Developing a low pressure blow molding machine for demonstration purposes and production of plastic bottles : a thesis presented in p artial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2009
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Massey University
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Abstract
This thesis presents the research of packaging beer into plastic bottles and the
design and manufacture of a low pressure bottle blow moulding machine for
demonstration purposes. The machine will be used for the production of plastic
bottles suitable for bottling brewed beer at the microbrewery at Massey University
Palmerston North.
Premanufactured PET preforms have proven to be the most convenient and
promising choice for the fabrication of blown bottles. Basic tests to understand the
behaviour of the preforms and the challenges of the blowing process have been
carried out. A special focus has been placed on the different circumstances at
University in contrast to industrial bottle production in particular the needed air
pressure to form the bottles. The following step was to find the ideal method and
principle to handle the preforms and to transform them in the desired shape.
Finally the design, drawing of the parts and assemblies were carried out with the
3-D CAD software Solidworks.
The designed parts for the bottle blower have been manufactured at the
mechanical Workshop at Massey University. To control the bottle blower, the
National Instruments USB interface was selected which required the design and
manufacture of an additional driver interface card to protect the USB interface and
convert the TTL levels into higher voltage. The final assembly and testing of the
blower then concluded the practical work for this master project.
A suitable design for the bottle production was found and the assembled Bottle
Blower can now be used for the production of PET bottles.
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Bottle manufacture, PET bottles, Beer bottles