Extruder Hardware

In this chapter, the hardware components of a typical single screw extruder will be described. Each major component will be discussed with respect to its major function, the possible design alternatives, and how important the component is to the proper functioning of the extruder. 

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This chapter covers two main sections extruder hardware systems and extrusion functional zones. The first section identifies the primary components of the extruder and provides detail into their capabilities and size ranges. The second section describes how the hardware interacts with the material as it passes through the system. In other words, it provides a look at what is happening inside each zone of the extruder. The descriptions here are purposefully brief, serving as a foundation to support later discussions specific to blown film extrusion. If the reader is interested in pursuing this topic further, there are many books devoted entirely to the extruder and extrusion processes. For example. Polymer Extrusion by Rauwendaal [3] provides an excellent in-depth analysis. Other references are listed in the back of this book [4-6]. 

Components of the extruder hardware can be categorized into five systems (Fig. 2.1) ... 

Good instrumentation allows problems to be detected early before becoming more severe and causing substantial damage to the extruder hardware or to the extrudate quality. It also allows process characterization for process development and optimization. It is further important for production control and record keeping, and it provides a means of interfacing the extruder to a computer. 

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