Thermo Sceintific HAAKE PolyLab OS Blown Film Die
Film production simulation for polymer development, materials evaluation and parameter monitoring requires highly adaptive small scale systems with complete process functionality. The PolyLab System and RheoMex extrusion line, in conjunction with a blown film die and take-off tower system, provide a means of accurate thin film production for total process evaluation with less than 1 kg of material.
Application
The blown film die creates a thin-walled tube which is inflated using compressed air to form a thin circular film. The blown film take-off is a mobile unit which then transports this film away from the blown film die, cools it under defined conditions and finally coils it.
The films produced during this process can be used for:
• simulating the production process
• testing for gel particles
• testing the pigment distribution
• testing the transparency
• testing the colour distribution
• testing the homogeneity
• testing for contamination and occlusions
• testing die mechanical properties of the polymer
Blown film die
The blown film die is used in conjunction with a laboratory extruder – HAAKE PolyLab System & RheoMex Extrusion line. The molten polymer is formed into a thin-walled tube by being forced through a ring gap located at the end of the die. The inside of the extruded tube is inflated by air pressure.
Blown film take-off
The blown film take-off transports the extruded film in an upward direction. The collapsing guide, made from round wooden bars, forms the film bubble to a flat, double layered film which is in turn fed to the press rollers. This process leads to a pressure buildup within the film bubble and thus to the inflation of the film.