Research on Inner Gas Inflation Improvements in Double-layer Gas-assisted Extrusion of Micro-tubes

Improved Optimization of a Coextrusion Die with a Complex Geometry Using the Coupling Inverse Design Method

The main challenge in a polymer coextrusion process is to have a good die design prior to the process, which can minimize the geometric errors that are caused by extrusion swell and interface motion. For this purpose, a coupling method of optimization and inverse design for a coextrusion die was studied for a medical striped catheter. In the study, the main material was thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and the auxiliary material was TPU filled with 30 wt% barium sulfate. An overall optimization design method was used to optimize the geometry of the extrusion die channel for the striped catheter, which had a complex geometry. In the global optimization process, the local inverse design method was used to design the inlet of the auxiliary material. The non-linear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) algorithm was used to obtain the optimal geometric solution of the coextrusion die runner. The experimental verification results showed that the coupling method for coextrusion die design improved the design efficiency of the coextrusion die remarkably. The value of the objective function, which was used to measure the geometric error of the product, was reduced by 72.3% compared with the initial die design.

Comparative analysis of gas-assisted extrusion of polypropylene sheet based on two types of gas intake

The formation of a stable gas layer is to have a significant effect on polymer gas-assisted extrusion (GAE). Previously, for vertical extrusion forming, the gap intake method was used, which tends to result in very short stabilization times for the gas layer. In this study, the effect of two gas intake modes was compared based on horizontal sheet extrusion. The results show that stabilization of the gas layer is easily achieved in the vertical gas-assisted die by introducing gas first. However, when using parallel die, the gas distributes the melt uniformly along the surrounding velocity and the gas layer can be stable for a long time. Moreover, disrupting the process sequence also makes it easy to achieve gas layer stability without affecting the tability of the gas layer in the subsequent extrusion. And, during low-speed extrusion, the flow inertia of the polymer melt is used to extend the flow channel of the gas-free–assisted section into the gas-assisted section to overcome the gravity of the polymer melt and smoothly extrude it in the parallel gas-assisted die. The parallel die can be considered for the production of GAE of daily profiles and can be used to improve quality.

Numerical and Experimental Studies on the Improvement of Gas Chamber Structure during Gas-Assisted Extrusion

In the gas-assisted extrusion process, the melt inside the die is in a low-viscosity molten state, so the flow field of the gas cushion layer has a great effect on the cross-sectional shape of the micro-tube. Therefore, this study establishes the gas distribution chamber model of the gas-assisted die. Ansys Fluent software was used to simulate the gas flow field of the gas distribution chamber. The effect of the gas chamber structure on the size of the micro-tube was analyzed by the extrusion experiment. The research shows that the velocity unevenness coefficient of the gas outlet of the single gas chamber die is 11.8%, which is higher than that of the double gas chamber die. The use of a double gas chamber die can improve the stability of the gas cushion layer and the wall thickness non-uniformity of the micro-tube, which verifies the simulation results.

Current and Future Trends for Polymer Micro/Nanoprocessing in Industrial Applications

Polymers are widely used in optical devices, electronic devices, energy-harvesting/storage devices, and sensors, owing to their low weight, excellent flexibility, and simple fabrication process. With advancements in micro/nanoprocessing techniques and more demanding application requirements, it is becoming necessary to realize high-resolution fabrication of polymers to prepare miniaturized devices. This is particularly because conventional processing technologies suffer from high thermal stress and strong adhesion/friction, which can irreversibly damage the micro/nanostructures of miniaturized devices. In addition, although the use of advanced fabrication methods to prepare high-resolution micro/nanostructures is explored, these methods are limited to laboratory research or small-batch production. This review focuses on the micro/nanoprocessing of polymeric materials and devices with high spatial precision and replication accuracy for industrial applications. Specifically, the current state-of-the-art techniques and future trends for micro/nanomolding, high-energy beam processing, and micro/nanomachining are discussed. Moreover, an overview of the fabrication and applications of various polymer-based elements and devices such as microlenses, biosensors, and transistors is provided. These techniques are expected to be widely applied for multiscale and multimaterial processing as well as for multifunction integration in next-generation integrated devices, such as photoelectric, smart, and biodegradable devices.

Effect of Pressure Difference between Inner and Outer Gas Layer on Micro-Tube Deformation during Gas-Assisted Extrusion

In the process of double-layer gas-assiste extrusion of a plastic micro-tube, the tugging effect caused by the pressure difference of the gas cushion layer inside the die has a great influence on the external dimensions of the micro-tube. Therefore, this study establishes a two-phase extrusion model based on compressible gas and incompressible melt. Ansys Polyflow finite element software was used to numerically simulate the extrusion process of the melt to analyze the effect of the gas cushion layer pressure difference on the micro-tube deformation. The research shows that the shrinkage rate of the micro-tube increases with increasing pressure of the outer cushion layer, and the degree of tube wall migration increases, too. In the process of extrusion, the first normal stress difference at the entrance of the gas cushion layer shows a significant effect on the melt velocity field distribution and the extruded micro-tube cross-sectional deformation.