A simulation study of the effect of preform cooling time in injection stretch blow molding

Plastic bottles are most commonly made from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by injection stretch blow molding (ISBM). The required bottle performance criteria vary with its application but typically include top load strength, burst strength, and barrier properties, each of which is influenced by the bottle processing parameters. Experimental process optimization is time-consuming and costly, and computer modeling methods now offer a viable alternative. In this study, the optimum cooling time of the bottle preform was determined by conducting structural analysis of the actual bottles. On the other hand, the process simulation and the simulation of structural analysis of the PET fruit juice bottles were conducted under the same conditions with those from actual bottles produced. The experimental results were compared with simulation results. The structural simulation studies validated most of the experimental findings. The discrepancy between the experimental study and the simulation predictions were explained.