Extrusion Know How

EXTRUSION: Effect of the Screw Flight On Melt Temperature, Energy Use

So-called rules of thumb regarding the design of flight clearance and width do not consider the temperature effect, both from the point of view of melt temperature and energy efficiency.

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best practices

A Better Way to Balance Die Flow

Use temperature adjustments before making any mechanical tweaks.

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Extrusion

Extruding High-Temperature Resins

Older extrusion lines might not be suitable for processing materials up to 750 F. Here's what you need to know to get started.

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best practices

AC Drives Take Hold

With progress in electronics and the introduction of the flux vector drive using complex control algorithms, AC drives are now equal to or better than DC drives for most applications.

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Sheet Extrusion

Telltale Temperatures

Here's how to get a 'feel' for a screw design without actually seeing it. And how to use this information.

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Extrusion

Don’t Overlook the Feed Section

Most extrusion screw designers often do not design the feed section with the same rigor as other sections. This is odd since nothing goes through the screw that doesn’t first go through the feed section.

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Regrind and Melt Pumps

Changing levels of regrind can result in unstable output. If not set up properly, a melt pump can add to this instability—the opposite of the intended effect.

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‘General Purpose’ = No Purpose

Such screws have no value in extrusion operations.

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The Scale-Up Conundrum

There are many methods used to determine scale-up based on output, but most designers do not scale the melting requirement along with the output.

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Extrusion

Understanding Screw Breakage

You might think you're over-torquing the screw, but more often than not bending is the reason.

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Process Cooling
Blending & Dosing