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Experimental study and finite element analysis of the injection blow molding process
Author(s) -
Haessly W. P.,
Ryan M. E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760331908
Subject(s) - materials science , finite element method , blow molding , mold , rotational symmetry , molding (decorative) , deformation (meteorology) , thermocouple , composite material , process (computing) , bottle , mechanical engineering , mechanics , structural engineering , computer science , engineering , physics , operating system
A finite element numerical analysis of preform inflation associated with the injection blow molding process has been developed using a neo‐Hookean constitutive model. The analysis is capable of predicting final wall thickness distributions for axisymmetric mold geometries. Experimental studies were conducted on a Uniloy injection blow molding machine (Model 189‐3 and Model 122). A twelve ounce (355 mL) cylindrical bottle mold was instrumented with contact sensors, thermocouples, and pressure transducers. Visualization studies of the inflation process were performed using specialized tooling and high‐speed video cameras. The experimental studies provide justification for analyzing the deformation by means of a static elastic approach. The predicted wall thickness distribution is in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. Nonuniformities in the temperature distribution in the preform were found to have the most significant impact on the inflation behavior and the resulting wall thickness.