3D Blow Molding Machines for three-dimensional, convoluted Pipes

K3D Series

3D Blow Molding Machines

1 Kautex Maschinenbau provides its customers with globally leading solutions in terms of quality, technology and service. Conventional extrusion blow molding of heavily convoluted, three-dimensional tubular shapes, such as fuel tank filler pipes, automotive air ducts, tubes used in household appliances, etc., inevitably results in welding seams at the pinch areas causing potentially large amounts of flash at the mold parting line. In extreme cases, flash can weigh multiple times the weight of the molding itself. Moreover, very long pinch areas require high clamping forces. The Kautex Maschinenbau 3D blow molding technologies offer minimum flash production achieving significant savings in material, energy usage, cycle times and, last but not least, in capital spending.

In 3D blow molding, a parison sized according to the article diameter is manipulated by special devices directly into the cavity of the blow mold avoiding pinch areas and welding seams on either side of the article and minimizing overall material usage. The remaining welding seams are reduced to a minimum at both article ends. As the pioneer in 3D blow molding, Kautex Maschinenbau benefits from many years of experience in this field. Depending on the shape and complexity of the article, Kautex Maschinenbau offers different technologies for small and large volume production of convoluted, threedimensional tubular shapes.

Different 3D Machine Concepts

In suction blow molding with K3D SB series machines, a parison is extruded from the die tool of an accumulator head into a closed blow mold and drawn through the mold via vacuum while supported on a cushion of air. This support air also prevents a premature contact of the parison with the cavity surfaces. Once the parison emerges from the bottom of the blow mold, the parison is closed by upper and lower shutters. Then the part is inflated and cooled same as in conventional blow molding. Suction blow molding requires generally simple and inexpensive blow molds. The K3D HP series blow molding machines also utilize simple and inexpensive blow molds, however with a horizontal parting line. The K3D HP clamping unit opens and closes vertically. The lower mold half is in motion while a robot inserts the parison into the cavity. After insertion, the bottom mold half shuttles in position below the upper mold half, the clamping unit closes, and the inflation and cooling processes are triggered. Based on its comprehensive experience with a large installed base of machines, Kautex Maschinenbau is also continuously advancing this series. One result is the 30 % smaller footprint of the latest generation of K3D-HP horizontal blow molding machines. Thanks to the orientation of the mold mount-

ing platens in extruder direction, the blow molds in the double station machine can easily be interchanged. The two stations can be used to produce very different parts from a parison with the same diameter. The compact design permits a central removal of the finished articles by a single removal robot which results in savings on costs for peripheral equipment such as cooling basins, cutters etc. The KBSH series hybrid blow molding machines feature a tiebarless clamping unit with electric drive for fast closing motion and hydraulic clamping cylinder. These machines are generally used in conjunction with segmented molds for especially complex article shapes. A robot inserts the parison into independently operated mold section, which closes sequentially following the insertion. The KBSH series blow molder is offered with clamping forces used in conventional blow molding.

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image 1 air duct manufactured in 3D and conventional blow molding technology image 2 suction blow molded pipe, made of PA, stretched length 1.80 m image 3 examples for three-dimensional, convoluted pipes

Advantages of the 3D Technology

Advantages of the 3D technology over conventional blow molding include: Higher part quality due to the elimination of welding seams, resulting in: More uniform wall thickness distribution No decrease in mechanical properties because material accumulation and/or notches at welding seams are avoided

Use of materials, which do not bond sufficiently at the pinch areas Processing of short glass fiber reinforced materials, where welding seams could present a problem Lower regrind content reducing the risk of degradation of thermally sensitive materials and break down of fibers in reinforced materials

Lower flash weight, resulting in: Lower capital investment because of the use of smaller extruders, lower clamping forces, simple deflashing systems, smaller granulators, smaller blenders and conveyors as well as smaller chillers Lower operating costs due to the reduced amount of material being processed lowering the power usage of drive motors and heating systems

3 Radial wall thickness distribution system (RWDS) One of the drawbacks involved in blow molding heavily convoluted tubular shapes is the difference of wall thicknesses of inner and outer radii resulting from different stretch ratios. Similar drawbacks can occur as a result of premature contact of the parison in horizontal blow molds. To compensate, Kautex Maschinenbau engineers developed a radial wall thickness distribution system (RWDS) that permits even wall thicknesses at inner and outer radii of convoluted sections at any point along the circumference of the parison even in case of small parison diameters.

image 1/2 double-station horizontal machine K3D HP-D Compact for two different parts image 3/4 3D blow molded parts image 5 K3D HP, parison lay down via robot

image 6 radial wallthickness control RWDS (diagram)

Sequential Coextrusion (SeCo) / hard-soft-hard Technology

In addition to the above mentioned air intake and ventilation ducts, typical applications include clean air tubes, hot air tubes and various connection pipes, not only for the automotive industry but also for use in industrial equipment and household appliances. The sequential coextrusion 3D blow molding technology is particularly suited for the production of parts that until recently had to be produced from rubber materials. The substitution of rubber by TPE blow moldings has many advantages: In addition to shorter cycles and lower energy consumption, the improved properties of TPE parts permit a reduction of the wall thickness, which yields an immediate cost advantage given comparable raw material costs. The simple recycling of TPE is another bonus as no disposal problems arise. In close cooperation with resin suppliers and the automotive industry, Kautex Maschinenbau has successfully assisted with many rubber substitutions. With sequential coextrusion, products that previously had to be assembled from several individual components (pipe sections, bellows, clips, clamps) can today be made as one component in a single step.

three-dimensional, convoluted pipe made with sequential coextrusion

The combination of different materials to achieve specific properties that are available in a single resin has long been common practice in extrusion blow molding. In this process, the extruded parison is built up with multiple layers of different materials (coaxial coextrusion). Today, the use of different layers with wall thicknesses varying in axial direction is gaining ground. Defined article sections are blow molded with specific properties by choosing a combination of different material layers and layer thicknesses. Using this technology, known as sequential coextrusion, a single article can be blow molded with varying hardness, elasticity, strength or heat distortion temperature in defined sections. Sequential coextrusion opens up a multitude of new applications, such as air intake or

ventilation ducts. For such applications, often properties at different ends of the spectrum are combined in one and the same article. For example, the middle section of a duct may call for strength to withstand pressure or vacuum while the duct ends require flexibility to achieve a tight seal with hose clamps and to allow easy assembly. For such applications, Kautex Maschinenbau has developed a special blow molding technique that ensures repeatable production of convoluted tubular shaped parts with precisely defined properties. Preferred material combinations for this hard-soft-hard or soft-hard-soft coextrusion technique are PP and TPE and, depending on the temperature environment, PA and PBT combined with elastomer-modified PA and PBT, respectively, are also possible.

Six-Layer Coextrusion

High-Temperature Applications
Special machine options are available for processing high-temperature materials on a PA or PPS basis, used for charged hot air ducts in turbocharged engines or components installed close to the engine block or the exhaust system. 1

The whole World of Extrusion Blow Molding

In addition to 3D blow molders, Kautex Maschinenbau offers its customers Shuttle blow molding and long-stroke blow molding machines for the production of smaller technical parts and packaging containers with capacities ranging from a few ml to 30 liters Industrial blow molding machines for the production of technical parts, plastic fuel tanks (PFT) and large industrial containers of up to 10,000 liters capacity Special blow molding machines for the production of PC water bottles Turnkey systems can be provided for all blow molding machines, from material preparation through article finishing, quality control, filling up to palletizing.

3D fuel tank filler pipes can be produced using six or seven layer coextrusion with the same wall structure as the fuel tanks. In addition to barrier and adhesive layers, an electrically conductive thermoplastic can be integrated as a seventh inner layer. For the production of six and seven layer pipes, the Coex head CP120 was developed. The rheological geometry of this head was optimized to account for the extreme variations in the viscosity of the materials. This design now permits throughputs of up to 120 kg/h and the use of dies of up to 120 mm in diameter. To ensure optimum wall thickness, the wall thickness control systems RWDS and PWDS are also available for the coextrusion process. Thanks to their cooled grooved feed zone, all extruders operate independent of back pressure. Their length of 25D permits high throughputs at excellent melt homogeneity. The extruders can be flexibly arranged in both horizontal and vertical orientation. 4

image 1 fuel tank filler pipe image 2 pipes for high temperature applications image 3 blow molding machine type K3D SB8 HT image 4 head-extruder unit with special equipment for HT

Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH Ufficio di Rappresentanza per l'Italia Via Carlo Ferrari 10 21057 Olgiate Olona (VA) Italy Phone / Fax: +39 0331 642 046 Kautex Machines Inc. 201 Chambers Brook Road North Branch, NJ 08876 USA Phone: +1 908 252 9350 Fax: +1 908 253 9565 Shunde Kautex Plastics Technology Co., Ltd. Lunjiao Industrial District, Shunde Foshan, Guangdong 528308 PR China Phone: +86 757 2733 0910 Fax: +86 757 2733 0917 Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH Shanghai Office Shanghai Universal Mansion Room 2208, No. 168-172 Yu Yuan Road Shanghai 200040 China Phone: +86 21 6249 5806 Fax: +86 21 6249 1563

Phone +49 228 489-0 Fax +49 228 489-414

www.kautex-group.com

K3D/GB/9/2006

Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH Kautexstrae 54 D-53229 Bonn, Germany