Barrel Zone Override

Modified on Sunday, 01 February 2015 05:11 PM by mpieler — Categorized as: Extrusion Hints

Barrel zone override
Vol. 17 #4, Mar. 1991

The barrel/screw combination on an extruder is a very complex heat transfer system. To understand something that seems as simple as a zone override can require a complete analysis of the system.

Just a few of the factors that can cause a zone override are screw design, barrel mass, thermocouple placement, cooling jacket fit, barrel/screw wear, head pressure, overall temperature profile, defective temperature controllers and inadequate cooling.

Before assuming that zone override is strictly a screw design problem, you should analyze the system as a complete heat transfer mechanism. Although the screw is responsible for most of the heat input, it cannot control the heat distribution.

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