6 Monolayer Die for Tubes

∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

The principles of designing spiral mandrel dies for tubes and pipes are explained
in Chapter 5, where a die for ∅20 mm to ∅50 mm pipe sizes was illustrated as an
example. In this chapter, the design of tubes from ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm is given to
­cover a range of sizes, applications, and materials.

„„6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in

Line Die
This die is used for medical tubes made from different types of polymers. As
­explained in the previous chapters, the starting point of die design is the design
brief. Therefore, information about the design scope, product range, materials to
be processed, output required, size of the extruder, etc. is collected as a starting
point. After collecting this information, tables of product sizes, tooling sizes using
convenient factors of draw down ratios, line speed calculations, etc. are compiled
as in Table 6.1. From the tooling sizes a rough design of the die is made to get the
geometry information for simulation purposes. From the simulation results, the
design is corrected to suit the results and finalized to meet the customer require-
ments as close to the design brief as possible. This approach is repeated time and
again for all the designs.

6.1.1 Design Brief

The information about the required die received from a particular customer is as
shown in Table 6.1.
108 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

Table 6.1 Design Brief

 1. Product ∅1.00 mm to ∅6.00 mm tubes.

 2. Product range (OD/ID) ∅2.00/1.80, ∅3.90/2.60, ∅5.90/3.50, and
∅6.00/4.30.
 3. Wall thickness of each product 0.30 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.95 mm, and 0.85 mm.
 4. Material or materials if more than one LDPE, HDPE, PVC, and Nylon 12. No specific
supplier and grade were specified.
 5. Rheology data (relationship of shear rates vs. No information available. Data from literature
viscosities at different temperatures) is used.
 6. Thermodynamic data Generic values for given materials used for
ƒƒ Density of each material simulation.
ƒƒ Specific heat capacity
ƒƒ Thermal conductivity
 7. Extruder details
ƒƒ Type of extruder ƒƒ Single screw
ƒƒ Screw diameter ƒƒ 2.50 inches
ƒƒ Required output ƒƒ 45 kg/h
ƒƒ Flange details ƒƒ Manufacturer’s leaflet
ƒƒ Breaker plate dimensions ƒƒ Manufacturer’s leaflet
 8. Calibrator Not available
 9. Cooling bath Not available
ƒƒ Dimensions
ƒƒ Type: vacuum, spray, etc.
ƒƒ Temperature
10. Haul-off Not available
ƒƒ Make
ƒƒ Length
ƒƒ Belt width
ƒƒ Speed min/max
11. Cutter Not available
ƒƒ Make
ƒƒ Length
ƒƒ Speed min/max
12. Winder Not available
ƒƒ Make
ƒƒ Diameter
ƒƒ Speed min/max
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 109

6.1.2 Draw Down Ratios and Tooling Sizes

Table 6.2 gives the product size and relevant tooling size.

Table 6.2 Draw Down Ratios for ∅2–6 mm Tubes

  Tube OD ID Wall Die ID Pin OD DDR Layer Draw

desig­ [mm] [mm] thick­ [mm] [mm] thick­ down
nation ness ness at ratio
[mm] ­material ­balance
exit (DRB)
[mm]
Single layer LDPE
1 2 2.40 1.80 0.30  3.60 2.70 2.25 0.45 1.00
2 4 3.90 2.60 0.65  5.85 3.90 2.25 0.975 1.00
3 5 5.40 3.50 0.95  8.10 5.25 2.25 1.425 1.00
4 6 5.71 4.71 0.50  8.57 7.07 2.25 0.75 1.00
Single layer HDPE
5 6 6.00 4.30 0.85 12.00 8.60 4.00 1.7 1.00
Single layer PVC (plasticized)
6 6 6.00 4.30 0.85 12.00 8.60 4.00 1.7 1.00

Table 6.3 shows the calculations of the line speed for a given output.

Table 6.3 Calculations of Line Speed for Given Output

Material Material Density Output Tube Tube ID Area of Length Length

type output [kg/m3] ­volume OD [mm] annulus of tube of tube
[kg/h] [m3/h] [mm] [mm2] per per
hour ­minute
[m/h] [m/min]
HDPE 25.00  762 0.0328084 2.40 1.80  2 16577 276
HDPE 38.00  762 0.04986877 3.86 2.54  7  7516 125
HDPE 40.00  762 0.05249344 5.40 3.50 13  3952  66
HDPE 45.00  762 0.05905512 5.71 4.71  8  7216 120
LDPE 45.00  951 0.04731861 6.00 4.30 14  3441  57
PVC 35.00 1120 0.03125 6.00 4.30 14  2272  38

6.1.3 Design Procedure

Table 6.2 is used for starting the design from the tooling end and this information
is used for the simulation as well. From the design brief in Table 6.1 it was evident
that the output required by the customer is 45 kg/h (the maximum plasticizing
110 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

capacity of the extruder). This level of output is used for the largest size of tooling
and smaller sizes of the tube would have less output, because of the high shear
stress in the land area of the die annulus. Table 6.3 shows that a 45 kg/h output for
a tube size of 5.71 mm in outside diameter and 4.71 mm in inside diameter will
give a line speed of 120 m/min, whereas a tube of 2.40 mm in outside diameter
and 1.80 mm in inside diameter will give a line speed of 276 m/min. It must be
checked with the customer if their equipment would be capable of handling such a
high line speed. The draw down ratio, which determines the tooling size and the
level of output, can be changed from the simulation results, when the performance
of the whole die is optimized.
From the above information, a rough design of the die is made to establish the
­initial dimensions of the die geometry. This die geometry along with the material
information and the processing conditions are inserted into the simulation soft-
ware to get the simulation results. The results are then checked and the design is
changed to optimize the processing results in terms of the pressure drop in the die,
shear rate, shear stress, residence time, etc., so that the ultimate die design meets
the customer expectations and gives the most suitable results. This exercise, as
explained in the previous chapter, is completed for all the sizes of the tubes and
specified materials to be processed. The final design of the die for this particular
customer is shown in Figure 6.1 and Figure 6.2.
The die shown in Figure 6.1 and Figure 6.2 is based on the 2 mm tube tooling as
specified in Table 6.2. The die is designed for precision medical tubes, where the
tooling is semi-fixed center; in other words, the pin is inserted into a concentric
mandrel and it fits tightly on the taper in the mandrel. The die has a very slight
radial adjustment on the die carrier (08), as shown in Figure 6.1. The whole idea is
that once the small radial adjustment to get an even wall thickness of the tube is
made, then the die adjustment should be locked in place. Any further tool changes
should be made without the necessity of any adjustment to get an even wall thick-
ness of the products. As the pin is inserted in the mandrel from the front, remov­
ing the pin for tool changing would be difficult unless the whole die is dismantled.
To facilitate the quick tool changes, a pin pusher plug (12) and a pin pusher bolt
(13) are placed in the die design. The winding in of the pin pusher bolt would push
the pin pusher plug outward, which would release the pin from its taper in the
mandrel. For inserting the new pin into the mandrel, the pin pusher bolt (13) is
wound outward. For replacing the die, the die adjusting nut (09) in the front is
­removed first and then the die is pushed out with a slight movement of the melt
from the extruder. In this way, a quick and easy tool changing is accomplished.
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 111

Figure 6.1 Sectional view of 2–6 mm tube dies, showing 2 mm pin and die in place and a
mechanism for pushing the pin out

Figure 6.2 Sectional view of 2–6 mm tube dies, showing 2 mm pin and die in place and feed
of melt into the spirals
112 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

This type of arrangement is not conventional, but it works well for small diameter
tubes of thin wall. For a larger size of tubes where more die adjustment is required,
the design of a conventional arrangement—as shown in the previous chapter—is
more suitable.
The results of the simulation are shown in the following section.

6.1.4 Die Simulation (∅2 mm Tube)

As explained in Chapter 5, the following data input is required for the simulation
software :
1

[Link] Die Geometry
The die geometry is divided into three sections: (1) the feed section, (2) the body
and mandrel section, including the spirals, and (3) the annuli section—namely, the
part above the spiral section, including the tooling section.

[Link].1 Feed Section

Figure 6.3 Feed section showing geometry and dimensions

1
The simulation results in this chapter are obtained from Compuplast® software for Spiral Die Module.
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 113

Figure 6.3 shows the geometry dimensions of the feed section. The feed section
is  divided into three sections and the details of the three sections are given in
­Table 6.4.

Table 6.4 Information of Feed Section as Inserted into the Software

Section # Splits L [mm] L/D D [mm] S [mm2]

01 1 101.00 5.05000 20.000 314.159
02 4  36.50 4.56250  8.000  50.2655
03 4  37.00 6.16667  6.000  28.2743

The first column in Table 6.4 is the number of the sections in the feed part of the
die, 01 being close to the extruder, 03 being the section that feeds the melt directly
into the spirals, and 02 the intermediary section. The second column shows the
number of branches in each section. The third column is the length of each part of
the feed section. The fourth column is the ratio of the length in the third column to
the diameter in the fifth column, which is calculated by the software.
The sixth column is the cross-sectional area of each section and is also calculated
by the software. The cross-sectional area of section 01 should not be less than the
total area of either section 02 or 03. For example, the cross-sectional area of each
branch of section 02 is 50.2655 mm2 and there are 4 branches in this section;
therefore, the total cross-sectional area of the 4 branches is equal to 201.062 mm2;
which is less than 314.159 mm2 of section 01. Similarly, the total cross-sectional
area of section 03 is a lot smaller than section 02.

[Link].2 Distribution Section
The section after the feed section of the die and before the annuli is classed as dis-
tribution section. As its name implies, the purpose of this section is to evenly dis-
tribute the melt around the circumference of the gap between the body and the
mandrel. The main elements of geometry of this section are the body inside dia­
meter and length, the mandrel diameter and length, and the spirals dimensions, as
shown in Figure 6.4.
114 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

Figure 6.4 Distribution section showing geometry and dimensions

The important dimensions for the distribution section are as shown in Table 6.5.

Table 6.5 Information of Distribution Section as Inserted into the Software

  # Name Dimension Description

1. Reference diameter ∅56.20 mm Diameter of the body and the mandrel at the start
of the spirals.
2. Spiral height 36.00 mm Distance from the middle of the start of the spiral
to the end of the spiral.
3. Depth of spiral 10.00 mm Depth of the start of the spiral.
4. Spiral radius R  3.00 mm Radius at the bottom of the first spiral.
5. Gap at the end  2.25 mm Gap between the body and the mandrel at the end
of the spiral. Usually measured at 5.00 mm after
the spiral height.
6. Number of ports 4 Usually the minimum number of ports is 4 and the
maximum can be 12 depending upon the size of
the die.
7. Number of overlaps 4 Usually the number of overlaps is the same as the
number of ports. This means that each spiral goes
round the circumference one full turn.
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 115

[Link].3 Annuli or Tooling Section

The section above the mandrel is shown in Figure 6.5. All the dimensions neces-
sary for the simulation software are clearly marked and are shown in Table 6.6.

Figure 6.5 Annuli or tooling section showing geometry and dimensions

Table 6.6 Dimensions of Annuli Section as Inserted into the Software

# D [mm] H [mm] dH [mm] Gb [mm] Ge [mm]

01 51.7500  5.0000  5.0000 2.25000 2.2500
02 49.0000 11.0000  6.0000 2.25000 5.0000
03 49.0000 33.0000 22.0000 5.0000 5.0000
04  3.1500 83.0000 50.0000 5.0000 0.4500
05  3.1500 91.0000  8.0000 0.4500 0.4500

The dimensions of the annuli or tooling section are given in Table 6.6. The first
column (#) denotes the number of the section. The second column (D) is the mean
diameter of the section as in Figure 6.5: the outside diameter at the beginning of
the section is 54.00 mm and inside diameter is 50.00 mm, therefore the mean dia-
meter is 52.00 mm. Column 3 (H) is the height from the beginning to the next
section; column 4 (dH) is the height of the section; Gb is the gap at the beginning
and Ge is the gap at the end (columns 5 and 6, respectively).
This completes the geometry input into the software and the next task is to input
the project definition, consisting of the material information and the processing
conditions.
116 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

[Link] Project Definition

[Link].1 Material Information
The material information consists of the data provided in Table 6.7.

Table 6.7 Material Information

Material name Polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc.

Material grade HDPE, LDPE, flexible PVC, nylon 12, etc.
Rheology data Temperatures, shear rates, and viscosities corresponding
to shear rate at each temperature.
Thermodynamic properties in solid state Melt temperature, freezing temperature, density, specific
heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat of
fusion.
Thermodynamic properties of melt Density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity.

As no specific material information other than generic names was available from
the customer in this case, the material data values for LDPE—made by Sabic and
grade Sabic 2100TN00—of known rheology data are used.

[Link].2 Processing Conditions
The processing conditions are the material output rate, the material temperature,
and the die temperature. In the simulation of the die, it is assumed that the process­
ing conditions on the extruder are already satisfactory to deliver a homogeneous
melt to the die. Therefore, the only processing conditions concerning the die are
the melt temperature from the extruder and the die body temperature. These
­processing conditions are set in accordance with the guidelines of the material
suppliers and can differ from grade to grade of the same material type and also for
other types of materials. For instance, the die temperature and melt temperatures
for HDPE and LDPE are normally in the region of 210 °C to 230 °C, and for PVC the
temperatures are in the region of 160 °C to 185 °C. The material output and the
processing conditions are tweaked by an experienced process engineer to optimize
the processing.
The following information for the die under discussion has been put into the soft-
ware:
ƒƒOutput rate (MFR): 20 kg/h
ƒƒInput melt temperature: 220 °C
ƒƒBody temperature: 220 °C
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 117

[Link] Simulation Results
The software simulates the flow characteristics of the die and the results are shown
separately for the three sections described above—namely, the feed section, the
distribution section or spiral mandrel part, and the tooling section or annuli—as
follows:

[Link].1 Feed Section
The feed section is as shown in Figure 6.3, further divided into 3 sections as shows
Table 6.8.

Table 6.8 Simulation Results of Variables in the Feed Section

Section # Dp [MPa] DP [MPa] T [°C] Shear rate Shear Velocity

[s−1] stress [mm/s]
[kPa]
1 0.5928 18.681 220.34  12.233 29.312 23.207
2 0.9316 18.089 220.85  50.493 51.001 36.261
3 1.7229 17.157 221.77 124.17 69.784 64.464

The first column in Table 6.8 is the section number; Dp is the pressure drop in a
particular section; DP is the total pressure drop in the die from the beginning of
this section; T is the temperature at the end of each section; the fifth column is the
shear rate at the wall of each section; the sixth column is the shear stress at the
tube of each section; and the last column is the average velocity in the section.
Looking at the results in Table 6.8, the observations are as follows: the total pres-
sure drop in the feed section is 3.2473 MPa, the temperature rise due to the shear
of the melt in this section is 1.77 °C, the minimum shear rate is 12.233 s−1 and the
maximum 124.17 s−1, the minimum shear stress is 29.312 kPa and the maximum
69.784 kPa, and they are all satisfactory. The minimum shear stress set as a rule of
thumb is 30 kPa and in this case the shear stress of 29.312 kPa is very close to the
minimum requirement. Therefore, the small difference can be ignored and the
­geometry of this section is acceptable.

[Link].2 Distribution Section or Spiral Mandrel Part

The software gives detailed results in each section of the overlap. In the die de­
scribed above, there are 4 ports and 4 overlaps; therefore, the software gives
­results in 4 sections of overlaps. For simplicity, the results at the beginning of
the first part of the spiral mandrel and the end of the spiral mandrel are listed in
Table 6.9.
118 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

Table 6.9 Simulation Results of Variables in the Distribution Section

# DP [MPa] q1 [cm3/s] q2 [cm3/s] T [°C] Shear rate Shear stress

[s−1] [kPa]
Beginning of 15.434 1.8222 0.0005 221.78 67.74 56.553
channel
Gap over 15.434 0.0002 0.0002 220.00  5.1604 20.010
the channel
Section at 11.566 0.0034 0.1844 222.22 71.107 57.386
the spirals

The first column (#) in Table 6.9 is the section description; DP is the total pressure
drop in the die from the beginning of this section; q1 is the melt flow in the spiral
direction; q2 is the melt leakage from the spiral; T is the temperature at the end of
each section; the sixth column is the shear rate at the wall of each section; and the
last column is the shear stress at the tube of each section.
From the results in Table 6.9 it is clear that the pressure drop in the spiral mandrel
section is 3.87 Mpa, the temperature change is less than 1 °C, and the shear rate
and the shear stress are well within the required values. The software also shows
the volumetric flow distribution around the circumference: the minimum value is
0.176 cm3/s and the maximum value is 0.187 cm3/s, which gives the variation of
flow rate around the circumference of ± 2.95 %. A flow variation of ± 4 % or below is
regarded as satisfactory.

[Link].3 Tooling Section (Annuli)

The third and last section includes all the area from the end of the spiral mandrel
to the melt exit. This section is shown in Figure 6.5 and is divided into 5 sections
according to changes in geometry from one section to the next, as shown in Table
6.6. The flow characteristic values of each section at the start are listed in Table
6.10 (the end values are the same as the start of the next section).

Table 6.10 Simulation Results of Variables in the Tooling Section

P [MPa] q1 [cm3/s] q2 [cm3/s] T [°C] Shear rate [s−1] Shear stress [kPa]
Section#1
Start 11.566 0.0025 0.1825 222.19  74.694 58.405
Section#2
Start 11.305 0.0019 0.1819 222.14  29.466 41.412
Section#3
Start 11.168 0.0030 0.1820 221.99  15.763 32.283
Section#4
Start 10884 0.0002 0.1823 222.35 104.14 65.460
Section#5
Start 8.4813 –0.001 0.1827 226.53 38209 238.29
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 119

From the results in Table 6.10, the melt flow through the annuli is satisfactory up
to the last section, where the shear stress is 238.29 kPa. The „magical“ figure for
the shear stress is 140 kPa maximum, above which melt fracture takes place, re-
sulting in the shark skin effect on the product. Therefore, this section as it stands
is not satisfactory and a number of remedial actions can be taken as follows:
1. Increase the temperature in the annuli section
2. Change the draw down ratio to increase the annular gap between the inside
diameter of the die and outside diameter of the pin
3. Lower the output
4. A combination of some or all of the above
Since the simulation software treats the annular section as an integral part of the
whole die and the temperature is set as body temperature for the whole die, trying
any different temperature for this section is out of the scope of the software. There-
fore, a different approach is adopted for finding the right solution for this section.
The above mentioned software comes with a calculator for simple solutions and is
very useful for solving problems of this nature.

[Link].4 Correction of Tooling Section

For the simulation of the die under discussion, the processing conditions have
been set as follows:
ƒƒOutput rate (MFR): 20 kg/h
ƒƒInput melt temperature: 220 °C
ƒƒBody temperature: 220 °C
From Figure 6.5, the geometry of the die is as follows:
ƒƒInside diameter of the die = 3.60 mm
ƒƒOutside diameter of the pin = 2.70 mm
ƒƒDie land length = 8.00 mm
The above annuli geometry and processing conditions have resulted in a very high
shear stress. Using the „Extrusion calculator,“ which is a part of the software, and
varying the geometry and the processing conditions for the same grade of the
­material, the following geometry and processing conditions have resulted in satis-
factory processing conditions:
ƒƒOutput rate (MFR): 10 kg/h
ƒƒInput melt temperature: 220 °C
ƒƒBody temperature: 282 °C
120 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

Annuli adjusted geometry:

ƒƒInside diameter of the die = 5.377 mm
ƒƒOutside diameter of the pin = 3.96 mm
ƒƒDie land length = 9.00 mm
The processing results are as follows:
ƒƒPressure drop in the land = 3.46 MPa
ƒƒAverage velocity = 351 mm/s
ƒƒAverage shear rate = 5361.25 s−1
ƒƒAverage shear stress = 136.23 kPa
From the above corrections and results it can be concluded that the die would per-
form satisfactorily with certain changes to the geometry and processing condi-
tions. The changes in geometry mean that the draw down ratio has to be increased
to 4.84 : 1 and the draw down ratio balance has to be applied to 98 %. The draw
down ratio and the draw down ratio balance have been explained in Chapter 3. The
draw down ratio of 4.84 : 1 would result in a die inside diameter of 5.28 mm and the
outside diameter of the pin would be of 3.96 mm, resulting in an annular gap of
0.66 mm. Further adjustment to the draw dawn ratio balance would result in a die
inside diameter as above and an annular gap of 0.71 mm. The changes in the pro-
cessing conditions result in a rise of the temperature at the die tip to 282 °C. This
increase of temperature at the die tip would not affect the product quality, but
would give a better finish to the outside of the product. The residence time in the
die land is 0.026 seconds, which means that such a small residence time in the die
tip would not increase the temperature of the melt exiting from the die, but would
eliminate the sticking of the melt to the die wall caused by the high shear stress, as
in the previous case.
It should be noted that there would be an appreciable decrease in the output from
20 kg/h to 10 kg/h for a satisfactory product. The average velocity of 351 mm/s
would result in a line speed of 21 meters per minute. There would be slight diffe-
rences in the performance of this die with different types of materials for the same
size of tubes with the same set of tooling. An experienced engineer who follows the
above approach of optimizing the processing conditions and changes to the geo­
metry would be able to make the necessary adjustments for different grades of the
same material or different types of materials, as it is not possible to give the results
of all the materials.
The above die head is designed to cover a range of tubes from 2 mm in diameter to
6 mm in diameter; therefore, rather than showing the simulation of each and every
size of the tubes, the simulation of the largest size in the range is shown below. The
intermediary sizes of the tubes would work satisfactory with the same die head by
changing the tooling part only from the dimensions given in the draw down ratios
table (Table 6.2).
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 121

6.1.5 Die Simulation (∅6 mm Tube)

For the simulation of a ∅6 mm tube die, the geometry of the first two sections (i. e.,
the feed section and the distribution section) are common for this die head; there-
fore, the geometry input for these two sections would be the same as above. The
tooling section is replaced by the new tooling section, as shown in Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6 Annuli or tooling section showing geometry and dimensions of ∅6.00 mm tube

[Link] Die Geometry

[Link].1 Dimensions of Feed Section

See Section [Link].1.

[Link].2 Dimensions of Distribution Section

See Section [Link].2.

[Link].3 Dimensions of Tooling Section

The dimensions of the new tooling section as inserted in the software for simula-
tion purposes are listed in Table 6.11.
122 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

Table 6.11 Dimensions on Annuli for ∅6 mm Tubes

# D [mm] H [mm] dH [mm] Gb [mm] Ge [mm]

01 52.0000  5.00000  5.00000 3.75000 3.75000
02 49.0000 11.0000  6.00000 3.75000 7.00000
03 49.0000 33.0000 22.0000 7.00000 7.00000
04  9.44900 69.0000 36.0000 7.00000 4.75000
05  7.82000 85.0000 16.0000 4.75000 0.750000
06  7.82000 91.000  6.00000 0.75000 0.75000

[Link] Project Definition
For a detailed explanation on the project definition see Section [Link].

[Link].1 Material Information
The material information is the same as in Section [Link].1. Material: LDPE grade
Sabic 2100TN00.

[Link].2 Processing Conditions
All the information on the processing conditions is as in Section [Link].2 except
for the following input data:
ƒƒOutput rate (MFR): 45 kg/h
ƒƒInput melt temperature: 220 °C
ƒƒDie body temperature: 220 °C

[Link] Simulation Results
The simulation results of the flow characteristics for the three sections are as
­follows:

[Link].1 Feed Section
The simulation results for the feed section are as shown in Table 6.12.

Table 6.12 Simulation Results of Variables in the Feed Section for ∅6 mm Tubes

Section # Dp [MPa] DP [MPa] T [°C] Shear rate Shear Velocity

[s−1] stress [mm/s]
[kPa]
1 0.83269 14.0684 220.475 28.4239 41.1782  52.2162
2 1.25565 13.2357 221.173 117.649 68.7397  81.5878
3 2.26582 11.9801 222.416  91.7690 94.9412 145.045
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 123

Looking at the results in Table 6.12, it can be seen that the total pressure drop in
the feed section is 2.088 MPa, the temperature variation due to the shear stress at
the wall of this section is 1.94 °C, the minimum shear rate is 28.42 s−1 and the
maximum 117.649  s−1, and the minimum shear stress is 41.178 kPa and the
­maximum 94.94 kPa. All these results are satisfactory; therefore, there is no prob­
lem in this section.

[Link].2 Distribution Section or Spiral Mandrel Part

As explained in Section [Link].2, the software gives a detailed analysis of each
section of the overlap. For simplicity, the minimum, the average, and the maxi-
mum values of the variables are examined as listed in Table 6.13.

Table 6.13 Simulation Results of Variables in the Distribution Section for ∅6 mm Tubes

Variable Minimum Average Maximum Critical

Flow in main 0.00041 0.226 0.4514  
direction [cm3/s]
Flow in channel 0.00041 0.220 0.4514  
direction [cm3/s]
Velocity in main 0.0000 26.35 52.698  
direction [mm/s]
Velocity in –14.5533 17.43 49.4100  
­channel direction
[mm/s]
Temperature [°C] 220.00 221.78 223.568  
Pressure drop 4.573 7.14 9.714 20
[MPa]
Shear rate in the 5.46 182.88 359.110 10
body [s−1]
Shear rate in the 1.0000 180.53 359.110 10
mandrel [s−1]
Shear stress in 20.52 58.58 96.63 min. 30/
the body [kPa] max. 140
Shear stress in 9.01 96.63 52.82 min. 30/
the mandrel [kPa] max. 140
Flow variation at   0.4101 cm3/s ± 2.89 %   ± 4.0 %
the end of spirals

From the results in Table 6.13 it can be concluded that the pressure drop is well
below the critical level. The critical value of pressure drop is 20 MPa for the whole
die head from the extruder end to the melt exit. The pressure drop in the feed
­section above was 2.088 MPa and in the spiral mandrel it is 9.714 MPa. The total
pressure drop through the die is 14.0684 MPa as shown in the above section;
this means that 4.573 MPa is the pressure drop through the tooling section above
the spirals.
124 6 Monolayer Die for Tubes ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm

The minimum critical value of shear rate is 10 s−1. In this case 5.46 s−1 is only at
the beginning of the spiral and the tubes before the start of the spiral have a shear
rate of 289.68 s−1; as the average shear rate in the body and mandrel is around
180 s−1, this value is ignored.
The minimum critical shear stress value is 30 kPa and the value of 20.52 kPa in
the beginning of the spiral can also be ignored, as the average value of 58.58 kPa
is higher than the minimum critical value. The maximum value of shear stress,
96.63 kPa, is lower than the maximum critical value of 140 kPa, above which melt
fracture takes place.
The flow variation at the end of the spirals being ± 2.89 % means that the melt
­distribution at the end of the spirals is good. Therefore, the above die so far is
­satis­factory for a 45 kg/h output at the set values of melt and die body tempera­
tures of 220 °C.

[Link].3 Tooling Section (Annuli)

The new tooling section as shown in Figure 6.6 and the dimensions for this section
are shown in Table 6.11. This section is divided into 6 subsections, as shown in
Table 6.11, and the results of the simulation are as shown in Table 6.14 for the
above mentioned processing conditions.

Table 6.14 Simulation Results of Variables in the Tooling Section for ∅6 mm Tubes

Variable Minimum Average Maximum

Flow rate [cm3/s] 0.40 0.408 0.416
Velocity [mm/s] 1.771 24.317 46.863
Temperature [°C] 223.39 224.10 224.81
Pressure drop [MPa] 0.00 2.29 4.58
−1
Shear rate [s ] 24.90 1563.64 3102.39
Shear stress [kPa] 38.56 100.61 162.65

From the results in Table 6.14, the most concerning result is the maximum shear
stress of 162.65 kPa, which occurs at the last part of this section, before the melt
exit. As the critical value is 140 kPa, above which the melt fracture takes place
­resulting in shark skin, some fine tuning in this area is needed to reduce the shear
stress below the critical value. By tweaking the processing conditions, it was found
that the following processing conditions give satisfactory results:
ƒƒOutput: 42 kg/h
ƒƒMelt temperature: 230 °C
ƒƒDie body temperature: 245 °C
 6.1 ∅1 mm to ∅6 mm Fixed Center in Line Die 125

The new processing conditions had the effect on the shear stress in the tooling
section shown in Table 6.15.

Table 6.15 Shear Stress in the Tooling Section

Variable Minimum Average Maximum

Shear stress [kPa] 39.90 85.18 139.46

The maximum value of shear stress being below the critical value, it can be conclu-
ded that the die designed above would meet the required customer expectations
very closely with a little fine tuning. The same die was tested with other materials
like HDPE, PVC, and Nylon 12 and it was found to give satisfactory results. There-
fore, the design of the die is finalized.

Figure 6.7 3D sectional view of the complete die head