12

Blow Molding of
Thermoplastics
Historically, the blow molding of thermoplastic materials began during World War 11.
Polystyrene was the first material used with the
newly developed blow molding machines, and
low-density polyethylene was used in the first
large-volume commercial application, a
squeeze bottle for deodorant. In the beginning,
the plastic bottle business was dominated by
companies such as Owens-Illinois, Continental
Can, American Can, Plax, Imco, and Wheaton
Industries, using proprietary technology and
equipment. The introduction of high-density
polyethylene and the commercial availability of
blow molding machines, mostly from such
German companies as Fischer, Bekum, and
Kautex, led to phenomenal industrial growth
and diversity in the 1960s.
Basically, blow molding is intended for use
in manufacturing hollow plastic products; a
principal advantage is its ability to produce hollow shapes without having to join two or more
separately molded parts. Although there are
considerable differences in the available processes, as described below, all have in common production of a parison (precursor), enclosing of the parison in a closed female mold,
and inflation with air to expand the molten
plastic against the surface of the mold, where
it sets up into the finished product.
Differences exist in the way that the parison
is made (i.e., by extrusion or by injection
Reviewed and updated by Samuel L. Belcher, Sabel Plastech Inc., Cincinnati, OH.

molding); in whether it is to be used hot as it

comes from the extruder or injection molding
machine (as in conventional blow molding), or
stored cold and then reheated (as in cold preform molding); and in the manner in which the
parison is transferred to the blow mold or the
blow mold is moved to the parison.
The basic process steps remain the same,
however:
1. Melt the material.
2. Form the molten resin into a tube or parison.
3 . Enclose the hollow parison in the blow
mold.
4. Inflate the parison inside the mold.
5. Cool the blow-molded part.
6. Remove the part from the mold.
7. Trim flash, as needed.
In many cases, all these steps can be carried
out automatically, with the finished products
conveyed to downstream stations for secondary
operations and packaging.
Although there are many variations, the two
basic processes are extrusion blow molding and
injection blow molding. Extrusion processes
are by far the more widely used, but injection
blow molding and injection stretch blow molding have captured significant market segments.
While reviewing these methods, the reader is
urged to refer to Chapters 4 and 5 for additional
background material.

341

342

Fig.

SPI PLASTICS

12-1.

Johnson

Reciprocating

Controls,

ENGINEERING

screw,

HANDBOOK

intennittent

extrusion

system

EXTRUSION

BLOW

MOLDING

The true secret of good extrusion blow molding

lies in using a good plastifier, good die head
design, and good tooling. The goal is to produce a uniform melt, form it into a tube with
the desired cross section, and blow it into the

Fig.

12-2.

for blow

molding

milk

and juice

containers.

( Courtesy

Inc. )

Single-stage

injection

stretch

blow

molding

exact shape of the product. Figure 12-3 shows

a section through a typical extrusion die head,
and Figure

12-4 shows three typical

extrusion

die head designs for blow molding. For information on extruder design and selection, refer
to Chapter 4. Mold design is covered later in
this chapter.

machine

for PET bottles.

( Courtesy

Cincinnuti-Milucron

BLOW MOLDING OF THERMOPLASTICS

343

the type of resin used (e.g., making an acetal

product would involve higher blow pressures
than would be required for polyethylene), the
type of blow molding unit used, and the product being made.
The discussion below deals primarily with
the extrusion blow molding of high-density
polyethylene bottles-the technique, material,
and application in most common use today. The
process variables discussed cover the extruder
die (for making the parison) and the blowing
air.

Fig. 12-3. Section through a typical extrusion die head.

Process Variables*
Obviously, the process parameters to be considered in blow molding will be conditioned by
*This section courtesy of Soltex Polymer Corporation

Die. In a sense, the parison die has become

the key element in blow molding because it
controls material distribution in the finished
item and, in turn, the economics of the final
product. Therefore, increasing attention has
been devoted to making the programming die
work to improve economics as well as properties. The main control factor in parison programming is the core pin. This pin can be given
greater latitude by providing a taper at the die
face and providing for movement of the pin so
the opening at the face of the die can be made
larger or smaller as required to deliver parisons
with thicker or thinner walls. Such a movable

Parison contrd

Support air
4

SUPP

air

Double ring
spider tOrp9do

Die

- Dauble spider head

Mandrel head with hear1 curve

Double ring spider (torpebo)

head

Fig. 12-4. Three basic panson extrusion die heads. ( Courresy Barrenfeld-Ascher )

344

SPI PLASTICS ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

I
PUSH ROD
(Manual adjurtmenll

PERED DIE PIN

DIE BI~SHING
(Replaceable)

Fig. 12-5. Manually variable die. (All illustrations on

Processing Variables, Courtesy Soltex Polymer Corp. )

core pin is schematically diagrammed in Fig.

12-5.

Die Dimension Calculations. In selecting the

die bushing and mandrel dimensions to be used
for the production of a blow-molded polyethylene product, several features must be considered.
For bottles, the weight, minimum allowable
wall thickness, and minimum diameter are important considerations, as well as the need, if
any, to use a parison within the neck area and
whether there may be adjacent pinch-offs.
The type and melt index of the resin used are
factors because of swell and elasticity characteristics.
Die land length and cross-sectional area must
be considered.
Some of the die dimensions will also depend
partly on the processing stock temperature and
the extrusion rate anticipated for production.
Mathematical formulas have been developed
to permit the selection of die dimensions. Although these calculated dimensions are intended as approximations or starting points in
die selection, they have been found to yield
products, in the majority of cases, within + 5 %
of the design weight. In some cases, only slight
changes in mandrel size or stock temperature

and/or extrusion rate are necessary to obtain the

desired weight.

Formulas for Calculating Die Dimensions.

The formulas presented here are for use with
long land dies, those having a 20-30 : 1 ratio of
mandrel land length to clearance between mandrel and bushing.
In their use, consideration must be given as
to the anticipated blow ratio, the ratio of maximum product outside diameter to the parison
diameter. Normally, ratios in the range of 23 : 1 are recommended. The practical upper
limit is considered to be about 4 : 1.
For large bottles with small necks, this ratio
has been extended as high as 7 : 1 so that the
parison fits within the neck. In such a case, a
heavier bottom and pinch-off results from the
thicker parison. Also, less material is distributed in the bottle walls 90" from the parting
line than in similar bottles with lower blow ratios.
When the neck size of a bottle or the smallest
diameter of the item is the controlling feature
(as when the parison must be contained within
the smallest diameter), the following approximations may be used to calculate die dimensions:
For a free fzlling parison:

Dd
Pd

0.5N,,
D: - 2Bdt

+ 2t2

where:

Dd = Diameter of die bushing, in.

Nd = Minimum neck diameter, in.
Pd = Mandrel diameter, in.
Bd = Bottle diameter, in.
t = Bottle thickness at B , , in.
This relationship is useful with most polyethylene blow molding resins, and is employed
when bottle dimensions are known, and a minimum wall thickness is specified. It is particularly useful for round cross sections.
The 0.5 figure presented for selecting the diameter of the die bushing may change slightly,
depending on processing conditions employed

BLOW MOLDING OF THERMOPLASTICS

(stock temperature, extrusion rate, etc.), resin

melt index, and die cross-sectional areas available for flow. It may be slightly lower for a
very thin die opening (small cross section) and
higher for large openings.
If product weight is specified rather than wall
thickness for a process employing inside-theneck blowing, the following approximation
may be employed:
Pd

345

where:
D,, = Die diameter
N,) = Minimum neck diameter
A,/ = Cross-sectional area of the die
A,, = Cross-sectional area of the bottle
and that:

= D: - 2 W / T 2 M

AD

n
4

= - (D: -

P:)

where:

W = Weight of object, g
L = Length of object, in.
d = Density of the resin, g/cc
T = Wall thickness, in.
This system is applicable to most shapes and
is of particular advantage for irregularly shaped
objects.
A controlled parison is one in which the dimensions are partially controlled through tension (i.e., the rotary wheel, the falling neck
ring, etc.).
Because of this, the following relationships
are employed:

where:

P , = Mandrel diameter, in.

Bd = Product diameter, in.
t = Product thickness, at Bd, in.

7r ( D ;

n
0.5 - ( B : - B:
4

- P:)

= 0.5 n ( - 4 t 2 4- 4B,f2)

4
Dd

+ 4Bdt - 4 t 2 )

0.9Nd

Pd

= JD; - 3.6B,r + 3.6r2

Pd

= d.D; - 3 . 6 W / T 2 M

Derivation of Formulas (core pin blow system). When a polymer is forced through a die,
the molecules tend to orient in the direction of
the flow. As the extrudate leaves the die, the
molecules tend to relax to their original random
order. Parison drawdown, the stress exerted by
the parisons own weight, tends to prevent
complete relaxation. This results in longitudinal shrinkage and some swelling in diameter
and wall thickness.
Through laboratory and field experience it
has been found for most high-density polyethylene blow molding resins that:

D, G O S N ,
Ad G

0.5Ao

Dividing through by n/4 and rearranging

terms:

P: = D: - 2Bf/t

+ 2t2

or:

Pd =

JD; - 2Bdt + 2t2

Also:
W
=

r*i

where:
W = Object weight, g
L = Object length, in.
d = Resin density, g/cc

346

:.

SPI PLASTICS ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

Since AD

= 0.5AB:

- (0:-

Di

Pi)4
-

0.5 M
4
R

w
M

- 0.5 -

Pi

Fig. 12-6. Die and pin.

pd

JD:

2 wlRu

The same derivation is employed for controlled parisons except that:

Other Considerations. As shown, the sizes

selected for the die bushing and mandrel depend on wall thickness of the finished blow
molded part, the blow ratio, and certain resin
qualities included in the above formulas for
various polyethylene blow molding resins.
These qualities are parison swell (increase in
wall thickness as the parison exits the die) and
parison flare (ballooning or puffing out of the
parison as it exits the die). Both depend on processing conditions. It has been shown that calculations can be made for the general die dimensions. The other dimensions of the dieapproach angles and lengths-vary widely with
machinery capabilities and manufacturers experience. Calculations for these dimensions
thus will not be given here. Instead, a few rules
of thumb suffice. For example, the land length
of the die (see Fig. 12-6) generally is eight
times the gap distance between the pin and the
die. In simple tabular form, this works out to
be :
Gap size (in.)

Land length (in.)

The die should be streamlined to avoid

abrupt changes in flow, which could cause
polymer melt fracture. When no further
changes are expected in die dimensions, the die
mandrel and bushing should be highly polished
and chrome-plated. This helps to keep the surface clean and eliminates possible areas of resin
hangup. Finally, the edges of the pin (mandrel)
and die should have slight radii to minimize
hangup within or at the exit of the die area. The
face of the mandrel should extend 0.010 to
0.020 inch below the face of the die to avoid
having a doughnut at the parison exit.

Air Entrance. In blow molding, air is forced

into the parison, expanding it against the walls
of the mold with such pressure that the expanded parison picks up the surface detail of
the mold. Air is a fluid, just as is molten
polyethylene, and as such it is limited in its
ability to flow through an orifice. If the air entrance channel is too small, the required blow
time will be excessively long, or the pressure
exerted on the parison will not be adequate to
reproduce the surface details of the mold. General rules of thumb to be used in determining
the optimum air entrance orifice size when
blowing via a needle are summarized below:
Orifice diameter (in.)
I.
16
I
4
I

Part size (vol.)

Up to one quart
I quart-I gallon
1 callon-55 gallons

Above 0.100

0.030-0.100
Below 0.030

Notice that the land length is at least inch,

regardless of gap size. This land length is necessary to get the desired parison flare.

Normally, the gauge pressure of the air used

to inflate parisons is between 40 and 150 psig.
Often, too high a blow pressure will blow
out the parison. Too little, on the other hand,
will yield end products lacking adequate surface detail. As high a blowing air pressure as

BLOW MOLDING OF THERMOPLASTICS

possible is desirable to give both minimum

blow time (resulting in higher production rates)
and finished parts that faithfully reproduce the
mold surface. The optimum blowing pressure
generally is found by experimentation on the
machinery with the part being produced. The
blow pin should not be so long that the air is
blown against the hot plastic. Air blowing
against the hot plastic can result in freeze-off
and stresses in the bottle at that point.
Moisture in the blowing air can cause pock
marks on the inside product surface. This defective appearance is particularly objectionable
in thin-wdled items such as milk bottles. Use
of a dryer is recommended to prevent this problem.
Parison Variations. To obtain even wall distribution in blow-molded products, the parison
can be modified from its normal concentric tubular shape. Die bushings can be notched
or ovalized to provide a nonuniform cross
section to accommodate nonround product designs (see Fig. 12-7). Parison thickness can be
varied in the lengthwise direction as well, by
using a process called parison programming
(see Figs. 12-8 and 12-9). Credit for developing the first parison programmer is given to
Denes Hunkar of Cincinnati, Ohio. His system
moved a tapered die mandrel in relation to a
fixed die bushing during extrusion to increase
or decrease the wall thickness. Others operate
in one of the following ways:
1. By varying the extrusion rate.
2. By varying the extrusion pressure.

347

Die
Gap

Notched

Die
Gap

Oval

Fig. 12-7. Notched and ovalized die bushings for making

non-round products.

Fig. 12-8. Effect of moving core on thickness of parison

wall.

3. By moving a tapered die bushing in relation to a fixed mandrel.

4. By varying the take-off rate in a continuous parison operation.

Early programmers had the capability to set

eight points along the parison length; today,
parison programmers are available that can
change the thickness up to 128 times. The additional control over wall thickness allowed the
blow molding industry to expand rapidly into

Thick
.Heavy

Thick

Design
normal

Fig. 12-9. Bottle wall distribution effect of parison programming

348

SPI PLASTICS ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

markets other than bottles, such as automotive

air ducts, fuel tanks, furniture, and so on.

Types of Extrusion Blow Molding

Continuous Extrusion. One of the basic

forms of extrusion blow molding is based on
producing a molten tubular parison without interruption. The many variations on continuous
extrusion blow molding come about because of
the need to move the blow molds in and out of
the die area to capture the needed length of tubing for each part and remove it for blowing and
cooling. Methods for introducing the blowing
air also vary. Normally, the size and design of
the product (handle or no handle, center or offset finish, etc.) and the number to be produced
will govern the choice of process.
Shuttle mold systems remove the parison to
a position below or to one or both sides of the

extrusion die for blowing. When the tube

reaches the proper length, the blow mold is
moved under the die head, where it closes
around the parison, pinching one end closed;
the tube is severed by a knife or a hot wire, and
the mold moves to the blow station to clear the
way for the next parison. For higher productivity, more than one parison can be extruded from
the die head at a time (see Fig. 12-10). In the
common rising mold type of machine, the blow
mold rises from below to close around the tube;
the blow pin enters from the bottom (see Fig.
12-11). Other adaptations of the shuttle mold
process move the blow mold on an incline or
use alternating molds moving in from left and
right. In these cases, the blow pin normally enters the precut parison from the top (see Figs.
12-12 and 12-13). Effects of moving heavy
molds at high speeds limit the shuttle mold process to products of about 2 gallons (8 liters) in
capacity .

Fig. 12-10. Twin parison, dual shuttle blow molding machine. (Courtesy Johnson Controls, Inc. )

Next Page