:
T ,
9
dt
d+
m
5

OO%(n (1
dt
d9
m & =
OO%(n (.

2here + is the !ressure,t is the time,9 is the *olume,,
5
is the
s!eci)ic he"t,T
3
is the g"s tem!er"ture,P is the s!eci)ic he"t
r"tio "nd : is the g"s densit'&
0
100
200
300
400
500
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Time (s)
V
o
I
u
m
e

(
m
L
)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
M
P
a
)
Volume
Pressure
B A
h
a
l
-
0
0
5
1
0
3
6
0
,

v
e
r
s
i
o
n

1

-

1
8

A
u
g

2
0
1
0

<
H R%SU1TS 0ND DISCUSSION
4#1 -ree Blo8 Simulation
4ig& H shows the !ressure "nd *olume "g"inst time
!redicted b' the simul"tion com!"red with th"t
me"sured b' e+!eriment& Two simul"ted results "re
!resentedB one is using direct !ressure "s in!ut "nd
the other is *i" the )luid )low method i&e& " const"nt
m"ss )low r"te o) "ir o) :&:1H -gAsec is su!!lied&
Com!"rison o) the !re)orm sh"!e e*olution between
the e+!eriment"l "nd simul"ted results is shown in
4ig& >&

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
Time (sec)
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
M
P
a
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
V
o
I
u
m
e

(
m
L
)
Pressure_Experimental
Pressure_Simulation_Direct pressure
Pressure_Simulation_Fluid flow
Volume_Experimental
Volume_Simulation_Direct pressure
Volume_Simulation_Fluid flow

4ig& H? $ressure#*olume#time cur*e )or )ree blow simul"tion
using direct !ressure "nd m"ss )low r"te in!uts


4ig& >? $re)orm sh"!e e*olution& %+!eriment (" *s& simul"tion
*i" direct !ressure (b "nd m"ss )low r"te in!ut (c&

0s c"n be seen )rom 4ig& H " !oor *olume#time
cur*e w"s obt"ined b' using direct !ressure in!ut
method with two m"jor discre!"ncies obser*edB
r"!id in)l"tion o) the !re)orm occurs o*er :&:<
seconds "nd the in)l"tion o) !re)orm occurs "t much
l"ter time in the simul"tion (:&.< seconds& Using the
m"ss )low r"te "!!ro"ch,the in)l"tion o) !re)orm
occurs "t "lmost simil"r time "s the e+!eriment"l
result& 0lso,the *olume incre"ses gr"du"ll' just li-e
e+!eriment"l me"surement& This indic"tes the
const"nt m"ss )low r"te method is the most
"!!ro!ri"te method to model the !ressure in!ut& It
should be noted th"t the !e"- !ressure !redicted b'
the m"ss )low r"te "!!ro"ch is )ound higher th"n the
e+!eriment"l result& (:&HI *s& :&H M!"& 0lso,the
subse(uent !ressure ")ter the !ressure di! is )ound
higher th"n the e+!eriment"l result& This needs
)urther in*estig"tion but bec"use o) the sensiti*it' o)
the !ressure to the m"teri"l !"r"meters "nd the )"ct
the !oint o) bubble in)l"tion is essenti"ll' "
bi)uri)ic"tion it is unli-el' th"t "ccur"te !redictions
will be "chie*"ble& Eowe*er the results com!"re
(u"lit"ti*el'.

It c"n been seen )rom 4ig& > th"t the !re)orm sh"!e
e*olution o) the simul"ted result using direct
!ressure in!ut does not corres!ond to the
e+!eriment"l result& In)l"tion o) the !re)orm is )ound
to occur "t " l"ter st"ge& The blowing st"ge o) the
simul"ted result using const"nt m"ss )low r"te
method w"s )ound to closel' m"tch the e+!eriment"l
results& Eowe*er,the e+!eriment"l result w"s )ound
to l"g behind the simul"tion result b' "!!ro+im"tel'
.:ms& Considering the "ssum!tions )or c"lcul"tion
o) m"ss )low r"te "nd the m"teri"l !ro!erties it is "
re"son"ble !rediction&

4#( -ree Stret&h Blo8 Simulation
The )ree blow tri"ls were "lso !er)ormed with the
use o) " stretch rod m"-ing them more
re!resent"ti*e o) the industri"l ISBM !rocess& 4ig& I
shows the !ressure#*olume "g"inst time )or both the
e+!eriment "nd the simul"ted results& Com!"rison o)
the !re)orm sh"!e e*olution is "lso gi*en in 4ig& ;&
0ll simul"tions were c"rried out using the const"nt
m"ss )low r"te o) :&:1H 3gAs c"lcul"ted !re*iousl'&

0 simil"r result is obser*ed in 4ig& I "s seen in the
)ree blow simul"tion where the direct !ressure in!ut
g"*e " !oor *olume#time cur*e when com!"red with
th"t me"sured e+!eriment"ll' with the two m"jor
discre!"ncies "s discussed !re*iousl'& %+cellent
*olume#time cur*e is obt"ined in the )ree stretch
blow simul"tion using the const"nt m"ss )low r"te
method& Simil"r to the )ree blow simul"tion,higher
!ressure is !redicted b' the simul"tion& This c"n be
r"tion"lised b' considering the e+clusion o)
tem!er"ture gr"dient through the thic-ness direction
in the current simul"tion (u! to 1:QC hotter in the
inner sur)"ce o) the !re)orm& This c"uses sti))er
m"teri"l beh"*iour in the simul"tion which results in
higher !redicted !ressure&

:s :&:1Is :&:H>s :&:I:s :&:=>s :&11.s :&1>:s :&.:1s :&<<.s
:s :&:1>s :&:H>s :&:I:s :&:=Is :&11.s :&1>1s :&.:1s :&<<.s
:s :&:1Is :&:HIs :&:I.s :&:=<s :&117s :&1H>s :&17>s :&<<.s



h
a
l
-
0
0
5
1
0
3
6
0
,

v
e
r
s
i
o
n

1

-

1
8

A
u
g

2
0
1
0

H
The !re)orm sh"!e e*olution o) the simul"ted result
using const"nt m"ss )low r"te method w"s )ound to
closel' m"tch the e+!eriment"l results (4ig& ;& The
bubble initi"tes "nd in)l"tes "t "lmost the s"me time
(:&:<= sec )or both the simul"ted "nd e+!eriment"l
result& 0g"in we obser*ed " !oor !rediction using
the direct !ressure method&

The nod"l dis!l"cement (ND o) three loc"tions (1.,
1H,"nd 1; in "+i"l direction is "lso recorded& The
com!"rison between the e+!eriment"l "nd simul"ted
result using const"nt m"ss )low r"te method "re
shown in 4ig& =& The !redicted nod"l dis!l"cement
result in the "+i"l direction w"s )ound to closel'
m"tch the e+!eriment"l result !"rticul"rl' "t loc"tion
1;& This result *"lid"tes the m"teri"l model "nd
ch"r"cterised const"nts used in the current
simul"tion&

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
Time (sec)
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
M
P
a
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
V
o
I
u
m
e

(
m
L
)
Pressure_Experimental
Pressure_Simulation_Direct pressure
Pressure_Simulation_Fluid flow
Volume_Experimental
Volume_Simulation_Direct pressure
Volume_Simulation_Fluid flow

4ig& I? $ressure#*olume#time cur*e )or )ree stretch blow
simul"tion using direct !ressure "nd m"ss )low r"te in!uts




4ig& ;? $re)orm sh"!e e*olution& %+!eriment (" *s& simul"tion
*i" direct !ressure (b "nd m"ss )low r"te in!uts(c&

20
70
120
170
220
270
0 0.1 0.2 0.3
Time ( sec)
ND_Experimental_Axial_L2
ND_Simulation_Axial_L2
ND_Experimental_Axial_L4
ND_Simulation_Axial_L4
ND_Experimental_Axial_L7
ND_Simulation_Axial_L7

4ig& =? Nod"l dis!l"cement loc"tion )or )ree#stretch blow
simul"tion using const"nt m"ss )low r"te in!ut
> CONC1USIONS
%+cellent *olume *s& time cur*e "nd !re)orm
e*olution !ro)ile "re obt"ined in both the )ree blow
"nd )ree stretch blow simul"tions onl' in the c"se
when const"nt m"ss )low r"te is used to model the
blowing "ir in the simul"tion& This indic"tes th"t
"!!l'ing the !ressure *i" " m"ss )low r"te o) "ir is
the most "!!ro!ri"te method to model the !ressure
inside the !re)orm& Considering "ssum!tions )or
tem!er"ture, e+!eriment"l error "nd )low r"te
c"lcul"tions correl"tion between e+!eriment "nd
simul"tion )or both )ree blow "nd )ree stretch blow
is e+cellent& This *"lid"tes the simul"tion
de*elo!ment,m"ss )low r"te c"lcul"tion,m"teri"l
model "nd the ch"r"cterised const"nts )or the )ree
blow "nd )ree#stretch blow tri"ls&

R%4%R%NC%S
1 Dorlier %&,$hD Thesis,%cole des Mines de $"ris (4r"nce,
.::1&
. Dorlier %&,E"udin G&M&,0g"ss"nt G&4&,1e!"ge G&1&,$ereR
D&,D"rr"s D&,Billon N&,Hth Intern"tion"l %S04ORM
Con)erence on M"teri"l 4orming .::1,1iege,Belgium&
< Men"r' D&E&,T"n C&2&,$ic"rd M&,Billon N&,0rmstrong
C&D&,E"r-in#Gones %&M&0&,1:th Intern"tion"l %S04ORM
Con)erence on M"teri"l 4orming .::;,0!ril 1=#.:,
L"r"goR",S!"in&
H Buc-le' C&$&,Gones D&C&,$ol'mer,<I,1;,<<:1,177>&
> Buc-le' C&$&,Gones D&C&,Gones D&$&,$ol'mer,<;,1.,
.H:<,177I&
I 0d"ms 0&M&,Buc-le' C&$&,Gones D&$&,$ol'mer,H1,;;1,
.:::&
; Men"r' D&E&,T"n C&2&,0rmstrong C&D&,E"r-in#Gones
%&M&0&, 7th Intern"tion"l %S04ORM Con)erence on
M"teri"l 4orming .::I,0!ril .I#.=,Dl"sgow,U&3&
= Cengel F&0&,Boles M&0&,MThermodynami&sN,I
th
%dition,
McDr"w#Eill $ublic"tion,.::;&
:s :&:1=s :&:<=s :&:>=s :&:71s :&1>:s :&.::s :&<<.s
:s :&:1=s :&:<=s :&:>7s :&:7.s :&1H7s :&.::s :&<<.s
:s :&:1>s :&:<Is :&:I>s :&:=1s :&1>1s :&.:1s :&<<.s




h
a
l
-
0
0
5
1
0
3
6
0
,

v
e
r
s
i
o
n

1

-

1
8

A
u
g

2
0
1
0