Plastics are synthetic materials that are formed without being metallic. These items are then hardened for market usage after undergoing a molding process that forms them into whatever a customer wants.
When you wake up in the morning and get out of bed, chances are that at least one thing — maybe even more than your clothes or toothpaste — has been made from a plastic material.
Some examples include:
- Toys
- Automotive Parts
- Electronics
- Appliances
- Kitchen Utensils
- Bottles
With so many different types of products manufactured from plastic, it’s critical to understand the various manufacturing processes.
When a plastic product is assembled, it can be constructed by 1 of 6 various plastic manufacturing methods including:
- Thermoforming
- Rotational molding
- Structural foam molding
- Compression molding
- Blow molding
- Injection molding
Here is more information about each technique:
Injection Molding
Plastic injection molding is a process where molten resin, usually made from petrochemical resources like oil or natural gas (depending on what’s available), comes together with Other Resources such as polymers and other additives to create whatever product you want. This form of manufacturing can be used for both large-scale production runs as well prototypes that may only have limited quantities produced at one time because its versatility allows designers/makers tons of opportunities when designing their next great idea.
Blow Molding
Blow molding is a great way to produce durable products like containers, tubes, and bottles. The process starts with molten resin that’s pumped out of an awaiting barrel into one vertical tube where it then cools into its final shape before being removed from the machine via another set-piece device much like how injection molds work but instead we pour our material straight down rather than up against something hard inside.
It has many advantages such as lower manufacturing costs due in part to not having any inner components needing removal during production which also makes them easier on workers’ fingers when handling raw plastics
Compression Molding
Compression molding is a type of plastic that has been used for years. It starts when hard, sluglike objects are put between two halves of heated-up silicone molds to create the parts you want in your product! This process works by applying pressure vertically down through both pieces until they meet exactly where it needs to, which then creates an accurate impression or shape based on what’s being made at this point in time since it’s no longer just an object but now a part.
Once the two halves come together, they are forced down to touch by either hydraulics or pneumatics which then quickly cools and hardens against its counterpart. When this process is complete, you’ll be able to take off the newly created block of plastic that’s ready to be cut or melted away for another step in the process.
Gas Assisted Molding
High-pressure gas injections are used to create plastic parts with hollow interiors. A cavity is partially filled by a shot of the material and then topped off with high-pressure jets from an injector gun that complete Molds for the plastic parts are created through injection molding, which was mentioned above.
Rotational Molding
Rotational molding is a manufacturing process that creates hollow plastic parts. Molten plastic is poured into a mold, which is then rotated on two perpendicular axes. This causes the plastic to evenly coat the inside of the mold. When cooled, the part is removed from the mold. Rotational molding produces parts that are strong and durable, with a smooth finish. It is often used to make toys, sporting goods, and medical devices.
This is a great way to mass-produce products without having an expensive setup. The molds are hollow and they pack them with powdered plastic; then secure it onto some pipes that resemble spoke spinners at the center hub (which can swivel). Next, you need someone who has access or knows how to break these things open so all of your workers don’t end up dead from asphyxiation when working inside those furnaces.
Structural Foam Molding
The idea behind blow-molding is that you want to create a part with the same thickness throughout. The walls of your mold may need additional strength, so instead of adding chemical agents before melting and pouring in plastic (to make it thicker), these ingredients are mixed during production time once everything has been set up properly – this gives rise not only increased durability but also better aesthetic appeal.
Thermoforming
Thermoforming mold & tool building is a process where rigid plastic sheets are pre-extruded and then heated horizontally. Once the hot material has solidified, its shape conforms to that of a one-piece mold creating low-cost tooling with varying prices based on the type used for production.
Heat transfer is an important characteristic of thermoforming. The time it takes for the material to pass through the oven determines how it will cool and if or when any distortion will occur in the shape or dimension. Some machines have a vacuum that literally sucks down on the sheet mold forcing it out in a timely manner in order to produce proper cooling, preventing warping.
