4.blow Moulding

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING
INTRODUCTION
Blow Moulding process is widely used for producing
bottles or other hollow objects, due to its least
expensive & simplest process to manufacture.
Blow moulding is operated using low moulding
pressure & hence result in Low Internal Stresses.
Commonly used materials are:PE,PVC,PET,PC, PA,
POM.
It is principally a mass production method.
It is easy to vary wall thickness & weight of the

part.
This is done either by changing machine parts

or melt conditions.
Fig 4.1
PRINCIPLE
Material is fed into a heated barrel of Extruder.
With the help of screw rotation & heaters the
plastic is melted and homogenised.
Melted material is forced through a set of die
to form a tube or parison (Hot Plastic tube)
parison is introduced into a mould,The mould
closes & pinches off.
Blow pin is inserted through the open end of

the parison to form a neck.
Finally air is introduced through the blow pin
to inflate the parison inside the mould.
By this, the molten Polymer copies the details
of the Mould.
Lastly the moulded product is cooled &
ejected.
In the finishing stage, the part undergoes,
trimming, finishing, Printing-Labeling &
decorating.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
Homogeneous melt of plastic material.
Formation of the molten resin into a hollow tube
or parison.
Sealing the ends of the parison in the closing
mould,except the area through which blowing air

can be supplied.
Inserting the blow pin through the open end

of the parison.
Blowing or inflating the parison inside the
mould.
Cooling the blow moulded part.
Ejecting the part & trimming flash if needed.
Finishing & decorations on the product.
10
BLOW MOULDING METHODS
Based on the method used to create the

parison or preform, two types of blow
moulding are recognised.
1. Extrusion Blow Moulding that uses an
extruded tube.
2. Injection Blow Moulding that uses an
Injection Moulded preform.
11
Blow moulding methods commonly used in

Industries are : Extrusion Blow moulding
Injection Blow moulding
Stretch Blow moulding.
Multilayer Co extrusion Blow moulding.
Table 4.1
12
13
BLOW MOULDING MACHINES

& THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
Blow moulding machine consists of two parts:

1. The parison Forming Unit(Extruder).
2. The Blow moulding unit.
14
15
BLOW MOULDING UNIT
Made off two female cavities that close around a
parison.
Pinch-off at one or both ends.

One entrance for the blowing air.
A cutout section.
16
MOULD MATERIALS USED

For Mould Parts:
aluminum,aluminum alloys,
Steel, Beryllium-Copper(Be/Cu)
alloys.
&
Cast
Zinc
For Pinch off section:
Beryllium-Copper or Steel inserts.

Be/Cu Provides high thermal conductivity.
Steel Insert provides wear resistance &
toughness.
18
OPERATIONS & FUNCTIONS

Blow Mould Closing operations by:
Pneumatic System
Mechanical System &
Hydraulic System.
Clamp Platen mechanism serves following Functions :

Hold & align the mould halves.
Hold the mould closed against the pressure
of blowing air.
19
CLAMPING FORCE
Clamping Force required:
FC=APf
FC-Clamping Force.
A-Projected Area.
P-Blow Pressure(Usually in the range of
0.5to1.5MPa).
f-Safety factor(25% extra)
20
PLASTIC MATERIALS
Those Materials which show high melt strength &
good stretch properties at the extrusion

temperature are suitable for formation of parison
& blowing.
Following Polymers are more often blow moulded:

PE(LDPE,HDPE,HMHDPE)
PP,PVC,PA,PS,PC,PET,EVA,SAN
21
LDPE us used for more flexible items.

HDPE is used for Rigid Bottles, Chemical Drums,
gasoline tanks.
PP is used because of high stiffness, good
chemical resistance, clarity and good glass and
good resistance to high temperature.
PS for general purpose articles requiring

transparency at modest cost.
22
RPVC Can be bi axially oriented in extrusion

stretch blow moulding.
PC is used for containers which show good
transparency, excellent impact strength, good
heat resistance, good printability.
PET is used in basically oriented stretch blow
moulding & commonly used for carbonated
beverages, packaging of drinks pharmacy
products & water bottles.
EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol) is used as barrier
layer in Multilayer containers.
23
PROCESSING TEMP.OF PLASTICS

Polymer
Proc. Temp. Drying Temp.
LDPE
LLDPE
HMHDPE
PP
PVC
PS
PC
PA
PET
160-170
160-180
160-210
170-220
170-200
250-280
280-300
190-240
240-255
50-70
50-70
50-75
50-80
50-70
50-70
70-100
70-100
120-140
Cavity Temp.
5-30
5-30
10-30
20-50
15-35
20-40
50-70
20-40
10-20
24
EFFECT OF PROPERTIES OF
PLASTICS ON QUALITY
Following
plastic material Parameters
effects the quality of blow moulded products:
Melt Flow Index(MFI).
Melt Strength.
Extrudate Swell
EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

Different types of Extrusion Blow moulding:
1.Continuous
a.Single station Method
b.Twin Station Method.
c.Rotary Table Method.
2.Intermittent
a.Reciprocating Screw.
b.Ram
c.Accumulator Head
25
26
RECIPROCATING SCREW EXTRUDER

When making large parts, the parison becomes
so large and heavy that it sags under its own
weight and it becomes thinner and thinner as it
is extruded.
Here, the resin is plasticated by the rotating
screw and the melt accumulates in front of the
screw.
The screw retracts to accommodate the melt,
then it is pushed forward by hydraulic means,
forcing the melt through the die head to form a
parison (see Fig. ).
27
At that point, the mould closes, the blow air

inflates the parison, forcing the hot plastic
towards the mould cavity walls. After sufficient
cooling the blow moulded part is ejected.
During the blowing and cooling stages, the screw
retracts and accumulates another charge.
28
29
RAM ACCUMULATOR EXTRUSION

The ram accumulator type blow moulding is
recommended for larger parts.
The main applications are
shipping containers, and toys.
industrial
parts,
30
31
The main disadvantage of the system is that the

first material to enter the accumulator is the last
to leave, (FILO).
This makes the process unsuitable for heatsensitive materials.
32
ACCUMULATOR HEAD METHOD

This method also utilises the external
accumulator that can be many times larger than
the volume of a reciprocating screw cylinder.
It is designed to produce containers with
capacity of 100 to 400 L. Here, one to four
extruders continuously fill the accumulator head
with enough plastic for a complete parison shot.
33
After the correct charge has been accumulated,

a hydraulic ring piston drives out the melt to
form a parison, which is then placed in the
mould and blown.
The parison is extruded by moving an annular
ring plunger downward to displace the material
through a die bushing and mandrel.
Fig. 4.5 shows the die head accumulator, which
can produce large HMW-HDPE containers.
34
35
EXTRUDER & ITS FUNCTION

Extrusion plant for blow moulding consists of :
The Extruder.
parison Die Head & Mould.
Function of the extruder :
To produce homogeneous melt.

Screw L/D ratio of 20 to 24 is preferable.
36
37
EXTRUDER DIE HEAD AND DIE ASSEMBLY
The die set is attached to a plasticating

extruder through a cross assembly from which
the parison is extruded.
The design of die assembly is most important
in determining the quality of the parison and
hence the blow moulded product.
43
PARISON
An uniform parison is of importance.
Extruder must deliver an extrudate with in close
dimensional tolerance.
Irregular extruder output causes weight variations
from one blow part to the next.

Temperature of the parison should be controlled.
parison draw down results from gravitational pull
on the plastic during extrusion.
45
PARISON SWELL
FOR VARIOUS POLYMERS
Polymer
Extrudate Swell(%)
LDPE
30-65
HDPE
20-60
RPVC
30-35
GPPS
10-20
PC
5-10
Circular Blow Molding Machine
Extrusion Blow Molding

Parison
Mold Open
Mold Closed
Pressurization of
Parison
Mold Open
Cooled Part
Extrusion Blow Molding
Injection Blow Molding
Injection Blow Molding

Preform is injection
molded
Preform is placed in
the blow molding
machine
Preform is heated
Preform is pressurized
Part is removed
PET Preform
Preform Formation
Material placement
Stretch optimization
Preforms Placed in Mold
53
PARISON WALL THICKNESS CONTROL

Objectives:
A method of minimization of the weight at its
maximum mechanical performance.
Cost Saving.
Techniques:
parison Programming &
Die Shaping.
54
PARISON PROGRAMMING
Programming controls the wall thickness as
the parison emerges from the die.
The draw bar is attached to a mandrel that
forms the inside of the parison.
A bushing shapes the outside of the parison.
55
The parison thickness changes with vertical

movement of the mandrel.
The sequence of mandrel & bushing movements
constitute the parison programming.
The programming is accomplished electronically,
either by mechanical means, with a patch panel,
or by a microprocessor.
56
57
DIE SHAPING
Used to improve wall distribution of a blow
moulding part.
Irregularly shaped parts such as gas/fuel tank
usually need die shaping.
The shaping can be done either on a bushing
or on a mandrel depending upon the easy

machining.
[Usually bushing for diverging die & mandrel
for converging die].
59
67
PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCT DESIGN
Following factors are considered to design the

blow moulded containers & other complex
shapes:
1. Resin,Size & weight of the product.
2. mould,inserts,surface texture.
3. Engravings,sharp corners & straight
angles.
74
Blow Ratio :
The blow ratio is the ratio of the outer
diameter of the blown container divided by
the outer diameter of the parison.
The required die gap can be approximately
calculated multiplying the desired wall
thickness of a blown bottle by the blow ratio.
78
INJECTION BLOW MOULDING
An ideal combination of Injection & blow moulding.
It includes three stages:
1.
Formation of preform by using injection moulding.
2.
Transferring the preform into the blow moulding.
3.
Passage of air or gas pressure through the core

rod to blow the thermoplastic resin into the cavity
walls of the blow mould.
79
81
MOULDING PROCESS
There are three station & four station Injection
blow moulding system.
Injection unit,a blow station,& a ejector or
stripping station are the three station in

Injection blow moulding machine using three
station.
The four station machine has a safety or core
rod conditioning station.
FIG 4.13
82
84
The injection blow moulding becomes

economic at the level of one million to seven
million units of small containers (300 mL or
smaller capacity).
The investment cost is greater for the injection
blow moulding than for the extrusion blow
moulding. However, the quality of containers
moulded using the former method will be
superior.
The injection blow moulding is used primarily
for
the
production
of
cosmetic
and
pharmaceutical containers.
ADVANTAGES OF INJECTION
BLOW MOULDING
Accurate shaping of the neck.
A high level of dimensional accuracy.
Minimal weight tolerances.
The highest quality surface finish.
Production absolutely free from waste.
85
Crystal-clear
application.
containers
for
86
pharmaceutical
Finished bottle without weld line & scrap.

Secondary/finishing operations can be avoided.
Multi-cavities can be operated.
92
STRETCH BLOW MOULDING

Principles
It is mass production process
Stretch blow moulding is a process on which
stretching is done before blowing.
The stretch blow moulding method can be
applied to both injection and extrusion blow

moulding process.
Each plastic material has a temperature limit at
which it can be stretched to get optimum

orientation and properties.
93
Biaxial stretch blow moulding is the method in
which the stretching is done in both longitudinal

and transverse direction.
Biaxial
orientation
increases
the
strength,gas barrier properties,drop
strength and clarity of plastics.
tensile
impact
The various materials suitable for stretch blow
moulding are PET,PVC,PS,SAN,POM,PP.
94
APPLICATION
Containers made by Stretch Blow Moulding are
used for
Packing of Oil.
Wine, Sprits.
Milk.
Mineral Water.
Carbonated Drinks.
Soft Drinks & Medicine.
96
INJECTION STRETCH BLOW MOULDING

Single Stage Process
The Preform produced by Injection moulding.
Thermal
conditioning & Stretching of the

preform can be performed by
1. Single Stage Process
2. Two Stage process
The preform is then sufficiently cooled in the
mould.
97
In one or more tampering stations the

injection moulded preform is heated
upto the stretchable temperature.
The blowing and stretching are
performed with the help of a telescopic
stretch rod.
98
PET STRETCH BLOW MOULDING PROCESS

The PET preform is injection moulded in the first
station and upon proper cooling, the cavity
mould half drops down and the core rod mould
half rises.
The table indexes 90 to the conditioning station,
where the preform is conditioned by internal and
external corerod heaters to the proper
temperature for stretch blow moulding.
The table again indexes 90 to the third station,
where the preform is stretch blow moulded.
99
100
TWO STAGE PROCESS

In this process the injection moulded preform
can be produced any time at any place.
The preform is to be re-heated before stretching
and blowing.
In the process the preforms are transported
through an oven where they rotate continuously

to attain even temperature through out the
surface.
Usually the threaded area is protected form
heating by heat shield.
101
After heating the preforms exit from the oven and
are allowed to equilibrate.
Since the preforms are usually heated by IR heaters
the temp on the outside skin is higher then the

inside skin.
During equilibration, the outside skin temperature
drops while inside skin temperature rises.
Then it is transferred to blowing section

The blow moulds closes at the threaded area of the
preform and clamped to required tonnage.
102
The stretch rod enters the preform through the
preform towards the bottom of the mould.
The air is then blown in to the mould up to the
required pressure
The bottle cools due to contact with the cold
mould.
The blown air is exhausted,the rod retracts
and the mould open to eject the bottle.
103
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGE
Single stage process :

Advantages
Low investment
Requires no capping ring
All process are done at one place.
Disadvantages
Low barrier properties
The products are heavier
Requires more skilled operation.
104
105
TWO STAGE PROCESS

Advantage
Low cost per bottle
The products have low weight
High barrier properties
High productivity
Preform making and bottle making can be
done at different places.
Disadvantages
High capital investment
More blemishes than single stage
Requires capping ring on the preforms.
106
107
Comparison Between Single & Two-stage Process

Single Stage Process
Low investment.
Requires no capping ring.
Low volume production.
Higher weight bottle.
Low efficiency.
Require
more
skilled
operator.
Two Stage Process

High investment.
Requires capping ring &
bumper role.
High barrier properties.
Lower weigh bottle.
High efficiency.
Required operator.
108
ORIENTATION AND ITS EFFECTS

Stretching leads to biaxial orientation of the
molecular structure.
Hoop ratio is defined as the ratio of the largest
inside diameter of the blown bottle (D 1)to that of

preform before blowing.(D2)
RH = D1/D2 , If range from 4 to 7
Axial ratio is defined as the ratio of length
measured after axial stretching of the

container(L1) to the original length of the
preform.(L2)
RA = L1/L2, If ranges from 14 to 26
110
EXTRUSION STRETCH BLOW MOULDING

Process
The preform mould closes around the parison.
The pre blow mandrel is lowered in the parison
to calibrate the bottle neck.

The blowing air blows the preform at the same
time. The bottom scrap is then removed.
111
112
The mould opens, the preform retained by the pre
blow mandrel is transferred to stretch blow

mould.
The blowing is carried out with the assistance of
mechanical for longitudinal and pneumatic for

latitude stretching.
After cooling takes place, the mould opens to
takeout the product for post moulding operation.
113
MULTILAYER BLOW MOULDING PROCESS

Co-extrusion blow moulding offers to produce
containers having several layer of plastic.
The process makes it possible to combine
various materials which attributes to create a

product for a particular application.
The co-extruded blow mould containers gaining
importance for packaging of various sensitive

food,with high barrier properties.
114
The process require a parison die designed to
over lap several parisons to produce a single

parison consisting multiple of layers.
The
co-extruded
parisons
are
generally
processed by extrusion blow moulding.
The principle purpose of this method is to
improve the barrier properties.
137
Blow moulding machines are classified by :

1.
2.
3.
4.
Extruder size
Extruder output
Accumulator capacity
Clamp pressure capacity.
Screw diameter typically range from 50 to
150mmwith a length / diameter ratio from 18/1
to 30/1.
24/1 is the most common.
153
CONTROLS IN BLOW MOULDING

OPERATION
In blow moulding operation there are different
categories of controls which play the most

important role for performance and quality of the
products.
The machine control affects some characteristics
of the machine itself such as temperature, screw

speed etc.
For blow moulding process, accurate control of
time, temperature
requirement.
and
position
is
vital
154
Temperature control is required for the extruder
barrel, the mould, the die head, hydraulic oil and

polymer melt.
The filling of the head, the wall thickness of the
parison and the press clamp are all positioncontrolled.
The blowing /cooling cycle is controlled through
microprocessor.
some characteristic of the final product like
weight and wall thickness of the component.
158
Cutter design range from a single flute with

no spiral to multiple spiral flutes, made of
hardened tool or carbide compounds.
Container neck inside diameter sizing and
top spot facing is done in one step with a
dual-purpose cutter.
173
QUALITY CONTROL OF BLOW

MOULDING PROCESS
In line quality control and testing facilities is
needed at the manufacturing place.
Inspections
and quality assurance testes

should follow specifications as per standard.
TESTS
Container weight
Wall thickness
Neck & Thread dimensions
Drop impact resistance
Visual inspections for contamination
Additive and colour homogeneity
Other required tests as required to meet the
specifications.
174
175
FAULTS,CAUSES AND REMEDIES IN

BLOW MOULDING PROCESS
FAULTS
parison
too long
CAUSES
Excess extrusion output
Melt too fluid leading to
parison sag.
ACTIONS
Reduce screw
speed.
Reduce barrel
temperature
Reduce die head
temperature.
parison
too short
Insufficient extruder
output.
Increase screw
speed.
Too low a melt

temperature
Check heaters are

functioning.
176
parison diameter
too large
Incorrect die selections

Excess die swell
Check
temperature.
parison diameter
too small
Incorrect die selection.

Excess parison sag
Check
melt
temperature.
Excess parison
wall thickness
Incorrect setting of
parison thickness
controller.
Check
melt
temperature.
Excess die swell
Sharkskin
Die head temperature
(rough on inside). too low.
177
Raise die head

temperature.
Melt temperature too

low.
Raise melt
temperature.
Longitudinal
marks on parison
surface
Dirty die.
Clean.
Damage die.
Repair
parison wall too

thin
Incorrect setting of
parison thickness
controller.
Check
Excess parison sag.
Lower melt
temperature.
178
Weld lines
on parison
Melt not rewelding after

passing through
spider.
Build up back pressure

between spider and die
lips by lowering die/die
head temperatures.
Increase melt temperature.
Burn marks
(PVC).
Decomposition.
Check melt temperature.

Check no dead spots.
Check tip of screw not too
hot.
Dark
particles.
Contamination
Check
Decomposition
Check dead spots.
Poor neck/flash
separation.
179
Blow pin badly set.
Check and adjust.
Damages cutting sleeve.
Replace.
Deformed
moulding.
Moulding ejected too hot.
Increase cooling time.

Check cooling water
supply to mould.
Moulding does not

fully inflate.
Insufficient air.
Raise air pressure.

Increase blowing
time.
Moulding sticks to
mould.
Mould too hot.
Check mould
temperatures.

4.blow Moulding

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4.blow Moulding

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CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

It is principally a mass production method.

It is easy to vary wall thickness & weight of the

This is done either by changing machine parts

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

plastic is melted and homogenised.

Melted material is forced through a set of die

to form a tube or parison (Hot Plastic tube)

parison is introduced into a mould,The mould

closes & pinches off.

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

Blow pin is inserted through the open end of

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

mould,except the area through which blowing air

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

Inserting the blow pin through the open end

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

BLOW MOULDING METHODS

Based on the method used to create the

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

Blow moulding methods commonly used in

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

BLOW MOULDING MACHINES

Blow moulding machine consists of two parts:

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

BLOW MOULDING UNIT

Made off two female cavities that close around a

Pinch-off at one or both ends.

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

MOULD MATERIALS USED

For Pinch off section:

Beryllium-Copper or Steel inserts.

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

OPERATIONS & FUNCTIONS

Clamp Platen mechanism serves following Functions :

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

good stretch properties at the extrusion

Following Polymers are more often blow moulded:

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

LDPE us used for more flexible items.

PS for general purpose articles requiring

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

RPVC Can be bi axially oriented in extrusion

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

PROCESSING TEMP.OF PLASTICS

Proc. Temp. Drying Temp.

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

RECIPROCATING SCREW EXTRUDER

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

At that point, the mould closes, the blow air

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING

CORPORATE TRAINING AND PLANNING