Composite models for the calculation of the filling level profiles, the pressure profiles, the melting profiles, the residence time distributions, the temperature profiles, the shear stress profiles, and the power consumption in modular tightly intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruders (ZSK) are developed. A complex systematic design procedure was compiled, which is explained in part in this paper. The simulation of the intermeshing co-rotating machine involves both screw and kneading disc elements, including left-and right-handed sections. Kneading blocks were approximated by a screw of "equivalent pitch" with making allowance for the leakage flow across the flights from one channel to the adjacent channel. The mathematical treatment of co-rotating twin screw extruders has been based up according to the theory of single screw extruders. There was seen to be a good correlation between calculated and experimental results.International Polymer Processing downloaded from www.hanser-elibrary.com by Kungliga Tekniska on August 25, 2015For personal use only.

Results from different experiments on friction welding are used to characterize the behavior of polyamide over a wide range of welding conditions. Several types and grades of polyamide were joined using the vibration and spin welding processes. The quality of the welds was evaluated by short time tensile tests and microscopy. In addition to the geometry of the parts being joined, the process parameters and the material were found to affect the quality of the weld, so that associated with each application is a different set of optimum welding parameters.

The properties of polymer blends are largely determined by the morphological structure of the polymer combinations that are involved. In terms of extruder design, this means it is necessary to have models available for estimating the development of the morphology over the length of the screws. Since significant morphological changes are observed in the melting section, in particular, is it necessary to analyze not only the plasticizing process for binary material combinations but also the initial formation and further development of the morphology in this section of the extruder.In the framework of this study, experimental investigations were conducted into polypropylene/polyamide 6 (PP/PA6) blends with small components (by weight) of the disperse PA phase. Apart from varying the process conditions of screw speed and throughput, the viscosity ratio was also varied through the use of two different PP grades. The degree of melting and the development of the morphology over the length of the screws were determined for the individual tests. The study of blend morphology in the melting section reveals key findings that must be taken into account for modeling the initial formation and further development of the morphology. It is very clear that, on the second component, which melts at higher temperatures, a kind of melt film removal occurs at the surface of the granules as they melt. The drops of second component in the melting section, which are directly adjacent to components that have not yet fdly melted in some cases, have already assumed dimensions (in the km range) similar to those that are seen at the end of the extrusion process. This means that, in the melting section of the twin-screw extruder, no volumes become detached from or are worn off the already-molten granule surfaces. An evaluation of scanning electron micrographs also shows that, in the melting section of co-rotating twin-screw extruders, virtually all the degradation mechanisms that can essentially be distinguished, such as quasi-steady drop breakup, folding, end pinching and decomposition through capillary instabilities, take place in parallel.

In recent years, laser transmission welding has gained in significance by displaying its specific advantages among the established welding processes for thermoplastics. However, a deep understanding of the developed process variants is so far missing. Useful results for temperature development were obtained in cases of high absorption constants by setting up an analytical model by analogy to single‐sided heat impulse welding. Yet there is no physico‐mathematical model considering the different energy conditions for joining parts with various absorption properties. This investigation is a first step towards a deep and detailed insight into the heating phase of the laser transmission welding process. Experimental data for temperature progression was collected for polypropylene. In addition, an analysis of the heat transfer problem using the finite element method showed a good level of agreement with the experimental results.

This article has been compiled on the basis of the many years' experience that has been acquired in the field of plastics welding by the Institute of Plastics Engineering (KTP) at the University of Paderborn. A brief report is given on the state of the art in laser and microwave welding technology. An overview is also included on the potential and limits of the use of laser and microwave welding in plastics processing. In the case of laser welding, a number of results achieved in welding of molded parts are presented that have been obtained in the course of extensive investigations. For microwave welding, a report is included on investigations that are currently running at the KTP. In addition to this, details are given on the basic suitability of laser and microwave welding for joining films and sheetings. Configuration for the indirect microwave welding of panels, left: side view, right: cross‐section.magnified imageConfiguration for the indirect microwave welding of panels, left: side view, right: cross‐section.