Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Processing Guidelines Troubleshooting Guide Injection Moulding Stretch Blow Moulding Recommended Tests & Equipment INDEX PROCESSING GUIDELINES Drying Drying Conditions Dryer Startup Dryer Specification Injection Moulding Resin Inlet Temperature Barrel Temperature Nozzle Temperature Manifold Hot Runner Temperature Injection Speed Stretch Blow Moulding

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Injection Moulding Defects 1) Short Shots 2) Sink Marks 3) Flash 4) Water Marks 5) Black Specs / Contamination 6) Flow Lines 7) Heat Splay 8) PET Inclusion 9) Concentricity 10) Crystalline Gate 11) Long Gate 12) Air Bubbles 13) Stress Pattern 14) Stringing 15) Cloudy Preforms 16) Hollow Gates 17) Discolored Preforms 18) Line Over Finish 19) Burnt Gates 20) Oval Finish 21) Gas Burns 22) High Acetaldehyde

Stretch Blow Moulding Defects 1) Blown Finish 2) Sealing Surface Damage 3) Chocked Neck 4) Bent Neck 5) Hard Neck 6) Thin Shoulder 7) Hot Bottles 8) Excessive fill point drop 9) Pearlescence 10) Flat Sides 11) Deformation at mold parting lin 12) Chocked Body 13) Heavy Base Weight 14) Light Base Weight 15) Feet not fully formed 16) Hot Sides 17) Low Head Load 18) Low Burst Pressure (Body) 19) Low Burst Pressure (Base) 20) Poor Clearance 21) Fold in End Cap Line 22) Fold Around Stretch Rod 23) Cracked Base

24) Swung Gate 25) Stress Cracking 26) Explosion 27) Drop Test Failures

PROCESSING GUIDELINES THE processing guidelines set out below cover the two major processes involved in the conversion of PET resin into preforms and containers, namely: 1. INJECTION MOLDING 2. STRETCH BLOW MOLDING. The resin preparation conditions and barrel temperature profile recommended on the injection molder could also be used on extrusion barrel, in converting PET resin into amorphous sheet. DRYING: Drying Conditions: This is the first and most crucial step in converting PET resin into perform/container/sheet. If the drying equipment is not adequate or is not functioning efficiently then it is highly unlikely that you will produce an acceptable product. The dried resin should have a moisture content not more than 50 PPM. Recommended Drying Temperature: 160 - 180 C Recommended Drying Time 5- 6 hours Dryer Start-Up : The time / temperature profile recommended when first starting the dryer or starting from a major shut down is as below. The first hour at 120 The next two hours 150 The next two hours 180 C Dryer Specification: Able to heat air up to 200 C Able to deliver air flow rate in the order of 0.062 metre cube/ min per kg/ hr of resin being processed. Able to deliver hot dehumidified air with a minimum of 40.0C dew point. Dryer Resin Level: To give approximately 5 to 6times the kg/hr capacity of the injection molder or extruder incase of sheet extrusion. INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS: This is the process by which the resin is converted from dried pellets to perform. Resin Inlet Temperature: It is better to have a temperature of 160 -170 C on the resin entering the feed zone of the

extruder. Barrel Temperature Profile: For other than water grade resin it is recommended to use a temperature of 265C in the feed zone gradually increasing towards the metering zone 280 C. For the water grade resin however, it is recommended to use a reverse temperature profile, with highest temperature in the feed zone, say 280 C and gradually lowering towards the metering zone. Recommended temperature: 265 - 280 C Nozzle Temperature: Recommended temperature: 270 - 280 C Manifold Hot Runner Temperature: Recommended temperature: 270 - 280 C Mold Cooling Water Inlet Temperature: Recommended temperature: 7 to 8 C Injection Speed: As required to fill the cavity with minimum shear and dependent on the gate size.

STRETCH BLOW MOLDING PROCESS: The most commonly available stretch blow molding machines are the:Single stage stretch blow molder ( preform & bottle made on the same machine).They are AOKI, NISSEI, UNILOY, etc.Two stage stretch blow molder (reheating and blowing of preforms made onInjection molder).They are SIDEL, KRUPP, SIPA, etc.The processing conditions depend on the type of process used and the mostcommon parametersto be controlled are: o Preform Temperature.o Re-heating oven profile and over all oven percentage. o Oven sheilds o Bottle blowing speed, bottles/hour. o Stretch rod speed o Air delay time o Pre-blow pressure. o High blow time. o High blow pressure. o Blow mold cooling. Optimizing of the above parameters depend on several factors such as : o Preform design. o Preform intrinsic viscosity. o Preform infrared absorbing characteristics. o Bottle design.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Injection Moulding 1 Problem: SHORT SHOTS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Injection Pressure low o Barrel temperature low o Mould manifold temp. low o Mould cavity temp. low POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS oIncrease injection pressure o Increase barrel temperature o Increase mould manifold temperature o Increase mould cavity temperature o Injection speed low o Back pressure low o Increase injection speed o Increase back pressure o Clean vent on split, core and cavity o Check that no foreign object is in gate area. o Check that the gate pin is moving all the way back 2 Problem: SINK MARKS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Holding pressure low o Holding time low o High mold temperature o Inadequate coolant supply o Cooling time low o Blocked venting POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase holding pressure o Increase holding time o Decrease mould temperature o Check cooling water o Increase cooling time o Clean vents on split, core and cavity 3 Problem: FLASH POSSIBLE CAUSES o Injection pressure high o High injection speed o Unwanted material in cores o Unwanted material in splits

o Unwanted material in cavity o High mold temperature o High barrel temperature o Clamping pressure low POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Decrease Injection pressure o Decrease injection speed o Clean cores o Clean splits o Clean cavity o Decrease mould temperature o Decrease barrel temperature o Increase clamp pressure 4 Problem: WATER MARKS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Leaking hoseso Leaking mould o Insufficient dehumidification o Mold enclosure inadequate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check hoses on mould for damage o Check mould for leaks o Check that dehumidifier is working properly o Check that the machine enclosures has no major gaps 5 Problem: BLACK SPECS /CONTAMINATION POSSIBLE CAUSES o Contaminated resin o High residence time prior to restart of the machine o Degradation of resin POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check for resin cleanliness o Clean the resin hopper o Purge the barrel thoroughly on restart o Reduce melt temperature o Reduce back pressure 6 Problem: FLOW LINES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Injection pressure low o Mould temperature low o Barrel temperature low o Injection speed low o Drier inefficient o Back pressure low

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase injection pressure o Increase mould temperature o Increase barrel temperature o Increase injection speed o Check resin drier o Increase back pressure 7 Problem: HEAT SPLAY POSSIBLE CAUSES o Manifold and mold heater Malfunction. o Barrel temperature high o Foreign matter in the gate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check temperature of mould cavity heater sand Manifold o Check barrel temperature o Check that no foreign material is in gate area 8 Problem: PET INCLUSIONS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Low barrel temperature o Low mould temperature o Back pressure low o Mixing head damage o Check valve damage POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check barrel temperature o Check mould temperature o Increase back pressure o Check that the mixing head of the screw or the screw is not broken. Of Inspect the check valve on thescrew (not Husky Machine) 9 Problem: CONCENTRICITY POSSIBLE CAUSES o Injection speed high o Injection core bent POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Decrease injection speed o Check that the injection core is not bentand straighten it. 10 Problem: CRYSTALLINE GATE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Cavity heater malfunction o Cavity temperature low o Manifold temperature low

o Drier malfunction o Hold pressure high o Foreign material in gate o Cooling insufficient o Core cooling inadequate o Fountain in core rod damage POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check that the cavity heater is working o Increase the cavity temperature o Increase the manifold temperature o Check that the drier is working o Decrease injection hold pressure o Check that no foreign object obstructs the cavity gate o Increase cooling time o Check water flow through the injectioncore and cavity o Check that the fountain in the injectioncore is not bent 11 Problem: LONG GATE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Cavity heater malfunction o Cavity heater low o Gate valve malfunction o Shut-off nozzle malfunction o Short decompression time POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check cavity heater o Increase cavity temperature o Check that the gate valve is working o Check that the barrel shut-off nozzle is working o Increase decompression time 12 Problem: AIR BUBBLES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Barrel temperature low o Inefficient drying o Low back pressure o Barrel temperature o Mixing head damage POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check barrel temperature o Check drier temperature o Increase back pressure o Lower temperature at last extruder zone o Check extruder mixing head 13 Problem: STRESS PATTERN

POSSIBLE CAUSES o High injection pressure o High shot size o Long hold time POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Decrease injection pressure o Reduce shot size o Decrease injection hold time 14 Problem: STRINGING POSSIBLE CAUSES o High cavity temperature o Low cooling time o Low hold time o Inadequate coolant to cavity o Gate valve malfunction POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce cavity temperature o Increase cooling time o Increase injection hold time o Check water flow to cavities o Check that gate valves are working 15 Problem: CLOUDY PREFORMS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Inefficient Drying o Blocked drier filters o Air leaks on the drier o Air leaks on machine hoppers o Low air flow to drying hopper o Low process air temperature o Barrel temperature low o Insufficient drying o Back pressure low POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check drier temperature and dew point o Clean drier air filters o Check for air leaks on drier o Check for air leaks on machine hopper o Check air flow to hopper o Increase drier process temperature o Increase barrel temperature o Shut machine down for 1 hour and dry material o Increase back pressure 16Problem: HOLLOW GATES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Packing pressure low o Hold time low

o Insufficient cooling time o High cavity temperature o Foreign material in gate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase packing pressure o Increase holding time o Increase cooling time o Lower cavity temperature o Check for foreign material in gate area. 17 Problem: DISCOLORED PREFORMS POSSIBLE CAUSES o High barrel temperature o High mold temperature o High drying temperature POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Lower barrel temperature o Lower injection mould temperature o Lower drier process temperature 18 Problem: LINE OVER FINISH POSSIBLE CAUSES o Contaminated splits o Low packing pressure o Insufficient packing time POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Clean splits o Increase packing pressure o Increase packing time 19 Problem: BURNT GATES POSSIBLE CAUSES o High cavity temperature POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce cavity temperature 20 Problem: OVAL FINISH POSSIBLE CAUSES o Insufficient cooling Hold time low o Insufficient cooling POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o High core and cavity temperatures o Increase cooling time o Increase injection hold time

o Check water temperature and water flow to injection Mould o Check temperature of injection cores and cavities 21Problem: GAS BURNS POSSIBLE CAUSES o High injection speed o Contaminated splits POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Decrease injection speed o Clean splits

22 Problem: HIGH ACETALDEHYDE POSSIBLE CAUSES o High residual AA in resin o High barrel temperature o High back pressure o High screw speed o High injection speed o High mold manifold temperature o High nozzle tip temperature o Long cycle time o High extruder / screw cushion o Low inlet resin temperature o Unsuitable screw POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check for resin AA levels o Reduce the barrel temperature o Reduce back pressure o Reduce screw RPM o Reduce injection speed o Reduce mold manifold temperature o Reduce cycle time o Reduce cushion o Increase inlet resin temperature

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Stretch Blow Moulding 1 Problem: BLOWN FINISH POSSIBLE CAUSES o Overheating of the finish area which allows blow pressure air to stretch the material. o Oven ambient temperature to high o Incorrect loading height, too much of the finish is exposed to the elements POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Move shield away from finish into a thicker part of the preforms taper o Bring shield close to perform o Increase oven exhaust o Reduce neck element heat 2 Problem: SEALING SURFACE DAMAGE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Misalignment of the preform, blow mould and blow nozzle usually caused by poor transfer arm positioning. o Blow mold position. o Nozzle position. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Realign transfer arm o Realign blow mould or nozzle if necessary 3 Problem: CHOCKED NECK POSSIBLE CAUSES o Over stretching of the preform by the stretch rod prior to blow. o Low blow delayed or missing POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce air delay time o Reduce stretch rod pressure o Move shield into a thicker part of the taper o Increase heat in the body or base o Increase low blow pressure o Reduce heat in the neck 4 Problem: BENT NECK POSSIBLE CAUSES o Misalignment of the preform to the mould or nose. o Distortion below the flange a) Insufficient mould cooling b) One mould half with poor cooling o Excessive material remained in the neck and shoulder.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Realignment of the preform to the nose or mould. o Reduce material thickness in the shoulder by reducing heat in the body o Increase high blow time o Improve mould cooling 5 Problem: HARD NECK POSSIBLE CAUSES o Initial stretching occurs too lowint o the preforms taper. o Preform location incorrectthrough oven. o Air leak into preform before thestart of low blow. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat in the body and/ or base until pearlescence occurs then increase neck temperature. o Increase stretch rod pressure o Increase air delay time o Reduce low blow pressure o Move shield into the thinner part of the taper o Check height of preform though oven. o Check for air leak through nose 6 Problem: THIN SHOULDER POSSIBLE CAUSES o Excessive stretching of the taper. Stations producing a smaller low blow container will be first withthe fault or the thinnest. o Poor shield positioning, allowing excessive stretching of the thin part of the taper. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Move shield into a thicker part of the preforms taper. o Reduce air delay time o Reduce stretch rod pressure o Increase low blow pressure o Reduce heat in the neck. If thickening occurs below desired area Increase heat below the neck element. 7 Problem: HOT BOTTLES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Preform temperature above crystalgrowth range for to long o Insufficient cooling of the outsidesurface for the amount of heatabsorbed by the P.E.T. o Excessive equilibration time oPreform wall thickness excessiveblowers. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat adjacent to the haze untilpearlescence is evident somewhere onthe bottle o Reduce heat over all until pearlescenceis evident. o Increase air circulation through oven,increase blower speed, clean blowers.

8 Problem: EXCESSIVE FILL POINT DROP POSSIBLE CAUSES o Low levels of orientation results in the material not having enough strength to resist the pressure applied. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce over all perform temperature allowing the bottle to be blown closer to its natural stretch limit. Under this condition slight pearlescence may be evident 9 Problem: PEARLESCENCE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Pearlescence results from stretching of molecules faster than they can respond past it's natural stretch limit. Small tears appear on the material's surface. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Material to thin - Increase heat other than where pearl is evident. o Where the pearlescent area may be allowed to stretch further increase heat at pearl. o Increase overall preform temperature o Pearlescence opposite a swung gate (Refer Swung Gate) o Pearlescence on the bottle shoulder may be the result of a blow air leak through nose from either the low valve, high blow valve or stretch rod oReduce low blow volume, increase low blow timeand reduce low blow pressure. o Ensure low blow bottle is not to large. Excessive petal formation in low blow will cause pearl in the petal area. o Pearlescence in the body in the form of a ring is the result of insufficient low blow. 10 Problem: FLAT SIDES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Poor venting due to excessive parting of the blow moulds allowing air to be trapped along the mould seams POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Ensure excessive mould parting does not occur o Increase low blow pressure ensuring bottle diameter is close to blow mould size o Low blow bottle too small. In this case the volume of air trying to escape during high blow is more than the venting can allow. o Low blow bottle blown to fast. o Excessive high blow pressure at the end of low blow to minimize air that remains in the blow mould before high blow starts. o Reduce low blow pressure and extend low blow time if the body of the bottle has reached the mould o Reduce high blow pressure 11 Problem: DEFORMATION AT MOULD PARTING LINES POSSIBLE CAUSES

o Pressure remaining in the bottle when blow moulds open. o Insufficient high blow cooling time o Material too hot and/or too thick POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Inadequate exhaust time, check exhaust valve activation. o Increase high blow time or reduce material thickness o Reduce material thickness o Reduce preform temperature 12 Problem: CHOCKED BODY POSSIBLE CAUSES o Insufficient or no low blow o Insufficient heat beside choke POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase low blow pressure o Increase heat in the body o Reduce heat in the base and/ or neck. o Reduce air delay time o Reduce stretch rod pressure 13 Problem: HEAVY BASE WEIGHT POSSIBLE CAUSES o Incorrect heating profile resulting in a poor distribution of material, over stretching of the body or shoulder POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat in the body and/ or shoulder until pearlescence occurs then increase heat at the base. Repeat until the base weight is correct. 14 Problem: LIGHT BASE WEIGHT POSSIBLE CAUSES o Poor heating profile resulting in poor distribution of material, insufficient stretching of the body or shoulder. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat near the base of the perform until pearlescence occurs then increase heat to the shoulder and/or body. Repeat until base weight is correct o Increase air delay time o Increase stretch rod pressure o Reduce low blow pressure o Reduce oven shielding of the taper 15 Problem: FEET NOT FULLY FORMED POSSIBLE CAUSES o Insufficient high blow pressure. Rate of high blow too slow, material movement stalls before reaching the corners. Often as a result of blow nozzle leak o Insufficient high blow time. If adding high POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

o Check high pressure. If possible. If station related check for high blow leaks from nozzle or stretch rod o Increase high blow time o Reduce base weight by reducing 16 Problem: HOT SIDES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Inconsistent preform rotation through the oven o Insufficient surface cooling of the preform POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Check the preform for a drag marl. Ensure oven shields are not touching the preform. Check collect, spindle or mandrel rotation o Increase air flow onto the surface of the preform 17 Problem: LOW HEADLOAD POSSIBLE CAUSES o Insufficient orientation and/or material thickness to deliver the required physical strength POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce over all preform temperature o Reduce heat beside failure point o Where failures occur between neck and shoulder adjust shield into a thicker part of the taper 18 Problem: LOW BURST PRESSURE (BODY) POSSIBLE CAUSES o Insufficient orientation (Too hot) o Material to thin o Confirmationo Low IV POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce preform temperatureo Reduce body heat 19 Problem: LOW BURST PRESSURE (BASE) POSSIBLE CAUSES o Base of bottle blown too coldproducing excessive stresso Stretch rod clearance too short o Excessive crystallinity at the gate o Low IV o Excessive stress in preform POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase heat below the perform o Reset stretch rod clearance o Reduce stretch rod pressure 20Problem: POOR CLEARANCE POSSIBLE CAUSES

o Preform temperature too high o Heavy base weight POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Base weight correct or light, reduce heat beside and/or below the gate o Endcap temperature too high o Aged performs o Insufficient mould cooling o Excessive inherent preform stress o Base weight to heavy, reduce perform temperature o Increase high blow time. 21Problem: FOLD IN BASE AT END CAP LINE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Preform temperature to hot o Preform endcap area to cold o An excess of material in the vicinityof the fold o Lack or loss of low blow volume o Excessive force applied by thestretch rod o Aged or stressed preforms POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat in the areas other than the base. If the fold remains after pearlescence has formed. Heat may be applied to the preform end cap area. o Increase low blow pressure o Reduce air delay time o Reduce stretch rod pressure 22Problem: FOLD AROUND THE STRETCH ROD POSSIBLE CAUSES o Over heating of the preformend cap, material wraps around the end of the stretch rod. In effect another thick/ thin transition forms POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Reduce heat or below the end cap area o Increase low blow pressure o Reduce stretch rod pressure 23Problem: CRACKED BASE POSSIBLE CAUSES o Preform end cap too cold o Excessive stretch rod pressure o Clearance between the stretch rod and mould base too small o Thick crystallinity above the gate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increase heat beside or below the gate o Reduce stretch rod pressure o Check preform for excessive crystallinity, if so change preforms.

o Increase stretch rod, mould base gap

24Problem: SWUNG GATE / OFF- CENTERED POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o First impacted mark is evident and is not centered to the gate, an alignment problem is usually the cause. Check for misalignment. Ensure transfer arm locates preform in mould correctly. o Check blow mould cooling o If the first impact mark is centered, the stretch rod has lost control of the gate during blow. Often gate control is lost due to excessive growth in length during low blow. Ideally growth should start high in the preform reaching full diameter before full length if length is achieved before diameter the rod must travel further than normal to keep up. o Reduce low bottle size o Increase air delay time o Reset stretch rod height o Check the gap between stretch rod tip and base mould. maintain .5 to 1mm. o Increse primary blow delay and secondary blow delay. o Increase l.p. air pressure. o check the stretch rod speed and increase if necassary. POSSIBLE CAUSES o Misalignment of the preform to the mould, nozzle or stretch rod. o Inadequate mould cooling, one half only If the gate is centered to the stretch rod impact mark and yet not centered to the mould base at the end of blow the stretch rod has lost control during blow. o Lower half of preform too hot o Low blow pressure too high o Air delay time too short o Stretch rod length too short o Excessive stretch rod cushioning o Worn stretch rod guides o Excessive preform eccentricity o Thick crystallinity near gate 25Problem: STRESS CRACKING POSSIBLE CAUSES o Off center gates. Webs with the thinnest material will stress crack early. o Excessive post mould change. As clearance deteriorates web shape changes increasing the risk of stress cracking. o Excessive growth at the base cust line. Temperature of the lower half of the preform's body is to high o Chemical reaction by some line lubricants. o Low I.V. material o Light base weight. Inadequate thickness o resist movement. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Fix swung gate.

o Reduce preform temperature to pearlescence, reduce base weight if necessary. Increase high blow time o Reduce heat in the preform's lower body o Line lubricants generally cause severe stress cracking in all feet. o Increase base weight

26Problem: EXPLOSIONS POSSIBLE CAUSES o Hot bottles (Refer Hot Bottles)o Folds in the base o Light base weight o Excessive post mould growth o Low I.V. o Chemical Reaction (Refer stress Cracking) o Contamination o Air bubbles above the gate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Refer Causes o Stress Cracking o Cracked bases o Excessive crystallinity 27Problem: DROP TEST FAILURES POSSIBLE CAUSES o Preform end cap blown too cold o Light base weight o Excessive crystallinity above gate. o Large air bubbles above the gate POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS o Increasing heat at the gate or below without loosing base weight usually improves drop test failure. o Increase base weight.