Optimization of polymer extrusion die based on response surface method

Abstract

A coupled surface response optimization method with a three-dimensional finite volume method is adopted in this study to identify five independent geometric variables of the die interior that provides a design with the lowest velocity variance at the exit of the coat-hanger extrusion die. Two of these five geometric variables represent the manifold dimension while the other three variables represent the die profile. In this method, B-spline fitting with four points was used to represent the die profile. A comparison of the optimized die obtained in our study and the die with a geometry derived by a previous theoretical work shows a 20.07% improvement in the velocity distribution at the exit of the die.