Plastic Extrusion Machine-Project Report

Eastern Mediterranean University
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Capstone Team Project
Name of Project: Redesign and Development of Plastic Filament Extrusion
Machine.
Group Number: 12
Group Members:
143230 HASHEM ALHARTHI (Team Leader)
15700444 HUSSAIN SHAWISH
15700833 TARIG MAKKI
143115 ABDULRAHMAN ABOUHANY
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Bsher A. ASMAEL
Semester: Spring 2019
Submission Date: 17th of June 2019

Jury members Signature
Assoc. Prof. Dr. QASIM ZEESHAN
Assist. Prof. Dr. DAVUT SOLYALI
Assist. Prof. Dr. MOHAMMED BSHER A.

ASMAEL
ABSTRACT
This report is about redesign and development of plastic extrusion machine that will be capable
of producing continuous plastic filament with a diameter of 3 (mm). Extrusion is a polymer
conversion operation in which a solid thermoplastic material is melted, forced through an
extrusion die of the desired cross-section, and cooled in a water bath.
In order to produce a good quality of the plastic filament product, the temperature in each
zone of the extruder barrel must be properly set and precisely controlled. The temperature of
the plastic extrusion system has a wide range of variation subject to various disturbances. The
system is generally nonlinear and so, controlling the temperature is a challenging process, as it
has multiple stages and the system is coupled with each other.
The aim of this report is to illustrate the design process of the plastic extrusion machine,
including, the design of the driving, controlling, and cooling systems. Also, this report
illustrates the design progress through stages from the formulation of the problem statement to
prototype testing.
The project scope includes all aspect of design and fabrication to create a plastic extrusion
machine that is easy to use, safe, and low cost to facilitate its usability in producing continuous
plastic filaments which are used in 3D printing technology. From here the significance of the
project becomes since it contributes to the success and development of mankind.
The project objectives are design for cost, safety, assembly, high performance, and the
environment.
The project constraints are redesign limitations, economic, availability, manufacturability,
sustainability, and ethical.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ i
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... x
LIST OF SYMBOLS and ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................... xii
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1
1.1. Detailed definition of the project ................................................................................. 1
1.2. Significance of the project ........................................................................................... 2
1.3. Detailed project objectives .......................................................................................... 3
1.3.1 Design for cost........................................................................................................................ 3
1.3.2 Design for safety .................................................................................................................... 3
1.3.3 Design for assembly ............................................................................................................... 3
1.3.4 Design for performance .......................................................................................................... 4
1.3.5 Design for the environment .................................................................................................... 4
1.4. Detailed project constraints ......................................................................................... 4
1.5. Report Organization .................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 6
2.1. Background information .................................................................................................. 6
2.1.1 History of plastic forming ...................................................................................................... 6
2.1.2 Polymers ................................................................................................................................. 6
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2.2. Concurrent solutions ........................................................................................................ 9
2.3. Comparisons of the concurrent solutions ...................................................................... 11
2.4. Engineering standards of the concurrent solutions ........................................................ 13
CHAPTER 3 -DESIGN and ANALYSIS ................................................................................ 14
3.1. Selected design .............................................................................................................. 14
3.1.1 Extruder barrel ...................................................................................................................... 14
3.1.2 Extruder screw ...................................................................................................................... 16
3.1.3 Drive system ......................................................................................................................... 18
3.1.4 Control system ...................................................................................................................... 20
3.1.5 Cooling system ..................................................................................................................... 25
3.1.6 Band heaters ......................................................................................................................... 26
3.1.7 Extrusion die......................................................................................................................... 28
3.1.8 Hopper .................................................................................................................................. 29
3.1.9 Table ..................................................................................................................................... 30
3.2 Engineering standards..................................................................................................... 31
3.3. Design calculations ........................................................................................................ 32
3.3.1 Polymer melt flow rate in the extruder ................................................................................. 32
3.3.2 Extrusion capacity ................................................................................................................ 37
3.3.3 Gearbox output analysis ....................................................................................................... 38
3.3.4 Energy contribution by band heaters .................................................................................... 38
3.4 Cost analysis ................................................................................................................... 40
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CHAPTER 4 – MANUFACTURING PLAN .......................................................................... 43
4.1 Manufacturing process selection .................................................................................... 43
4.1.1 Extruder barrel ...................................................................................................................... 43
4.1.2 Extruder screw ...................................................................................................................... 44
4.1.3 Control system ...................................................................................................................... 44
4.1.4 Drive system motor .............................................................................................................. 44
4.1.5 Cooling system ..................................................................................................................... 45
4.1.6 Band heaters ......................................................................................................................... 45
4.1.7 Extrusion die......................................................................................................................... 45
4.1.8 Hopper .................................................................................................................................. 46
4.1.9 Table ..................................................................................................................................... 46
4.2 Detailed manufacturing process ..................................................................................... 47
4.2.1 Extruder barrel ...................................................................................................................... 47
4.2.2 Extruder screw ...................................................................................................................... 47
4.2.3 Control system ...................................................................................................................... 48
4.2.4 Drive system motor .............................................................................................................. 48
4.2.5 Cooling system ..................................................................................................................... 50
4.2.6 Band heaters ......................................................................................................................... 51
4.2.7 Extrusion die......................................................................................................................... 51
4.2.8 Hopper .................................................................................................................................. 51
4.2.9 Table ..................................................................................................................................... 52
CHAPTER 5 - PRODUCT TESTING PLAN.......................................................................... 54
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5.1 Verification plan of the objectives of the project ........................................................... 54
5.2 Verification plan of the applied engineering standards .................................................. 55
CHAPTER 6 - RESULTS and DISCUSSIONS ...................................................................... 57
6.1. The results...................................................................................................................... 57
6.1.1 Polymer melt flow rate ......................................................................................................... 57
6.1.2 Drive system ......................................................................................................................... 58
6.1.3 Band heaters ......................................................................................................................... 60
6.2. The engineering standards ............................................................................................. 60
6.3. The constraints ............................................................................................................... 61
CHAPTER 7 - CONCLUSIONS and FUTURE WORKS....................................................... 62
7.1. The conclusions ............................................................................................................. 62
7.2. The future works ............................................................................................................ 64
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 66
APPENDIX A: Electronic Media ............................................................................................ 68
APPENDIX B: Constraints ...................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX C: Standards......................................................................................................... 70
APPENDIX D: Logbook .......................................................................................................... 71
APPENDIX E: Project Timeline .............................................................................................. 74
APPENDIX F: Product Breakdown Structure ......................................................................... 75
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APPENDIX G: Wiring diagrams of the control system .......................................................... 77
APPENDIX H: Assembly Instructions .................................................................................... 79
APPENDIX I: Operating Instructions ...................................................................................... 80
APPENDIX J: Engineering drawings ...................................................................................... 81
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Components and features of a single-screw extruder (Groover, 2010).......................................2
Figure 2: Viscosity as a function of temperature for selected polymers (Groover, 2010) ..........................7
Figure 3: Diagram of an injection molding machine (Groover, 2010) ......................................................9
Figure 4: Injection blow molding: (1) parison is injected molded around a blowing rod; (2) injection
mold is opened and parison is transferred to a blow mold; (3) soft polymer is inflated to conform to the
blow mold; and (4) blow mold is opened, and blown product is removed (Groover, 2010)….................10
Figure 5: Compression molding for thermosetting plastics: (1) charge is loaded; (2) and (3) charge is
compressed and cured; (4) part is ejected and removed (Groover, 2010).................................................10
Figure 6: Extruder motor.........................................................................................................................18
Figure 7: Jaw coupling............................................................................................................................19
Figure 8: TK-13 thermocouple (D = 6 mm, wire length = 3 m) (Tense Electric and Electronic, 2019)....20
Figure 9: Temperature control unit contactors.........................................................................................21
Figure 10: Autonics TCN4M-24 R temperature controller (Autonics Corporation, 2018)......................22
Figure 11: Eaton VFD controller (Eaton Industries GmbH, 2019)..........................................................23
Figure 12: Motor and temperature control units......................................................................................25
Figure 13: Cooling system configuration................................................................................................26
Figure 14: Ceramic band heaters assembly..............................................................................................28
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Figure 15: Selected extrusion die design.................................................................................................28
Figure 16: Selected hopper design...........................................................................................................29
Figure 17: Plastic extrusion machine table. Note: complete table design configuration and dimensions
are illustrated in Appendix J....................................................................................................................30
Figure 18: Drag and pressure flow in the metering zone of a single screw extruder (Harper, 2000). Note:
symbol h here represents screw flight diameter (D).................................................................................32
Figure 19: Details of an extruder screw inside the barrel (Groover, 2010)...............................................33
Figure 20: Material removal process of the control system stands using a hand drill...............................48
Figure 21: Machining the coupling using the vertical milling machine with the aid of the shaft key
cutter.......................................................................................................................................................49
Figure 22: The screw shaft connection (coupling)...................................................................................49
Figure 23: The manufacturing of the cooling tank...................................................................................50
Figure 24: Automated hacksaw...............................................................................................................50
Figure 25: Spot welding machine............................................................................................................52
Figure 26: Cutting using portable abrasive cut-off machine....................................................................53
Figure 27: Drilling process for table wheels using a drill press machine..................................................53
Figure 28: Continuous flow plastic..........................................................................................................54
Figure 29: Aligning of the motor and screw with an Allen key................................................................55
viii
Figure 30: Extrudate profile (sharkskin defect) at low motor speed.........................................................59
Figure 31: Extrudate profile (smooth surface) at sufficient motor speed.................................................59
ix
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Thermoplastics properties (Harper, 2000).....................................................................8
Table 2: Criteria matrix for plastic forming machines selection.................................................12
Table 3: Extruder barrel design specifications...........................................................................15
Table 4: Extruder screw design specifications...........................................................................17
Table 5: Selected motor and gearbox design specifications (GAMAK, 2016)..........................19
Table 6: Autonics TCN4M-24 R temperature controller data (Autonics Corporation, 2018)....22
Table 7: Eaton VFD controller data (Eaton Industries GmbH, 2019).........................................24
Table 8: Criteria matrix for band heaters selection....................................................................27
Table 9: Ceramic insulated band heaters design specifications..................................................27
Table 10: Selected designs engineering standards.....................................................................31
Table 11: Extruder design and operating parameters.................................................................36
Table 12: Capital investment.....................................................................................................42
Table 13: Other expenses...........................................................................................................42
Table 14: Criteria matrix for extruder barrel manufacturing method selection..........................43
Table 15: Criteria matrix for extruder screw manufacturing method selection..........................44
Table 16: Milling selection matrix.............................................................................................45
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Table 17: Criteria matrix for hopper welding method selection.................................................46
Table 18: Criteria matrix for table welding method selection....................................................47
Table 19: Temperature distribution over screw zones for different thermoplastics....................60
Table 20: Testing engineering standards...................................................................................60
xi
LIST OF SYMBOLS and ABBREVIATIONS
3D Three dimensional
P Power
MPa Mega Pascal
p Pitch diameter
rpm Revolutions per minute
DC Direct current
AC Alternating current
lb Pound
Hz Hertz
V Voltage
I Current
A Ampere
in inch
Ra Reduction area
IGBT Insulated-gate bipolar transistor
g grams
CAD Computer-aided design
VFD Variable frequency drive
PID Proportional, integral and derivative
TIG Tungsten inert gas
xii
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1. Detailed definition of the project
Engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired
needs. It is a decision-making process (often iterative), in which the basic sciences,
mathematics, and engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet a
stated objective.
Plastic extrusion machine design process includes elements of the engineering design
process. The general layout, type of extruder screw, contributes to determining the type of
plastic extrusion machine. There are different types of extruder screws: single-screws, mixing-
screws, twin-screws, and vented screws. For this project, type of screw is standard single-
extruder screw.
A single-screw extruder as shown in Figure 1 (Groover, 2010) consists of a screw in a
barrel. One end of the extruder barrel is attached to the feed throat while the other end is open,
and the barrel is surrounded by heating elements. A feeding hopper is located above the feed
throat. The screw itself is coupled through a gearbox (reducer), to a drive motor that rotates the
screw in the barrel. An extrusion solid-round profile die is connected to the open end of the
extruder with a screen pack forming a seal between the extruder and die.
During extrusion, thermoplastic pellets are fed from the hopper, through the feed throat of
the extruder, and into the extruder barrel. The pellets fall onto the rotating screw and are packed
in the feed section of the screw. The packed pellets are melted as they travel through the
compression section of the screw, and the melt is mixed in the metering section. The pressure
generated in the extruder forces the molten polymer through the die. The extruder output is
called extrudate.
1
Figure 1: Components and features of a single-screw extruder (Groover, 2010).
1.2. Significance of the project
Plastics are inexpensive, durable materials, and can be manufactured easily to various types of
products that can be used in many applications. However, plastic production reached the highest
levels over the last decades. Most of the produced plastics are discarded within a short period
from the year of manufacturing. This disposal generates several environmental and health
problems. Therefore, recycling plastic disposal becomes important. The extrusion process is the
simplest process of recycling and reusing the plastic. This is achieved using a plastic extrusion
machine.
The products that are produced using a plastic extrusion machine are important in a person's
everyday life. Also, plastic extrusion machine products are essential materials that are used in
many applications.
The significance of this project becomes from the ability to design and manufacture a plastic
extrusion machine that is capable of producing a continuous filament with a diameter of 3 (mm)
from various types of discarded thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP), and high-density
polyethylene (HDPE). The usage of this plastic filament will be for 3D printing technology,
with the intent to make the 3D printing sustainable and economic.
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1.3. Detailed project objectives
The main project objective is to design and manufacture a plastic extrusion machine that is
capable of producing continuous plastic filament with a diameter of 3 (mm). The detailed
project objectives are illustrated below.
1.3.1 Design for cost
Design for cost is the conscious use of engineering processing technology to reduce the design
cost. This is achieved using suitable low-cost materials and manufacturing processes. For
example, the selected cooling water bath design was made of plastic, not metals. Also, the
manufacturing processes were of low-cost such as simple arc welding processes instead of high-
cost welding processes.
1.3.2 Design for safety
The design of the plastic extrusion machine includes safety equipment to ensure the safety of
personnel and working place. For example, control units include circuit breakers to protect the
electrical devices from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Also,
the motor control unit includes an emergency stop button to deal with immediate hazardous
situations.
1.3.3 Design for assembly
Design for assembly (DFA) is a method that is used to measure the ease with which a product
can be assembled. Also, DFA is a tool that assists in the design of products. The following
guidelines are followed to achieve DFA objective:
• Minimize the overall component count.
• Minimize the usage of weld joints to ease the maintenance process.
• Avoids unstable positions for the components of the machinery during assembly.
• Design all components for end-to-end symmetry.
3
1.3.4 Design for performance
The design of the plastic extrusion machine included several features that increase the
performance. For example, the installed gearbox permits a 25% increase in torque. As a result,
the screw can withstand high resistances and provide greater output. Also, the selected band
heaters provide high temperatures in short periods. Which will reduce the time to heat the barrel
(that is, reduce costs).
1.3.5 Design for the environment
Design for the environment (DFE) is an environmentally conscious design. The plastic
extrusion machine function is to recycle a wide range of polymers. Also, the selected design of
the extrusion machine itself included factors that address environmental design issues. For
example, design the machine with high separability by making fasteners accessible and easy to
release so that the components can come apart easily.
1.4. Detailed project constraints
1. Redesign limitations: The redesign and development of the product are limited to drive
system, control system, cooling system, and machine table as the extruder barrel and
screw are from the previous capstone project.
2. Economic: The design should be economical than other similar commercial design.
3. Availability: The product should be designed using materials and components
available in the local market.
4. Manufacturability: The product should be manufactured in the university mechanical
engineering department workshop.
5. Sustainability: The design should be robust and sustainable.
6. Ethical: The design should be original, and the references should be cited in the design
report.
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1.5. Report Organization
This report consists of seven chapters and eight appendices. First, chapter 1 provides a detailed
definition of the project, project significance, objectives, and constraints.
In chapter 2, a brief background about the history of plastic forming is presented. Also,
the concurrent solutions of the selected polymer shaping process alongside their engineering
standards are illustrated.
In chapter 3, first, a detailed explanation of each selected part/component for the plastic
extrusion machine is provided. For example, the geometry of the extruder barrel and screw is
illustrated. Also, design specifications of the drive system, control system, cooling system, band
heaters, extrusion die, feeding hopper, and table are presented. Furthermore, the design
calculations including, polymer melt flow rate, extrusion capacity, gearbox analysis, and energy
contribution by band heaters are illustrated. Finally, the cost analysis including capital
investment and bill of materials (BOM) are provided.
In chapter 4, the manufacturing plan for each part/component of the project is explained
in detail. Also, the manufacturing processes selection criteria matrices are provided. In chapter
5, the product testing plan is illustrated which entails the verification plan of the objectives of
the project and the applied engineering standards.
In chapter 6, the testing results and discussions including polymer melt flow rate, drive
system, and band heaters are illustrated. Then the results of the applied engineering standards
and design constraints are presented. Finally, in chapter 7, a conclusion of the complete design
process and the design progress through stages is presented. Also, the possible future works for
the project are proposed.
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CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Background information
2.1.1 History of plastic forming
Plastic forming machines were rapidly developed until the 1930s. The first single-screw
extruder for polymers was produced in 1951 in Japan for extrusion of wire/cable coating from
low-density polyethylene. Since then, many kinds of single-screw extruders have been
manufactured and used for example, for fiber-spinning of polyamide and polyester and for film-
making of poly (vinyl chloride) and polyolefin (Sakai, 2013).
2.1.2 Polymers
A polymer molecule consists of many repeating mers to form very large molecules held together
by covalent bonding. Elements in polymers are usually carbon plus one or more other elements
such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and chlorine. Secondary bonding (van der Waals) holds
the molecules together within the aggregate material (intermolecular bonding). Polymers have
either a glassy structure or mixture of glassy and crystalline. There are differences among the
three polymer types (Groover, 2010):
1. In thermoplastic polymers, the molecules consist of long chains of mers in a linear
structure. These materials can be heated and cooled without substantially altering their
linear structure.
2. In thermosetting polymers, the molecules transform into a rigid, three-dimensional
structure on cooling from a heated plastic condition. If thermosetting polymers are
reheated, they degrade chemically rather than soften.
3. Elastomers have large molecules with coiled structures. The uncoiling and recoiling of
the molecules when subjected to stress cycles motivate the aggregate material to exhibit
its characteristic elastic behavior.
6
Polymer melt viscosity varies from 102-106 (Pa-s). The average value for thermoplastics is 102
(Pa-s) as shown in Figure 2 (Groover, 2010).
Figure 2: Viscosity as a function of temperature for selected polymers (Groover, 2010).
The selected types of thermoplastics pellets for this project are as follows (Groover, 2010):
1. Polypropylene (PP): A versatile polymer used in applications from films to fibers with
a worldwide demand of over 21 million pounds.
2. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): Combines high impact strength, toughness, and
ductility to make it the material of choice for packaging films, which is one of its largest
applications.
3. High-density polyethylene (HDPE): is known for its large strength-to-density ratio. The
density of HDPE can range from 930 to 970 kg/m 3. Although the density of HDPE is
only marginally higher than that of low-density polyethylene, HDPE has little
branching, giving it stronger intermolecular forces and tensile strength than LDPE. The
difference in strength exceeds the difference in density, giving HDPE a higher specific
strength.
7
Thermoplastics mechanical and physical properties are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Thermoplastics properties (Harper, 2000).
Tensile Compressive
Density
Plastics Tm (°C) Tg (°C) Td (°C) strength strength
(g/cm3)
(MPa) (MPa)
Polypropylene 168-175 -20 107-121 31.0-41.4 37.9-55.2 0.900-0.910
Low-density
98-115 -25 40-44 8.3-31.4 - 0.917-0.932
polyethylene
High-density
130-137 - 79-91 22.1-31 18.6-24.8 0.952-0.965
polyethylene
Where,
Tm: is crystalline melting temperature (some plastics have no crystallinity and are said to be
amorphous).
Tg: is glass transition temperature (the plastic becomes brittle below this temperature).
Td: is heat distortion temperature.
8
2.2. Concurrent solutions
There are 5 different types of plastic forming machines:
Injection molding machine as shown in Figure 3 (Groover, 2010) uses thermoplastics
to produce solid pieces such as plastic products. The plastic injection molding process produces
large numbers of parts of high quality with great accuracy, very quickly. Plastic material in the
form of granules is melted until soft enough to be injected under pressure to fill a mold. The
result is that the shape is exactly copied.
Figure 3: Diagram of an injection molding machine (Groover, 2010).
Extrusion process as shown in Figure 1 which is one of the few molding methods that
can be performed on hot or cold material. The extrusion process is a simple process in which
molten polymer is forced through a shaped die using pressure. The pressure is generated from
the action of screw rotation against the barrel wall.
Injection Blow molding as shown in Figure 4 (Groover, 2010), this is used for the
production of hollow glass and plastic objects in large quantities. Material granules for the part
is fed via a hopper into a heated barrel, melted using band heaters and the frictional action of a
reciprocating screw barrel. The plastic is then injection through a nozzle into a mold cavity
where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity.
9
Figure 4: Injection blow molding: (1) parison is injected molded around a blowing rod; (2) injection mold
is opened and parison is transferred to a blow mold; (3) soft polymer is inflated to conform to the blow
mold; and (4) blow mold is opened, and blown product is removed (Groover, 2010).
Compression molding as shown in Figure 5 (Groover, 2010), the most common
process used with thermosetting materials and is usually not used for thermoplastics.
Compression molding is the process of molding in which a preheated polymer is placed into an
open, heated mold cavity. The mold is then closed with a top plug and compressed in order to
have the material contact all areas of the mold.
Figure 5: Compression molding for thermosetting plastics: (1) charge is loaded; (2) and (3) charge is
compressed and cured; (4) part is ejected and removed (Groover, 2010).
10
2.3. Comparisons of the concurrent solutions
In this section, all the concurrent solutions mentioned above will be discussed thoroughly with
a decision matrix showing why the chosen solution in each category is the most suitable for the
following application.
Comparisons on the most common plastic processing technology (Extrusion, Injection molding,
and Blow molding):
Injection Molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts in large volume. It is
most typically used in mass-production processes where the same part is being created
thousands or even millions of times in succession. The principal advantage of injection molding
is the ability to scale production in mass. Once the initial costs have been paid the price per unit
during injection molded manufacturing is extremely low. The price also tends to drop
drastically as more parts are produced. Meanwhile, the front costs tend to be very high due to
design, testing, and tooling requirements. If you are going to produce parts in high volumes,
you want to make sure you get the design right the first time. That is more complicated than it
might sound. The two major downsides to injection molding are its high tooling costs and large
required lead times.
The second type being extrusion is used when dealing with products having a consistent
cross-section. The advantages offered by the extrusion machine are its low cost, high flexibility
and the capability of post extrusion alteration, however, the disadvantages are as follow; Size
variances in the final product as well as product limitations. The downsides to this process
might be crucial when dealing with mass production, but in our case, they don’t carry that much
importance.
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The third type which is the blow molding machine, mainly used to make hollow plastic
containers such as bottles, and jars. Milk containers, shampoo, and soda bottles, and watering
cans are examples of products that are typically blow molded. The gains of this process are,
low tooling costs, recyclable products, high production rate, and intricate geometries are
possible. The downside is that the parts manufactured must always be hollow and controlling
wall thickness is difficult.
The criteria matrix shown in Table 2 will illustrate how the decision was taken and state the
factors considered with their importance.
Table 2: Criteria matrix for plastic forming machines selection.
Legend
Importance Injection Blow
1→ worst Priority Extrusion
(weight) molding molding
10→ Best
Low cost 1 10 8 10 10
Machinability 2 8 8 6 8
8
Low Lead timing 4 4 6 8
Flexibility 3 6 6 8 10
High production
5 2 10 6 6
rate
Weighted total 224 240 268
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2.4. Engineering standards of the concurrent solutions
1. ISO 527: specifies the test conditions for the determination of the tensile properties of
plastic.
2. ASTM D695: Standard test method for compressive properties of rigid plastics.
3. ASTM D618: Standard practice for conditioning plastics for testing.
4. ASTM D790: Standard test methods for flexural properties of unreinforced and
reinforced plastics and electrical insulating materials.
The standards shown above are only some of the plastic standards used. Standards for plastic
are usually categorized into many various groups; the types used for our application are as
follows:
1. Analytical Method.
2. Cellular materials {plastic and elastomers}.
3. Durability of plastic.
4. Environmentally degradable plastics and bio-based products.
5. Thermosetting materials.
6. Thermoplastic materials.
7. Terminology.
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CHAPTER 3 -DESIGN and ANALYSIS
3.1. Selected design
The selected shaping process of polymer for this project is the extrusion process with a single
extruder screw. Plastic extrusion machine configuration and each part/component numbering is
shown in Appendix F. The selected design of each part/component will be illustrated in the
following sections.
3.1.1 Extruder barrel
Extruder barrel is a metal cylinder that surrounds the screw. One end fastens to the feed throat
and the opposite end connects directly to the die adapter. Since extruder barrels must withstand
high pressures, they are usually made from standard tool steels, with special tool steels required
for corrosive polymers.
The internal diameter of the extruder barrel typically ranges from 25 to 150 (mm). The
barrel is long relative to its diameter, with L/D ratios usually between 10 and 30. The higher
ratios are used for thermoplastic materials, whereas lower L/D values are for elastomers
(Groover, 2010). Since melting occurs over a longer transition zone, longer barrels provide
increased output. However, the longer screws require larger drive system power and cause
greater screw deflection. Table 3 shows selected extruder barrel design specifications.
The clearance between the barrel and screw flights is typically 0.08 to 0.13 (mm). To
reduce barrel wear, barrels are nitrided. Nitriding is the surface hardening of the barrel. This
process initially produces higher hardness but loses that advantage as the barrel wears. Nitriding
also provides poor abrasion and only moderate corrosion resistance.
14
The relation between the nitrided alloy steel and the polymer type (Harper, 2000) is as follows:
1. Good for Acetates, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), PET.
2. Satisfactory for ABS, polyacetals, acrylics, polyamides, PVC, polycarbonates,
polyesters, SAN.
3. Poor for Resins containing up to 30% glass, mineral, flame-retardant and other filler
material.
4. Not recommended for Fluoropolymers, phenolics, resins containing more than 30%
glass, mineral, flame-retardant and other filler material.
Table 3: Extruder barrel design specifications.
Barrel length 947 mm
Barrel internal diameter (D) 30 mm
Barrel (L/D) ratio L/D = 947/30 = 31.567
Barrel material Nitrided alloy steel
Barrel material grade 38CrMoAIA
Barrel material tensile strength 0-980 MPa
Barrel material yield strength 0-835 MPa
Nitrided hardness 950-1050HV
Surface roughness Ra 0.4 μm
15
3.1.2 Extruder screw
The material is conveyed through the barrel toward the die opening by the action of the extruder
screw. The screw (flighted section) serves several functions and is divided into sections that
correspond to these functions. The zones and functions are the (1) feed zone, in which the stock
is moved from the hopper port and preheated; (2) transition or compression zone, where the
polymer is transformed into liquid consistency, air entrapped amongst the pellets is extracted
from the melt, and the material is compressed; and (3) metering zone, in which the melt is
homogenized and sufficient pressure is developed to pump it through the die opening.
In metering screws, the feed zone has a constant channel depth as does the metering
zone. However, the channel depth gradually decreases in the transition zone. Since molten
polymer requires less volume than the solid particles, the metering zone channel depth is
shallower than the depth of the feed (Harper, 2000).
Screws are treated, coated, or plated to reduce the coefficient of friction between screw
and polymer. Table 4 shows selected screw specifications. Pitch (p) is the axial distance from
the center of one flight to the center of the next flight, whereas lead is the axial distance the
screw moves in one full rotation.
The screw flight angle A can be calculated as
𝑝 30
𝐴 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = 17.7° Equation 1
𝜋𝐷 𝜋 × 30 (Groover, 2010)
16
Table 4: Extruder screw design specifications.
Screw type Square-pitched metering screw
Screw overall length (Ls) 971 mm
Screw flight diameter (D) 30 mm
Screw feed section length 476 mm
Screw compression section length 112 mm
Screw metering section length 145 mm
Screw flight length 733 mm
Screw shank length 238 mm
Screw flight land width (wf) 4 mm
Screw channel width (wc) 24.8 mm
Screw metering zone channel depth (Lm) 1.5 mm
Screw pitch (p) 30 mm
Screw flight angle (A) 17.7°
Screw material Nitrided alloy steel
Screw material grade 38CrMoAIA
Screw material tensile strength 0-980 MPa
Screw material yield strength 0-835 MPa
Nitrided hardness 950-1050HV
Linearity of screw 0.015 mm/m
17
3.1.3 Drive system
Extruder drive motors must turn the screw, minimize the variation in screw speed, permit
variable speed control (typically 50 to 150 rpm), and maintain constant torque. In selecting
drive motors, the three major factors are: (1) base speed variation, (2) the presence or absence
of brushes, and (3) cost. The speed variation of a drive motor is based on the maximum speed
available for the motor.
The power supply converts three-phase AC line voltage to variable voltage DC power
and then back to controlled AC frequency. The voltage-to-frequency ratio is adjusted to provide
constant torque from the ac motor. The high-speed drive motor is coupled to the low-speed
screw using a gearbox (reducer). Switching to larger gears increases the torque but reduces the
screw speed. Figure 6 shows the extruder motor. Also, Table 5 shows the design specification
of the selected motor for this project.
Figure 6: Extruder motor.
18
Table 5: Selected motor and gearbox design specifications (GAMAK, 2016).
System configuration AC Motor combined with a gearbox
Rated current 8.2 A
Rated voltage 400 V AC, 3-phase
Supply frequency 50 Hz
Motor rated output 4 kW
Motor speed 1455 rpm
Motor torque 26.3 Nm
Motor approximate weight 30 kg
Gearbox reduction ratio 25:1
Gearbox lubrication ISO VG 320 SNT 1.00 LT
The gearbox shaft and extruder screw are connected using jaw coupling as shown in Figure 7.
Power transmission coupling is used to protect system components by damping system
vibrations and accommodating any misalignment.
Figure 7: Jaw coupling.
19
3.1.4 Control system
The selected control system for the extrusion machine will include temperature controllers, and
drive motor speed controller.
3.1.4.1 Temperature controller
To accurately control process temperature without extensive operator involvement, a
temperature control system relies upon a controller, which accepts a temperature sensor such
as a thermocouple as input. It compares the actual temperature to the desired control
temperature, or setpoint, and provides an output to a control element.
A temperature Sensor measures the temperature of a location where the temperature
control is required. It converts the temperature to a physical quantity of a voltage or resistance
and outputs that. A thermocouple is a temperature sensor that uses a phenomenon (the seebeck
effect) that generates a thermo-electromotive force according to the temperature difference
between the joint end and the open end of different types of metal that have been joined together
at one end. The combination of metals with high and stable thermo-electromotive force is called
a thermocouple (Ormon industrial automation, 2018). The selected thermocouple design for
this project is Tense TK-3 as shown in Figure 8 (Tense Electric and Electronic, 2019)
Figure 8: TK-13 thermocouple (D = 6 mm, wire length = 3 m) (Tense Electric and Electronic, 2019).
20
To control the temperature of heaters, contactors are used as a connection between heaters and
controllers. This is because controllers can't turn on or off the heaters directly. There must be a
connection between them. The controllers give a signal to contactors to either pass the current
to heaters or not, based on the readings of thermocouples. By this, the controllers can turn on
or off the heaters. Figure 9 shows the contactors used in the temperature control unit.
The operating principle of a contactor is very simple. Whenever the electromagnetic coil
is energized, an electromagnetic field is produced. This electromagnetic field attracts the
metallic rod (armature) towards the gap in the hollow cylindrical magnet. In contactors with
split electromagnets, the movable half of the electromagnet is attracted towards the fixed
electromagnet. This action closes the contacts. The contacts remain closed as long as the
electromagnet remains excited. When the coil is de-energized, moving contact is pushed back
to its normal position by the spring Contactors are designed to open and close contacts rapidly
(Electrical Classroom, 2018).
Figure 9: Temperature control unit contactors.
21
The selected controller for this project is the Autonics TCN4M-24 R temperature controller as
shown in Figure 10 (Autonics Corporation, 2018). Also, controller data are shown in Table 6.
Figure 10: Autonics TCN4M-24 R temperature controller (Autonics Corporation, 2018).
Table 6: Autonics TCN4M-24 R temperature controller data (Autonics Corporation, 2018).
Power supply (100-240) V, AC 50/60 Hz
Maximum current 0.0208 A
Control method ON/OFF control, P, PI, PD, PID control
Input specification
Thermocouple – various types
Display method 4-digit 7-segment LED
Control period 0.5 to 120.0 sec
Manual reset 0.0 to 100.0%
Weight Approximately 133 g
22
3.1.4.2 Variable frequency drive controller
A variable frequency drive (VFD) is a particular kind of adjustable-speed drive that is used to
control the speed of an AC motor. In order to control the motor's rotational speed. VFD
characteristics are as follows (Anaheim automation, inc., 2018):
• A variable frequency drive controls the frequency of the electrical power supplied to the
motor. When complete voltage is applied to an AC motor, it accelerates the load and
drops torque initially, keeping current especially high until the motor reaches full speed.
• A variable frequency drive converts power through three different stages. First, AC
power is converted to DC power, followed by the switching on and off of the power
transistors, causing a voltage waveform at the desired frequency. This waveform then
adjusts output voltage according to the preferred designated value.
The selected VFD controller is Easton DC1-349D5NB-A20CE1 - Variable frequency drive as
shown in Figure 11 (Eaton Industries GmbH, 2019). Table 7 shows selected VFD controller
data.
Figure 11: Eaton VFD controller (Eaton Industries GmbH, 2019).
23
Table 7: Eaton VFD controller data (Eaton Industries GmbH, 2019).
System configuration AC supply systems with earthed center point
Variable frequency drive with internal DC

Function
link and IGBT inverter
Rated operational voltage 400 V AC, 3-phase
Rated operational current 9.5 A
Assigned motor rating

400 V, 50 Hz, 4 kW
Supply frequency 50/60 Hz
Output frequency (screen value) 0 - 50/60 Hz
The VFD controller is further connected to a cam switch, potentiometer switch, and emergency
stop (E-stop) button. By this, the control process becomes simpler and safer. The function of
these switches are as follows:
1. Cam switch: allows for controlling the direction of rotation, either clockwise (CW) or
counterclockwise (CCW). In order to get the forward motion of polymer in the extruder,
the direction of rotation must be CCW.
2. Potentiometer: this switch controls the motor frequency and thus, the screw speed.
3. E-stop button: this button cuts the current passing to the motor and thus, completely
stops the motor in hazardous situations.
Figure 12 shows the motor control unit and temperature control unit. As can be seen from the
figure, the motor control unit consists of a cam switch (bottom left corner), a potentiometer
(bottom right corner), and E-stop button (top middle). While, the temperature control unit
consists of 3 temperature controllers for the 3 screw-zones: feed zone, compression zone, and
metering zone. Each of these controllers is connected to an ON/OFF switch.
24
Motor control unit Temperature control unit
Figure 12: Motor and temperature control units.
3.1.5 Cooling system
The cooling system is composed mainly of a water bath through which the extrudate travels
and fixed pulleys through which the extrudate is forced to pass underwater. In addition, when
the extrudate is sufficiently cooled, it is wound on a reel. The selected cooling water bath design
specifications are as follows:
• Material: High-density polyethylene (HDPE).
• Length = 775 (mm).
• Width = 310 (mm).
• Height = 280 (mm).
25
Figure 13: Cooling system configuration.
3.1.6 Band heaters
Barrels and dies are heated to bring them to operating temperatures and to maintain set
temperatures during operation. Band heaters are typically used for heating extruder barrels and
dies. Subsequent mixing and mechanical working of the material generate additional heat,
which maintains the melt. There are four types of band heaters used in plastics processing: (1)
mica, (2) aluminum, (3) ceramic, and (4) bronze band heaters. Table 8 shows criteria matrix for
band heaters selection based on cost, maximum produced temperature, performance, produced
energy, and service life (Harper, 2000).
Ceramic insulated band heaters are very energy efficient since they have a standard ¼ inch
(6.35 mm) thick insulation. Table 9 shows the design specification of the selected ceramic band
heater for this project. Also, Figure 14 shows the configuration of the selected ceramic band
heaters.
26
Table 8: Criteria matrix for band heaters selection.
Legend:
Importance
1→ worst Priority Mica Aluminum Ceramic Bronze
(weight)
10→ best
Cost 1 9 4 3 10 5
Energy
2 8 6 7 7 5
efficiency
Maximum
4 6 7 4 9 10
temperature
Performance 2 8 7 10 5 10
Service life 3 5 5 6 10 8
Weighted total 207 217 290 265
Table 9: Ceramic insulated band heaters design specifications.
Ceramic band heater size (90x150) Ceramic band heater size (90x100)
Voltage 220 (V) Voltage 220 (V)
Current 6.82 (A) Current 5.68 (A)
Power 1.5 (kW) Power 1.25 (kW)
Surface width 150 (mm) Surface width 100 (mm)
Surface thickness 11.9 (mm) Surface thickness 11.9 (mm)
External diameter 41.9 (mm) External diameter 41.9 (mm)
Internal diameter 30 (mm) Internal diameter 30 (mm)
27
Figure 14: Ceramic band heaters assembly.
3.1.7 Extrusion die
The shape of the extrusion die (orifice) as shown in Figure 15 determines the cross-sectional
shape of the extrudate. The designed extrusion die opening (2.7 mm) produces a continuous
plastic filament with a diameter of 3 (mm). The polymer melt flows into a converging die
entrance, the shape designed to maintain laminar flow and avoid dead spots in the corners that
would otherwise be present near the orifice. The die opening is made long enough to remove
some of the memory in the polymer melt (Groover, 2010).
Figure 15: Selected extrusion die design.
28
3.1.8 Hopper
The feed hopper feeds material to the extruder, single-screw extruders are usually fed
gravimetrically through rectangular hoppers. The selected hopper design is rectangular hopper
with the following dimensions:
• Hopper upper rectangular dimensions 180x180 (mm).
• Hopper lower rectangular dimensions 52x52 (mm).
• Hopper feed opening diameter 80 (mm).
The hopper is fixed on the extruder barrel using U-clamps. One side of the U-clamp is welded
with the hopper frame, while the other side is joined using mechanical fasteners: bolts and nuts
as shown in Figure 16.
Figure 16: Selected hopper design.
29
3.1.9 Table
The selected table design is shown in Figure 17. Also, table dimensions are as follows:
1. Table length 1.5 (m).
2. Table width 0.6 (m).
3. Table height 1 (m).
Table design included the following structures:
1. C-channel steel beams for motor supports since the motor requires strong supports.
2. The table frame is 4x4 square steel tubing.
Also, the table is attached with casters as it holds heavy loads.
Figure 17: Plastic extrusion machine table. Note: complete table design configuration and dimensions are
illustrated in Appendix J.
30
3.2 Engineering standards
The engineering standards of each selected design for this project are shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Selected designs engineering standards.
Part/Component Standard Description
Extruder screw and barrel EN 41 CrAIMo7-10 Nitriding steel standard
Drive motor DIN/EN 60 034-1 Motor rating and performance
Terminal markings and

Drive motor DIN/EN 60 034-8
direction of rotation.
VFD controller IEC/EN61800-3 Product standard
VFD controller IEC/EN61800-5 Product standard
Specification for general

VFD controller IEC/EN 61800-2
requirements
VFD controller IEC/EN 61800-5-1 Safety requirements
Band heaters AIC 62321-1: 2013 Test standard
E-stop button EN 60947-5-1 Product standard
Emergency stop switch

E-stop button EN IEC 60947-5-5
compact, foolproof
31
3.3. Design calculations
In this section, mathematical models are used to describe several aspects of polymer extrusion
analysis. Calculations are to be carried out for determining the following:
1. Polymer melt flow rate in the extruder and extrusion capacity.
2. Gearbox output analysis.
3. Energy contribution by band heaters.
3.3.1 Polymer melt flow rate in the extruder
The rotating screw pushes material along the walls of the stationary barrel creating drag flow.
This drag flow provides the forward conveying action of the extruder, and, in the absence of a
die, is effectively the only flow present. The addition of a die restricts the open discharge at the
end of an extruder and produces a large pressure gradient along the extruder. Since the pressure
is greatest just before the die, this head pressure creates two other flows, pressure flow Qp and
leakage flow QL. Since they both counter the forward motion of the melt, pressure and leakage
flow are often lumped together as back flow Qb. As shown in Figure 18 (Harper, 2000) drag
flow conveys the polymer along the barrel walls, whereas pressure flow forces the material near
the screw back toward the hopper.
Figure 18: Drag and pressure flow in the metering zone of a single screw extruder (Harper, 2000). Note:
symbol h here represents screw flight diameter (D).
32
A simple mathematical modeling of extrusion assumes that: (1) the extruder is at steady state,
(2) the melt is Newtonian, (3) the extruder is isothermal, and (4) the metering zone make the
only contribution to output, (5) there is minimal leak flow through the clearance between flights
and barrel (Harper, 2000). Figure 19 (Groover, 2010) shows details of an extruder screw inside
the barrel.
Figure 19: Details of an extruder screw inside the barrel (Groover, 2010).
The net output flow rate of the extruder can be expressed as the difference between the drag
flow and back pressure flow as follows:
Equation 2
𝑄𝑥 = 𝑄𝑑 − 𝑄𝑏
(Groover, 2010)
Where,
Qx = the resulting flow rate of polymer melt in the extruder (m3/s).
Qd = volume drag flow rate (m3/s).
Qb = back pressure flow (m3/s).
33
Equation 3
𝑄𝑑 = 0.5 𝜋 2 𝐷2 𝑁 𝑑𝑐 sin 𝐴 cos 𝐴
(Groover, 2010)
Where,
D = screw flight diameter (m).
N = screw rotational speed (rev/s).
dc = screw channel depth in the metering zone (m).
A = screw flight angle (degree).
𝑝 𝜋 𝐷 𝑑𝑐3 sin2 𝐴 Equation 4

𝑄𝑏 =
12 𝜂 𝐿𝑚 (Groover, 2010)
Where,
p = head pressure in the barrel (MPa).
Lm = length of the metering zone (m).
η = viscosity of polymer melt, N-s/m2 (Pa-s).
If back flow is zero, so that melt flow is unrestrained in the extruder, then the flow would equal
drag flow given by Equation 3. This is the maximum possible flow capacity of the extruder.
Denoted as Qmax:
Equation 5
𝑄𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0.5 𝜋 2 𝐷2 𝑁 𝑑𝑐 sin 𝐴 cos 𝐴
(Groover, 2010)
If back pressure were so great as to cause zero flow, then back pressure flow would equal drag
flow. By equating both expressions for drag and back pressure flows and solving for head
pressure gives the maximum head pressure. Denoted as pmax:
6𝜋 𝐷 𝑁 𝐿𝑚 𝜂 cot 𝐴 Equation 6
𝑝𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑑𝑐2 (Groover, 2010)
34
Therefore, the resulting flow rate of polymer melt in the extruder can be rewritten as:
𝑄𝑚𝑎𝑥 Equation 7
𝑄𝑥 = 𝑄𝑚𝑎𝑥 − ( )𝑝
𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 (Groover, 2010)
Flow rate through the die depends on the size and shape of the opening and the pressure applied
to force the melt through it. Denoted as QDie:
Equation 8
𝑄𝐷𝑖𝑒 = 𝐾𝑠 𝑝
(Groover, 2010)
Where,
Ks = shape factor for the die (m5/N-s). For a circular die opening of a given channel length, the
shape factor is:
𝜋 𝐷𝑑4 Equation 9
𝐾𝑠 =
128 𝜂 𝐿𝑑 (Groover, 2010)
Where,
Dd = die opening diameter (m).
Ld = die opening length (m).
Above equations contains two types of parameters: (1) design parameters, and (2) operating
parameters. Table 11 shows both design parameters and operating parameters for the extruder
of this project.
35
Table 11: Extruder design and operating parameters.
Design parameters Operating parameters
𝑟𝑒𝑣
Screw flight diameter D = 30 mm Screw rotational speed N = 0.97 𝑠𝑒𝑐
Screw metering zone length Lm = 145 mm Polymer melt viscosity (an average value
for thermoplastics) η = 100 Pa-s
Screw metering zone channel depth dc = 1.5 mm -
Flight angle A = 17.7o -
Screw pitch p = 30 mm -
Flight land width wf = 4 mm -
Screw channel width wc = 24.8 mm -
Die opening diameter Dd = 2.7 mm -
Die opening length Ld = 74 mm -
Now, using the values from Table 11, and substituting in Equation 5:
𝑚3
𝑄𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0.5 𝜋 2 (0.03)2 (0.97) (0.0015) sin(17.7°) cos(17.7°) = 1.872 × 10−6 ( )
𝑠
And, using the values from Table 11, and substituting in Equation 6:
6𝜋 (0.03) (0.97) (0.145) (100) cot(17.7°)

𝑝𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 11.076 (𝑀𝑃𝑎)
(0.0015)2
Substituting the values of Qmax and pmax in Equation 7:
1.872 × 10−6
𝑄𝑥 = (1.872 × 10−6 ) − ( ) 𝑝 = (1.872 × 10−6 ) − (1.690 × 10−13 )𝑝 (𝟏)
11.076 × 106
36
Using the values from Table 11 and substituting in Equation 9:
𝜋 (0.0027)4 𝑚5
𝐾𝑠 = = 1.76 × 10−13 ( )
(128) (100) (0.074) 𝑁−𝑠
Substituting the value of Ks in Equation 8:
𝑄𝐷𝑖𝑒 = (1.76 × 10−13 )𝑝 (𝟐)
Equating both equations (1) and (2), and solving for p:
(1.872 × 10−6 ) − (1.690 × 10−13 )𝑝 = (1.76 × 10−13 )𝑝 → 𝑝 = 5.426 (𝑀𝑃𝑎)
Solving for Qx using Equation 7:
−6 )
1.872 × 10−6 6 −6
𝑚3
𝑄𝑥 = (1.872 × 10 −( ) (5.426 × 10 ) = 0.955 × 10 ( )
11.076 × 106 𝑠
Therefore, the resulting flow rate of polymer melt in the extruder at 56 (rpm) is
𝒎𝟑
𝑸𝒙 = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟓𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 ( )
𝒔
3.3.2 Extrusion capacity
The capacity can be calculated using an average value of thermoplastics densities and the
maximum flow rate of the polymer melt in the extruder.
An average value of densities of LDPE, HDPE, and PP thermoplastics (Harper, 2000) is
𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
920 ( 3 ) + 950 ( 3 ) + 900 ( 3 ) 𝑘𝑔
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
≅ 923 ( 3 )
3 𝑚
Therefore, the capacity is
𝑘𝑔 𝑚3 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑘𝑔
𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 923 ( 3 ) × 0.955 × 10−6 ( ) × 3600 ( )≅3 ( )
𝑚 𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ
37
3.3.3 Gearbox output analysis
The drive motor power can be calculated using the following equation:
𝑃 Equation 10
𝑃 = 𝑁 𝑇 𝑜𝑟 𝑇 =
𝑁 (Harper, 2000)
Where,
P = power (Watts)
N = screw speed (rad/s)
T = torque (Joules).
Gearbox reduction ration is 25:1. Therefore, gearbox output speed is
𝑀𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 1455 𝑟𝑎𝑑

= = 58.2 (𝑟𝑝𝑚) 𝑜𝑟 6.095 ( )
𝐺𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑥 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 25 𝑠
Substituting motor power and gearbox output speed values in Equation 10:
𝑁𝑚
𝑃 4000 ( 𝑠 )
𝑇= = = 656.3 (𝑁𝑚)
𝑁 6.095 (𝑟𝑎𝑑 )
𝑠
3.3.4 Energy contribution by band heaters
The energy contribution by each of the band heaters can be calculated by the following
equation:
𝐸 =𝑃𝑡 Equation 11
Where,
E = energy (Joules)
P = power (Watts)
t = time (seconds).
38
From Table 9 the power values are:
For the first size of heaters (90×150), P1 = 1.5 (kW).
For the second size of heater (90x100), P2 = 1.25 (kW).
Using these values and substituting in Equation 11, the energy produced by 1 heater in one-
hour period is:
𝑁𝑚 60𝑠 60𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝐸1 = (1500 )( )( ) = 5.4 (𝑀𝐽 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟)
𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟
And, for the second size with P2:
𝑁𝑚 60𝑠 60𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝐸2 = (1250 )( )( ) = 4.5 (𝑀𝐽 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟)
𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟
Therefore, the total energy produced by four ceramic insulated band heaters (two from each
size) in one-hour period is:
𝐸𝑇 = (2)(5.4) + (2)(4.5) = 19.8 (𝑀𝐽 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟)
39
3.4 Cost analysis
Item Part
Qty Name Material Source Cost Picture
# #
Zhoushan Jinmao
Machinery
Factory.
Screw
1-1-1 Alloy steel Xihou Industrial
and
1 1-1-2 1 38CrMoAI Park, Zhoushan, $460
barrel set
1-1-6 A Zhejiang, China.
Tel：+86-580-
8050975
Yancheng Laiyuan
Electric
Ceramic Equipment Co.,
Band Aluminum Ltd.
2 1-1-4 4 $64
Heaters and Ceramic Location: Jiangsu,
China (Mainland)
Tel: +86-
15851048592
Özkaramanli
3 Phase
Elektrik LTD.
AC
Location:
3 1-2-1 1 Motor 4 Various $495
Leafkosha, TRNC.
kw with
Tel: 03922255391
Gear Box
Özkaramanli
Elektrik LTD.
Motor
Location:
4 1-3 1 Control Various $650
Leafkosha, TRNC.
Unit
Tel: 03922255391
40
Item Part Qt
Name Material Source Cost Picture
# # y
Özkaramanli
Elektrik LTD.
Location:
Temperatur Leafkosha,
5 1-4 1 e Control Various TRNC. $195
Unit Tel: 03922255391
AliYakar Ve
Oğulları Ltd.
1-2- Shaft Cast
6 1 Location: marash, $30
2 Coupling Iron
Famagusta, TRNC
Tel: 3923664519
Fuat Curcur
Location: big
7 1-5 1 Table Steel industrial are, $400
Famagusta, TRNC
Tel: 3652265
Sennaroğlu LTD.
Location: small
1-5- Mechanical
8 28 Steel industrial area, $30
7 Fasteners
Famagusta, TRNC
Tel: 03923668457
Genç Yapi market

1-6- Location: small
9 1 Water Bath Plastic $15
1 industrial area,
Famagusta, TRNC
41
Table 12: Capital investment.
Quantity Unit price Total
Vernier caliper 1 $20 $20
Gloves 5 $2 $10
Safety glasses 5 $2 $10
Spanner set 1 $10 $10
Hammer 1 $6 $6
Allen keys set 1 $6 $6
Screw drivers set 1 $2 $2
Cleaning equipment 1 $15 $15
Plastic cover 1 $15 $15
Cable ties 1 $5 $5
Silicon injector 1 $5 $5
Table 13: Other expenses.
Category Cost
Food $150
Transportation $200
42
CHAPTER 4 – MANUFACTURING PLAN
4.1 Manufacturing process selection
For the manufacturing of the selected single screw plastic extruder, the majority of the work
accomplished was done by means of assembly and welding. What may be an assembly at one
point may however be a subassembly of another. In our design the work revolved around
adjusting three main components/systems in such a way that our design meets the stated goals
and objectives, which are the control system, rolling and support systems and the motor.
The extruder barrel was manufactured by the means of centrifugal casting. The barrel was fixed
to the barrel stand by the means of mechanical fasteners. The selection matrix shown in Table
14 illustrates the criteria’s considered when comparing the given manufacturing methods.
Table 14: Criteria matrix for extruder barrel manufacturing method selection.
Legend Centrifugal
1→ worst priority Importance forging
casting
10→ Best
Strength 3 6 10 10
Reliability 2 8 8 8
10
Cost effectiveness 1 10 4
Weighted total 164 224
43
The extruder screw was manufactured using a CNC extruder screw turning machine and plasma
welding as a refurbishment. The extruder screw was attached to the barrel by the means of
insertion with the aid of adhesives. The criteria matrix shown in Table 15 illustrates the
criteria’s considered when comparing the given manufacturing methods.
Table 15: Criteria matrix for extruder screw manufacturing method selection.
Automatic
Legend CNC turning
1→ worst Priority Importance screw
machine
10→ Best machine
High precision 1 20 6 10
8
Cost effectiveness 2 10 8
The control box was fixed to the table by the means of mechanical fasteners (bolts, screws, and
nuts). The cables and sensors were attached to the table by the means of insertion.
4.1.4 Drive system motor
The motor was fixed to the table by the means of mechanical fasteners. The motor and the screw
were assembled by the means of insertion with the aid of a coupling junction that was machined
to meet to fit the required specifications. The screw steel shaft connection (coupling) was
manufactured using the horizontal milling machine. Table 16 shows the milling selection matrix
for coupling machining.
44
Table 16: Milling selection matrix.
Legend
Importance Horizontal
1→ worst Priority Vertical Milling
(weight) Milling
10→ Best
efficiency 1 10 8 6
Easier alignment 3 6 8 4
Less space 4 4 6 6
Deformation 2 8 10 4
The Water bath is made up of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The Reels (pulleys) were
attached to the tank by means of insertion.
4.1.6 Band heaters
• The heater bands were attached to the barrel by the means of insertion.
• The heater bands were fixed to the barrel by the means of mechanical fastener
4.1.7 Extrusion die
• The orifices die which is made up of H13 tool steel was manufactured by the
means of wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) and drilling.
• The orifice die was fitted into the barrel by the means of insertion.
45
4.1.8 Hopper
• The hopper was made out of SAE 4130 Steel sheets that were bent and cut to a
certain extent.
• The metal sheets were joined by the means of shield metal arc welding and spot
welding.
• The hopper was fixed to the barrel by the means of mechanical fasteners.
Geometric fasteners were chosen as the best alternative, due to its low cost and high reliability,
which are vital in terms of avoiding any uncertainties during the feeding process. The criteria
matrix shown in Table 17 illustrates the criteria’s considered when comparing the given
assembly methods.
Table 17: Criteria matrix for hopper welding method selection.
Legend Shield metal Geometric

1→ worst priority Importance
arc Welding Fasteners
10→ Best
strength
1 10 10 4
Reliability
2 8 6 8
Cost 8
3 6 4
Weighted total
172 152
4.1.9 Table
• The legs and frame are made out of SAE 4130 steel tubes.
• The steel bars and sheets were assembled by the means of tungsten arc welding.
46
The following criteria matrix shown in Table 18 will show why tungsten arc welding was
chosen over Gas metal arc welding.
Table 18: Criteria matrix for table welding method selection.
Legend priority Importance Gas tungsten Gas metal arc

1→ worst
Arc welding welding
10→ Best (weight)
Good surface 2 8 8 4
finish
High production 3 6 4 10
rate
4.2 Detailed manufacturing process
As mentioned before, the extruder barrel was manufactured using centrifugal casting. In the
centrifugal casting process, molten metal is poured into a preheated, spinning die. The die may
be oriented either on a vertical or horizontal axis depending on the configuration of the desired
part. By spinning a mold while molten metal is poured into it, centrifugal force acts to distribute
the molten metal in the mold at pressures approaching 100 times the force of gravity. The
combination of this applied pressure and the engineering mechanics of controlled solidification
and secondary refining produces components of superior quality.
The extruder screw was manufactured by CNC turning which is a manufacturing process in
which bars of material are held in a chuck and rotated while a tool is fed to the piece to remove
material to create the desired shape.
47
A turret (shown center), with tooling attached, is programmed to move to the bar of raw material
and remove material to create the programmed result. This is also called “subtraction
machining” since it involves material removal. If the center has both tuning and milling
capabilities, such as the one above, the rotation can be stopped to allow for milling out of other
shapes.
The control box was attached to the table by the means of mechanical fasteners, which are nuts,
bolts, and screws. The holes were drilled using a power drill after all the required measurements
were taken. The mechanical fasteners used were certified by ASTM standards. The wires and
sensors where installed by the means of insertion as mentioned before. Figure 20 shows how
the control stands were drilled using a hand drill in order to fix them to the table.
Figure 20: Material removal process of the control system stands using a hand drill.
4.2.4 Drive system motor
In this section, the only component that was manufactured is the screw shaft connection, which
was manufactured using the vertical milling machine with the aid of the shaft key cutter.
48
The motor was assembled to the table by the means of mechanical fasteners meanwhile the
coupling was assembled to the motor shaft and screw by the means of insertion. Figure 21
illustrate the previous facts. Figure 22 shows how the coupling holds the screw and motor shaft
together to allow one direction rotation.
Figure 21: Machining the coupling using the vertical milling machine with the aid of the shaft key cutter.
Figure 22: The screw shaft connection (coupling).
49
The Water bath is made up of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as it is known for its high
strength and reliability. The reels were fixed to the bath by the means of insertion by drilling 2
holes from each side as shown in Figure 23 using a hand drill. The metal rods were cut using
the automated hacksaw which helped in saving time and energy plus its more accurate than
manually cutting them as shown in Figure 24.
Figure 23: The manufacturing of the cooling tank.
Figure 24: Automated hacksaw.
50
4.2.6 Band heaters
The heater bands were attached to the barrel by the means of insertion with the help of clamps
and mechanical fasteners such as nut, bolts, and screws.
4.2.7 Extrusion die
The orifice die was manufactured by the means of wire Electrical Discharge Machining.
Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a controlled metal-removal process that is used to
remove metal by means of electric spark erosion. In this process, an electric spark is used as the
cutting tool to cut (erode) the type H13 tool steel piece to produce the finished part which is the
die.
4.2.8 Hopper
The SAE 4130 Steel sheets were joined using shield metal arc welding. The arc is struck
between the metal rod (electrode) and the steel sheets, both the rod and sheets surface melt to
form a weld pool. Simultaneous melting of the flux coating on the rod will form gas and slag
which protects the weld pool from the surrounding atmosphere. The slag will solidify, and the
cool is chipped off the weld bead as soon as the weld run is complete (or before the next weld
pass is deposited). After the metal sheets were welded together the hopper was fixed to the
Spot-welding machine to make sure the sheets are completely fixed to each other to avoid any
feeding uncertainties. Figure 25 shows the manner in which the hopper was fixed to the machine
plus the end product.
51
Figure 25: Spot welding machine.
4.2.9 Table
The table's frame and legs were made up of SAE 4130 steel ducts as mentioned before. The
frame was assembled using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), which is an electric arc welding
process was an arc was produced between the non-consumable electrode and the steel ducts.
The weld is shielded from the atmosphere by a shielding gas that forms an envelope around the
weld area. In addition, control system stands were attached to the table frame using mechanical
fasteners. Figure 26 shows the machining process of the control system stands using a portable
abrasive cut-off machine.
The wheels were assembled by the means of mechanical fasteners with the aid of a
machined metal base used a platform were the mechanical fasteners are fixed. Figure 27 shows
the drilling process using a drill press.
52
Figure 26: Cutting using portable abrasive cut-off machine.
Figure 27: Drilling process for table wheels using a drill press machine.
53
CHAPTER 5 - PRODUCT TESTING PLAN
5.1 Verification plan of the objectives of the project
Several tests were conducted to validate the compatibility of the machine to the objectives of
the design and ensure that the requirements and expectations of the user are met.
• A demonstration was performed to test the ergonomics of the machine. While operating
the machine team members checked if the designed height of the table and components
is comfortable to the operator and that the controllers and E-stop are within reach as
needed.
• The main mission of the machine is to produce a continuous flow of plastic as illustrated
in Figure 28, this was verified by letting the machine to operate continuously for an
extended period of time, at this period the melt flow was observed to check if there is
interruption or discontinuity in the flow.
Figure 28: Continuous flow plastic.
• The main product of the machine is 3D printer filament of 3 mm diameter, so the
capability of the machine to produce the desired diameter was tested by measuring the
diameter of the product after cooling with a Vernier caliper, this was done at several
periods of machine operation and for the different types of plastics.
54
5.2 Verification plan of the applied engineering standards
In order to assess the compatibility of the machine to the design specifications and engineering
standards, the following tests were performed:
• Verification of the designed plastic melt flow from the extruder was done by measuring
the volume of an extruded section and the time of extrusion (the volume is calculated
for a cylindrical section with length and diameter as the length of the extruded section
in and die orifice diameter), then basically dividing the volume by the time to come up
with the volumetric flow rate and compare it with the theoretical value.
• The alignment of the motor and the screw was assured, first by placing an Allen key on
the coupling as shown in Figure 29 and checking if there is any misalignment between
the two sides of the coupling, then by operating the motor and observing the rotation
and vibration while gradually increasing the speed of rotation of the motor.
Figure 29: Aligning of the motor and screw with an Allen key.
55
• Testing to find the optimum motor speed range was performed. The motor was operated
at different speeds, for each the melt flow was observed to check whether the flow is
uniform and continuous or not.
• Testing to select suitable temperatures for the different extruder zones as conducted.
Various temperature ranges were set for each zone, then the quality of the melt flow and
the final product were observed. This was done for the different types of plastic.
• The efficiency of the cooling system to cool the product as required was verified for the
different plastics types by physically handling (touching) the product after it is out of
the water bath.
• Effectiveness of the E-stop button to cut the current on the motor as put to test by
operating the motor at different speeds, pressing the button and noting if there is any
nonresponding or delay in the process.
56
CHAPTER 6 - RESULTS and DISCUSSIONS
6.1. The results
6.1.1 Polymer melt flow rate
The experimental value of the resulting polymer flow rate in the extruder can be calculated
using the observed data during the testing of the machine as following:
Time interval (0 – 3.39 seconds), extrudate diameter = 3 (mm), extrudate length = 1.16 (m).
Now, using the above data, the volume of the extrudate is
𝜋 2 𝜋
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 𝑑 𝐿 = (0.003)2 𝑚2 × (1.16) 𝑚 = 8.20 × 10−6 (𝑚3 )
4 4
And, the volumetric flow rate is
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 8.20 × 10−6 (𝑚3 )

𝑄𝑥,𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 = = = 2.42 × 10−6 (𝑚3 𝑝𝑒𝑟 3.5 𝑠𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠)
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 3.39 (s)
𝑚3
= 0.71 × 10−6 ( )
𝑠
The relative error can be calculated as
|𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒|

% 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 Equation 12
𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
𝑚3
Experimental value 𝑄𝑥,𝑒𝑥𝑝 = 0.71 × 10−6 ( )
𝑠
𝑚3
Theoretical value 𝑄𝑥 = 0.955 × 10−6 ( )
𝑠
Therefore, the relative error using Equation 12 is
|(0.71 × 10−6 ) − (0.955 × 10−6 )|

% 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 = 25.65%
0.955 × 10−6
57
The testing results confirmed the project design objectives. This is because the obtained
extruder output is continuous plastic filament with a diameter of 3 mm. The experimental flow
rate value obtained was based on the maximum screw speed (58.2 rpm). Extruder output
(extrudate) increases linearly with screw speed. However, head pressure also increases with
screw speed resulting in higher pressure flow. But the dominant factor which affects the
extruder output depends on melt viscosity. With high-viscosity melts, the flow pressure is
minimized. In contrast, low- viscosity melts produce greater flow pressure. Thus, reducing the
extruder output.
6.1.2 Drive system
The plastic pellets melting occurs through two concurrent methods: (a) band heaters, and (b)
shear force caused by the motion of the plastic against the barrel.
The testing results showed that in order to obtain a uniform polymer melt, the screw
speed should be at least 40% of the total motor speed (23.28 rpm, VFD controller output
frequency 20 Hz). This is because as the screw speed increases, the friction and the shear force
between the molten plastic and the barrel increases. While decreasing screw speed decreases
mechanical shearing, thus minimizing the reduction in molecular weight. As a result, sharkskin
defect occurs.
The term sharkskin refers to when an extrudate loses surface gloss. sharkskin defects
originate near the die exit. In that region, critical shear stress in conjunction with a critical screw
speed results in skin rupture of the extrudate. However, this defect can be avoided by setting
proper heaters temperature and motor speed. Figure 30 shows the polymer melt profile
(sharkskin defect) at low motor speed, and Figure 31 shows the extrudate profile (smooth
surface) at sufficient motor speed.
58
Figure 30: Extrudate profile (sharkskin defect) at low motor speed.
Figure 31: Extrudate profile (smooth surface) at sufficient motor speed.
59
6.1.3 Band heaters
The testing results showed the direct dependence of the extrudate on the temperature of heaters.
The testing included two different types of thermoplastics: (1) low-density polyethylene
(LDPE), and (2) high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The results confirmed that the temperature
distribution over the screw zones to obtain uniform polymer melt varies depending on the type
of polymer. Table 19 shows the observed proper temperature values for LDPE and HDPE
thermoplastics.
Table 19: Temperature distribution over screw zones for different thermoplastics.
Thermoplastic
Screw zone
LDPE HDPE
Feed zone 170 ℃ 190 ℃
Compression zone 180 ℃ 200 ℃
Metering zone 190 ℃ 220 ℃
6.2. The engineering standards
Table 20: Testing engineering standards.
Standard Description
ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems
OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational health and safety
Standard specification for welding and allied

ISO 9692-3:2016
process
60
Standard practice for conditioning plastics for
ASTM D618
testing
Specifies the test conditions for the determination

ISO 527
of the tensile properties of plastic
Plastic machinery – safety requirements for

ANSI/SPI B151.7-2014
extrusion machines
AIC 62321-1:2013 Test standard for heating elements
EN IEC 60947-5-5 Emergency stop switch compact, foolproof
ISO 13850 Emergency systems standards
6.3. The constraints
• Redesign: the screw and barrel set which were bought by the previously was restrictive
in terms of designing and purchasing the other components, for instance, the motor and
its VFD controller.
• Availability: Limited markets and companies in the local area.
• Economic: Limited budget which had to be taken into account to avoid exceeding the
costs of similar machines in the market.
• Manufacturability: Limited machines in the workshop which slightly affected the
quality and reliability of the machine
• Sustainability: an enormous amount of heat energy is supplied to the surrounding,
mainly from the band heaters. Lots of electricity is also wasted while running the
machine for long periods of time.
61
CHAPTER 7 - CONCLUSIONS and FUTURE WORKS
7.1. The conclusions
Plastic extrusion is one of the important shaping processes of plastic which results in producing
a continuous flow of plastic that is going to be shaped into the desired product using a die or by
many other techniques. This report illustrated the design process of a single screw plastic
extrusion machine that is used to produce plastic filament. The design objectives were safety,
cost, assembly, performance, and environment.
The extruder consists of a barrel with a 30mm internal diameter and 947mm length and
a screw of 30mm flight diameter and 971mm length which is divided into feed zone,
compression zone and metering zone, with each zine serving a distinct function. Both the barrel
and screw are made from Nitrided alloy steel 38CrMoAIA to withstand generated pressure and
to resist wear. A die is connected to the barrel head in order to shape the plastic into a continuous
filament with 3mm diameter.
The motor was selected to be 4 kW 3-phase AC motor with a gearbox of reduction ratio
of 25:1 in order to deliver both the desired speed and torque to the extruder screw. In addition,
a control unit was provided for the motor consisting of a variable frequency drive, switch to
control the speed of rotation (rpm), switch to control the direction of rotation and emergency
stop.
Ceramic band heaters two of 1.25 kW and two of 1.5 kW was chosen to effectively
supply heat to the extruder that is required to melt the plastic. Each plastic has it is own melting
temperature, so the machine was equipped with a temperature control unit consists of three
temperature controllers each connected to a thermocouple to sense the temperature at the
associated point of the extruder, to a contactor and to an ON/OFF switch, these controllers
provides decent control on the temperature in each zone of the of the extruder separately.
62
Basically, heaters corresponding to the different extruder zones are connected to the associated
controller through the contactor which is responsible for passing or cutting current to the heaters
depending upon the signal it receives from the temperature controller, in order to maintain the
desired temperature in the zone.
The Table was designed to withstand loads of the motor, the extruder, and other
components, also a storage area was provided to store the raw material and equipment,
moreover, the table was equipped with wheels to ease movement of the machine around. The
control units were placed to be within reach and to provide comfortable control for the operator.
The cooling system is composed of plastic bath (that can hold up to 45L of water), two
pulleys to direct the melt flow inside the water and a reel to take the cooled filament out of the
water and wind it up.
The working principle of the machine is simply as follows: the temperature controllers
are switched on which in return will turn on the heaters and heating of the extruder will begin,
the temperatures should be set according to the type of plastic to be used, when the desired
temperatures are reached plastic pellets are poured into the hopper and the motor is turned on,
speed of the motor is gradually increased to the adequate value. Rotation of the screw will push
the plastic pellets forward from the hopper to the barrel head, along the way the plastic pellets
are melted and crushed and transferred into viscous flow of plastic, when the flow comes out
of the die it is pulled into the cooling water beneath the pulleys and up to the reel which is
rotated to pull and wind up the produced plastic filament.
Several tests were conducted to test the machine’s ability to produce continuous
filament and with the desired diameter, also to find the suitable zones temperatures and motor
speed associated with the different plastic types.
63
7.2. The future works
Various components can be added to the machine to make it more effective, versatile and safer:
• The cooling system can be equipped with a water circulating system, the function of
this system is to cool down the water as it gets heated by the produced filament. It is
suggested that the circulating system simply consists of a set of pipes that run beneath
the water bath and a pump that sucks water from the bath and pass it through the pipes
and back to the bath which helps in chilling the water. The estimated cost is $60 - $70.
• Automation of the winding up reel is advised. Redesigning of the reel to work with a
DC motor will enhance the quality of the product as the winding force will be more
consistent and it will decrease the number of people needed to operate the machine. The
DC motor should be supported on the same height as the reel and the shafts of the reel
and the motor are connected by a coupling. The estimated cost is $30 - $50.
• In order to raise the productivity, dies and molds of different cross-sections and shapes
can be provided to the machine, this will increase the number of products produced and
help to benefit more from the machine capabilities. Since the machine does not inject
plastic, it is not suggested to use molds with sharp edges and complex shapes. A steel
cylindrical rod can be machined to have the same diameter and threading as for the
threaded part of the extrusion die, then it should be welded on a steel plate and drilled
all the way through the steel plate. After that, the plate can be drilled to have holes so
the mold can be fastened directly to the plate. The estimated cost is $10 - $20.
• Supplying the machine with a shredder that can cut various products and objects made
of thermoplastic onto small flakes suitable to be used as raw material, will enhance the
usage of recyclable plastic in the machine production. The shredder comes as a separate
small machine with a tray to collect the plastic after shredding. The estimated cost is
$200 - $300.
64
• The band heaters can be equipped with air blower fans to serve the function of cooling
down the barrel when the desired temperature in the zone is exceeded, in order to have
more precise control on the temperatures in each of the extruder zones. The estimated
cost is $60 - $90.
• Applying insulation between the barrel and its supports to decrease flowing of heat to
the table frame and to enhance the safety of the machine. Simply a layer of heat
insulating material such as glass wool can be mounted on the barrel support. The
estimated cost is $5 - $10.
65
REFERENCES
Anaheim automation, inc. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from AC motor guide:
https://www.anaheimautomation.com/manuals/forms/ac-motor-guide.php
Autonics Corporation. (2018). Retrieved from TCN4M-24 R:
https://www.autonics.com/model/A1500001066#n
EAO switch corporation. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from EAO series 61:
http://products.eao.com/index.php?IdTreeGroup=125&IdProduct=68982
Eaton Industries GmbH. (2019). Retrieved from DC1-349D5NB-A20CE1 - Variable frequency drive:
https://datasheet.eaton.com/datasheet.php?model=185733&locale=en_GB&_lt=
Electrical Classroom. (2018). Retrieved from Contactor – Construction, Operation, Application and
Selection: https://www.electricalclassroom.com/contactor-construction-operation-application-
and-selection/
GAMAK. (2016). Retrieved from AGM2E 112 M 4: http://www.gamak.com/en-
US/content/product/products/low-voltage-motors/standard-motors/three-phase-motors/single-
speed-motors/ie2/aluminium/4-pole/agm2e-112-m-4
Golander. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from Temperature control:
http://www.golanderusa.com/universal-1-16din-digital-pid-temperature-controller.html
Groover, M. P. (2010). Shaping processes for plastics. In Fundamentals of modern manufacturing (4
ed., pp. 9, 268, 271-278, 287, 296, 297, 299, 300, 301). New York: Wiley.
Harper, C. A. (2000). Processing of thermoplastics. In Modern plastics handbook (pp. 5.24, 5.28, 5.29,
5.42). McGraw-Hill.
Huanyang electrical co., ltd. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from Products: Variable
frequency drive: https://huanyangelectrical.en.ec21.com/Products--6878300.html
66
Omega engineering inc. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from PID & process temperature
controllers: https://in.omega.com/prodinfo/temperaturecontrollers.html
Ormon industrial automation. (2018). Retrieved December 12, 2018, from Overview of temperature
controllers: https://www.ia.omron.com/support/guide/53/introduction.html
Sakai, T. (2013). Industrial chemistry research institute. Retrieved from Polimery, No 11-12/2013:
http://en.www.ichp.pl/Screw-extrusion-technology
Tense Electric and Electronic. (2019). Retrieved from TK-13:
http://tense.com.tr/%C3%BCr%C3%BCnler/s%C4%B1cakl%C4%B1k-kontrol-
r%C3%B6leleri/termokupllar/item/370-tk-3
Yancheng Laiyuan Electric Equipment Ltd. (2017). Retrieved from Band heaters: http://www.china-
laiyuan.com/bh
67
APPENDIX A: Electronic Media
Brief Description of the plastic extrusion machine, pictures, and videos of conducted
manufacturing processes, testing, and demonstrations, also CAD models and engineering
drawings of the machine are all available on the following web site:
http://www.plasticextrusionmachine.epizy.com/
68
APPENDIX B: Constraints
Constraints Yes No
Redesign X
Economic X
Availability X
Manufacturability X
Sustainability X
Ethical X
Environmental X
Health & safety X
Political X
Social X
Efficiency X
Reliability X
Performance X
Serviceability X
69
APPENDIX C: Standards
Standards Definition
ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems
OHSAS 18001;2007 occupational health and safety
specification for general requirements

ASTM A 450/A 450M for carbon, ferritic alloy, and austenitic
alloy steel tubes
Standard Specification for Nonferrous Nuts
ASTM F467 - 13(2018)
for General Use
Standard Specification for Aluminum and
ASTM B209 - 14
Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
AMS6348 Standard Specification for steel alloy bars
Standard Specification for Welding and

ISO 9692-3:2016
allied processes
Standard Specification for Submerged arc
ISO 9692-2:1998
welding of steels
Standard Practice for Conditioning Plastics
ASTM D618
for Testing
Specifies the test conditions for the
ISO 527 determination of the tensile properties of
plastic.
AISI H13 Tool steel standard specifications
Plastics Machinery - Safety Requirements

ANSI/SPI B151.7-2014
for Extrusion Machines
EN41CrAIMo7-10 Screw and barrel nitriding steel standards
AIC 62321-1:2013 Test standards for heating elements
EN IEC 60947-5-5 Emergency stop switch compact, foolproof
70
APPENDIX D: Logbook
Written by
Report writing
Name, Surname Student Number
Report format HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Report editing HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Abstract HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Chapter 1 HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Chapter 2 TARIG MAKKI 15700833
Chapter 3
HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
(section 3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
Chapter 3
HUSSAIN SHAWISH 15700444
(section 3.4)
Chapter 4 TARIG MAKKI 15700833
Chapter 5 HUSSAIN SHAWISH 15700444
Chapter 6
(section 6.1)
Chapter 6
TARIG MAKKI 15700833
(section 6.2, 6.3)
ABDULRAHMAN ABOUHANY 143115

Chapter 7
71
Written by
Report writing
Name, Surname Student Number
References HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Appendix A HUSSAIN SHAWISH 15700444
Appendix B TARIG MAKKI 15700833
Appendix C TARIG MAKKI 15700833
Appendix D HASHEM ALHARTHI 143230
Appendix E HUSSAIN SHAWISH 15700444
ABDULRAHMAN ABOUHANY 143115

Appendix F
Appendix G HUSSAIN SHAWISH 15700444

Appendix H
Appendix I TARIG MAKKI 15700833
Appendix J ABDULRAHMAN ABOUHANY 143115
72
Date Brief description of the performed work
From 18/02/2019 to 22/02/2019 Temperature controllers design
From 25/02/2019 to 1/03/2019 Temperature controllers design and selection
From 4/03/2019 to 8/03/2019 Drive motor design
From 11/03/2019 to 15/03/2019 Drive motor design and selection
From 18/03/2019 to 22/03/2019 VFD controller design
From 25/03/2019 to 29/03/2019 VFD controller design and selection
From 1/04/2019 to 5/04/2019 Cleaning extruder barrel and screw
From 8/04/2019 to 12/04/2019 Machine table design
From 15/04/2019 to 19/04/2019 Machine table manufacturing
From 22/04/2019 to 26/04/2019 Machine table manufacturing
From 29/04/2019 to 3/05/2019 Machine assembly
From 6/05/2019 to 10/05/2019 Cooling system design
Cooling system manufacturing

From 13/05/2019 to 17/05/2019
Product testing
Product testing
From 20/05/2019 to 24/05/2019
Finalizing report writing
From 27/05/2019 to 31/05/2019 Project demonstration and presentation
73
APPENDIX E: Project Timeline
74
APPENDIX F: Product Breakdown Structure
Appendix F is divided into two sections. First, the general configuration of the designed plastic extrusion machine is shown then a product breakdown structure showing each part/component numbering is provided.
75
76
APPENDIX G: Wiring diagrams of the control system
The wiring diagrams are divided into two sections: (1) VFD controller wiring diagram, and (2) temperature controllers wiring diagram.
77
78
APPENDIX H: Assembly Instructions
The plastic extrusion machine consists of:
• Extruder barrel and screw.
• Drive, control, and cooling system.
The assembly procedure for each part/component is as follows:
Extruder barrel and screw:
1. The sliding ring (Non-return valve) is inserted to the screw tip.
2. The screw tip is fastened to the screw.
3. The extruder screw is inserted to the barrel.
4. The barrel head is bolted to the extruder barrel with two bolts.
5. The barrel is rested on the semi-circular supports.
6. The barrel is bolted in place with the provided clamps.
7. The extrusion die is attached to the barrel head.
8. The hopper is supported on the extruder barrel using 2 bolts.
9. The band heaters are inserted around the barrel and fixed in place with 2 bolts for each.
Drive system:
1. The gearbox is supported on the C-channel steel beams using 4 bolts.
2. The screw is connected to the gearbox shaft using a jaw coupling.
3. The jaw coupling is fixed using a set screw (Metric 8).
Control and cooling system:
1. The control boxes are fixed to the control unit supports using 4 bolts for each.
2. The water bath is just placed on a table.
3. The pulleys are inserted to the shafts in the water bath.

79
APPENDIX I: Operating Instructions
The operating instructions are as follows:
1. Plug the main electricity cords and switch on the circuit breakers.
2. Turn on the temperature controllers and set the temperatures to the required preferences.
3. Give the band heaters enough time to reach the required temperatures.
4. Make sure the plastic is molten before turning on the motor.
5. Turn on the motor and control its speed and make sure it’s set to the anticlockwise
rotation (II-direction in the direction switch).
6. Pour the plastic pellets in the hopper and fill it up.
7. Wait for the product to come out.
8. Fix the product to the first roller in the cooling tank and allow it to cool.
9. Finally, wind the plastic filament on the winding reel.
80
APPENDIX J: Engineering drawings
Drawings start on the next page.
81
9
8
INSTRUCTION : 5
-Table frame is welded
-AC motor is bolted to its stand with 4 bolts
-Screw is connected to the AC motor by jaw coupling 4
-Barrel is rested on a semi circular supports and bolted
in place with additional holders
-Hopper is fastened around the barrel
with semi circular support by 2 bolts 13
-Heater bands are fixed around the barrel with 2 bolts each
-Extrusion die is fastened to the barrel head 7 2 1
12 6
-Pulleys are inserted to the shaft in the water bath
-Control box is fixed to the control box support with 4 bolts
14
NO. Part Name
15 Cooling system
table
14 Wind-up reel 15
11
13 Pulley
12 Water bath
11 Wheel
10 Barrel cover
9 Jaw coupling
8 Control box NAME SIGN DATE
7 Hopper Drawn Abdulrahman
6 Extrusion die By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
5 Heater band
90x150 Checked JURY Mechanical Engineering
Heater band 29-05-19
4 90x100
By: Department
3 Extruder barrel Dimensions in
2 Extruder screw Scale: Title: Plastic extrusion Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1 AC motor with 1:45 machine assembly 1-0 Tolerance 180-9001
gear box
3
5 2 1 6
INSTRUCTION :
Barrel head is bolted to the barrel by two bolts
Extruder screw is inserted to the barrel
Die is fastened in the barrel head
Hopper is bolted to its support
NO. Part Name

Hopper support NAME SIGN DATE
8 bolts Drawn Abdulrahman
Barrel Barrel head By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
7 boltshead
6 Hopper support Checked JURY Mechanical Engineering
5 Hopper By: 29-05-19 Department
4 Die Dimensions in
3 Extruder screw Scale: Title: Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
2 Barrel head 1:15 Extruder assembly 1-1 Tolerance 180-9001
1 Barrel
2 3 1
INSTRUCTON :
Sliding ring is inserted to the screw tip
Screw tip is fastened to the screw NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 19-05-19
NO. Part name Checked Mechanical Engineering

JURY 22-05-19 Department
Sliding ring valve
By:
3 (non return valve)
2 Screw tip
Scale: Title: Extruder screw Part No.: Dimensions are in
1:10 assembly 1-1-2 milimeters
1 Screw Tolerance 180-9001
27.26
52
90 ±0.30
80 ±0.01
946
156 30 ±0.12
90
80
31 60
75
NOTE NAME SIGN DATE

Material : Alloy steel Drawn Abdulrahman
38CrMoAIA By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Scale: Title: Barrel Part No.: Dimensions are in

1:10 1-1-1-1 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
52
43
50
12
32 ±0.04
±0
95
.0
5
90
50
10
2
.1
±0
30
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn
By:
Abdulrahman
Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
NOTE
Material : Alloy steel Checked JURY Mechanical Engineering
29-05-19 Department
38CrMoAIA By:
Scale: Title: Barrel head Part No.: Dimensions are in
Tolerance 180-9001
M8 Machine Threads
70.00
10.00
.00
12 25.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE
Material : Steel By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Checked JURY Mechanical Engineering
29-05-19
By: Department
Dimensions in
Scale: Title: Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:1 Barrel head bolt 1-1-1-2-1 Tolerance 180-9001
M18 Tapped Hole
4
733
164
14
30 ±0.03
22.96
24
2
29
29
55
6.05
18
50
R14. 10 4
26
26
NAME SIGN DATE
NOTE
Drawn Abdulrahman
Material : Alloy steel
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
38CrMoAIA
By:
Scale: Title: Screw Part No.: Dimensions are in

Tolerance 180-9001
R2
25
18.91
1.57
R2
R8
18
135.07
R1
8.14
5
12.10
16 ±0.02
2.85
22 ±0.02
M8 Machine Threads 22.60 ±0.20
R8
22
2.85
12
16
24.02
15
NAME SIGN DATE
NOTE Drawn Abdulrahman
Material : Alloy steel By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
38CrMoAIA
By:
Scale: Title: Screw tip Part No.: Dimensions are in

Tolerance 180-9001
30
25
23.68
30
NAME SIGN DATE

By:
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Alloy steel Abouhany
38CrMoAIA Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Scale: Title: Sliding ring valve Part No.: Dimensions are in

3:2 (Non-return valve) 1-1-2-3 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
114
150
R57
R45
6
2
8 20
13.07 70
M4
NOTE NAME SIGN DATE
Material : Aluminum Drawn Abdulrahman
and ceramic By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Scale: Title: Ceramic Part No.: Dimensions are in

1:5 band heater (90x150) 1-1-4-1 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
100
114
R45 R57
99.75
2
13.07 M4 20
8
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Aluminum
and ceramic Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Scale: Title: Ceramic Part No.: Dimensions are in

1:2.5 band heater (90x100) 1-1-4-2 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
60
5
2.30
5
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Scale: Title:Ceramic band Part No.: Dimensions are in
1:1 heater bolt 1-1-4-4 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
.51
84
180
60
52
298.49
230
21.01
50
60 R4
30 0
10
10
30
60
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
NOTE Checked Mechanical Engineering
Material : Steel By:
Scale: Title: Hopper Part No.: Dimensions are in

1:6 1-1-5 milimeters
Tolerance 180-9001
13.51
8.70
5
3
27
R 1.16
32
11
37
32
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Scale: Title: Extrusion die Part No.: Dimensions are in

Tolerance 180-9001
70.00
29.00
210.00
200.00 R 7.00
0
.0
30
237.40
0
12.0
240.00
194.50
347.50
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn
By:
Abdulrahman A.M.A 22-05-19
Abouhany
29-05-19
By: Department
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:AC Motor Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:10 with a gear box 1-2-1 Tolerance 180-9001
25.00
R 1.00
45.00
60 .00 75.00
.00 29
NAME SIGN DATE

Material : Cast iron By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:Jaw coupling Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:2 1-2-2 Tolerance 180-9001
300.00
0
8.0
280.00
155.00
260.00
60.00
375.00
30.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Plastic Checked JURY 29-05-19 Mechanical Engineering
By: Department
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:control box Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:7 Tolerance 180-9001
1540.00
120.00
90.00
140.00
0
10.0 8.00
10
.00
10.50
80.00
45.00
80.00
832.40 50.00
100.00
1000.00
260.00
40.00
640.00
140.00 115.00
NAME SIGN DATE

A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:Machine table Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1-5-1
1:27 1-5-2 Tolerance 180-9001
170.00
10.0
0
0
0.0
R5
0.00
R4
10.00
45.00 30.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn
By:
Abdulrahman A.M.A 22-05-19
Abouhany
29-05-19
By: Department
Dimensions in
1:2 Barrel support 1 1-5-3 Tolerance 180-9001
10.
00
180.00
00
5.
R5
5.00
R4
10.00
30.00
45.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
29-05-19
By: Department
Dimensions in
1:2 Barrel support 2 1-5-3 Tolerance 180-9001
90.00
600.00
5. 220.00
00
290.00
640.00
310.00
40.00
340.00
NAME SIGN DATE

A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:control Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1-14 boxes support 1-5-4 Tolerance 180-9001
680.00
320.00
55
2.
200.00
45
520.00
135
°
108.00
228.00
0
R90.0
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE A.M.A 22-05-19
By: Abouhany
Material : Steel
29-05-19
By: Department
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:Barrel cover Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:20 1-5-5 Tolerance 180-9001
115.00
10.50
140.00
140.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title: Table Wheel Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:5 1-5-6 Tolerance 180-9001
100.00
8.00
NAME SIGN DATE
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title: M8 x2 Bolt Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
2:3 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
40.00
8.00
NAME SIGN DATE
By:
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel Abouhany
By:
Dimensions in
3:2 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
60.00
10.00
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Dimensions in
1:1 M8 x4 Bolt 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
11.55
0
8.0
5.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn
NOTE Abdulrahman
A.M.A 22-05-19
By: Abouhany
Material : Steel
By:
Dimensions in
3:1 M8 x 24 Hex Nut 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
110.00
10.00
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel
By:
Dimensions in
1:2 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
13.84
.00
10
3
6.9
5.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Dimensions in
3:1 M10 x4 Hex Nut 1-5-7 Tolerance 180-9001
350.00
98.74
5.00
800.00
30.00
150.00
100.00
300.00
810.00
NAME SIGN DATE

Drawn Abdulrahman
By:
A.M.A 22-05-19
NOTE Abouhany
Material : Plastic Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:Water bath Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:14 1-6-1 Tolerance 180-9001
31
24
130
130
120
74
30
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
By:
Scale: Title: Part No.: Dimensions are in

Water bath pulley Tolerance 180-9001
5
R1
149.92
31
30
200
200
412
120
NAME SIGN DATE
Drawn Abdulrahman
NOTE By: Abouhany
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Aluminum
alloy 6061 T6 Checked Mechanical Engineering
By:
Scale: Title: Reel wheel Part No.: Dimensions are in

Tolerance 180-9001
500.00
1000.00
70.01
150.00
130.
00
202.00
65.29
1000.00
NAME SIGN DATE
By:
A.M.A 22-05-19
Material : Steel Abouhany
By:
Dimensions in
Scale: Title:cooling Part No.: milimeters and Degrees
1:25 system table 1-6-4 Tolerance 180-9001

Plastic Extrusion Machine-Project Report

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Eastern Mediterranean University

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Name of Project: Redesign and Development of Plastic Filament Extrusion

143230 HASHEM ALHARTHI (Team Leader)

15700444 HUSSAIN SHAWISH

15700833 TARIG MAKKI

143115 ABDULRAHMAN ABOUHANY

Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Bsher A. ASMAEL

Semester: Spring 2019

Submission Date: 17th of June 2019

Assoc. Prof. Dr. QASIM ZEESHAN

Assist. Prof. Dr. DAVUT SOLYALI

Assist. Prof. Dr. MOHAMMED BSHER A.

of producing continuous plastic filament with a diameter of 3 (mm). Extrusion is a polymer

conversion operation in which a solid thermoplastic material is melted, forced through an

extrusion die of the desired cross-section, and cooled in a water bath.

project becomes since it contributes to the success and development of mankind.

The project constraints are redesign limitations, economic, availability, manufacturability,

sustainability, and ethical.

LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. vii

LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... x

LIST OF SYMBOLS and ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................... xii

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1

1.1. Detailed definition of the project ................................................................................. 1

1.2. Significance of the project ........................................................................................... 2

1.3. Detailed project objectives .......................................................................................... 3

1.3.1 Design for cost........................................................................................................................ 3

1.3.2 Design for safety .................................................................................................................... 3

1.3.3 Design for assembly ............................................................................................................... 3

1.3.4 Design for performance .......................................................................................................... 4

1.3.5 Design for the environment .................................................................................................... 4

1.4. Detailed project constraints ......................................................................................... 4

1.5. Report Organization .................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 6

2.1. Background information .................................................................................................. 6

2.1.1 History of plastic forming ...................................................................................................... 6

2.1.2 Polymers ................................................................................................................................. 6

2.3. Comparisons of the concurrent solutions ...................................................................... 11

2.4. Engineering standards of the concurrent solutions ........................................................ 13

CHAPTER 3 -DESIGN and ANALYSIS ................................................................................ 14

3.1. Selected design .............................................................................................................. 14

3.1.1 Extruder barrel ...................................................................................................................... 14

3.1.2 Extruder screw ...................................................................................................................... 16

3.1.3 Drive system ......................................................................................................................... 18

3.1.4 Control system ...................................................................................................................... 20

3.1.5 Cooling system ..................................................................................................................... 25

3.1.6 Band heaters ......................................................................................................................... 26

3.1.7 Extrusion die......................................................................................................................... 28

3.1.8 Hopper .................................................................................................................................. 29

3.1.9 Table ..................................................................................................................................... 30

3.2 Engineering standards..................................................................................................... 31

3.3. Design calculations ........................................................................................................ 32

3.3.1 Polymer melt flow rate in the extruder ................................................................................. 32

3.3.2 Extrusion capacity ................................................................................................................ 37

3.3.3 Gearbox output analysis ....................................................................................................... 38

3.3.4 Energy contribution by band heaters .................................................................................... 38

3.4 Cost analysis ................................................................................................................... 40

4.1 Manufacturing process selection .................................................................................... 43

4.1.1 Extruder barrel ...................................................................................................................... 43

4.1.2 Extruder screw ...................................................................................................................... 44