The basic mechanism of the twin screw extrusion process is simply that a screw rotates in the barrel and pushes the plastic forward. The screw structure is a bevel or ramp wrapped around a central layer, the purpose of which is to increase the pressure to overcome the higher resistance. What do I need to pay attention to when using a twin screw extruder? The following is a detailed description.
Here is the content list:
l Structural principles
l Temperature principles
l Speed reduction principle
Structural principles
For the extruder, there are three kinds of resistance to overcome when working: one is friction, which contains the friction of the solid particles (feed) on the barrel wall and the mutual friction between them during the first few turns of the screw (feed area); the second is the adhesion of the melt on the barrel wall, and the third is the resistance of the internal logistics of the melt when it is pushed forward.
According to Newton's theorem, if an object is at rest in a certain direction, then the object is in a state of equilibrium balance of forces in this direction. For the circumferential movement of the screw, it is no axial motion, that is, the axial force on the screw is in equilibrium. So if the screw exerts a large forward thrust on the plastic melt, it also exerts a backward thrust on another object of the same magnitude but in the same direction. The thrust is exerted on the thrust bearing behind the feed opening. Most single screws have right hand threads, and if viewed from the back, they rotate backward, and they spin backward out of the barrel by rotational motion. In some twin screw extruders, however, the two screws rotate backward and cross each other in both barrels, so one must be right handed and one left handed, and in the case of an occluding twin screw, both screws rotate in the same direction and must therefore have the same orientation. However, in either case, there are thrust bearings that withstand backward forces and still comply with Newton's theorem.
Temperature Principle
Plastics extruded by twin screw extruders are thermoplastics, which melt when heated and solidify again when cooled. Thus, heat is needed during the extrusion process to ensure that the plastic can reach the melting temperature. So where does the heat to melt the plastic come from? First of all, the pound feed preheat and barrel/die heaters may play a role and are very important at startup. In addition, the motor feed energy, the frictional heat generated in the barrel as the motor overcomes the resistance of the viscous melt and turns the screw, is the most important heat source for all plastics, except for small systems, low speed screws, high melt temperature plastics, and extrusion coating applications. In operation, it is important to recognize that the barrel heater is not the primary heat source and that it may play a smaller role in extrusion than we might expect. The post barrel temperature is more important because it affects the rate of solids transport in the dentition or feed. In general, except for a specific purpose (such as varnishing, fluid distribution, or pressure control), the die head and die temperature should be at or near the temperature required for the melt.
Speed reduction principle
In most twin screw extruders, the screw speed is varied by adjusting the motor speed. The drive motor usually turns at a full speed of about 1750 rpm, which is too fast for an extruder screw. If it turns at such a fast speed, too much frictional heat is generated and a uniform, the well mixed melt cannot be prepared because the retention time of the plastic is too short. A typical speed reduction ratio should be between 10:1 and 20:1, with either a gear or pulley set for the first stage, but with a gear and a screw positioned in the center of the last large gear for the second stage. For some slow running machines (eg. twin screws for UPVC), there may be three reduction stages and the maximum speed may be as low as 30 rpm or less (ratio up to 60:1). On the other hand, some very long twin screws for mixing can run at 600 rpm or faster, thus requiring a very low reduction rate and more deep cooling. If the reduction rate is incorrectly matched to the job, too much energy will be wasted. It may be necessary to add a pulley set between the motor and the first deceleration stage where the maximum speed is changed, which either increases the screw speed even beyond the previous limit or reduces the maximum speed. This increases the available energy, reduces the current value, and avoids motor failure, in both cases, the output may increase due to the material and its cooling needs.
If you still have questions, you can consult our company. Nanjing JlEYA is the leading professional manufacturer of twin screw extruders in China.
