In the course of the digitalization of production plants, more and more process parameters are being collected, stored and made available for analysis. For a detailed analysis of production parameters, however, it is essential to know the prevailing situation in production, as otherwise it is very difficult to meaningfully evaluate […]
Troubleshooting
20 posts
When manufacturing profiles (with hollow chamber structures), the design of the vacuum calibrations and the post-cooling represents a challenge. The number of calibrations, the geometry, the materials and coatings used, the vacuum control, the temperature control and much more must be optimally tailored to the product, the material and the […]
SHS plus GmbH puts together Corona aid package for companies in the plastics industry SHS plus GmbH from Dinslaken decides to offer Corona assistance to companies in the plastics industry. Companies in the plastics industry can now access the services of SHS plus GmbH as part of the “SHS Corona […]
In the extrusion of pipes, cables, profiles and many other semi-finished products, immersion cooling tanks or spray cooling tanks are used in which the hot extrudate is introduced and cooled with cooled water. Both the immersion cooling tank – in which the extrudate is completely submerged in a water bath […]
Every optimization, regardless of whether it is a technological, process engineering or a organizational measure, usually requires an adaptation of behavior patterns. Adapting behaviour patterns, especially when the behaviour to be changed has been practised for years, is often not easy and in many cases represents a hurdle, the overcoming […]
Extrusion dies should ideally be designed and coated in such a way that production can be carried out without any interruption for cleaning. This aspect is already taken into account in the design of the flow paths, in the selection of steels and coatings as well as in the selection […]
As already mentioned in the previous article, it is always advisable to optimally parameterize the temperatures of the extrusion cylinder to avoid production problems and to ensure economical and productive production. Optimizing cylinder temperatures while production is running is not an easy task and is therefore often avoided due to […]
Today’s extruders usually have several different heating (or heating/cooling) zones, which can be individually parameterised with regard to the desired temperature. The temperature control of the extruder is essential for the achievable product quality as well as for the productivity of the plant. Nevertheless, in practice it happens very often […]
Blocking of films is the most frequent cause of complaints about films. In some light cases, the problem is only a slight quality defect, but in more extreme cases it leads to large quantities of rejects, as entire rolls have to be disposed of on which blocking has occurred. […]
When extruding profiles, the maximum production speed is one of the most important factors for the calculation af a quotation. If the production speed is assumed to be higher than the real production can be in practice, this can mean high losses for the extrusion plant and represents a high […]
In the course of the current trends towards Industry 4.0 (smart factory), the availability of as much process information as possible is one of the first necessary steps. Process information, machine control parameter and sensor values are generally available to a large extent, but it is often not easily possible […]
Due to the poor thermal conductivity of thermoplastics, residual stresses (tensile and compressive residual stresses) are build up in the walls of the product during cooling processes after extrusion. Deformations and distortion of the products often result from the residual stresses, whereby the presence of the residual stresses becomes visible. […]
In addition to the width of a film and the profile tolerance, the flatness is considered as one of the most important quality criterions. Good flatness refers to film products with a high planarity, also a low tendency for sagging areas or bulges. The flatness of a film is an […]
Voids/blowholes/vacuoles are frequent quality problems that can occur especially in the manufacture of thick-walled products. Although the cause of this problem is well known, it is often difficult and time-consuming to avoid it. When cooling plastics from melt temperature to ambient temperature, the specific volume or density of the plastic […]
In extrusion, the temperature distribution inside the product is a very relevant value whose knowledge can contribute to understanding a variety of effects or problems. However, measuring the internal temperature of an extruded product is difficult in most cases, because in a continuous process such as extrusion (with sometimes very […]
In different extrusion processes, curvature (or bowing, sabre-running, katana effect, etc.) represents a major quality problem and is often difficult to get a grip on. The cause of the curvature is almost always an inhomogeneous thermal situation of the product during cooling and can often be greatly reduced or completely […]
10 possible causes for die drool and solution approaches The formation of die drool during extrusion is a frequently occurring problem whose development cannot yet be clearly explained to this day. Die drool formation refers to deposits in the area of the nozzle exit, which are initially perceived as a […]
The collapsing of pipe ends is one of the most common problems in the extrusion of pipes and occurs especially when high production speeds are used on the production lines. The reasons for the geometric shape deformation are internal stresses. The reduction of the problem is often possible with simple […]
Identifying the “real” cause of a problem is usually the most important step if a sustainable solution is to be achieved. Often fundamental mistakes are made in this area and either “workarounds” are developed which merely help to avoid the problem or fake causes are eliminated. Various methods exist for […]
Collapsing of pipe ends is one of the most common problems in the extrusion of pipes and occurs especially when high production speeds areused on the production lines. The reasons for the geometric shape deformations are internal stresses. The reduction of the problem is often possible with simple means. […]