BLOW MOULDING

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.

DIAGRAM OF BLOW MOULDING WITH LABELS

HISTORY OF BLOW MOULDING

There has been evidence found suggesting that Egyptians and

Babylonians blew plastic materials, but Enoch Ferngren and William Kopitke were the first verified people who used the blow molding process. The process principle comes from the idea of glassblowing. Ferngren and Kopitke produced a blow molding machine and sold it to Hartford Empire Company in 1937. This was the beginning of the commercial blow molding process. During the 1940s the variety and amount of products were still very limited and therefore blow molding did not take off until later. Once the variety and production rates went up the amount of products created followed soon afterwards. In the United States soft drink industry, the amount of plastic containers went from zero in 1977 to ten billion pieces in 1999. Today, even a greater amount of products are blown and it is expected to keep increasing.

MATERIALS
The most widely used materials for Blow Molding are:
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Polypropylene (PP)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polyethylene Terephtalate (PET)

EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

The extrusion blow molding process begins with the

conventional extrusion of a parison or tube, using a die similar to that used for making plastic pipe. The parison is commonly extruded downward between the two halves of an open blow mold. When the parison reaches the proper length, the mold closes, catching and holding the neck end open and pinching the bottom end closed. A rod-like blow pin is inserted into the neck end of the hot parison to simultaneously form the threaded opening and to inflate the parison inside the mold cavity. After the bottle cools, the mold opens to eject the bottle. The excess plastic is trimmed from the neck and bottom pinch-off areas.

 Extrusion blow molding:

Can be used to process many different plastics,

including HDPE, PVC, PC, PP, and PETG. Requires relatively small capital investment in equipment; Is suitable for small production runs. Eastman products sold into the extrusion blow molding market are Eastar copolyester GN046, Eastar copolyester 6763, Eastar copolyester GN077 and Eastar copolyester GN071.

EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING DIAGRAM

INJECTION BLOW MOULDING

In the injection blow molding process, the material is injection

molded. The hot material, still on the core pin, is then indexed to the blow molding station where it is blown into a bottle and allowed to cool. For processing PET it is critical that this core pin be cooled. The bottle is then indexed to the next station and ejected. Injection blow molding allows more precise detail in the neck and finish (threaded) area than extrusion blow molding. Little, if any, improvement in physical properties is realized in the injection blow molding process since very little orientation occurs. Further, the injection blow molding process is normally limited to the production of relatively small bottles, i.e., 180 mL (6 fluid oz) or less. Eastapak polymer 9921 has been successfully used in the injection stretch blow molded process.

INJECTION BLOW MOULDING DIAGRAM

STRETCH BLOW MOULDING

This process involves the production of hollow objects, such as bottles,

having biaxial molecular orientation. Biaxial orientation provides enhanced physical properties, clarity, and gas barrier properties, which are all important in products such as bottles for carbonated beverages. There are two distinct stretch blow molding techniques. In the onestage process, preforms are injection molded, conditioned to the proper temperature, and blown into containersall in one continuous process. This technique is most effective in specialty applications, such as wide-mouthed jars, where very high production rates are not a requirement. In the two-stage process, preforms are injection molded, stored for a short period of time (typically 1 to 4 days), and blown into containers using a reheat-blow (RHB) machine. Because of the relatively high cost of molding and RHB equipment, this is the best technique for producing high volume items such as carbonated beverage bottles.

STRETCH BLOW MOULDING DIAGRAM

COMPARISON BETWEEN EXTRUSION AND INJECTION BLOW MOULDING

Extrusion blow molding
It is best suited for bottle over 200g in weight, shorter

runs and quick tool changeover Machine costs are comparable to injection blow molding Tooling costs are 50% to 75% less than injection machine It requires sprue and head trimming Total cycle is shorter than injection (since the parison and blowing can be done using the same machine) Wider choice of resin Final part design flexibility

 Injection blow molding

Best suited for long runs and smaller bottles No trim scrap Higher accuracy in final part Uniform wall thickness Better transparencies with injection blow molding, because crystallization can be better controlled Can lead to improve mechanical properties from improved parison design

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Advantages of blow molding include: low tool and die cost; fast

production rates; ability to mold complex part; produces recyclable parts

Blow Molding Automation - The Placo X-Y machine was

developed in Japan and has given rise to three-dimensional blow molding, an automated production method that allows for seamless part incorporation, minimal flash (excess polymer) around the object and increased production speed due to the precision of the receptacle created.

 Disadvantages of blow molding include: limited to

hollow parts, wall thickness is hard to control.

Limited Uses - Low molding is limited to hollow

forms, such as plastic containers and bottles, as air pressure is an integral component of the process. Wall thickness is also hard to control, as the larger the product being built gets, the thinner the polymer has to be stretched.

THE APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRY

The products manufactured by blow molding, although limited to hollow shaped plastics, are widely used in many industrial fields and everyday lives. The following are the products that see a lot of blow molded parts:

Automobile Consumer Electronics Fuel oil tanks Furniture Health & safety Lawn & garden Marine Medical Packaging Point of sale displays Recreational Seating Sporting goods Toys

EXTRA APPLICATIONS

VIDEO

 As a conclusion, blow moulding process is proven to

be a very important process in the indusry. Hence, with the presence of this process, many kinds of application gets the benefit. We hope that blow moulding can get better and more efficient in future.