Blow moulding:

Blow moulding is a manufacturing method used in the plastics and polymers industries to create hollow but strong containers. A typical blow moulding machine set-up uses an extruded plastic preform and compressed air to fill the chamber of a divided moulding. The two halves of the moulding separate and the finished container is released. Plastics are actually chains of polymers held together by a strong but fluid bond. The polymer chains in a plastic bottle form in two directions, creating a very strong webbing effect. The plastic itself can be stretched out without sacrificing strength. Blow moulding experts takes advantage of this property to make thin but strong containers. Blow moulding a 150 cc bottle requires a preformed piece called a parison. This parison is usually extruded from a plastic injection moulding placed very close to the blow moulding machinery. The warm parison looks like a upsidedown plastic test tube, with a preformed collar and threads for the cap at the bottom. The parison is mechanically loaded onto a stand and two sides of a bottle-shaped metal mould come together around it. Before the parison cools down, the hot air under pressure (of 3 kg/cm 2 to 4 kg/cm2) is blown into the parison, which causes the tube to expand to the walls of the cavity. Because the stretching is performed evenly, the plastic remains uniformly thin and strong. The 150 cc bottle assumes the shape of the moulding and is dropped out of the blow moulding machine as the two moulding halves separate. A new parison is extruded and the entire blow moulding process begins again. The actual manufacture of a 150 cc bottle takes only a few seconds. Process: 1. Set the die in position. Adjust the guide rod nuts to shut height .Align the tapered face of the die for sealing the parison while blowing. Also check for free opening and closing of the die. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Ensure the required die height. Set the injection, release and blow pressure by rotating the regulator knob to suit the requirement of moulding the container. Set the required timings to the timer for top middle heater. Set the temperature by adjusting automatic temperature controller to control the bottom heater. Required quantity of poly propylene granules fed through the hopper into the cylinder. Allow sufficient time to stabilize. When the temperature reached, operate the hand lever valve. Extrude the parison to the required length and close the two die halves then release the injection pressure. Operate the hand lever and blow the air ,so that parison to form the shape of container as designed in the die. The mould is allowed to cool and hardened. Open the die and take the container out of the die. Now the machine is ready for next cycle.

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STAGE - 2

STAGE - 3

Fig: 3. 1 various stages involved in Blow moulding