Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R67859/01
Title:	The calibration process in thermoplastics extrusion: computer simulation and optimisation with experimental trails
Principal Investigator:	Sienz, Professor J
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Koemmerling Kunststoff GmbH
Department:	Mechanical Engineering
Organisation:	Swansea University
Scheme:	Fast Stream
Starts:	01 October 2002	Ends:	30 September 2005	Value (£):	66,554
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Design Engineering Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Calibration refers to the cooling and solidification stage in the manufacture of thermoplastic extrusions and takes its most complex form in uPVC production. The mufti-physics nature of the process has meant that until very recently predictive calculations have not been available to help with calibration line design resulting in as many as 20 cycles of extrusion trials and tooling modifications when using traditional development methods. Starting from previously carried out experimental work and preliminary computational investigations using linear mechanical models of the cooling process, the proposed project has as its major objective the extension of this work to provide computational optimisation capabilities for calibration line design.Drawing on the expertise of previous and current projects in the area of injection moulding and profile extrusion die design, and in collaboration with a leading European profile manufacturer, the Department of Materials Engineering at Swansea and the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford, the project will develop a software package for computer aided optimization of calibrator design, by creating an integrated package consisting of an optimisation shell and computer simulations of calibration. New non-linear mechanical models for PVC will be developed and flow properties will be determined and used in simulations. Full scale extrusion and calibration trials will be run for validation of the computer simulations and optimization methods.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.swan.ac.uk