How to Operate an Extrusion Blow Moulding Machine: A Simple Guide

Walking up to an extrusion blow moulding machine for the first time can feel intimidating. There are a lot of buttons and moving parts. But once you break down the blow moulding process, it’s logical.

I’m Slany Cheuang, and I’m a technical sales manager at Lekamachine11. I’ve seen many new operators get the hang of these machines. This guide isn’t a substitute for your official machine manual or certified hands-on training, but it will give you a clear, straightforward overview of the basic steps.

For many companies, especially new investors who are sometimes short on technical staff, getting good training is a top priority. Think of this as your starting point.

Untuk Siapa Panduan Ini:

• New machine operators and trainees.
• Plant managers need to understand the process.
• Business owners are considering an investment in an Mesin EBM.
• Students in technical or engineering programs.

Safety First: Before You Press a Single Button

You should never operate any yang sangat terotomatisasi without a safety check. It only takes a minute and can prevent serious problems.

Here’s what you should always do:

• Check the Guards: Make sure all safety doors and guards are in place and working correctly.
• Locate Emergency Stops: Know where every single emergency stop button is.
• Wear Your PPE: This means safety glasses, and potentially heat-resistant gloves, depending on the task.
• Clear the Area: Ensure the space around the machine is clean and free of clutter or spills.

Your 7-Step Guide to the Extrusion Blow Moulding Process

Every machine is a little different, but they all follow these same core principles. Let’s walk through it.

Step 1: Power On and Preheat the Machine

First, turn on the main power. The extruder barrel and the kepala cetakan need to heat up to the proper temperature to melt the plastic resin. This process takes some time, so be patient. It’s important to get this step right. With rising energy prices, many companies are looking for machines that are more efficient and can operate at lower melt temperatures.

Step 2: Load the Plastic Resin into the Hopper

Once the machine has reached the correct temperature, it’s time to load your raw material into the hopper. This typically consists of plastic pellets, such as HDPE (High-Density Polyethene), which are used for a variety of products, including milk jugs and chemical drums. Additionally, some companies are now incorporating higher levels of post-consumer resin (PCR) or bioplastics like HDPE-BIO to achieve their sustainability goals.

Load the Plastic Resin into the Hopper with Extrusion blow moulding machine

Step 3: Start the Extruder to Melt and Mix

Now, you’ll start the extruder. A large screw inside the barrel turns and pulls the plastic pellets forward. The combination of heat from the barrel and friction from the screw’s movement melts the plastic and mixes it into a consistent, dough-like substance. For businesses using recycled materials, getting a good, even melt (what we call melt-homogeneity) is critical for quality6.

Step 4: Create and Control the Parison

The melted plastic is then pushed through a die to form a hollow tube of hot plastic. This tube is called a parison. Think of it like a plastic straw hanging down from the machine. Controlling the wall thickness of this parison is one of the most important skills in blow moulding.

Create and Control the Parison of Extrusion blow moulding machine

Step 5: Moulding and Blowing the Final Shape

The parison hangs between two halves of an open mould. The mould then closes, pinching the top and bottom of the parison. A pin is inserted, usually at the top, and blows compressed air into the parison, just like blowing up a balloon. The air pressure pushes the soft plastic against the cold cavity walls of the mould, which gives the product its final shape.

Step 6: Cooling, Ejection, and Cycle Time

Komitmen plastic needs to cool and solidify inside the mould for a few seconds. How long this takes is a huge factor in your production speed, or “cycle time.” Faster cycle times mean more products per hour. Once it’s solid, the mould opens, and the finished part is ejected.

Step 7: Finishing Touches and Quality Control

The part isn’t quite done yet. It will have extra plastic, called “flash,” where the mould pinched it shut. This needs to be removed. Some fully automatic blow moulding machines do this for you. After that, every part should be inspected for kualitas, checking for things like holes, spots of contamination, or uneven colour.

Moulding and Blowing the Final Shape of blow moulding machine

Troubleshooting Common Extrusion blow moulding machine  Problems

Even with a perfect process, you’ll run into issues. Here are a few common ones I see.

Troubleshooting Common EBM Machine Problems of blow machine

Solving Uneven Wall Thickness with Parison Control

A major pain point for manufacturers of industrial containers is when the parison sags under its weight, causing thin spots. This can lead to products failing critical tests, like the UN drop test for chemical drums. The solusi lies in advanced parison programming, which adjusts the thickness of the plastic tube as it’s being extruded to ensure a strong, even final product.

Reducing Downtime During Quick Mould Changeovers

If you’re a contract packager running lots of different products (multiple SKUs), downtime during changeovers is a huge problem10101010. You lose time and money every minute the machine isn’t running. Machines designed with quick mould change systems and recipe traceability are invaluable for this kind of “job-shop” environment 11.

Mencegah Kontaminasi Saat Menggunakan Resin Daur Ulang (PCR)

Menggunakan persentase material daur ulang yang tinggi sangat baik untuk keberlanjutan, tetapi menimbulkan tantangan. Anda bisa mendapatkan warna, bau, atau bercak kontaminasi yang tidak konsisten yang disebut gel pada produk akhir Anda 12. Untuk mengatasinya, Anda memerlukan mesin dengan sistem ekstrusi yang dirancang untuk material daur ulang, bersama dengan sistem inspeksi visi inline yang dapat secara otomatis mendeteksi dan menolak bagian yang cacat13.

Pelatihan yang Baik Membuat Semua Berbeda

Panduan ini mencakup dasar-dasarnya, tetapi tidak ada yang mengalahkan pengalaman langsung.

Saya sering bekerja dengan investor baru, khususnya di pasar berkembang, yang sedang menyiapkan lini blow-moulding pertama mereka14. Mereka sering kali memiliki staf teknis yang terbatas dan membutuhkan lebih dari sekadar mesin yang diantarkan ke pintu mereka15. Mereka membutuhkan paket turnkey: mesin, cetakan, utilitas, dan yang paling penting, commissioning langsung dan pelatihan operator16. Pemasok yang baik memberikan dukungan ini untuk memastikan tim Anda dapat menjalankan peralatan secara efisien dan aman sejak hari pertama.

Tanya Jawab：Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan tentang Pengoperasian Mesin Blow Moulding

T: Apa perbedaan utama antara ekstrusi dan stretch blow blow moulding?

J: Bayangkan seperti ini: cetak tiup ekstrusi Blow moulding ekstrusi (EBM) lebih baik untuk wadah yang memiliki pegangan, seperti jerigen atau botol deterjen17. Stretch blow moulding biasanya digunakan untuk produk seperti botol air PET, di mana kejernihan dan ketahanan tekanan adalah kunci 18. Bagian "stretch" dari proses tersebut memberikan kekuatan tambahan pada botol plastik.

T: Berapa lama waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk menerima mesin baru setelah pemesanan?

J: Ini bisa sangat bervariasi. Waktu tunggu untuk beberapa mesin Eropa bisa lebih dari 10 bulan19. Sebagai pemasok China, kami biasanya dapat mengirimkan jauh lebih cepat. Di Lekamachine, waktu pengiriman standar kami adalah antara 60 hingga 90 hari2020.

T: Jenis produk apa yang dibuat dengan mesin Extrusion blow moulding?

A: The range is huge. It includes small items like 30 ml pharmaceutical bottles, household liquid kontainer, and shampoo bottles. It also includes mid-size products like 20 L HDPE jerry-cans for lubricants23. And on the heavy-duty side, it includes massive products like 1,000 L IBC inner bottles, chemical drums, and suku cadang otomotif seperti tangki bahan bakar dan saluran udara

produk apa yang dibuat dengan mesin Extrusion blow moulding

T: Bisakah saya menggunakan plastik daur ulang di mesin saya?

A: Absolutely. Many modern machines are specifically designed to process high percentages of post-consumer resin (PCR) and bioplastics25. Companies focused on sustainability look for mesin dengan fitur seperti profil sekrup khusus dan degassing untuk menangani material ini secara efektif.

Kesimpulan

Mengoperasikan mesin extrusion blow moulding akan menjadi hal yang alamiah dengan latihan. Selalu mulai dengan keselamatan, ikuti langkah operasional dengan hati-hati, dan pelajari cara mengenali dan memecahkan masalah umum.

Ingatlah bahwa kualitas training is one of the best investments you can make. A well-trained operator is more efficient and produces better quality parts. If you have more questions or are looking for a reliable Mesin EBM supplier that provides comprehensive training and support, feel free to visit us at

www.lekamachine.com. Tugas saya adalah membantu Anda agar dapat berjalan dengan lancar.