Manufacturability of Wood Plastic Composite Sheets on the Basis of the Post-Processing Cooling Curve

• Main Authors: Sami Matthews, Amir Esmael Toghyani, Harri Eskelinen, Timo Kärki, Juha Varis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: North Carolina State University 2015-10-01
• Series: BioResources
• Subjects: Cooling rate; Forming; Cutting; WPC post-processing
• Online Access: http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_10_4_7970_Matthews_Manufacturability_Wood_Plastic_Composite

Extruded wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are increasingly regarded as promising materials for future manufacturing industries. It is necessary to select and tune the post-processing methods to be able to utilize these materials fully. In this development, temperature-related material properties and the cooling rate are important indicators. This paper presents the results of natural cooling in a factory environment fit into a cooling curve function with temperature zones for forming, cutting, and packaging overlaid using a WPC material. This information is then used in the evaluation of manufacturability and productivity in terms of cost effectiveness and technical quality by comparing the curve to actual production time data derived from a prototype post-process forming line. Based on this information, speed limits for extrusion are presented. This paper also briefly analyzes techniques for controlling material cooling to counter the heat loss before post-processing.