iNdICATE- a Novel Instrument for CharacterisATion of PrEforms and Bottles for Injection Stretch Blow Moulding
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Abstract
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.
Planned Impact
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
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
Organisations
- Queen's University Belfast (Lead Research Organisation)
- California Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) (Collaboration)
- Husky Injection Moulding (Lux) (Project Partner)
- Sidel (France) (Project Partner)
- Procter & Gamble (United States) (Project Partner)
- Logoplaste Technology Ltd (Project Partner)
- Blow Moulding Technologies Ltd (Project Partner)
- Pack 3.0 (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Gary Menary (Principal Investigator) | |
Peter Martin (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Blair RW
(2018)
Processing-property relationships of biaxially stretched poly(L-lactic acid) sheet for application in coronary stents.
in Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials
Nixon J
(2016)
Finite element simulations of stretch-blow moulding with experimental validation over a broad process window
in International Journal of Material Forming
Nixon J
(2016)
Free-stretch-blow investigation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) over a large process window
in International Journal of Material Forming
Wei H
(2019)
Characterization and modelling the mechanical behaviour of poly(l-lactic acid) for the manufacture of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds by stretch blow moulding
in International Journal of Material Forming
Yan S
(2017)
A novel methodology to characterize the constitutive behaviour of polyethylene terephthalate for the stretch blow moulding process
in Mechanics of Materials
Description | We have developed a new instrument that will have the ability to characterise new materials for the manufacture of plastic bottles. This will accelerate the development of new biobased polymers and the use of recycled content in PET. |
Exploitation Route | We also expect the same techniques can be used to aid the development of medical devices eg bioresorbable stents and angioplasty balloons both of which are manufactured by stretch blow moulding. |
Sectors | Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Description | Through a series of case studies with industry the instrument developed has shown its value in evaluating the performance of new materials for stretch blow moulding. As a result of this, a derivative of the instrument has been commissioned by a number of organisations. The two PDRAs who worked on the project are now developing this next generation instrument for major companies in the packaging sector. Update 2022: A new instrument has been developed and sold commercially within the USA and Europe. The product is known as BLOWscan (https://www.bmt-ni.com/blowscan ). The product is helping major multinationals integrate recycled material into plastic bottles and is a valuable instrument for assessing new biobased materials such as PEF and PHA. |
First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
Sector | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | Material characterisation for stretch blow moudling |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
Description | European Training Network to develop Improved Bioresorbable Materials for Orthopaedic and Vascular Implant Applications |
Amount | € 3,316,930 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 813869 |
Organisation | National University of Ireland |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | Ireland |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 01/2023 |
Description | Bi-Stretch-4-Biomed |
Organisation | California Institute of Technology |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This is a EU h2020 project that involves collaborations with Warwick University, a Italian research institute (ENEA) and California Institute of technology. Our research team will be applying our skills and knowledge in stretch blow moulding of PET for consumer goods to stretch blow moulding of PLLA for cardiovascular stents. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners bring expertise in nanocomposites, multiscale modelling and microstructure characterisation of bioresorbable polymers |
Impact | Modelling Mechanical Behaviour of Poly(L-lactic acid) for the Manufacture of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Wei, H. & Menary, G. 20 Jan 2017 Proceeding of Bioengineering Conference Ireland 2017 (BINI2017). |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Bi-Stretch-4-Biomed |
Organisation | National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) |
Country | Italy |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | This is a EU h2020 project that involves collaborations with Warwick University, a Italian research institute (ENEA) and California Institute of technology. Our research team will be applying our skills and knowledge in stretch blow moulding of PET for consumer goods to stretch blow moulding of PLLA for cardiovascular stents. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners bring expertise in nanocomposites, multiscale modelling and microstructure characterisation of bioresorbable polymers |
Impact | Modelling Mechanical Behaviour of Poly(L-lactic acid) for the Manufacture of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Wei, H. & Menary, G. 20 Jan 2017 Proceeding of Bioengineering Conference Ireland 2017 (BINI2017). |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Bi-Stretch-4-Biomed |
Organisation | University of Warwick |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This is a EU h2020 project that involves collaborations with Warwick University, a Italian research institute (ENEA) and California Institute of technology. Our research team will be applying our skills and knowledge in stretch blow moulding of PET for consumer goods to stretch blow moulding of PLLA for cardiovascular stents. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners bring expertise in nanocomposites, multiscale modelling and microstructure characterisation of bioresorbable polymers |
Impact | Modelling Mechanical Behaviour of Poly(L-lactic acid) for the Manufacture of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Wei, H. & Menary, G. 20 Jan 2017 Proceeding of Bioengineering Conference Ireland 2017 (BINI2017). |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Seminar California Institute of Technology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | During a secondment to Caltech. I gave a seminar on my work where my epsrc research was highlighted. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.cce.caltech.edu/content/chemical-engineering-seminar-169 |