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Types of material used in Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine

September 15, 2021

When choosing a material for blow moulding; cost, density, flexibility, strength, and other factors should be considered into what resin is best for your part. If the elastomeric properties of the material are exceeded, a hole will tear through the material resulting in a defective part. Other relevant properties are largely based on your application and might include mechanical, physical, chemical resistance, heat, electrical, flammability or UV resistance.

  • Temperature exposure: What are the minimum and maximum temperatures the part will be exposed to? Remember, the first shot substrate must be able to withstand temperatures above the second shot’s melt point.
  • Bending stiffness: Does the material need to be flexible or rigid? What should the bending strength or deflection be?
  • Impact resistance: What level of hardness or surface toughness does each component require? Will the part need to withstand impact forces without shattering or breaking?
  • Appearance: Does either component need to have a particular colour, grain, texture and/or gloss?
  • UV resistance: Will the part be used in outdoor settings or otherwise exposed to UV rays?
  • Chemical exposure: What chemicals –– e.g., gasoline, diesel fuel, antifreeze, etc. –– might this part be exposed to that could compromise function?

If a material meets most requirements but falls short somewhere, an additive may be able to change its properties.

Commodity Materials

Some of the least expensive materials are also the easiest to process. Polyethene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are the most popular blow moulding resins. PE is currently less expensive but PP tends to be stiffer which sometimes offsets the cost difference. These materials are resistant to most chemicals.

One difference is temperature performance with PE performing better at -75 to +160 degrees F and PP performing well from -0 to +170 degrees F.

Engineering Resins

Many engineering-grade resins can be blow moulded. Some of the acronyms include PPO, PC, PETG, ABS, TPE – you get the idea. These resins require special consideration before moulding.

Most require drying before processing, specially designed extruder screws and specific processing conditions.

Here’s an introduction to the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of resins commonly used in blow moulding.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

HDPE is the world’s #1 plastic and the most commonly blow-moulded plastic material. It’s used in a vast array of products, including bottles for consumer liquids such as shampoo and motor oil, coolers, play structures, fuel tanks, industrial drums, and carrying cases. It’s moulder-friendly, translucent and easily coloured, and chemically inert (FDA approved and perhaps the safest of all plastics). PE is the most commonly recycled resin with recycling code designation 2.

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Variations of LDPE include linear-low (LLDPE) and combinations with ethyl-vinyl-acetate (LDPE-EVA). LDPE is used for softer products that require a high level of stress crack resistance or flexibility. Generally, the higher the ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA) content, the softer the moulded part. Common applications include squeeze bottles, traffic channelizers, and boat fenders. The highest usage is blown film for plastic bags. It is also moulder-friendly, translucent and easily coloured, chemically inert, and commonly recycled under code 4.

Polypropylene (PP)

PP is the world’s #2 plastic — it’s an extremely popular injection moulding resin. PP is similar to HDPE, but slightly stiffer and lower density, which provides some advantages. PP is commonly used in elevated temperature applications, such as dishwasher tubes and medical parts that require autoclave sterilization. It’s moulder-friendly as well as translucent and easily coloured. Some clarified versions provide “contact clarity.” PP recycling is common under code 5.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Although PVC is the world’s #3 plastic, it has been heavily scrutinized for using cadmium and lead as stabilizers, releasing hydrochloric (HCl) acids during processing, and releasing residual vinyl chloride monomers after moulding (most of these problems have been reduced). PVC is translucent and comes in rigid and soft forms — the soft resin is typically used in blow moulding. Common applications include soft medical parts, bellows, and traffic cones. Special processing equipment is recommended to prevent corrosion from HCl. PVC is recyclable under code 3.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

PET is a polyester that is usually injection blow moulded into clear containers. While it isn’t impossible to extrusion blow mould PET, it is less common, as the resin requires extensive drying. The largest PET blow moulding market is for soft drinks and water bottles. PET recycling rates are growing under recycle code 1.

Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)

TPEs are used to replace natural rubber in moulded parts. The material is opaque and can be coloured (typically black). TPEs are commonly used in automotive suspension covers and air intake ducts, bellows, and grip surfaces. It moulds well after drying and generally reprocesses well. However, recycling rates are somewhat limited under code 7 (other plastics).

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is relatively hard plastic, used to injection mould football helmets. Blow moulding grade ABS is typically opaque and coloured for use in electronics housings and small appliances. ABS moulds well after drying. However, parts made from ABS aren’t as chemically resistant as PE or PP, so caution must be used with parts that come in contact with chemicals. Various grades can pass the Standard for Safety of Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances Testing (UL 94), Classification V-0. ABS is recyclable as code 7, but its toughness makes grinding difficult.

Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO)

PPO is an opaque resin. It requires drying and has a limited drawdown capacity during moulding. This restricts designers to PPO parts with generous blow ratios or flat shapes, such as panels and desktops. Moulded parts are stiff and relatively strong. Like ABS, PPO grades can pass UL 94 V-0 flammability criteria. It can be reprocessed, and a few recyclers accept it under code 7.

Nylon/Polyamides (PA)

Nylon melts quickly, so it’s more commonly used in injection moulding. The resins used for extrusion blow moulding are typically variants of nylon 6, nylon 4-6, nylon 6-6, and nylon 11.
Nylon is a reasonably priced translucent material that has decent chemical resistance and performs well in high heat environments. It’s often used to make tubes and reservoirs in automotive engine compartments. One special grade, nylon 46, withstands continuous temperatures up to 446°F. Some grades meet UL 94 V-2 flammability criteria. Nylon can be reprocessed, in certain circumstances, under recycled code 7.

Polycarbonate (PC)

The toughness of this clear, workhorse material makes it perfect for products ranging from eyeglasses to bullet-proof glass in jet cockpits. It’s also commonly used to make 5-gallon water bottles. PC must be dried before processing. It moulds well in basic shapes but requires serious evaluation for complex shapes. It’s also very difficult to grind but does reprocess under recycle code 7.

Polyester & Co-polyester

Polyester is often used in fibre. Unlike PET, modified polyesters like PETG (G = glycol) and co-polyester are clarified materials that can be extrusion blow moulded. Co-polyester is sometimes used as a substitute for polycarbonate (PC) in container products. It’s similar to PC, but it’s not quite as clear or as tough and it doesn’t contain bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that raises health concerns in some studies. Co-polyesters show some cosmetic degradation after reprocessing, so recycled materials have somewhat limited markets under code 7.

Urethane & Polyurethane

Urethanes provide performance properties that are popular in coatings like paint. Urethanes are generally more elastic than polyurethanes, which have to be specially formulated to become thermoplastic urethanes. The thermoplastic grades can be cast and extrusion or injection blow moulding. The material is most often used as one layer in multi-layer blow moulding. Ionomer versions can be used to impart gloss. Recycling is generally limited to in-house reprocessing under code 7.

Acrylic & Polystyrene

The clarity of these relatively low-cost resins leads customers to request them for applications such as lighting lenses. The material is normally vented during extrusion and tends to melt into a liquid state, which makes the success rate in extrusion blow moulding relatively low. Producers and compounders continue to work on processing improvements for extrusion grades with some success. The material can be recycled, usually for use in injection moulding, under code 6.

There is a wide array of raw materials that can be used for blow moulding. Blow moulding materials are commonly thermoplastics that do not easily degrade upon heating. Blow moulding is extensively used in the manufacture of plastic bottles which is why most raw materials have properties suitable for such application. Currently, blow moulding is gaining momentum in the transportation, construction, and consumer goods industries. This makes engineering plastics such as polyamides and polycarbonates viable to be blown moulded as well.

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DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR BLOW MOULDING MOULD

Guide pins and guide bushings from common standard parts suppliers are usually used as blow mold guides. The guide length should not exceed 1 * D. This is particularly important for mold movement machines to avoid damaging the parallel guidance of the clamping unit and the blow mold guide. The bore for the bushing must be drilled towards the rear of the mold or be cleared laterally to be able to easily remove pressed in material and ensure a clean closing of the blow mold.

HOW TO SELECT TOOLING IN BLOW MOULDING MACHINE :

With a basic understanding of the differences in the types of head tooling
available, we can now look at calculations that will help make our tooling
choices. It is important to keep these points in mind:
Parison diameter is dependent on head tool size, resin characteristics,
regrind content, temperature, and punch-out speed.
Head tooling diameter is determined by part shape and size.

ROLE OF AIR IN BLOW MOULDING

In a blow molding machine, air has multiple purposes: pre-blow and inflation air expands the parison until it contacts the mold wall to reproduce the shape of the blow mold. The inflation air presses the material against the mold wall to reproduce surface details such as lettering, surface textures, etc. Furthermore, the inflation pressure promotes good and permanent contact between the mold wall and the polymer, since the polymer starts to shrink during the cooling period. In addition to these functions required directly with the actual blow molding process, air is required for pneumatically activated functions in the machine, such as the insertion of a blow needle to move molded parts (core pulls) or doors in the machine’s safety guard.

PLC in EBM 

Until the late 1970s to early 1980s blow molding machines were primarily delivered with contractor control. This type of control offered the advantage that the electrical components could be checked by appropriately trained maintenance personnel and easily replaced in the event of a fault. Changes in the machine control system could be made with the help of simple auxiliary devices. However, the disadvantages were the susceptibility to faults and short service life due to wear of mechanically moving parts, the large number of components (up to 150 contactors, 12 temperature controllers, etc.), the size of the components, and how these elements were connected. This type of control was called “hard-wired programmed logic controller”.

CLAMPING UNITS IN EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

In all extrusion blow molding processes, a blow mold consisting of two halves closes around the parison once it has reached its full length. These two halves of the mold are mounted on the so-called mold mounting platens, which from part of the clamping unit (or closing unit).

RADIAL WALL THICKNESS DISTRIBUTION IN BLOW MOULDING

In blow moulding, the wall thickness distribution of the finished article is essentially determined by the wall thickness distribution of the parison, its position in relation to the blow mould cavities, and the local stretching paths.

SWELLING BEHAVIOUR OF THE PARISON

The visco – elastic behavior of the thermoplastics (here the memory effects) in conjunction with the flow channel geometry in the head causes the diameter of the parison to change after leaving the die. The wall thickness also changes and thus the length of the parison. This phenomenon is called ‘; die swell’’.

MANDREL HEADS IN EBM

In mandrel heads (also referred to as ‘’heart – shaped – curve heads’’, or cardio did heads) the solid core part is massively integrated into the basic structure of the head. These heads are also called side-fed heads.

SPIDER HEADS IN EBM

The main task of parison heads (blow heads or even just heads) is to divert the compact melt flow as supplied by the extruder into a vertical downwards flow movement and to form melt tube with a uniform circumferential wall thickness distribution.

EXTRUDER WITH GROOVED FEED ZONE

Blow moulding machines with grooved barrel extruders are universal machines for all types of polyolefin; the grooved barrel system is,however, indispensable for high molecular weight, high viscosity raw materials. In these extruders, the cylinder wall in the feed section features tapered longitudinal grooves.

SMOOTH BORE EXTRUDER

Blow molding machines with smooth – bore extruders are more or less limited to the processing of low to medium molecular weight polyolefin types. Smooth bore extruders are less expensive than those with a grooved feed zone and show less screw wear.

Is a Blow Molding Machine Used to Make Anything Other than Plastic Bottles?

For manufacturing plastic bottles, experts rely on a state-of-the-art blow molding machine. With this particular process, a manufacturer produces a broad range of finished products in varying sizes and shapes. Because of that, multiple industries depend on a professional company to make a specific type of plastic bottle needed.

What Are the Future Trends of Plastic Molding Machines?

Although the plastic molding industry took a hit this year due to the instability within the automotive industry, it’s still on target for breaking records. After all, the plastic molding machine is something that a broad range of industries rely on for both internal operations and the making of consumer goods. As demand increases, you can expect to see some exciting changes for plastic molding machines.

Can Extrusion Blow Molding Produce Complicated Shapes

When it comes to extrusion blow molding capability, most people think of standard plastic bottles, tight-head containers, jars, and larger water containers. However, the extrusion blow molding process can do much more. In fact, when using a technologically advanced extrusion blow molding machine, it can produce finished products with complicated shapes, and in varying sizes.

Rotational Molding: Advantages and Disadvantages

Rotational moulding offers a number of benefits, but it’s not the best production process for every part. So how do you decide if it’s a fit for you? Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the process is the first step toward making a decision with confidence.

HOW TO START A TOY-MAKING BUSINESS WITH EBM IN INDIA?

Before starting the toys making business, it is important to do market research. It is important to collect as much information as possible about this business so that you get the knowledge of exactly what kind of toys are in demand in the market.

WHY INDIAN GOVT. ENCOURAGES TOY MAKING BUSINESSES MAKING BUSINESS

Indian government motivates and urges the Indian startups in the toy sector to maximize manufacturing and increase the reach of Indian made toys to the world. After holding a meeting with senior officials and ministers, the Prime Minister make a statement and urge the start-ups and young blood to innovate in the toy sector. Also, PM has given the suggestion to the educational institutions to arrange competitions in toy technology and design.

Biodegradable vs. Recyclable Plastics

Biodegradable plastics undergo digestion by microbes to form natural bi-products and what is known as humus (a sludge that makes an excellent plant fertiliser). It also produces gas which is officially known as biogas. Biozone’s landfill-biodegradable plastics have proprietary additives that help them biodegrade naturally in landfills. Once the biodegradable packing ends up in a landfill, it attracts the necessary microbes that break down the plastic into its natural components.

The Future of the Extrusion Blow Molding Machine

Everywhere you look, competition among different industries has exploded. Thanks to a thriving market, companies that once struggled now see incredible success. Just as businesses need ways to stay ahead of the competition, so do extrusion blow moulding machine manufacturers. Because of that, they continually push to come up with more innovative solutions.

Why CMP Machines are the BEST?

Innovation is at the heart of any successful company. Innovation keeps an organization at the top of their game, allowing them to flex their competitive muscles and take pride in the work they do.

What is Multilayer Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine?

Nowadays literally all humankind use plastic products 24/7 all over the world. It is super easy to get access to all kinds of plastic products. You might have come across bottles that have a shiny layer on the outer side, or different colours on the outer and a different one in the inner. So, what it is? It is a multilayer extrusion product. Well, let me explain to you how what it is exactly.

Exterior Surface (Mold Cavity) Design

The inner and outer walls of the part are formed simultaneously and integrally, but interior and exterior designs are essentially independent so we review them separately. As the design develops, the designer should begin thinking about the interaction of the plastic and the mould that will produce the part. The visual exterior of many products is formed in one half of the mould called a cavity. Following are some of the features of mould cavities the designer will want to consider.

Interior Surface (Mold Core) Design

The inner and outer walls of the part are formed simultaneously and integrally, but interior and exterior designs are essentially independent so we review them separately. As the design develops, the designer should begin thinking about the interaction of the plastic and the mould that will produce the part. The interior surface of double-wall blow moulded parts is normally formed by a mould core. Since the mould core must fit inside the cavity, there should be no question it meets the same core blow ratio = W>2D overall size requirement as the cavity.

About Parison and Parison Control

Parison blow moulding of intricate plastic bottles and other plastic parts requires air pressure control that is precise, repeatable and rapid responding. Proportion-Air offers electronic closed-loop pressure and flow control used to improve processes in the plastics blow moulding industry.

Why CMP Blow Moulding Machine?

Multiple industries and outside manufacturing companies depend on advanced extrusion blow moulding machinery. Without the right machine, there would be no way to produce superior quality products and we, at CMP, provide quality over quantity. Let us go through the advantages you will get for using CMP’s machine.

Information about the series of Extrusion Blow Moulding Machines in CMP

Have you ever seen a person at the fair or the mall during the holidays, blowing glass to create beautiful, artistic designs? It’s mesmerizing how a random piece of coloured glass can be manipulated by precisely placed hot air and become such a masterpiece. This art form inspired the current method of manipulating plastics to form many of the items we use every day, from water bottles to toys and so many things in between. This artful method is called Extrusion Blow Molding and it’s a common and inventive way of mass-producing hollow, lightweight products that are also durable and waterproof

How to select a Blow Moulding Machine?

The reputation of the blow moulding machine manufacturer you do business with has a lot to do with the quality of the equipment it sells. The right company takes great pride in offering its customers top-of-the-line products at a competitive price. Buying a blow moulding machine can be a nerve-racking experience for fresh entrepreneurs.

Types of products manufactured in Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine

Blow moulding is a manufacturing process for forming and joining together hollow plastic parts. In general, there are three main types of blow moulding: extrusion blow moulding, injection blow moulding (one stage), and injection stretch blow moulding (two stages). In the extrusion blow moulding process (EBM), plastic is melted and extruded into a hollow tube (a plastic parison). This plastic parison is then captured by closing it into a cooled metal mould. 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 mould is opened and the part is ejected. It is designed to manufacture high volume hollow plastic products.

Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine VS Injection Blow Moulding Machine

If you operate a business that requires specially formed plastic bottles or containers, such as juice and water bottles or liquid soaps and shampoos, it’s to your benefit to understand the various manufacturing processes for making those bottles and containers.

What are the 2 types of Extrusion Blow Moulding Machines?

Blow moulding is a manufacturing process used for the production of plastic bottles, containers, and custom shapes. At Central Machinery and Plastic Products, we use extrusion blow moulding (EBM). EBM bottles are easily identifiable by their pinch line across the base of the bottle. This line is created as the mould cavity closes on the parison and the tail is trimmed off.

The process of Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine

Extrusion Blow Molding is the simplest type of blow moulding. A hot tube of plastic material, called a parison, is dropped from an extruder and captured in a water-cooled mould. Once the moulds are closed, the air blown through the top of the neck of the container. When the hot plastic material is blown up and touches the walls of the mould, the material freezes, the container now maintains its rigid shape.

What is Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine?

Blow moulding is an umbrella term for forming hollow plastic parts by inflating a molten plastic tube or parison until it fills a mould and forms the desired shape. Think of it as inflating a balloon inside of a water bottle. The blow moulding process begins with melting down the plastic and forming it into a parison. The parison is a tube-like piece of plastic with a hole in one end through which compressed air can pass. Water channels are carved into the mould to assist in cooling.

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