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SHAPING PROCESSES FOR
PLASTICS
1. Properties of Polymer Melts
2. Extrusion
3. Production of Sheet, Film, and Filaments4. Coating Processes
5. Injection Molding
6. Other Molding Processes
7. Thermoforming
8. Casting
9. Polymer Foam Processing and Forming
10. Product Design Considerations
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Plastic Products
Plastics can be shaped into a wide variety of
products:
Molded parts
Extruded sections
Films
Sheets
Insulation coatings on electrical wires
Fibers for textiles
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More Plastic Products
In addition, plastics are often the principal ingredient
in other materials, such as
Paints and varnishes
Adhesives
Various polymer matrix composites
Many plastic shaping processes can be adapted to
produce items made of rubbers and polymer matrix
composites
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Trends in Polymer Processing
Applications of plastics have increased at a much faster
rate than either metals or ceramics in the last 60 years
Many parts previously made of metals are nowmade of plastics
Plastic containers have been largely substituted for
glass bottles and jars
Total volume of polymers (plastics and rubbers) nowexceeds that of metals
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Plastic Shaping Processes are
Important
Almost unlimited variety of part geometries
Plastic molding is a net shape process
Further shaping is not needed
Less energy is required than for metals due to much
lower processing temperatures
Handling of product is simplified during production
because of lower temperatures
Painting or plating is usually not required
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Two Types of Plastics
1. Thermoplastics
Chemical structure remains unchanged during
heating and shaping Comprises ~ 70% of total plastics tonnage
2. Thermosets
Undergo a curing process during heating and
shaping, causing a permanent change in
molecular structure (called cross-linking)
Once cured, they cannot be remelted
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Classification of
Shaping Processes
Extruded products with constant cross section
Continuous sheets and films
Continuous filaments (fibers)
Molded parts that are mostly solid
Hollow molded parts with relatively thin walls
Discrete parts made of formed sheets and films
Castings
Foamed products
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Polymer Melts
To shape a thermoplastic polymer it must be heated
so that it softens to the consistency of a liquid
In this form, it is called apolymer melt Important properties of polymer melts:
Viscosity
Viscoelasticity
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Viscosity of Polymer Melts
Fluid property that relates shear stress to shear rate
during flow
Due to its high molecular weight, a polymer melt isa thick fluid with high viscosity
Most polymer shaping processes involve flow
through small channels or die openings
Flow rates are often large, leading to highshear rates and shear stresses, so significantpressures are required in these processes
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Viscosity and Shear Rate
Viscosity of a polymer
melt decreases with
shear rate Thus the fluid becomes
thinner (flows more
easily) at higher shear
rates
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Viscosity and Temperature
Viscosity
decreases with
temperature Thus the fluid
becomes thinner
at higher
temperatures
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Viscoelasticity
Combination of viscosity and elasticity
Example: die swellin extrusion - hot plastic expands
when exiting the die opening (memory)
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Extrusion
Material is forced to flow through a die orifice to
provide long continuous product whose cross section
is determined by the shape of the orifice Widely used for thermoplastics and elastomers to
mass produce items such as tubing, pipes, hose,
structural shapes, sheet and film, continuous
filaments, and coated electrical wire Carried out as a continuous process; extrudate is
then cut into desired lengths
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Extruder
Components and features of a (single-screw)
extruder for plastics and elastomers
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Extruder Components
Two main components of an extruder:
1. Barrel
2. Screw
The die is not an extruder component
It is a special tool that must be fabricated for the
particular profile to be produced
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Extruder Barrel
Internal diameter typically ranges from 25 to 150
mm (1.0 to 6.0 in.)
L/D ratios usually ~ 10 to 30: higher ratios forthermoplastics, lower ratios for elastomers
Feedstock fed by gravity onto screw whose
rotation moves material through barrel
Electric heaters melt feedstock; subsequentmixing and mechanical working adds heat which
maintains the melt
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Extruder Screw
Divided into sections to serve several functions:
Feed section - feedstock is moved from hopper and
preheated Compression section - polymer is transformed into
thick fluid, air mixed with pellets is extracted from
melt, and material is compressed
Metering section - melt is homogenized andsufficient pressure developed to pump it through dieopening
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Die End of Extruder
Progress of polymer melt through barrel leadsultimately to the die zone
Before reaching the die, the melt passes through ascreen pack- series of wire meshes supported by astiff plate containing small axial holes
Functions of screen pack:
Filters out contaminants and hard lumps
Builds pressure in metering section
Straightens flow of polymer melt and removes its"memory" of circular motion from screw
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Melt Flow in Extruder
As screw rotates, polymer melt is forced to move
forward toward die; as in an Archimedian screw
Principal transport mechanism is drag flow, Qd,resulting from friction between the viscous liquid and
the rotating screw surfaces
Compressing the polymer melt through the die
creates a back pressure that reduces drag flowtransport (called back pressure flow, Qb )
Resulting flow in extruder is Qx= QdQb
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Die Configurations and
Extruded Products
The shape of the die orifice determines thecross-sectional shape of the extrudate
Common die profiles and corresponding extrudedshapes:
Solid profiles
Hollow profiles, such as tubes
Wire and cable coating
Sheet and film
Filaments
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Extrusion of Solid Profiles
Regular shapes such as
Rounds
Squares
Irregular cross sections such as
Structural shapes
Door and window moldings
Automobile trim
House siding
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Extrusion Die for
Solid Cross Section
(a) Side view cross section of extrusion die for solid
regular shapes, such as round stock; (b) front view of
die, with profile of extrudate
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Hollow Profiles
Examples: tubes, pipes, hoses, and other cross
sections containing holes
Hollow profiles require mandrel to form the shape
Mandrel held in place using spiderlegs
Polymer melt flows around legs supporting the
mandrel to reunite into a monolithic tube wall
Mandrel often includes an air channel for blowing
air to maintain hollow form of extrudate
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Extrusion Die for Hollow Shapes
Side view of extrusion die for hollow cross sections; Section A-A is
a front view of how mandrel is held in place; Section B-B shows
tube prior to exiting die; die swell enlarges diameter
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Wire and Cable Coating
Polymer melt is applied to bare wire as it is pulled at
high speed through die
A slight vacuum is drawn between wire and polymerto promote adhesion of coating
Wire provides rigidity during cooling
Usually aided by passing coated wire through a water
trough Product is wound onto large spools at speeds up to 50
m/s (10,000 ft/min)
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Extrusion Die for Coating Wire
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Polymer Sheet and Film
Film - thickness below 0.5 mm (0.020 in.)
Packaging - product wrapping material, grocery
bags, and garbage bags Stock for photographic film
Pool covers and irrigation ditch liners
Sheet - thickness from 0.5 mm (0.020 in.) to about12.5 mm (0.5 in.)
Flat window glazing
Thermoforming stock
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Materials for
Polymer Sheet and Film
All thermoplastic polymers
Polyethylene, mostly low density PE
Polypropylene
Polyvinylchloride
Cellophane
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Sheet and Film
Production Processes
Most widely used processes are continuous, high
production operations
Processes include: Slit-Die Extrusion of Sheet and Film
Blown-Film Extrusion Process
Calendering
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Slit-Die Extrusion
of Sheet and Film
Production of sheet and film by conventional
extrusion, using a narrow slit as the die opening
Slit may be up to 3 m (10 ft) wide and as narrowas around 0.4 mm (0.015 in)
A problem is thickness uniformity throughout width
of stock, due to drastic shape change of polymer
melt as it flows through die Edges of film usually must be trimmed because of
thickening at edges
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Slit Die Extrusion
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Blown-Film Extrusion Process
Combines extrusion and blowing to produce a tube of
thin film
Process sequence:1. Extrusion of tube
2. Tube is drawn upward while still molten and
expanded by air inflated into it through die
Air is blown into tube to maintain uniform filmthickness and tube diameter
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Blown-film
Process
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Calendering
Feedstock is passed through a series of rolls to
reduce thickness to desired gage
Expensive equipment, high production rates Process is noted for good surface finish and high
gage accuracy
Typical materials: rubber or rubbery
thermoplastics such as plasticized PVC Products: PVC floor covering, shower curtains,
vinyl table cloths, pool liners, and inflatable toys
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Calendering
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Fiber and Filament Products
Definitions:
Fiber- a long, thin strand whose length is at least
100 times its cross-section Filament- a fiber of continuous length
Applications:
Fibers and filaments for textiles
Most important application Reinforcing materials in polymer composites
Growing application, but small relative to textiles
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Materials for Fibers and
Filaments
Fibers can be natural or synthetic
Natural fibers constitute ~ 25% of total market
Cotton is by far the most important staple
Wool production is much less than cotton
Synthetic fibers constitute ~ 75% of total fiber
market
Polyester is the most important
Others: nylon, acrylics, and rayon
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Fiber and Filament Production -
Spinning For synthetic fibers, spinning= extrusion of polymer
melt or solution through a spinneret, then drawing andwinding onto a bobbin
Spinneret = die with multiple small holes, the term isa holdover from methods used to draw and twistnatural fibers into yarn or thread
Three variations, depending on polymer:
1. Melt spinning2. Dry spinning
3. Wet spinning
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Melt Spinning
Starting polymer is heated to molten state and
pumped through spinneret
Typical spinneret is 6 mm (0.25 in) thick andcontains ~ 50 holes of diameter 0.25 mm (0.010 in)
Filaments are drawn and air cooled before being
spooled onto bobbin
Final diameter wound onto bobbin may be only1/10 of extruded size
Used for polyester and nylon filaments
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Melt spinning
of continuous
filaments
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Wet Spinning
Similar to melt spinning, but polymer is again in
solution, only solvent is non-volatile
To separate polymer, extrudate is passed througha liquid chemical that coagulates or precipitates
the polymer into coherent strands which are then
collected onto bobbins
Used for filaments of rayon (regeneratedcellulose)
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Subsequent Processing of
Filaments
Filaments produced by any of the three processes
are usually subjected to further cold drawing to align
crystal structure along direction of filament axis Extensions of 2 to 8 are typical
Effect is to significantly increase tensile strength
Drawing is done by pulling filament between two
spools, where winding spool is driven at a fasterspeed than unwinding spool
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Injection Molding
Polymer is heated to a highly plastic state and
forced to flow under high pressure into a mold cavity
where it solidifies and the moldingis then removed
from the cavity
Produces discrete components to net shape
Typical cycle time 10 to 30 sec, but cycles of
one minute or more are not uncommon
Mold may contain multiple cavities, so multiple
moldings are produced each cycle
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Injection Molded Parts
Complex and intricate shapes are possible
Shape limitations:
Capability to fabricate a mold whose cavity is thesame geometry as part
Shape must allow for part removal from mold
Part size from 50 g (2 oz) up to 25 kg (more than
50 lb), e.g., automobile bumpers Injection molding is economical only for large
production quantities due to high cost of mold
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Injection Molded Parts
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A collection of
plastic injection
molded parts(courtesy of
George E. Kane
Manufacturing
Technology
Laboratory, Lehigh
University)
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Polymers for Injection Molding
Injection molding is the most widely used molding
process for thermoplastics
Some thermosets and elastomers are injectionmolded
Modifications in equipment and operating
parameters must be made to avoid premature
cross-linking of these materials before injection
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Injection Molding Machine
Two principal components:
1. Injection unit
Melts and delivers polymer melt Operates much like an extruder
2. Clamping unit
Opens and closes mold each injection cycle
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Injection Molding Machine
A large (3000 ton capacity) injection molding machine (Photo
courtesy of Cincinnati Milacron)
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Injection Molding Machine
Diagram of an injection molding machine, reciprocating screw
type (some mechanical details are simplified)
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Injection Unit of Molding Machine
Consists ofbarrelfed from one end by hopper
containing supply of plastic pellets
Inside the barrel is a screwwith two functions:1. Rotates for mixing and heating polymer
2. Acts as a ram (i.e., plunger) to inject molten plastic
into mold
Non-return valve near tip of screw prevents meltfrom flowing backward along screw threads
Later in cycle ram retracts to its former position
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Clamping Unit of Molding
Machine
Functions:
1. Holds two halves of mold in proper alignment
with each other2. Keeps mold closed during injection by applying a
clamping force sufficient to resist injection force
3. Opens and closes mold at the appropriate times
in molding cycle
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(1) Mold is closed
Injection Molding Cycle
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(2) Melt is injected into cavity
Injection Molding Cycle
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(3) screw is retracted
Injection Molding Cycle
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(4) mold is opened and part is ejected
Injection Molding Cycle
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The Mold
The special tooling in injection molding custom
designed and fabricated for the part to be produced
When production run is finished, the mold is replacedwith a new mold for the next part
Various types of molds for injection molding:
Two-plate mold
Three-plate mold Hot-runner mold
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Details of a
two-plate mold for
thermoplastic
injection molding:(a) closed
Mold has two
cavities to produce
two cup-shaped
parts with each
injection shot
Two-Plate Mold
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Details of a
two-plate mold for
thermoplasticinjection molding:
(b) open
Two-Plate Mold
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Two-Plate Mold Features
Cavity geometry of part but slightly oversized to
allow for shrinkage
Fabricated by machining the mating surfaces oftwo mold halves
Distribution channel through which polymer melt
flows from nozzle into mold cavity
Sprue - leads from nozzle into mold
Runners - lead from sprue to cavity (or cavities)
Gates - constrict flow of plastic into cavity
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More Two-Plate Mold Features
Ejection system to eject molded part from cavity at
end of molding cycle
Ejector pins built into moving half of mold usuallyaccomplish this function
Cooling system - consists of external pump
connected to passageways in mold, through which
water is circulated to remove heat from the hot plastic Air vents to permit evacuation of air from cavity as
polymer melt rushes in
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Three-Plate Mold
Uses three plates to separate parts from sprue and
runner when mold opens
Advantages over two-plate mold: As mold opens, runner and parts disconnect and
drop into two containers under mold
Allows automatic operation of molding machine
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Hot-Runner Mold
Eliminates solidification of sprue and runner by
locating heaters around the corresponding runner
channels While plastic in mold cavity solidifies, material in
sprue and runner channels remains molten, ready to
be injected into cavity in next cycle
Advantage: Saves material that otherwise would be scrap in
the unit operation
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Injection Molding Machines
Injection molding machines differ in both injection unitand clamping unit
Name of injection molding machine is based on thetype of injection unit used
Reciprocating-screw injection molding machine
Plunger-type injection molding machine
Several clamping designs
Mechanical (toggle)
Hydraulic
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Shrinkage
Polymers have high thermal expansion coefficients,so significant shrinkage occurs during solidificationand cooling in mold
Plastic Typical Shrinkage, mm/mm (in/in)
Nylon-6,6 0.020
Polyethylene 0.025
Polystyrene 0.004
PVC 0.005
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Compensation for Shrinkage
Dimensions of mold cavity must be larger than
specified part dimensions:
Dc= Dp + DpS + DpS2
where Dc= dimension of cavity; Dp = molded part
dimension, and S = shrinkage value
Third term on right hand side corrects for
shrinkage in the shrinkage
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Shrinkage Factors
Fillers in the plastic tend to reduce shrinkage
Injection pressure higher pressures force more
material into mold cavity to reduce shrinkage Compaction time - similar effect longer time forces
more material into cavity to reduce shrinkage
Molding temperature - higher temperatures lower
polymer melt viscosity, allowing more material to bepacked into mold to reduce shrinkage
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Thermoplastic Foam Injection
Molding
Molding of thermoplastic parts that possess denseouter skin surrounding lightweight foam center
Part has high stiffness-to-weight ratio
Produced either by introducing a gas into moltenplastic in injection unit or by mixing a gas-producingingredient with starting pellets
A small amount of melt is injected into mold cavity,
where it expands to fill cavity Foam contacting cold mold surface collapses to form
dense skin, while core retains cellular structure
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Injection Molding of Thermosets
Equipment and operating procedure must be modified to
avoid premature cross-linking of TS polymer
Reciprocating-screw injection unit with shorter barrellength
Temperatures in barrel are relatively low
Melt is injected into a heated mold, where cross-linking
occurs to cure the plastic Curing is the most time-consuming step in cycle
Mold is then opened and part is removed
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Reaction Injection Molding
Two highly reactive liquid ingredients are mixed and
immediately injected into a mold cavity where
chemical reactions leading to solidification occur RIM was developed with polyurethane to produce
large automotive bumpers and fenders
RIM polyurethane parts have a foam internal
structure surrounded by a dense outer skin Other materials: urea-formaldehyde and epoxies
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Compression Molding
Widely used molding process for thermosetting
plastics
Also used for rubber tires and polymer matrixcomposite parts
Molding compound available in several forms:
powders or pellets, liquid, or preform
Amount ofcharge must be precisely controlled toobtain repeatable consistency in the molded product
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Compression Molding
(1) TS charge is loaded, (2) and (3) compression and
curing, and (4) part is ejected and removed
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Molds for Compression Molding
Simpler than injection molds
No sprue and runner system in a compression mold
Process itself generally limited to simpler partgeometries due to lower flow capabilities of TS
materials
Mold must be heated, usually by electric resistance,
steam, or hot oil circulation
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Compression Molding Materials
and Products
Molding materials:
Phenolics, melamine, urea-formaldehyde,
epoxies, urethanes, and elastomers Typical compression-molded products:
Electric plugs, sockets, and housings; pot handles,
and dinnerware plates
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Transfer Molding
TS charge is loaded into a chamber immediatelyahead of mold cavity, where it is heated; pressure isthen applied to force soft polymer into heated mold
where it cures Two variants:
Pot transfer molding - charge is injected from a"pot" through a vertical sprue channel into cavity
Plunger transfer molding
plunger injects chargefrom a heated well through channels into cavity
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Pot Transfer Molding
(1) Charge loaded into pot, (2) soft polymer is pressed into
mold cavity and cured, and (3) part is ejected
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Plunger Transfer Molding
(1) Charge loaded into pot, (2) soft polymer is pressed into
mold cavity and cured, and (3) part is ejected
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Compression vs. Transfer
Molding In both processes, scrap is produced each cycle as
leftover material, called the cull
The TS scrap cannot be recovered
Transfer molding is capable of molding more intricatepart shapes than compression molding
But not as intricate as injection molding
Transfer molding is suited to molding with inserts
Placing a metal or ceramic insert into cavity beforepressing, and the plastic bonds to the insert duringmolding
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Blow Molding
Molding process in which air pressure is used to
inflate soft plastic into a mold cavity
Important for making one-piece hollow plasticparts with thin walls, such as bottles
Because these items are used for consumer
beverages in mass markets, production is
typically organized for very high quantities
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Blow Molding Process
Accomplished in two steps:
1. Fabrication of a starting tube, called aparison
2. Inflation of the tube to desired final shape Forming the parison is accomplished by either
Extrusion or
Injection molding
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Extrusion Blow Molding
(1) Extrusion of parison; (2) parison is pinched at top and
sealed at bottom around blow pin as the mold closes; (3)
tube is inflated; and (4) mold is opened
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Injection Blow Molding
(1) Parison is injected molded around blowing rod; (2)
mold is opened and parison is moved to blow mold; (3)
soft polymer is inflated; and (4) mold is opened
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Injection Blow Molding
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An injection blow molded
bottle on the left and a
parison for a similar part onthe right (courtesy of
George E. Kane
Manufacturing Technology
Laboratory, Lehigh
University)
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Stretch Blow Molding
Variation of injection blow molding in which blowing rod
stretches the soft parison for a more favorable
stressing of polymer than conventional blow molding
Resulting structure is more rigid, more transparent,
and more impact resistant
Most widely used plastic is polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) which has very low permeability
and is strengthened by stretch blow molding
Ideal as container for carbonated beverages
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Stretch Blow Molding
(1) Injection molding of parison; (2) stretching; and
(3) blowing
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Materials and Products
in Blow Molding
Blow molding is limited to thermoplastics
Materials: high density polyethylene, polypropylene
(PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polyethyleneterephthalate
Products: disposable containers for beverages and
other liquid consumer goods, large shipping drums
(55 gallon) for liquids and powders, large storage
tanks (2000 gallon), gasoline tanks, toys, and hulls
for sail boards and small boats
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Rotational Molding
Process uses gravity inside a rotating mold to
produce a hollow part shape
Alternative to blow molding for larger parts withmore complex external geometries
But lower production rates than blow molding
Mostly for thermoplastic polymers but thermoset
and elastomer applications are not uncommon Products: boat hulls, sandboxes, buoys, garbage
cans, large containers and storage tanks
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Rotational Molding
Performed on
three-station
indexing table:
(1) unload-load,(2) heat and
rotate mold, (3)
cool the mold
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Thermoforming
Flat thermoplastic sheet or film is heated and
deformed into desired shape using a mold
Heating usually accomplished by radiant electricheaters located on one or both sides of starting
plastic sheet or film
Widely used in packaging of products and to
fabricate large items such as bathtubs, contoured
skylights, and internal door liners for refrigerators
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Vacuum Thermoforming
(1) Flat plastic
sheet is
softened by
heating
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Vacuum Thermoforming
(2) The softened sheet
is placed over a
concave mold cavity
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Vacuum Thermoforming
(3) Vacuum draws
the sheet into the
cavity
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(4) plastic hardens on
contact with the cold
mold surface, and the
part is removed andlater trimmed from the
web
Vacuum Thermoforming
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Negative Molds vs.
Positive Molds Negative mold has concave cavity, as in previous
series of diagrams
Positive mold has convex shape Both types are used in thermoforming
For positive mold, heated sheet is draped over
convex form and negative or positive pressure
forces plastic against mold surface
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(1) Heated plastic
sheet is
positioned above
the convex mold
Vacuum Thermoforming using a
Positive Mold
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(2) Clamp is lowered
into position, draping
the sheet over the mold
as a vacuum forces thesheet against the mold
surface
Vacuum Thermoforming using a
Positive Mold
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Materials for Thermoforming
Only thermoplastics can be thermoformed,
Sheets of thermosetting or elastomeric polymers
have already been cross-linked and cannot besoftened by reheating
Common TP polymers: polystyrene, cellulose
acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ABS, PVC, acrylic
(polymethylmethacrylate), polyethylene, and
polypropylene
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Applications of Thermoforming
Thin films: blister packs and skin packs for packagingcommodity products such as cosmetics, toiletries,small tools, and fasteners (nails, screws, etc.)
For best efficiency, filling process to containerizeitem(s) is immediately downstream fromthermoforming
Thicker sheet stock: boat hulls, shower stalls,
advertising displays and signs, bathtubs, certain toys,contoured skylights, internal door liners forrefrigerators
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Casting
Pouring liquid resin into a mold, using gravity to fill
cavity, where polymer hardens
Both thermoplastics and thermosets are cast Thermoplastics: acrylics, polystyrene,
polyamides (nylons) and PVC
Thermosets: polyurethane, unsaturated
polyesters, phenolics, and epoxies Simple mold
Suited to low quantities
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Polymer Foam
A polymer-and-gas mixture that gives the material a
porous or cellular structure
Most common polymer foams: polystyrene(Styrofoam, a trademark) and polyurethane
Other polymers: natural rubber ("foamed rubber")
and polyvinylchloride (PVC)
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Properties of a Foamed Polymer Low density
High strength per unit weight
Good thermal insulation Good energy absorbing qualities
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Classification of Polymer Foams
Elastomeric - matrix polymer is a rubber, capable of
large elastic deformation
Flexible - matrix is a highly plasticized polymer suchas soft PVC
Rigid - polymer is a stiff thermoplastic such as
polystyrene or a thermoset such as a phenolic
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Applications of Polymer Foams
Characteristic properties of polymer foams, and the
ability to control elastic behavior by selection of base
polymer, make these materials suitable for certain
applications
Applications: hot beverage cups, heat insulating
structural materials, cores for structural panels,
packaging materials, cushion materials for furniture
and bedding, padding for automobile dashboards,and products requiring buoyancy
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Two polymer foam structures: (a) closed cell and
(b) open cell
Polymer Foam Structures
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Extrusion of Polystyrene Foams
Polystyrene (PS) is a thermoplastic polymer
A physical or chemical blowing agent is fed into
polymer melt near die end of extruder barrel Thus, extrudate consists of expanded polymer
Products: large sheets and boards that are
subsequently cut to size for heat insulation panels
and sections
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Molding Processes for
Polystyrene Foams
Expandable foam molding
Molding material consists of prefoamed
polystyrene beads Beads are fed into mold cavity where they are
further expanded and fused together to form the
molded product
Products: hot beverage cups
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Shaping of Polyurethane Foams
Polyurethane can be thermosetting, elastomer orthermoplastic (less common)
Polyurethane foam products are made in a one-step
process in which the two liquid ingredients are mixedand immediately fed into a mold or other form
Polymer is synthesized and part geometry iscreated at the same time
Shaping processes for polyurethane foam: Spraying
Pouring
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Product Design Guidelines:
General
Strength and stiffness
Plastics are not as strong or stiff as metals
Avoid applications where high stresses will beencountered
Creep resistance is also a limitation
Strength-to-weight ratios for some plastics are
competitive with metals in certain applications
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Product Design Guidelines:
General
Impact Resistance
Capacity of plastics to absorb impact is generally
good; plastics compare favorably with most metals
Service temperatures
Limited relative to metals and ceramics
Thermal expansion
Dimensional changes due to temperature changesmuch more significant than for metals
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Product Design Guidelines:
General
Many plastics are subject to degradation from
sunlight and other forms of radiation
Some plastics degrade in oxygen and ozone
atmospheres
Plastics are soluble in many common solvents
Plastics are resistant to conventional corrosion
mechanisms that afflict many metals
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Product Design Guidelines:
Extrusion
Wall thickness
Uniform wall thickness is desirable in an extruded
cross section
Variations in wall thickness result in non-uniform
plastic flow and uneven cooling which tend to
warp extrudate
G
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Product Design Guidelines:
Extrusion
Hollow sections
Hollow sections complicate die design and plastic
flow
Desirable to use extruded cross sections that are
not hollow yet satisfy functional requirements
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Product Design Guidelines:
Extrusion
Corners
Sharp corners, inside and outside, should be
avoided in extruded cross sections
They result in uneven flow during processing and
stress concentrations in the final product
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Economic production quantities
Each part requires a unique mold, and the moldfor any molding process can be costly, particularly
for injection molding Minimum production quantities for injection
molding are usually ~ 10,000 pieces
For compression molding, minimum quantities are1000 parts, due to simpler mold designs
Transfer molding lies between injection moldingand compression molding
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Part complexity
An advantage of plastic molding is that it allows
multiple functional features to be combined into
one part
Although more complex part geometries mean
more costly molds, it may nevertheless be
economical to design a complex molding if the
alternative involves many individual parts thatmust be assembled
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Wall thickness
Thick cross sections are wasteful of material, more
likely to cause warping due to shrinkage, and take
longer to harden
Reinforcing ribs
Achieves increased stiffness without excessive
wall thickness
Ribs should be made thinner than the walls they
reinforce to minimize sink marks on outside wall
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Corner radii and fillets
Sharp corners, both external and internal, are
undesirable in molded parts
They interrupt smooth flow of the melt, tend to
create surface defects, and cause stress
concentrations in the part
Holes
Holes are quite feasible in plastic moldings, but
they complicate mold design and part removal
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Draft
A molded part should be designed with a draft on
its sides to facilitate removal from mold
Especially important on inside wall of a
cup-shaped part because plastic contracts against
positive mold shape
Recommended draft:
For thermosets, ~ 1/2 to 1
For thermoplastics, ~ 1/8 to 1/2
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Product Design Guidelines:
Moldings
Tolerances
Although shrinkage is predictable under closely
controlled conditions, generous tolerances are
desirable for injection moldings because of
Variations in process parameters that affect
shrinkage
Diversity of part geometries encountered