This, the first in a planned series of SPE Technical Division publications, provides the most comprehensive technical treatment of the extrusion process and troubleshooting in a single source to date. It focuses on underlying factors and concepts which can be used to fully understand and troubleshoot a wide range of extrusion operations. The outstanding organization and in-depth presentation reflect the extensive backgrounds of the authors, whose technical excellence is ably conveyed in chapters dealing with topics such as compounding, blown film extrusion, CAD in extrusion, extrusion coating, single- and twin-screw extruders, wire and cable production, and much more.

From the Preface: “...One of the special aspects of this book is the troubleshooting guides that are at the end of each chapter. These guides provide insights into common problems, with both short-term and long-term suggestions on how to correct them. There are also six appendices that provide a glossary of relevant terms, conversion factors for important units, pertinent equations with worked-out examples, useful websites, a summary of typical resin properties, and author biographies.”

Target Audience: Operators, engineers, management, quality and maintenance personnel, and students concerned with the extrusion of plastics.

Table of Contents:

Introduction — Basics of Extrusion Troubleshooting

Single-Screw Extruders

Twin-Screw Extruders

Alternate Extrusion Systems

Extrusion Control

Auxiliary Systems

Resin Processing Properties

Performance Characterization

Computer Aided Analysis and Design

Extrusion Compounding

Pipe and Tubing Extrusion

Blown Film Extrusion

Cast Film and Sheet Extrusion

Extrusion Coating

Wire and Cable Processes

Monofilment Extrusion

Profile Extrusion

Coextrusion

Reactive Extrusion

Scrap Reclaim in the Extrusion Process

Good Extrusion Practices

Glossary

Appendices

Index