Plastics Basics 2000
Plastics Basics 2000
Plastics Basics 2000
GARY CASTERLINE
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Table of Contents
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4 5 6 8 10 11 13 15 16 17 18 21 23 24 27 33 34 38 41
Description
Brief History of Plastics Plastic Material Usage Plastic Molecules Thermoset Plastics Thermoset Molding Amorphous Thermoplastic Materials Crystalline Thermoplastic Materials Liquid Crystal Polymers Plastic Modification Thermal Properties of Plastics Melt and Glass Transition Temperatures Temperature Effects on Plastics Temperature Rating Chemical Resistance of Plastics Mechanical Properties of Plastics Rules for Determining Plastic Strain Limits Hinge Designs Snap Fit Design Creep Properties of Plastics
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Table of Contents
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Description
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion Nylon versus Polyester Notch Sensitivity of Plastics Material Shrinkage Warpage Plastic Flow Properties Gate Location Extrusion and Equipment Profile Extrusion Wire Coating
78
84 90
Injection Molding
Other Processes Trade Names, Suppliers, Symbols and Chemical Names
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HISTORY OF PLASTICS
General 1927 - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) developed 1930 - First Plunger Injection Molding Machine 1932 - First Extruder developed 1938 - Polyamide (Nylon 6/6) developed 1941 - Polyethylene developed 1950 - Polyester developed 1953 - First Reciprocating Screw Molding Machine 1957 - Polypropylene and Polycarbonate developed Packards History 1942 - Started making wire with a PVC insulation, but still covered with a cotton braid and lacquer for aircraft 1948 - Started mixing PVC dry blend and switched to PVC insulation for automotive use, but still had cotton braid 1948 - Started molding cellulosics in sleeves to cover terminal 1953 - Eliminated braid and used all plastic (PVC) insulation 1955 - Started first molding department 1961 - Retrofit plunger machines with screws 1964 - First reciprocating screw machine installed
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PA6 - 5 million pounds PA66 (filled and unfilled) - 35 million pounds PBT Polyester (filled and unfilled) 8.5 million pounds Material Molded By Delphi Packard
PA6 - 3.3 million pounds PA66 (filled and unfilled) - 21 million pounds PBT Polyester (filled and unfilled) - 6 million pounds PP and miscellaneous materials - 5.4 million
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Molecular Chains
H C H H C H n n=number of repeating units in the chain Polyethylene unit
A polymer has many repeating units in the length of a chain. The chains can be as short as a few hundred repeating units or as long as a hundred thousand units. The chains can resemble a string of beads or in many cases there is branching where arms come off the main chain. If polymers are modified by reaction with other polymers (copolymer), the chain will be made up of different types of beads strung together at regular intervals.
Straight Chain
Branching
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Copolymer
PLASTIC MOLECULES
Most plastics are made of carbon and hydrogen atoms and are derived from distilling gas and oil. Chlorine, fluorine, and nitrogen are often found in plastics too. The monomers shown on the left are polymerized to become the polymers on the right, which are thousands of repeating units long.
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Thermoset Plastics
The molecular chains are locked together (cross-linked) with unbreakable bonds. This material will not remelt after the reaction has taken place.
Characteristics Resistance to melting at elevated temperatures Sprues, runners and scrap are generally unusable Parts often need to go through a deflashing operation
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Thermoset Plastics
Common types Epoxy Phenolic Polyurethane (thermoset) XLPE DAP Melamine Unsaturated Polyester Common Applications High voltage insulators and switches Integrated circuit encapsulation Ash trays Recreational watercraft Bumper fascias and grill opening panels
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THERMOSET MOLDING
RAM
TRANSFER POT
CULL SPRUE
CAVITY
MOLDED PART
KNOCKOUT PIN
TRANSFER MOLDING
A thermosetting plastic or rubber is placed in the transfer pot shown on the upper mold half. The ram forces the material to flow into the heated mold cavities. The parts are cured and then ejected with the sprue and cull from the mold. The sprue and cull are usually scrapped.
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Amorphous Plastics
Molecular chains are like a bowl of spaghetti in a part- entanglement and van der Waals forces hold the chains together
Characteristics Transparent Low mold shrinkage Susceptible to some degree of chemical attack Viscous or hard flowing into mold
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Amorphous Plastics
Common Types ABS Polystyrene (PS) Polycarbonate (PC) Acrylic (PMMA) Polyetherimide (PEI) Polyethersulfone (PES) Common Applications Telephones Appliances Most transparent shields, covers and windows Automotive interior trim
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Crystalline Plastics
Molecular chains form a regular structure upon solidifying in a part
Fo ld e d
Ch a in s
Characteristics Opaque or translucent High mold shrinkage Resistant to most chemical attack Easy flowing into mold
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Crystalline Plastics
Common types Nylon (Polyamide or PA) Polyester (PBT, PET and PCT) Polypropylene (PP) Acetal (POM) (PE) Polyphthalamide (PPA) Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)
Polyethylene
Common Applications Fuel tanks Milk jugs and other fluid containers Gears Trash and other storage bags Down hole drilling Engine components
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Solid
Melt
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PLASTIC MODIFICATION
Rubber for impact/toughness Fillers to stiffen/strengthen or reduce shrinkage Pigments for color Blowing agents to reduce density or remove sink marks Lubricants for mold release Stainless steel fibers or graphite for conductivity Ultraviolet stabilizers for weatherability Flame retardants to reduce flammability of materials Long term heat age stabilizers to make materials last longer
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THERMAL PROPERTIES
The temperature in a crystalline material where the plastic goes from a solid to a fluid.
Continuous Use Temperature The point where a material can withstand 3000 hours of exposure without significant load and still have useful properties.
The point where a material can withstand short term heat without significantly degrading or deforming.
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Melting/Softening Points
MATERIAL TYPE ABS - General Purpose Acetal - Homopolyer (POM) Acrylic (PMMA) Nylon 6 (PA6) Nylon 46 (PA46) Nylon 66 (PA66) Polycarbonate (PC) PBT Polyester PET Polyester Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Polyetherimide (PEI) Polyethersulfone (PES) Polyethylene Low Density High Density Polymethylpentene (PMP) Polyphenylene ether (PPE) Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) Polypropylene (PP) Polystyrene (PS) Polyvinylchloride (PVC) CRYSTALLINE AMORPHOUS A C A C C C A C C/A C A A C C C A C C A A GLASS TRANSITION ( C) 110 -13 100 75 57-90 150 65 73-85 215 220 -25 -25 29 105 88 -20 95-105 85-105 MELT POINT ( C) NONE 175 NONE 215 285 260 NONE 225 265 334 NONE NONE 105 135 230 NONE 285 165 NONE NONE
The table shows typical plastics and whether they are amorphous or crystalline. Note that the amorphous materials only have a glass transition temperature while the crystalline materials exhibit both characteristics. The materials with glass transitions below room temperature exhibit excellent toughness at room temperature.
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Melting/Softening Points
Heating and Cooling Rates
Melt point
DSC Curve A Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) heats up a sample at a prescribed rate and monitors the heat put into raising the temperature versus the amount of heat the sample is absorbing or giving off.
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Melting/Softening Points
DMA Curve
E las tic M odulus (E ') vs . T e mpe r atur e
1 e+ 0 6
Tg
100000
M o d u l u s p s i
10000
1000
Tm
V A LO X 325
P ri n t ed : Ju l y 0 7 , 1 9 9 7 .
Dat a L ast Up d at ed : Ap ri l 0 3 , 1 9 9 5 .
T e mpe r atur e F
The DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) curve is another way of looking at the thermal properties of a material. A small coupon of plastic is placed in a fixture and flexed at a specific frequency as the temperature is increased. As the plastic heats up, the input frequency is compared to the response of the plastic and the curve is generated. The stiffness or modulus of the material changes as the glass transition temperature (Tg) is reached and the modulus continues to decline until the melt point (Tm) is approached.
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As temperature increases, plastics stretch farther and easier. This same affect happens at constant temperature if the rate a stress is applied is reduced. Higher temperatures and slower rates of strain allow the molecular chains to realign themselves and slide past each other allowing more stretching to take place.
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Thermal Trends
Plastic materials vary in their toughness as shown above. Temperature reductions usually cause plastics to be more brittle. Some materials have excellent toughness through a wide range in temperatures. Sharp corners or notches as shown above can cause a significant difference in the toughness of plastics.
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TEMPERATURE RATING
Arrhe nius Plot o f Time to Fai lure vs. Temperature Based on 80% Retention of Tensi le Strength for Thermoset Unsaturated Polyester
1000
100
10
253
240
227
215
203
192
182
170
162
Temperature (1/T in C)
A material is tested to failure and the time to failure is plotted on a semi-log graph. Usually failure is defined as 80 or 90% retention of original tensile strength for brittle nature materials or 50% retention of original elongation at break for ductile materials.
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CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
CHEMICALS
ACIDS AND BASES Acid-Weak Acid-Strong Acid(organic)-Weak Acid(organic)-Strong Bases-Weak Bases-Strong SOLVENT Aromatic Hydrocarbons Aromatic Hydroxy Esters Ethers Ketones Aliphatic Hydrocarbons Alcohols Aldehydes Amines AUTOMOTIVE FLUIDS Fuel Oil MISCELLANEOUS Detergents Inorganic salt Oxidizing AgentWeak Oxidizing AgentStrong WATER Ambient Hot Steam A C A C C B C B C A A A A A A A A A A B C B C C A C A C A C C C C A A B A B B A A B A C A C A A A A A A A A A A A A B A B B A B A B A A C C C B C C C C C
Dilute Mineral Acids Conc. Mineral Acids Vinegar, Acetic Acid Trichloroacetic Acid Dilute Sodium Hydrox ide Concentrated Sodium Hydrox ide
C A -
A C A C -
B A A C B B C
C C C C B A A A B B C A A A A A Xylene, Naphtha,
Toluene
C C C C A B C C -
B A A -
C A -
C B B A B B B B A A A A A Acetone, Methyl
C B C C -
A A A A B B A A A A B A Formaldehyde,
Acetaldehyde Aniline
A B C A B B Triethanolamine,
A A C C C A -
A A A A B C A Sodium Hypochloride
A A A C - A C - - -
A A B A A A A A A A C B C B B C C B C A A A C B C C C C C C C A A A C -
A - Minor Effect
Room Temperature
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Mechanical Properties
Anisotropic material properties depend on the direction in which they are measured. Reinforced plastics have high degree of property orientation in reinforcement fiber direction.
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MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
When materials are used in bending (such as lock arms) the outer skin of the material is put in both compressive and tensile stresses. The tensile stress is higher than the compressive stress and plastics are stronger in compression. Most mechanical analysis of plastics uses tensile properties of the material.
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Mechanical Properties
The above curve shows a typical stressstrain curve for an unfilled material. When rating a plastic for its lock arm design properties, the yield point is typical of the upper strain limit unless there is a significant amount of plastic or permanent deformation prior to reaching the yield point. The proportional limit is the point where all deformation is recoverable as the stress is released.
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Mechanical Properties
As unfilled plastics are stretched, the chains individually tighten until they break. They dont all break at once and the chains are able to slide past each other a little so they will continue to stretch until rupture occurs. Glass fiber filled materials have a rigid structure, because the fibers are usually coupled or glued to the polymer chain making a rigid network. The strength of the network must be overcome before breakage occurs.
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MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
If a force is applied to stretch a plastic bar, there is a proportional, but lesser change in dimensions perpendicular to the direction of pull. This proportion is called Poissons Ratio. Typical ranges are shown below.
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MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
The rate of strain or the rate stress is applied to a plastic, affects the apparent strength of a material. Unfilled plastics are usually tested at 50mm/minute and filled materials are usually tested at 5mm/minute.
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Hinge Design
Strap Style Hinge
Direction of closure 0.25 mm 0.25 mm typical
Strap style hinge usable for any ductile material except polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene). Usually t will be no less than 0.5 mm, but can be as little as 0.25 mm depending on the material and how much plastic needs to flow through the hinge. L will be as short as possible in order to minimize the restriction for material flowing through the hinge, but this is a factor of the ultimate elongation of the chosen plastic. Strap style hinges distribute the stress along the entire length of the strap.
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Hinge Design
Polyolefin Style Hinge
1.5 mm Direction of closure 0.25 mm 0.30-0.50 mm
0.75 mm Radius
Polyolefin style hinges have proven themselves to last for millions of cycles. Polyethylene and polypropylene have the high elongation necessary to work in this kind of hinge, because all of the bending takes place along a single line where the tangent of the 0.75 mm radius meets the flat on the top of the hinge. The material orients on the first flexure and will continue to flex along this line through repetitive usage.
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Hinge Design
Molding Considerations Box Cover Hinge Open
A critical aspect of the above part is the location of the gate(s). The part might be moldable with gates on only one side of the part depending on the amount of material that has to pass through the hinge. If the cover is 10-20% of the volume of the box, gating only on the box side will be sufficient. When choosing a gate location, the flow of the material through the hinge will determine how well it will function. The plastic must flow through the hinge without hesitation or without forming knitlines in the hinge area. Some of this can be overcome by filling the mold faster, but a good gating scheme will reduce sensitivity in the molding process.
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Hinge Design
Molding Considerations The gating options are shown below. Filling from one side One gate in this Box Cover region on the part surface or on the edge Filling from one side Two gates in these locations on the surface or edge
Box
Cover
Filling from two sides Either one of the above locations, but mold must be Box Cover balanced so knitlines are on the cover or in the box Knitline locations
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max=
1.5(h)(y)/l2
y = Deflection
This simple cantilever beam is typical of most snap fits. It concentrates the stress at the base where it attaches to the main body of the part. A generous radius should be used to reduce the stress concentration at the base. Another area of failure is the corner at the latch itself. Even the smallest radius will reduce the stress concentration.
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max=
1.5(h1)(y)/(KA(l2))
l
P
2.6 2.2
E = Modulus of Material
Ka
1.0
39
b1
e
h l
P 6.0
Strain required
max=
6(h)(y)/(KB(l2))
E = Modulus of Material
KB
5.0
4.0
0.5 b2/b1
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1.0
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Creep is a long-term deformation of plastic that happens at stresses below the typical compressive or tensile strength limit of a material. In the above example, the force is kept constant. This causes the shape of the component to continue to stretch over time.
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CREEP PROPERTIES
This type of creep has a constant applied strain. This is more typical snapped together, the plastic will creep to reduce the applied stress from the seal. When a component is bolted down with an applied torque, the force to loosen value will gradually reduce due to the creep of material trapped below the bolt head.
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Strain Apparent Creep Modulus will change as temperature changes. When evaluating an application, it is good to look at the glass transition and melt temperatures of a material because the creep rate will dramatically change as these temperatures are approached. Glass fibers will greatly improve the creep resistance of plastics.
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ACM @1000 Hours (Mpa) 1240 1380 300 1530 440 4200 100 120 330 200 860 1310 1590 1720 2030 2240 2280 3170 3240 6900 8760 12410
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The above table shows typical values for CLTE. This is important when a system is comprised of multiple materials that are rigidly held together. If steel is bonded to polycarbonate, the polycarbonate will want to increase in size 6 times faster than steel when the temperature rises. This would result in breakage of the weaker material or the bond itself.
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PBT Polyester
52 2300 53 .08
Dry Nylon 66
82 2800 53 1.2
Polyester properties do not change with moisture content Nylon becomes more break resistant with moisture pickup
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Nylon absorbs moisture at different rates based on the amount of water it is exposed to and the wall thickness of the part
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Plastics are extremely susceptible to breakage in areas where inside sharp corners exist. This is the most common reason plastic parts break. Many times the breakage occurs due to handling not associated with the function of the part. These may include shipping, bowl feeding, in-process transfers, dropping out of the mold or improper assembly. The part will be more robust against these types of failures with the addition of radii.
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MATERIAL SHRINKAGE
The inherent shrinkage of a material is not a significant variable. The shrinkage obtained in a part is affected by: Cooling rate -Melt temperature Mold temperature Cycle time Injection Pressure Part design -Wall thickness Ribs Flow Orientation of fill Material -Amorphous or crystalline Filler type and amount Nucleating agents
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MATERIAL SHRINKAGE
Rate of Crystallization versus Temperature
Rate of Crystallization
Tg
Tm
Temperature
Amorphous Crystalline
Tg
Tm
Temperature
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SHRINKAGE CHARACTERISTICS
Shrinkage increases as wall thickness and mold temperature increase
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SHRINKAGE CHARACTERISTICS
Shrinkage reduces as filler content increases
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WARPAGE
Warpage results when shrinkage is not uniform. All of the things that affect shrinkage, affect warpage: Processing conditions Tool design Part design Material type and fillers
Use uniform wall thicknesses Core out thick sections as much as possible
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Use restrictors to reduce warpage in right angle configurations or unsupported walls or use thinner walls in rounded corners
0.5t
0.5t
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Constant wall thickness part will warp in this configuration when gated in the center. Part must be tapered from thick to thin. This warpage is due to the high pressure differential between the gate and the end of fill. The higher packing pressure in the middle causes less shrinkage in the middle and more shrinkage on the outside rim. This causes the part to buckle.
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Design Alternative One - The thicker section is allowed to shrink more since the lower section is not restricting it anymore
Design Alternative Two - Uniform walls on both sides of the center wall create an equivalent shrink on all surfaces Note: The legs would still want to bow in for each of these alternatives
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By making a rib 1/2 - 2/3 the thickness of the main wall, the rib will cool first and stabilize the position of the main wall. This may have only a localized effect and warpage could still occur to a lesser degree between ribs. This rib design is good design practice, because it cuts down on rib read out and sink marks on the opposite side of the main wall.
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Low Pressure
Gas Channel
Since pressure has a dramatic affect on shrinkage, the pressure drop from the gate to the end of fill in conventional molding causes shrinkage differences between the extremes. With gas assist molding, the pressure in the gas channel is the same throughout the gas channel. The pressure differential exists only between the end of the gas flow and the farthest material flow from that point.
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Fiber alignment
Tab Gate
With this fanned out array of glass fibers, the shrinkage that is perpendicular to the flow direction is greatest. This causes the part to buckle in either direction.
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WALL
DIMPLE
This is similar to the design tip on reducing oil canning of a surface. The dimple should be as large as possible in diameter, but as little as 10 mm has shown a positive affect on warpage. This feature helps to distribute material with less pressure so there is less differential pressure between the gate location and the end of fill.
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Molecular Flow
Imagine the above picture represents long polymer chains entering the crosssection of a wall thickness on a part. At this point, the chains have no orientation.
As the chains start to flow down the wall, the chains nearest the wall start to drag. This causes the chains to become oriented in the flow direction. This orientation occurs because frictional forces will grab one end of the chain and since both ends are connected, they must flow at the same speed.
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Molecular Flow
As flow continues, more of the chains away from the wall start to straighten out as they drag on the solidifying chains against the wall. The middle section of the part may never have orientation depending on the wall thickness. Thin wall thicknesses may have nearly 100% oriented chains, but thick parts may only have a small skin of orientation. This flow example applies to the flow of glass fibers in a wall.
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The screw moves forward and volume 1 and part of 2 are injected into the part.
1 1
2 2
As the screw moves forward, each new volume of material is deposited along the wall in this fountain flow manner.
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The flow path through the middle of the wall thickness stays open, but starts to restrict as the plastic cools around it.
1 1
2 2
3 3
As the cavity filling is completed, volume 5 is trapped in the middle of the thickness and volumes 1 and 5 are next to each other. A molding defect near the gate is usually a result of a cold slug injected at the beginning of the shot.
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Flow Length
Nylon
PBT Polyester
Polycarbonate
Injection Pressure
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GATE LOCATION
Gate so that knit lines will be minimized in areas where part flexing or strength is required.
Gate Location Bad Knit Line Good
Gate into thicker areas of a part to improve filling and reduce porosity in the molded part.
Porosity Gate Location
Bad
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Good
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EXTRUSION
form a part that is usually larger in size than the final part. Parts made from this process are window moldings, sheet stock, tubing, body side moldings, house siding and the profiles we use to cover many passenger compartment wiring harnesses.
profile extruded tube is picked up by a continuous chain mold where the extrudate is expanded with air to conform to the mold surface. This is the process used to make convoluted conduit.
Wire is pulled through a crosshead die that coats by either pressure or tubing to insulate the wire.
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EXTRUSION EQUIPMENT
Pellets drop into the feed throat of the extruder where they are conveyed by the rotation of the screw inside the barrel. The plastic melts by the heat provided by the external heater bands and by the shearing action of screw against the material as it gets compressed in the barrel. The plastic is then pumped through the screens, breaker plate and adapter into the die where it is formed into the final product.
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EXTRUSION LINE
Pay-off - Facilitates unreeling the wire to the crosshead die. Preheater - Some types of materials require preheating to either control the adhesion of the plastic to the core or reduce frozen stresses due to the hot plastic quenching against the relatively cool wire. Vacuum - Used to control the length of the cone developed when insulation or jacketing is tubed on to the core. Cooling Trough - Accelerates the cooling of the wire insulation, but occasionally early section of the trough may be warm to allow for less thermal shock in cooling. Capstan - Tightly controls the rate the wire passes through the die to give a consistent diameter and smooth coating.
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Probl ems
Possibl e Causes Non-uniform cool ing Processing temperatures Surging Pul l er/haul -off sl ippage
Sol utions Cross contamination by another resin Check w ater temperature & cool ing l ines in tanks Check processing l ogs Check regrind % and particl e size Change broken bel ts Correct screw geometry Check incoming resin Correct processing w indow Check and change regul arl y Compatibl e w ith base resin Improper internal streaml ining W ater temperature in cool ing tanks Check intersecting w al l s for uniformity Cross contamination by another grade Check screw design, correct screw for grade Check processing l ogs Correct regrind grade Compatibl e w ith resin Excessive processing temperatures Low er vacuum l evel Check cal cul ations, resin suppl ier, tool ing mfg. Proper al ignment of dow nstream equipment
Gel s
W arpage
Del amination
Sticking in sizer
Processing temperatures Vacuum l evel too high Excessive draw dow n Setup
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1. Plastic flows into the die body (A) 2. The material flows around the guider tip (B) and the core tube (G). 3. While the wire (F) is being pulled through the guider tip (B), the plastic is forced around the wire before it exits the die (C). 4. The coated wire then goes into the cooling trough and the downstream
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1. Plastic (H) flows into the die body (A). 2. The material flows around the guider (B) and the core tube (G). 3. The guider (B) extends to the face of the die (C) which results in a tube being extruded out of the die. 4. A vacuum (L) is drawn through the guider (B) which sucks the tube down around the wire (N) as it is pulled through the die. 5. The coated wire then goes into the cooling trough and the downstream equipment.
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Poor streamlining in crosshead die High temperature and/or long hold-up time.
Contaminants in Insulation
Loss of Output
Reduce rear zone temperature. Use hopper throat cooling. Cool rear 3-5 flights of screw. Check temperature of heating zones and replace burned out heaters. Use de-aerated water. Wipe wire in water trough. Decrease water temperature. Oven dry resin. Use hopper dryer. Use hopper cover. Store resin in dry location.
Surface Defects
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Uneven cooling causing voids. For example, surface freezing while melt close to the core remains well above softening temperature of the resin. Air entrapment in the melt. Roughness Excessive Shear in the die Extrusion pressure too high
Reduce extrusion rate. Use humpback temperature profile. Improve die design to reduce shearshort land, polished surface, reduce final taper length, streamlining Increase melt temperature.
Melt temperature too low Gum space too small. Excessive draw rate and/or draw-down Die build-up
Increase gum space Use pressure die with draw-down of 1.0 or slightly greater. Use tubing die with less than 2:1 draw-down ratio. Use flame on die face Dry resin Reduce wire vibration that occurs in wire line. Improve screw design per suggested dimensions. Use smaller extruder Use screw cooling Use heavier screenpack assembly Increase temperatures. Dry resin.
Wire vibration Poor quality melt resulting from insufficient working in the extruder.
Dull Surface
Melt temperature too low. Cross head and/or die temperature too low. Moisture in resin. Orientation too great.
Decrease draw-down ratio. Decrease quench rate. Adjust cable entry into cooling water.
Lumps in Coating
Entry into cooling water nonuniform. Cable not completely immersed in cooling water. Unmelted resin in die Die build-up breaking loose
Increase extrusion temperature. Use finer mesh screenpack assembly. Same remedy as suggested for moisture problems.
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Cold conductor Poor conformation to core. Die out or round. Construction sagging before freezing.
Extruder surging
Uneven conductor speed due to capstan or tractor slippage. Uneven conductor speed due to faulty drive on capstan or tractor. Low preheat temperature. Rapid quench
Increase preheat temperature. Increase air gap, and/or quench water temperature. Increase preheat.
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Injection Molding
An injection molding machine is comprised of an injection unit, a mold and clamping section and various support equipment. A simplified molding process involves: Feed the material into the hopper and let it drop into the feed throat of the injection unit. Rotate the screw inside the heated barrel of the injection unit to melt and feed the material in front of the screw. Move the screw forward to ram the melted material into the closed mold cavity. Cool the material in the mold. Open the mold and eject the part from the tool. Repeat process.
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Process Conditions
BARREL HEATS - Initiates melting of the material in the injection unit and acts as an insulating blanket to keep the internally generated heat in the material. MOLD TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER To best control the molding process, the mold needs to maintain a consistent temperature. This involves circulating oil or water through the mold to heat in some cases and cool in others. DRYING CONDITIONS - Nylons, polyesters and many other materials must be dried before molding. Heated, dry air is forced through the material which carries the released moisture back to the dryer to be absorbed by an internal desiccant bed.
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Process Conditions
INJECTION PROFILE - On closed loop injection control machines, this is used to force the machine to inject the material into the mold at the same rate consistently. VELOCITY PRESSURE - Pressure used to achieve the desired injection profile. PACK and HOLD PRESSURE Pressure used to complete fill and pack out the part. This pressure has the most control over final part size. BACK PRESSURE - This pressure is exerted against the rear of the screw to prevent it from pumping material forward too fast. This allows the material to become more dense (eliminate air in the material) and improve mixing of concentrates.
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Process Conditions
CUT OFF or TRANSITION POSITION - This controls when the velocity profile switches into pack and hold. CUSHION - The cushion is the distance the screw rests from full forward when packing is complete. The cushion should be 0.25 - 0.50 inches (5-15 mm). PACK and HOLD TIME - This time should be left on until after the gate is frozen. It will then be safe to refill the screw without adversely affecting part quality. COOLING TIME - This time establishes how long the part must stay in the mold after injection to make sure it is hard enough to be able to eject it from the tool without deformation. SCREW SPEED - This controls the RPMs of the screw which feeds material into the front of the screw so it is ready to be injected. This should return to the feed position just before the mold opens.
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Hold Pressure
Time (Seconds)
Viscosity of A > B > C Graph shows a molding machine running with closed loop injection control based on time. Three different viscosity materials are shown achieving the same mold cavity pressure by increasing or decreasing hydraulic pressure to compensate for the flow difference. When the injection time is the same, the cycle time and shrink will be more consistent.
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Molding Troubleshooting
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Desiccant Dryer
A material dryer can be several different configurations, but they all follow a variation on the above approach. Heated air is forced through a hopper of plastic via some type of diffuser. The air is returned to a desiccant bed that removes the moisture from the air. On more efficient dryers, the air first passes through an aftercooler, because it is easier to remove moisture from cool air. Usually one desiccant bed is being regenerated (dried out) while the other is in use.
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THERMOFORMING
The vacuum forming process uses a plastic sheet stretched across the mold surface. The plastic is heated until it is slightly pliable, then a vacuum pulls the plastic down against the mold surface. The plastic hardens against the mold so it can then be de-molded. Other variations of this process use air pressure and mechanical assists to help the plastic conform to the mold surface.
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Plastic is extruded through a die into the shape of a tube (parison). A clam shell mold closes around the parison and seals it off at the top and bottom. A nozzle is captured inside the parison and air pressure forces the plastic to expand out to the inside of the clam shell. As the plastic hits the mold surface, it cools until it is ready to be ejected from the tool. The blow molded piece is trimmed of the flash hanging off both ends of the part with a knife, stamping die or hot wire.
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This schematic shows an operation typical of garbage bag manufacturing. There are multiple layers of plastics in a bag. Each layer imparts a different property to the final bag. The extruder forces plastic through a complex die that pushes a tube out the top of the die. Air is blown out through the middle of the die, which causes the tube to expand to a controlled diameter (not shown). The bag is then flattened and rolled up for post-processing.
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ULTRASONIC WELDING
A clean and efficient way of attaching plastic components to each other is ultrasonic welding. Plastics can be welded to each other if they are the same material, but different materials may not be compatible. Ultrasonic staking will solve this compatibility problem. The ultrasonic equipment causes the plastic to vibrate at 20,000 40,000 Hz. This energy causes the plastic to melt locally and either deform a stake or weld to another piece.
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ULTRASONIC WELDING
Scarf joints.
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DAPLEN DAPON DELRIN DELRIN AF DERAKANE DESMOPAN (R) DEXFLEX DIAKON DIARON DIAMOND ABS DKE+450 DOWLEX DURAFLEX DURETHAN DURATHON DURETHAN DURETHAN DUREZ DUREZ DURILITE DYLARK DYLENE DYNYL ECONOL EKKCEL EASTAPAC EASTAR EASTAR FB EASTAR MB
POLYDAN INTERNATIONAL POLYDAN INTERNATIONAL DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DOW CHEMICAL CO. BAYER CORP. D&S PLASTICS ICI HYDE GROUP REICHOLD CHEMICALS INC. DIAMOND SUMITOMO CORP.OF AMERICA DOW CHEMICAL CO. SHELL CHEMICAL CO. BAYER CORP. BAYER AG BAYER CORP. BAYER CORP. OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL UNKNOWN ARCO CHEMICAL CO. ARCO CHEMICAL CO. RHONE POULENC INC. SOHIO CHEMICAL CO. CARBORUNDUM CO. EASTMAN CHEMICAL EASTMAN CHEMICAL EASTMAN CHEMICAL, INC EASTMAN CHEMICAL, INC
PP PDAP POM POM+PTFE EP PUR TEO PMMA MF ABS PVC+ PE-LLD PB PA6 PS PA6, PA66 PA6, PA66 PDAP PF EC SMA PS PEBA PAT POB PET PCT PET PC+PCT
EASTAR MB
PC+PET
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ESCORENE
PP
ESTANE
ABS+TPU
B.F. GOODRICH CHEMICAL DOW CHEMICAL CO. UNKNOWN FERRO CORP. DSM ENGINEERING PLASTICS POLYMER COMPOSITES INC. ICI AMERICAS INC. LNP CORPORATION A. SCHULMAN INC.
UNKNOWN SOLVAY POLYMERS INC. HOECHST CELANESE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
GELVA GELVATOL GEMAX GEMON GEON GEON GRACON GRILON HALAR HALAR HIFAX
MONSANTO CO. MONSANTO CO. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. B.F. GOODRICH CHEMICAL B.F. GOODRICH CHEMICAL W.R. GRACE CO. EMS AMERICAN GRILON ALLIED ENGINEERED PLASTICS SIGNAL ALLIED ENGINEERED PLASTICS SIGNAL MONTELL
PVAC PVAL PBT+PPE PI PVC VC/VDC PVC PA6, PA66, PA11, PA12 PCTFE PTFE TEO
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DOW CHEMICAL CO. DOW CHEMICAL CO. AMOCO CHEMICAL CORP. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. BASF CORP
BASF CORP. BASF CORP. BASF CORP BASF CORP BASF CORP BASF CORP BASF CORP BASF CORP.
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VECTRA VEDRIL VESPEL VESPEL VESTAMID VIBRIN-MAT VINOFLEX VINYLITE VINYLITE VINYLITE VINYLITE VISTAFLEX VYDYNE VYNITE VYRAM VYTHENE (R) WELLAMID WELLITE WELLPET XENOY XT POLYMER
HOECHST CELANESE VEDRIL SPA (SPAIN) DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. HUELS AG/HUELS AMERICA U.S. RUBBER CO. BASF CORP. CANADIAN RESINS & CHEM CANADIAN RESINS & CHEM CANADIAN RESINS & CHEM CANADIAN RESINS & CHEM ESSO CHEMICALS (EUROPE) BAYER CORP ALLIED ENGINEERED PLASTICS ADVANCED ELASTOMER SYST. ALPHA CHEM. & PLASTICS CO. WELLMAN INC. WELLMAN INC. WELLMAN INC. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. CYRO INDUSTRIES
LCP PMMA PARA PI PA12 UP PVC PVAC PVB PVC VC/VAC TEO PA66, PA66/6 PVC+NBR TEO PVC+PUR PA6, PA66,PA66/6 PBT PET PC+PBT (MMA/S/AN+B/MMA/S)
AMOCO CHEMICAL CORP. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO.
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NOTES
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