CINDERELLA G.

GALLOS PkgE 3201 Assignment

BSCHE-3 December 14, 2017

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE FOR CAST FILM EXTRUSION

PROBLEM CAUSE SOLUTION

Decrease die opening
DRAW RESONANCE Drawdown ratio or drawdown Decrease line speed
distance too large Increase melt temperature
Reduce draw distance

Reduce winding tension

FILM OR SHEET BLOCKING Too hard winding, treatment Increase chill roll temperature to
level too high increase haze
Add antiblock
Reduce treatment power

Use the lay on roll to remove air

DEPOSIT ON CHILL ROLL Poor chill roll contact, air cushion between the film
(PLATE-OUT) trapped between the chill roll and chill roll
and the film Check pinning

Correct with roll temperature

EDGE CURL OR POOR Polish roll temperatures not Maintain temperature variation
FLATNESS balanced, or uneven heat across polish roll surface
transfer less than 3 °C

Improve melting and mixing

BUBBLES IN SHEET Air entrapment function of extruder
Increase head pressure
Set inverse temperature profile
on extruder
Use a higher compression screw

DULL SURFACE OVER Poor polishing due to Fill both nips to ensure contact
ENTIRE FILM OR SHEET insufficient contact with chill
rolls

LENSING OR FISH EYE Excessive amount of moisture Dry raw materials

in raw materials

Clean lips
GAUGE BANDS Dirty die lips, die adjustment, Reset die bolts
or flapping melt Reset air knife/vacuum
box/edge pinning

Lower temperatures
POOR PIGMENT Poor mixing, or uneven melting Add static mixer
DISPERSION Change or modify screw
 Better match of polymer and
master batch MFR/polymer
Increase back pressure

Lower extruder temperature

DISCOLORATION Too high extrusion
temperature

Prevent or remove moisture

SILVERY STREAKS Moisture on resin Melt resin more efficiently
per recommendations
o Prevent contamination
MILKY AREAS OF POOR Contamination by incompatible Clean loader, hopper and dryer
CLARITY polymer Purge extruder

Check chill roll temperature and

NON-UNIFORM OPTICAL Temperature gradient across adjust if necessary
PROPERTIES chill roll

Lower the melt viscosity by

SHARKSKIN OR ORANGE The high viscosity melt leaves using higher processing
PEEL the die above a critical shear temperature
stress, predominantly Decrease output
encountered with LLDPE Use processing aids (e.g.
fluoropolymers)
Increase die gap

Eliminate source of
BLACK SPECKS Foreign material, or degraded contamination
polymer Keep paper bag fibers out of
resin
Disassemble and clean extruder
barrel, screw and die to
remove deposits
 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE FOR BLOWN FILM EXTRUSION

PROBLEM CAUSE SOLUTION

Film edges rolling before the Adjust gap at top of collapsing
DROOP ON FILM EDGES nips, due to uneven cooling of frame, adjust collapsing board.
film edges. Caused by uneven
collapsing.
Die gap uneven, non uniform Adjust die, Adjust volume of air
GAUGE VARIATION air velocity in air ring. Uneven through air ring
temperature Adjust temperature
on die ring Extruder surge Check extruder drive speed.
Improper nip drive speed Check feed section housing.
Check temperature controllers,
remove screw cooling, raise
temperature in first zone up to
10°C in 5°C increments until
surge is minimized or eliminated.
Check water circulation in feed
section.
Check nip drive motor g/box and
belts, chains or sprockets.
GELS & FISH EYES Poor mixing Contaminated resin Check mixing.
Flaking from dirty screw or Clean resin silos, transfer system
barrel Excessive use of reclaim & hopper feeder.
or off grade pellets with virgin Clean screw & barrel. Drop ratio
material Burnt polymers from of reclaim & off grade.
improper start ups or shut Check for burnt polymer
downs Poor resin quality Check resin homogeneity
SAG IN FILM Bubble geometry wrong Bubble Reduce nip height in order to
cooled unevenly collapse film at a higher
temperature, 80°C to 90°C before
nips.
Check uneven contact, check side
collapsing boards.
Surface contact of film with Polish any surfaces causing
SCRATCHES IN FILM auxiliary equipment problem: bubble guides, treater,
idler rolles, gusset formers, slitter
blade holders
Tension varies or is too high Air Check tension & taper it as roll
UNEVEN WIDTH OF FILM leakage from bubble Web builds & ensure it is not too tight.
wander prior to wind up Check collapsing frame
Variable web tension in edge Check for too much velocity at air
triming or slitting station ring Check web tension.
Check web tension
Wide guage variation across Make die adjustments, check for
WRINKLES IN FILM web Insufficient cooling of high uniform die temperature and air
frost line Bubble bounce Poor ring velocity. Use cooler air or
alignment of tent & primary nip drop extrusion temperature Ensure
rolls Rolls out of alignment smooth collapsing in tent,
 producing angled wrinkles eliminate air drafts around bubble
Excessive tension or unbalanced Re-align die to nip rolls
idler rollers, rough surfaces in Check alignment of rollers.
collapsing area Collapsing & Check tension & speeds of
cooling of bubble are uneven, downstream rollers, eliminates
producing wrinkles on edges rough surfaces Adjust gap at top
after nips of collapsing frame & side
collapser, also minimize bubble
movement by reducing stalk
height
Insufficient cooling, frost line Check cooling, check frost line,
PROBLEM SPLITTING OF too high, blow up ratio too high check blow up ratio.
THE FILM Nips set too tight, especially if Check & adjust nips, replace old
old & hardened rubber nips are & hardened rollers.
used Die line or bad web lines Decrease temperature to build up
from die Scratches from pressure to reduce die or weld
collapsing frame, nips or idlers lines (Note: this will not decrease
Degraded particles of resin or output) Eliminate sources of
dirt lodged under edge of die scratches Clean die lips
lips which make film split at
weld
Not enough blow up ratio Thin Increase blow up ratio
STRENGTH OF FILM IS spots in film Extrusion Check for gauge variations
POOR temperature too high or too low Gradually adjust temperature.
Poor mixing Extrusion Use water cooling in screw to
APPLE SAUCE temperature too high or too low improve mixing, increase screen
Poor resin quality mesh to increase back pressure.
Gradually adjust temperature
Check resin.
Insufficient amount of antiblock Check amount of anti-block
BLOCKING additive Winding tension too Adjust winding tension
high Frost line too high Check frost line level, adjust
resulting in a higher film temperature.
temperature at collapsing, Reduce output, raise nips, use
which may increase take-up nip chilled air.
roll temperature thus applying Check & control environmental
more pressure on film from roll temperatures which may cause
expansion Inadequate cooling or this condition Avoid
ambient temperature too high, overtreatment Check & control
causing inner surfaces to block static
as they pass through nips
Overtreatment Excessive static
electricity
Air ring velocity excessive Air Decrease air rate
CHATTER IN FILM OR ring lip gap too narrow Friction Increase lip gap
BUBBLE in collapsing frame Modify the surface to decrease
friction or decrease melt
temperature