Plastics : Processing Speeds in Plastics Manufacturing (m/min) - Meter/Minute -

Some simple definitions:

Blow molding: Makes hollow things
Thermoforming: Shapes flat sheets
Extrusion: Makes long continuous shapes
Accumulator Head: Stores melted plastic, releases it all at once and is used in blow molding

Extrusion Speeds:

Film Extrusion:

LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) Film:

- Thin (15-50 microns): 30-150 m/min
- Medium (50-100 microns): 20-80 m/min
- Thick (>100 microns): 10-40 m/min

HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) Film:

- Thin: 25-100 m/min
- Medium: 15-60 m/min
- Thick: 8-30 m/min

Pipe Extrusion:

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Strong rigid plastic
PE (Polyethylene): Most common plastic

PP (Polypropylene): Heat resistant and chemical resistant

Small Diameter (<50mm):

- PVC: 5-15 m/min
- PE: 8-20 m/min
- PP: 6-18 m/min

Large Diameter (>50mm):

- PVC: 2-8 m/min
- PE: 3-10 m/min
- PP: 2-9 m/min

Profile Extrusion:

Simple Profiles:

- Window profiles: 2-6 m/min
- Door seals: 10-30 m/min
- Trim strips: 15-40 m/min

Complex Profiles:

- Multi-hollow: 1-4 m/min
- Technical profiles: 2-8 m/min
- Composite profiles: 1-5 m/min

Blow Molding Speeds:

Continuous Extrusion:

Small Bottles (<500ml):

- Output: 40-60 bottles/min
- Linear speed: 15-25 m/min

Large Containers (>1L):

- Output: 20-30 bottles/min
- Linear speed: 8-15 m/min

Accumulator Head:

Large Parts:

- Automotive: 2-5 parts/min
- Industrial: 1-3 parts/min
- Linear equivalent: 0.5-2 m/min

Sheet/Film Lines:

PS (Polystyrene): Lightweight and can be rigid or foam
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): Clear and strong
PP (Polypropylene): Heat resistant and chemical resistant
PE (Polyethylene): Most common plastic and is either HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) or LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

Thermoforming Sheet:

Thin Sheet (<1mm):

- PS: 15-40 m/min
- PET: 10-30 m/min
- PP: 12-35 m/min

Thick Sheet (>1mm):

- PS: 8-20 m/min
- PET: 5-15 m/min
- PP: 6-18 m/min

Cast Film:

Packaging Film:

- PP: 150-400 m/min
- PE: 100-300 m/min
- PET: 200-500 m/min

Technical Films:

- Barrier films: 50-200 m/min
- Multi-layer: 80-250 m/min
- Specialty: 30-150 m/min

Production Factors:

Speed Limiting Factors:

Material Properties:

- Melt strength
- Cooling rate
- Crystallization
- Viscosity

Equipment Capabilities:

The screw is a part of the plastic processing machines. Its key functions is moving material, melting plastic, mixing the material and controlling the pressure

- Screw design
- Cooling capacity
- Drive power
- Take-off speed

Take-off speed in plastics refers to the rate at which finished plastic product is pulled away or collected from a production process, particularly in extrusion.

Quality Requirements:

- Surface finish
- Dimensional accuracy
- Material properties
- Product specs

Optimization Parameters:

Temperature Control:

- Melt temperature
- Die temperature (mold at a machine's end to shape melted plastic)
- Cooling rate
- Ambient conditions

Process Control:

- Screw speed
- Take-off speed
- Cooling efficiency
- Product quality