--- title: 5 Tips for a Perfect Shutdown in Extrusion Blow Molding description: Asaclean Purging Expert Ben Moore explains 5 Tips to shutdown in Extrusion Blow Molding. image: https://www.asaclean.com/hubfs/Extrusion%20Blow%20Molding.png --- [ Order Online ](https://asaclean.my.site.com/b2bstore) [ Free Sample ](https://offers.asaclean.com/free-sample) ## [ Asaclean Blog ](https://www.asaclean.com/blog) Browse by Topic " aerospace asaclean asaclean news Asaclean® benefits asahi kasei automotive Best Practices black specks blisters blow molding blown-film extrusion buyers caps and closures carbon contamination cast-film extrusion Chemical Purging Compounds clear applications Color Changeovers Company News compounding consumer products contamination Cost savings custom molders Customer Success Story decreasing scrap defects electronics Energy Efficiency EX Grade extruder cleaning Extrusion fillament glass filled Glitter Grade Selection HDPE High and Low Temp Changeovers hold a bubble Hot Runners Injection Molding Injection Molding Tips LDPE Lightweight automotive components LLDPE low residue maintenance Material Changeovers Mechanical Purging Compounds medical Melt Flow Index NPE 24 nylons on the fly packaging PCR PEEK Polypropylene Post Consumer Resins preventative preventative purging processing tips profile extrusion Purge Program purge programs Purge Training Purge Trial purging purging compounds purging concentrates purging procedures Purging Tips quality recycled resins residue issues scrap reduction Screw Pulls sheet extrusion shutdown and sealing start-up super engineering resins Sustainability Tech Day technical support training trials Troubleshooting Twin Screw twin screw extrusion two step purging U Grade ULTEM venting Viscosity webinars wire extrusion - 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They, too, are not immune to contamination issues including carbon specks.  In fact, from  my interactions with [EBM](https://www.asaclean.com/purging-procedures/blow-molding/) plants over the years, their tussles seem to be on a whole different scale, and proportionally, even more dramatic compared to Injection Molding plants. Most of these shops experience carbon specks on start-ups from poor weekend shutdowns. They tend to have even greater machine downtime and higher amounts of scrapped, un-sellable/unusable parts. I recently managed a cost-savings purging project with a Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor at Midwestern EBM plant. They were blow molding large, bladder-type parts out of translucent Polyurethane polymer (processed at low temperatures) for both residential and commercial applications. They were chronically struggling with random carbon specks throughout their parts on starts ups from weekend shutdowns. Depending on the production demand, they were shutting down their machine and restarting it multiple times per month. Their goal was to reduce machine downtime and lower the quantity of scrapped pounds on start-ups. Based on the nature of the application and low processing temperatures, I recommend these 5 tips for perfect shutdowns in Extrusion Blow Molding: **1.) Select an Appropriate Purging Compound for Sealing** For this application I recommended our excellent shutdown/sealing [E Grade](https://www.asaclean.com/purging-products/mechanical-purging-compound/e-grade-purging-compound/) purging compound (low temperature/low residue). **2.) Purge the Machine Prior to Shutdown** Use the selected grade to thoroughly clean and remove the Polyurethane from the line before shutting it down for the weekend. **3.) Leave a full-Barrel Capacity of Purge Inside the Machine** **4.) Turn off the Heats** **5.) Let the Purging Compound Reside in the Machine for the Duration of the Shutdown** [This neutralizes & stabilizes the machine preventing oxygen from entering the system](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/3-reasons-you-should-shutdown-seal-with-purging-compounds). They conducted 4 separate trials with E Grade purging compound over a 2-month trial period, comparing it to a well-respected competitor. After these trials were conducted, the Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor delivered us a detailed data-driven report, yielding great results. Using the average of these trials, his report indicated that they had about 180 minutes and 215 lbs worth of scrapped parts on start-ups when using our competitor.  After switching to E Grade, they saw improvements and dropped down to 130 minutes and 170 lbs worth of scrapped parts.  Ultimately, they saved in the neighborhood $4,640 for this one application for each machine in their plant. Should you like to learn more or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [bmoore@asaclean.com](mailto:bmoore@asaclean.com). ![Ben Moore](https://www.asaclean.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Head_Shots/Ben%20Moore%20Headshot%20LinkedIn.jpg?width=150&name=Ben%20Moore%20Headshot%20LinkedIn.jpg) #### [ Ben Moore ](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/author/ben-moore) Ben Moore brings over 20 years of experience as a Purging Expert at Asaclean Purging Compounds, a leading manufacturer and distributor of purging compounds. As part of Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA), Ben has personally assisted hundreds of customers, helping them achieve significant cost savings. Based in Parsippany, NJ, Ben specializes in optimizing operations for thermoplastic injection molding, extrusion, compounding, and blow molding processes. His expertise lies in maximizing production efficiency by minimizing downtime and reducing scrap. For those interested in trying Asaclean products or seeking expert guidance, feel free to contact Ben directly. You can contact him at 800-787-4348, extension 227, or via email at bmoore@asaclean.com. - [Share On LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-moore-84073131/) ## Related Posts [![What You Need to Know About Purposely Purging](https://www.asaclean.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Purposely%20Purging%20Blog.jpg?width=450&height=250&name=Purposely%20Purging%20Blog.jpg) What You Need to Know About Purposely Purging Injection... / 3 min read / September 06, 2022 ](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-purposely-purging) [![3 Tips for Easier Color Changes in Tube Extrusion](https://www.asaclean.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Header-Tubing%20Color%20Changes.jpg?width=450&height=250&name=Blog%20Header-Tubing%20Color%20Changes.jpg) 3 Tips for Easier Color Changes in Tube Extrusion Troubleshooting / 4 min read / March 17, 2022 ](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/3-tips-for-easier-color-changes-in-tube-extrusion) ## Comments Get Started ## Ready to start improving your efficiency and increasing your profitability? - [Request a Consultation](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-perfect-shutdown-in-extrusion-blow-molding#) - [Contact Sales](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-perfect-shutdown-in-extrusion-blow-molding#) ![](https://www.asaclean.com/hubfs/assets/images/icons/icon-layers.svg) #### Free Sample Request a free sample of Asaclean® Purging Compounds for your plant and start saving today. 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[See your savings](https://www.asaclean.com/cost-savings-calculator) [ Back to Top ](https://www.asaclean.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-perfect-shutdown-in-extrusion-blow-molding#top) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Moore", "url" : "https://www.asaclean.com/blog/author/ben-moore" }, "dateModified" : "2025-03-11T14:51:22.539Z", "datePublished" : "2020-04-06T16:49:55.000Z", "headline" : "5 Tips for a Perfect Shutdown in Extrusion Blow Molding", "image" : [ "https://www.asaclean.com/hubfs/Extrusion%20Blow%20Molding.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.asaclean.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-perfect-shutdown-in-extrusion-blow-molding", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.asaclean.com/hubfs/Asaclean%20Logo%20TM.jpg" }, "name" : "Asahi Kasei Plastics North America" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Article", "articleBody" : "While many of our blogs discuss Injection Molding, Extrusion Blow Molding (EBM) facilities also experience their share of processing challenges. They, too, are not immune to contamination issues including carbon specks. In fact, from my interactions with EBM plants over the years, their tussles seem to be on a whole different scale, and proportionally, even more dramatic compared to Injection Molding plants. Most of these shops experience carbon specks on start-ups from poor weekend shutdowns. They tend to have even greater machine downtime and higher amounts of scrapped, un-sellable/unusable parts. I recently managed a cost-savings purging project with a Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor at Midwestern EBM plant. They were blow molding large, bladder-type parts out of translucent Polyurethane polymer (processed at low temperatures) for both residential and commercial applications. They were chronically struggling with random carbon specks throughout their parts on starts ups from weekend shutdowns. Depending on the production demand, they were shutting down their machine and restarting it multiple times per month. Their goal was to reduce machine downtime and lower the quantity of scrapped pounds on start-ups. Based on the nature of the application and low processing temperatures, I recommend these 5 tips for perfect shutdowns in Extrusion Blow Molding:", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Moore" }, "datePublished" : "April 06, 2020", "headline" : "5 Tips for a Perfect Shutdown in Extrusion Blow Molding", "image" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/468726/Extrusion%20Blow%20Molding.png", "name" : "5 Tips for a Perfect Shutdown in Extrusion Blow Molding", "url" : "https://www.asaclean.com/blog/5-tips-for-a-perfect-shutdown-in-extrusion-blow-molding" } ```