iNdICATE- a Novel Instrument for CharacterisATion of PrEforms and Bottles for Injection Stretch Blow Moulding

This project will develop ground-breaking instrument technology enabling manufacturers of plastic bottles the capability of applying a scientific approach to material development, process and product design; thereby becoming more efficient in terms of material and energy usage. The most common process for manufacturing plastic bottles is Injection Stretch Blow Moulding (ISBM), which is primarily used to manufacture Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles for the carbonated soft drink (CSD) and water industries, a global market estimated to grow to £57 billion by 2017. Due to environmental concerns and the volatility of resin cost, there is a continual drive to lightweight these containers. However in order to do this manufacturers lack scientific instrumentation that can provide quantifiable data on the manufacturability of preforms and on the subsequent mechanical properties of the bottles they manufacture. This research program will address this issue by developing a novel instrument that will integrate technology in modelling, instrumentation and image analysis that will form the basis for a new approach for the industry towards preform/bottle design, material analysis and quality control. The technology will lead to downstream impacts through innovative manufacturing, including more efficient, customised machines for injecting preforms and blowing bottles for a range of new materials. With better understanding of the impact of processing conditions on preform manufacturability and bottle performance it can be expected that lightweight containers can be developed in shorter times. This will bring environmental and societal impact through reduced material, energy and transport and economic impact through businesses producing cheaper containers and through sales of a new instrument.

Environment and Economic
The instrument will assist in the development of new materials for packaging by providing a platform for assessing and quantifying their manufacturing performance. It will allow engineers to optimise preform design enabling less material and energy usage that will have substantial environmental and economic benefits. As an example, consider a typical large-scale converter that manufactures 6 million bottles per day of which there are at least ten in the UK. Assuming a typical polymer cost of £1000 per tonne, a 1 gram saving in material per bottle can save £2 million p.a., reduce material usage by 2,190 tonnes and CO2 emissions by ~800 tonnes. The Courtauld commitment is an agreement between supermarkets and brands in the UK to reduce packaging waste - a key function that this instrument will enable.

People
PET bottles are a simple product that young people can relate to. This research is a good way of explaining to school children the importance of STEM subjects by demonstrating that even for the most basic product, broad and deep STEM knowledge is required to manufacture it. The two PDRAs will engage directly with industry throughout the project, be immersed in industry culture and learn a wide range of skills beyond that normally achievable in an academic environment. At the end of the project with a series of publications and their industrial relevant skills they will be in line for a senior engineering position in industry or academia.

Downstream impacts through innovative manufacturing
More efficient, customised machines for injecting preforms and blowing bottles for a range of new materials are possible impacts with this instrument. With better understanding of the impact of processing conditions on preform manufacturability and bottle performance, lightweight containers can be developed in shorter time. The data generated from the instrument will enable simulation software companies to improve their numerical simulations of the process/product enabling them to lightweight and explore innovative modifications to the process. The SBM process is also used to make small medical devices (angioplasty balloons) that are used to widen arteries that have become restricted. There is currently a dearth in the knowledge base concerning processing conditions to manufacture the preform and how they relate to the blowing process and subsequent performance of this medical device.

Upstream impacts through innovation on the instrumentation supply chain
The project will have the potential to develop the UK supply chain in advanced instrumentation and research equipment. There will be potential to licence this new instrument that will make use of innovative sensors, software and high speed imaging.

Knowledge.
The concept can be used by the wider polymer processing community. Processes such as thermoforming, extrusion blow moulding and blown film extrusion all involve biaxial stretching and the technique developed from this instrument for biaxial characterisation at conditions directly relevant to processing can be applied. Understanding processing property relationships in polymers is a key research topic for both industry and academia e.g. nanocomposites, where much fundamental characterisation work has been done but little work directly related to manufacturing.

Society
The project will impact on important societal issues, namely; carbon footprint of processes and materials, reduction of household and industrial waste, recycling of polymer materials and the use of new biodegradable polymers. Of the UK's annual total of 2.48 Mtonnes of plastic packaging waste, EU directives currently require 57% to be recoverable or recyclable by 2017 (a 138% rise) (www.incpen.org). Such stringent targets will only be achievable through sustained and substantial technological advances in the polymer processing industry which the knowledge derived from this instrument will help deliver