The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-08306-6

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Internal flow optimization in a complex profile extrusion die using

flow restrictors and flow separators
Jingyang Xing1 · Majed Alsarheed1 · Animesh Kundu1 · John P. Coulter1

Received: 30 June 2021 / Accepted: 27 October 2021 / Published online: 13 January 2022
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract
The control of flow balance at the die exit is the key for successful extrusion of polymers. The complex cross-sectional varia-
tion in real-world hollow extrusion profiles intrinsically promotes flow imbalance in the die cavity. Special considerations are
required for designing extrusion dies for such profiles. The die design for a complex door frame profile was computationally
optimized in this study with the aid of a commercially available software package. The velocity distribution at the die exit,
post-die extrudate deformation, temperature distribution, and pressure distribution of a traditional die was investigated in
detail and found to be inadequate. A modified die incorporated three distinct features, flow restrictors, flow separators, and
approach angle of the torpedoes, to achieve a balanced and uniform velocity at the die exit. The flow restrictors and flow
separators were added in the pre-parallel zone. Flow restrictors were added on top and bottom of the torpedoes to increase
the restriction on polymer flow. A unique inclined flow restrictor was introduced to achieve uniform internal melt flow. Flow
separators were added at junctions of outer wall and inner vertical walls to separate the polymer flow into different sections
and minimize cross flow between these sections. The addition of these features proved to be highly effective for balancing
the velocity distribution at the die exit. The combination of 3-D modeling and simulation is a cost-effective and time efficient
approach for optimizing complex die designs before manufacturing.

Keywords  Profile extrusion · Die design · Flow optimization · Post-die extrudate deformation

1 Introduction product, which is neither efficient nor optimal. With the

advent of computer-aided engineering (CAE) approaches
Extrusion is the most utilized process for high volume manu- and availability of powerful computers and software pack-
facturing of constant cross-section plastic products, such as ages, it is now possible to evaluate different designs in a vir-
pipes, tubes, and sheets [1]. Complex hollow profiles are tual environment and develop extrusion dies with balanced
also produced via a “profile extrusion” technique for diverse flow. This has made the entire die design process more effi-
applications in the construction industry. Door and window cient and economical [2]. However, the process still requires
frames are presumably the best example of complex hol- an experienced user with a thorough understanding of the
low profiles. Such profiles have intricate cross-sections with polymer melt rheology and the flow behavior of the melt in
large variations in wall thicknesses, intrinsically promoting the cavity die.
an unbalanced polymer melt flow inside the extrusion die. One important consideration for designing an extrusion
The complexity of profile extrusion processes requires criti- die is to have a uniform velocity distribution across the entire
cal attention and expertise to the die design process for bal- cross-section of the profile at the die exit. Post-die extrudates
anced internal flow. The extrusion dies for complex profiles are typically in semi-solid form and can deform readily if the
are often designed empirically and the processing conditions extrusion die is not balanced properly. The internal polymer
are adjusted during the operation to obtain an acceptable flow is relatively easier to balance for simple profiles such
as slits, conduits, and rods. For complex profiles, the die
* John P. Coulter geometry and the final shape of the extrudate are difficult to
[email protected] determine because of the die swell phenomena that occurs
during polymer extrusion [3]. The different thicknesses of
1
Manufacturing Science Laboratory, Lehigh University, 19 the walls impose varying degrees of flow restrictions and
Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA

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4940 The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

naturally result in an unbalanced melt flow in the die cavity. melt cross flow is often referred to as an “avoid cross-flow”
The flow of polymer in the thicker section is less restricted strategy [6]. This method is often used in complex profile
as compared to that in the thinner section. This results in a extrusion dies since cross flow occurs more frequently in
higher flow velocity in thicker sections, a lower flow veloc- between the sections in such dies. Flow separators are added
ity in thinner sections, and the melt from a higher velocity on top of the gap between each torpedo to separate polymer
tends to flow toward the melt with a lower velocity. This flow into vertical and horizontal sections.
flow redistribution can cause profile deformation after the In this research, a computer-aided design approach was
die exit. Hence, it is imperative to understand the velocity utilized to design an extrusion die for a complex hollow
distribution inside the complex profile extrusion dies as well profile with uniform flow velocity at the die exit. The design
as predict post-die extrudate deformation for efficient and strategy involved incorporation of both flow restrictors and
cost-effective production in an industrial setting. separators at strategic locations in the die. A novel flow
A conventional extrusion die has four sections (zones): restrictor design was proposed and its efficacy on the melt
adapter, transition zone, pre-parallel (pre-land) zone, and flow uniformity at the die exit was evaluated by numerical
parallel (land) zone [4]. Polymer coming out of the extruder simulations. The non-isothermal polymer melt flow inside
goes into the adapter that connects the extrusion die to the the extrusion die assembly was numerically simulated with
extruder and transitions from primarily rotational to longi- the aid of a software package. The influence of strategically
tudinal motion. The material then flows through each subse- placed flow separators and restrictors on the internal melt
quent zone until it reaches the die exit. In the transition zone, flow and the associated effects on the melt temperature,
polymer flow changes from circular shape to complex shape pressure, and shear stresses were studied in detail. Post-die
by either expanding or compressing, depending on shape and extrudate deformation was also analyzed and was related to
size of the profile. In the pre-parallel zone, the melt flow is polymer velocity distribution.
redirected in a controlled fashion to the parallel zone, where
the polymer is extruded to its final shape and held to ensure
adequate dimensional stability.
Typically, there are two methods for balancing the flow 2 Extrusion die design strategy
through an extrusion die [5]. The first approach involves
adjusting land lengths of the pre-parallel and parallel zones A complex hollow extrusion profile utilized in an actual pro-
and/or incorporating flow restrictors for controlling the poly- duction facility for the fabrication of wood polymer com-
mer melt velocity in the die effectively. For a complex pro- posite (WPC) door frames was selected. The cross-sectional
file die, this implies a change in the length and approaching view of the profile is presented in Fig. 1. The overall width
angle of torpedoes to attain an identical polymer flow at the of the profile is 200 mm and the overall height in 37 mm
die exit. The approaching angle of torpedoes can be changed with a uniform outer wall thickness of 2.6 mm. The vertical
by adjusting the shape of the torpedoes in the area where the inner walls have a thickness of 2.0 mm. The bottom left and
torpedoes are expanding. right sections are thicker with serrated features, the thick-
The second approach involves the incorporation of flow ness of these sections is 3 mm. A plastic part gets inserted
separators inside the extrusion die to separate the melt flow into the gap between the serrated overhang and the main
into different sections in a controlled fashion. Flow separa- body during installation of such a door frame, and the ser-
tors are incorporated in the pre-parallel zone to form differ- rated features provide additional friction and a tighter fit
ent flow channels for the polymer melt. These flow channels during this process. The small square opening on the right
can control the polymer flow volume and guide the polymer top corner holds a soft rubber bumper in application. These
melt to the parallel zone. The primary objective to minimize profile features provide significant challenges in designing

Fig. 1  A cross-sectional view

of the complex hollow door
frame profile considered in this
study. All dimensions are in
millimeters

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The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950 4941

an extrusion die that would provide a uniform velocity dis- considered for the numerical simulations. It was surmised
tribution at the die exit. that actual WPC formulations utilized in industry would
A die similar in design to the actual die utilized in the have similar trends in rheological properties as the PVC.
production line was initially considered for this study. The The melt flow behavior in the initial die (Fig. 2) was mod-
detailed die design is presented in Fig. 2. The total die length eled with the aid of Altair Inspire Extrusion Polymer soft-
was 264 mm between die inlet and exit, with a pre-parallel ware. The spatial distribution of the velocity of the melt at
zone length of 75 mm and a parallel zone length of 85 mm. the die exit was critically assessed. An innovative approach
In the transition zone, the polymer flow was changed from was adopted to minimize cross flow and velocity imbalance
circular shape to the complex shape of the extrudate. In the at the die exit. Both flow restrictors and flow separators were
pre-parallel zone, the melt flow was redirected in a controlled incorporated in the pre-parallel zone. Traditionally, either
fashion to the parallel zone, where the polymer was extruded flow restrictors or flow separators are incorporated in the
to its final shape. A series of torpedoes in the pre-parallel die. Additionally, the geometry of the flow restrictors was
and parallel zone (Fig. 2b) was added to ensure that the final changed from the traditional rectangular cross-section to tri-
shape was formed accurately. The die was designed without angular shapes to fine tune the flow behavior. The approach
any consideration of the melt flow behavior in the die assem- angle of the torpedoes was changed as well to attain optimal
bly. No flow separators or restrictors were incorporated in flow behavior at the die exit.
this initial design.
Although the die was utilized in the industry for wood
plastic composite (WPC) door frames, polyvinyl chloride 3 Modeling of polymer melt flow
(PVC) was considered in the numerical simulations to inves-
tigate the melt flow behavior in this study. The WPC relevant 3.1 Material and rheology properties
for door frames typically consists of wood flour or powder
mixed with PVC and wide range of additives with specific A generic rigid PVC was considered for numerical simula-
functionalities such as heat stabilizers [7], impact modi- tions. The rheological behavior of the PVC is expected to
fiers [8], lubricants, and processing aids [9]. Actual WPC be similar to the wood polymer composites. The proper-
formulations can be diverse and are often proprietary. As ties of different PVCs are not vastly different, and PVC
such their rheological properties are seldom studied and pub- constitutes about 50% of the formulations by weight, while
licly reported on in detail. Hence, a generic rigid PVC was majority of the other half are filler materials such as wood

Fig. 2  a An engineering draw-

ing of the extrusion die geom-
etry and b a cutaway isometric
view of the die showing the
torpedoes inside the extrusion
die. The dimensions are in mil-
limeters

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4942 The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

Table 1  Relevant viscosity Viscosity model Table 2  Relevant properties of PVC utilized for simulations
model parameters for PVC parameters
utilized for simulations Properties (units)
D1 (Pa-s) 8.41841 e+18 Density (kg/m3) 832.779
A1 33.7371 Specific heat (J/kg-K) 2642.15
A2 (K) 51.6 Conductivity (W/m-K) 0.1978
T* (K) 353 Thermal expansion (1/K) 1 e-05
𝜏 ∗(Pa) 5100.37
n 0.274187

The appropriate rheological constants for the PVC as

obtained from Altair Inspire Extrusion Polymer software
flour or calcium carbonate. The primary focus is on the database is provided in Table 1. The relevant physical prop-
efficacy of flow separators and restrictors on balancing the erties for the PVC are shown in Table 2.
flow in the die. The parameters derived from the simula-
tion might not be identical to the experimentally derived 3.2 Simulation conditions
counterparts but the trends about the efficacy of the die
designs would be unambiguously true. The simulation conditions were chosen to be representative
A cross-WLF model was utilized to model the rheologi- of real manufacturing conditions for PVC window profiles
cal properties of the PVC. In this model, the viscosity (η) and have been adopted from the literature. The inlet veloc-
is determined as follows [10]: ity at the beginning of the transition zone was set to be 12.5
𝜂0 mm/s. The adapter area for the die was 2358 m ­ m2, resulting
3
𝜂= in a volumetric flow rate of 0.10611 m ­ /h. The resultant
𝜂 𝛾̇ 1−n (1)
1 + ( 𝜏0∗ ) mass flow rate was calculated to be 88.37 kg/h, assuming the
density of PVC to be 832 kg/m3. The inlet melt temperature
where η is the melt viscosity (Pa·s), η0 is the zero-shear and wall temperature were set at 428 K (155° C) and 443
viscosity or the “Newtonian limit” in which the viscosity K (170° C) respectively. The post-die extrudate was simu-
approaches a constant at very low shear rates, 𝛾̇ is the shear lated for 100 mm in a stress-free condition. This condition is
rate (1/s), τ* is the critical stress level at the transition to applied to all boundaries of the extrudate. In order to simu-
shear thinning or reference shear stress, and n is the power late a real convection condition, the cooling temperature of
law index in the high shear rate regime. the extrudate was set to be 303K (30° C), and a convection
The zero-shear viscosity η0 is calculated by the follow- heat transfer coefficient of 1 W/m2K was utilized. These
ing equation [11]: parameters were kept identical for all the numerical simula-
[
A1 (T − T ∗ )
] tions. In the simulations, a no-slip condition was assumed
𝜂0 = D1 exp − (2) at the die wall. The polymer melt was considered to be an
A2 + (T − T ∗ )
incompressible fluid [14].
where T ∗ = D2 + D3 p and A2 = Ã 2 + D3 p and D1, D2, D3,
A1, Ã 2 are experimentally derived empirical coefficients. p 3.3 Mesh generation
is the pressure on the polymer melt.
The cross-WLF model is a 6 parameter model that The 3D model of the polymer melt in the die was spatially
describes both shear thinning and Newtonian behaviors discretized using the Altair HyperMesh™ finite element
[12]. It is the most common model that considers the pre-processor. A combination of hexahedral and tetrahedral
effects of shear rate, temperature, and pressure on the vis- elements was utilized to conform to the complex geometry
cosity and offers a best fit for most viscosity data [13]. accurately and obtain results with adequate detail. Hexahe-
The WLF model (equation 2) for temperature depend- dral elements were applied on the parallel zone and post-die
ence is generally applicable for amorphous polymers at extrudate since there was no geometry change at these sec-
moderate temperatures [12]. It is appropriate for this work tions [15]. Tetrahedral elements were applied on the transi-
as PVC could be considered as an amorphous polymer. tion zone and the pre-parallel zone to adequately represent
An alternative model for temperature dependence, the the complex geometry changes at these sections. The total
Arrhenius model, primarily applies to semi-crystalline number of nodes and elements were 906,891 and 2,258,636,
polymers and amorphous polymers at high temperatures respectively. The meshed model is shown in Fig. 3(a). The
( T > Tg + 100K  ) [12]. part was divided into different sections for the simulation
software. The different sections of the polymer melt are pre-
sented in different shades of gray in the figure. The lightest

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The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950 4943

velocity in the inner sections with 2.0 mm thickness was

13.0 mm/s. In the serrated sections at the bottom left and
right, the average velocity was 33.0 mm/s, as shown in
Fig. 4. The thickness of these sections was 3 mm. The high-
est velocity (45 mm/s) was observed at the bottom left and
right sections at the intersection of the thick horizontal ser-
rated sections and the thin vertical inner sections (Fig. 4b).
The melt velocity was generally higher at the center of
most of the junctions between the horizontal sections and
inner vertical sections. The flow was less restrictive at these
regions because they were further away from the die walls,
hence the increased velocity.
The simulated post-die extrudate deformation in x-, y-,
and z-axes at a distance of 100 mm out of the die is shown
in Fig. 5. The x-axis is horizontal, and the y-axis is vertical
on the plane of the paper. The z-axis is vertical to the plane
of the paper parallel to the extrusion direction. The defor-
mation was primarily confined to the outer peripheries. The
horizontal deformation (x-axis) was minimal. The maximum
deformation (1.3 mm) was at the right side. The deformation
in the y-axis direction was somewhat symmetric. A maxi-
mum deformation of ~ 9 mm was observed at the serrated
sections at both bottom left and right. The maximum defor-
Fig. 3  (a) Isometric view of the overall mesh of the polymer melt in mation along z-axis was also at the serrated sections at bot-
the extrusion die. The different sections are shown in different colors. tom left and right, the magnitude was ~13.5 mm. The effect
The lightest gray is the melt in the transition zone, the lighter gray
is the melt in the pre-parallel zone, the darker gray is the melt in the of the distortions on the three orthogonal directions will
parallel zone, and the darkest gray is the post-die extrudate. (b) The act collectively on the extrudate. The simulated extrudate
tetrahedral elements in pre-parallel zone is at the top while the hexa- cross-section at 100 mm out of the die is presented in Fig. 6
hedral elements are shown in the parallel zone in the bottom section in solid color overlaid on the outline of the intended cross-
in the figure
section. The outer left and right sections deformed upwards
while the middle part deformed in the opposite direction.
gray is the melt in the transition zone, the lighter gray is the The overall distortion was maximum at the bottom section
melt in the pre-parallel zone, the darker gray is the melt in (15.8 mm), coinciding with the region with maximum veloc-
the parallel zone, and the darkest gray is the post-die extru- ity at the die exit. The results indicate that the conventional
date. An expanded two-dimensional view of the connection die would produce a deformed extrudate which would most
of pre-parallel and parallel zone is presented in Fig. 3(b). likely be unacceptable in practice.
The tetrahedral elements in the pre-parallel zone are at the Pressure distribution in the melt in the die cavity was
top while the hexahedral elements are shown in the parallel simulated, the results are shown in Fig. 7a. The pressure at
zone in the bottom section in the figure. the die exit was set to be at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa,
zero-gauge pressure). The highest pressure (20.17 MPa) was
observed at the beginning of transition zone. The pressure
4 Results and discussion decreased continuously from the transition zone to the die
exit. At these pressures, PVC is not expected to degrade in
4.1 Initial extrusion die results any fashion. The temperature distribution in the melt in the
die cavity is shown in Fig. 7b. PVC, being a thermally sensi-
The flow velocity distribution at the die exit of the con- tive material, is prone to degradation at high temperatures
ventional die is shown in Fig. 4. Because of the different > 250° C [16]. The die inlet temperature was set at 428 K
thicknesses in the different sections of the profile, the poly- (155° C) and the extrusion die wall temperature at 443 K
mer melt experienced varying degrees of restriction. This (170° C). The temperature stayed within this range for the
resulted in an imbalanced flow distribution at the die exit. most part. The temperature in certain regions in the polymer
The velocity varied by more than 2 times from section to melt exceeded the die wall temperature to a maximum of
section at the die exit. The average velocity in the outer sec- ~180° C. It was believed to be caused by shear heating of
tion with a thickness of 2.6 mm was 25.9 mm/s. The average the melt at the die wall.

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4944 The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

Fig. 4  a Cross-sectional view of the polymer velocity distribution at the die exit of the initial extrusion die, and b detail view of the right side on
the melt showing the maximum velocity region

4.2 Modifications of extrusion die and effects flow restrictors, highlighted with a crosshatch pattern
on flow balancing in the figure, were set to be 1.6 mm in height, 31.5 mm
in width, and 75 mm in length. In addition, a pair of
An optimal extrusion die should have a uniform flow distri- inclined restrictors was added in the pre-parallel zone to
bution at the die exit, ensuring minimal post-die extrudate further reduce the velocity in the serrated sections. The
deformation. Traditionally, the length of the parallel zone velocity was highest in these sections in the initial die. A
is increased to reduce the flow imbalance. In this research, cross-sectional view of the modified extrusion die with
the length of the parallel zone was kept constant. A series of the inclined restrictors is shown in Fig. 9. The inclined
innovative modifications were incorporated in the initial die restrictor had a triangular cross-section, the maximum
to achieve a more uniform flow distribution at the die exit. height was set to be 2 mm at the junction of the vertical
section and the serrated section and gradually reduce to
1. Flow restrictors were added on the top and bottom of a sharp end at the edge of the serrated section. The width
each torpedo in the pre-parallel zone for added restric- of the inclined restrictor was 27.5 mm and the length
tion to polymer melt flow in these sections as shown was 75 mm. A minor flow restrictor on the vertical wall
in Fig. 8 for one of the representative torpedoes. The of the torpedo of the right section was also incorporated

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Fig. 5  Cross-sectional view of
post-die extrudate deforma-
tion at 100 mm from the die
exit for the initial die in three
orthogonal directions; a x-axis,
parallel to the horizontal axis of
the paper; b y-axis, parallel to
the vertical axis; and c z-axis,
normal to the plane of the paper

Fig. 6  Overall deformation of the post-die extrudate at 100 mm from the die exit for the initial die. The original shape is shown by the solid out-
line

in the modified die. This minor flow restrictor was set

to be 0.9 mm in height, 21 mm in width, and 75 mm in The final dimensions and positions of the aforementioned
length. features in the modified die were achieved in an iterative
2. A set of flow separators was added between each torpedo fashion. The flow velocity at the die exit was simulated for a
at the top and the bottom of the die to minimize the cross specific combination of flow restrictors and flow separators,
flow between the outer section and inner vertical section and their number, position, and dimensions were adjusted
as shown in Fig.  10. The isometric view of the left systematically to realize an optimal design.
side of the pre-parallel zone from the back of the die is The velocity distribution at the die exit of the final modi-
shown in the figure; the separator is highlighted with a fied die is presented in Fig. 12. The average velocity of the
crosshatch pattern and marked as well. Each separator extrudate increased modestly from 23 mm/s in the original
was 3.15 mm in height, 2 mm in width and 85 mm in die to 26 mm/s in the modified die. However, the velocity
height. distribution improved drastically in the modified die. The
3. In addition, the gap between the torpedoes was increased average flow velocity was 28.0 mm/s in the outer 2.6 mm
from 2 mm to 4 mm in the parallel zone to reduce the sections in the modified die as compared to 25.9 mm/s in the
flow restriction. In the modified die, the polymer flow same section in the original die. The average velocity in the
was thus compressed later than the original conventional inner 2.0 mm sections increased to 23.0 mm/s in the modi-
die. These modifications are highlighted in Fig.  11. fied die from 13 mm/s in the original die. The flow velocity
Additional space between torpedoes was provided in the at the serrated sections reduced to 25.0 mm/s in the modi-
pre-parallel zone as well, to enhance the flow velocity. fied die from 33 mm/s in the original die. Furthermore, the

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4946 The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

Fig. 7  a Isometric view of

the pressure distribution of
the polymer melt of the initial
extrusion die, and b isometric
view of the temperature distri-
bution of the polymer melt of
the initial extrusion die

Fig. 9  A cross-sectional view of the inclined flow restrictor on the

right side of the profile showing the exact location and shape of the
Fig. 8  An isometric view of a representative torpedo highlighting the inclined flow restrictor. The inclined flow restrictor is highlighted
flow restrictors with a crosshatch pattern. All the torpedoes had iden- with a crosshatch pattern
tical flow restrictors at the top and bottom

With a more balanced velocity distribution, the magni-

modified die successfully eliminated the high velocity “hot tude of post-die extrudate deformation was also reduced.
spots” at the junctions between the vertical and horizontal The deformation of the extrudate at 100 mm from the die
sections observed in the original die (Fig. 12b). exit along the three orthogonal directions for the modified

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along the z-axis was reduced to 6.4 mm with the modified

die from 13.5 mm with the original die. The simulated
extrudate cross-section at 100 mm out of the die, shown in
Fig. 14, reflected the efficacy of the modified die as well.
The deformation was minimal for most part, only minor
deformation was observed in the top left section and ser-
rated section in the bottom right. In an extrusion produc-
tion line, the extrudate will pass through a calibrator unit
usually located very close to the die exit. The primary
function of the calibrator is to shape the semi-solid extru-
date to it final dimensions as it cools to room temperature
[17]. In this research, the deformation of the extrudate
was measured at 100 mm from die exit to amplify the dis-
Fig. 10  An isometric view of the left side of the pre-parallel zone
from the back of the die showing the position of the flow separators. tortions. At the calibrator location, the deformation will
The flow separator is highlighted with a crosshatch pattern be lower than the values presented earlier. It is expected
that the calibrator will be able to rectify the deformation
observed at the bottom-left and top-right corners of the
die is presented in Fig. 13. The deformation along x-axis extrudate with the modified die.
(Fig. 13a) was minimal in the original die (1.3 mm maxi- The temperature and pressure distribution in the poly-
mum). It was further reduced to 0.97 mm with the modi- mer melt in the modified die were also determined. It was
fied die. The deformation along y-axis was nominal for observed that the addition of the flow restrictors and the
most part (Fig. 13b) with the modified die. A significant flow separators did not change the pressure distribution
improvement was observed on the right side of the extru- drastically. The pressure decreased continuously from the
date. The deformation of the serrated section on the right transition zone to the die exit in a similar fashion as with
side was ~3 mm (as compared to ~9 mm with the original the initial die. The maximum pressure was observed at the
die). The serrated section on the left side had a maximum beginning of the transition zone (~26 MPa). The maximum
deformation of 7.8 mm. Minor adjustment of the restric- temperature in the melt in the modified die was ~180° C,
tors in this section could further minimize the deforma- identical to the melt in the original die. However, the max-
tion. The deformation along the z-axis experienced the imum temperature was observed more frequently in the
most improvement (Fig 13c). The maximum deformation melt in the modified die. PVC is not expected to degrade
in any fashion under these conditions.

Fig. 11  A cross-sectional view

of the torpedoes. The torpedoes
in the initial die is shown in
dark gray and those in the modi-
fied die is shown in light gray.
The modified region is marked
with a black rectangle

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4948 The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950

Fig. 12  a Cross-sectional view of the polymer velocity distribution at the die exit of the modified extrusion die, and b detail view of the right
side of the melt

5 Conclusion The inclined flow restrictor had a triangular cross-section

in contrast to traditional restrictors that have a rectangu-
An innovative die design approach was introduced for bal- lar cross-section. The gaps between the torpedoes were
ancing the melt flow in a complex hollow extrusion profile also adjusted. The velocity differential at the die exit was
die for a door frame. The Altair Inspire Extrude Polymer reduced from 40 mm/s in the initial extrusion die to ~5
software package was utilized to assess the flow veloc- mm/s with the modified die. The maximum deformation
ity at die exit, the associated extrudate deformation and of the extrudate at 100 mm from the die exit was reduced
the temperature and pressure distributions in the polymer from 11 mm with the initial die to 4 mm with the modi-
melt in the die cavity. The flow characteristics of a stand- fied die. The incorporation of the flow separators and flow
ard prototype die were initially determined to be highly restrictors did not affect the temperature and pressure dis-
non-uniform. A series of die features were incorporated to tributions detrimentally in the die cavity. It is anticipated
develop a modified die. The features included flow restric- that this work would provide realistic guidance for the
tors and flow separators in the pre-parallel zone. A unique design of complex hollow profile extrusion dies to the
inclined flow restrictor was found to be critical for balanc- practitioners in the field.
ing the melt flow at the peripheral overhanging sections.

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The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2022) 119:4939–4950 4949

Fig. 13  Cross-sectional view of
post-die extrudate deformation
at 100 mm from the die exit
for the modified die in three
orthogonal directions; a x-axis,
parallel to the horizontal axis of
the paper; b y-axis, parallel to
the vertical axis of the paper;
and c z-axis, normal to the plane
of the paper

Fig. 14  Overall deformation of the post-die extrudate at 100 mm from the die exit for the modified die. The original shape is shown by the solid
outline

Acknowledgments  The guidance and support provided by Coleen References

Mantini and Jennifer Laubach who oversee the program is greatly
appreciated.
1. Gonçalves ND, Teixeira P, Ferrás LL, Afonso AM, Nóbrega JM,
Carneiro OS (2015) Design and optimization of an extrusion die
Funding  The research was funded by the State of Pennsylvania through for the production of wood–plastic composite profiles. Polym Eng
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