Small-scale production of co-extruded biaxially oriented blown film

A prototype laboratory extrusion line designed for the production of both conventional and bi-oriented films is presented. The scaling-down methodology adopted for its design is explained and the potential of the new equipment is demonstrated via extrusion and characterization of films produced under different operating conditions. Whenever possible, results are compared with values reported in the literature. In general, they confirm that the characteristics and versatility of the new equipment make it a valuable tool for R&D on flexible packaging materials and technology.