PLSM.7280 - Plastics Engineering: Extrusion
Program Overview
Seminar Overview
This seminar offers comprehensive coverage of the extrusion of polymeric materials. It is intended for individuals who have little or no background in the extrusion process or for those who have been using single- and twin-screw extruders and want to gain a thorough understanding of the interrelationships between the polymeric materials, the equipment and processing variables. Lectures discuss the significant characteristics of polymeric materials and their effect on the extrusion process. Types of extruders and their components, equipment specifications, instrumentation, and screw geometry are discussed. Operational principles including solids conveying, plastication, mixing and pressure generation of single- and twin-screw extruders are explained. Specific extrusion processes including blown and flat film, tube and pipe, profiles, extrusion coating and foam extrusion are discussed and expanded upon if requested by participants. Troubleshooting techniques and operational strategies are covered.
Content
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYMERIC MATERIALS
Molecular weight; molecular weight distribution; properties of bulk materials; polymer rheological properties; thermal properties
TYPES OF EXTRUDERS
EXTRUDER COMPONENTS
OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS (SINGLE & TWIN)
Zonal distribution & function; solids conveying principles; melting theories; conveying & pressure generation; screw characteristic curves; screw design principles; conveying, melting, mixing, venting & pressure generation; extruder output calculations; basic demands of production
EXTRUSION PROCESSES
Blown & flat film; tube & pipe; profiles; extrusion coating; wire coating; foam extrusion; fiber spinning; coextrusion
TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNIQUES
Most of the afternoons will be spent in the Plastics Process Engineering Labs with hands-on experience in start-up, shutdown and troubleshooting single- and twin-screw extrusion operations. Demonstrated extrusion processes: blown film, flat film, tubes & pipes, foam extrusion and compounding with twin-screw extruders.
About the Facilitator
Dr. Anne Soucy is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Associate Chair for the Plastics Engineering undergraduate degree program at UMass Lowell, where she earned a bachelor's degree and a doctoral degree in Plastics Engineering. Prior to joining the UMass Lowell faculty, she was a faculty member in the departments of Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology and Engineering Design Technology at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Courses she has taught include blow molding, rotational molding, product and mold design for injection molding, Moldflow®, 2D CAD applications, print reading, and 3D parametric solid modeling. She has also taught injection molding and product design for injection molding industrial seminars.