Thursday, August 7, 2014

Processing Plastic: What You Need To Know

By Lenna Stockwell


Go to any store, office or home and you will find a wide variety of items created from plastic. Of course, there are many different types of plastics and many different ways to create products made of plastic. Here are some different methods that are used to process plastic and some examples of the products created by each method.

Many products in the world are created using a process known as injection molding. In this process, glass, metal or plastic is heated and injected into a specially created mold. Thermoplastic is used for injection molding more than any other material, but it is important to note that there are several different kinds of thermoplastic. All thermoplastics are polymers in the form of pellets or perhaps granules that can be heated and then easily molded and then cooled and returned to their solid state. Injection molding is certainly one processing method you could choose, but it is also perhaps the most expensive method by which thermoplastics are processed, leading many companies to opt for thermoforming.

Thousands of items are created each day using a process known as thermoforming, and it has some similarities to injection molding. Instead of using granules of plastic, this is a procedure where plastic sheets are heated and then formed into a specific shape. A mold of the product or package is created, and then the heated plastic is fitted inside and the excess plastic is trimmed away. Thermoforming companies produce products for virtually every industry, including food companies, retail companies, electronics manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and agricultural companies.

Depending on your needs, there are multiple ways to complete the process of thermoforming. Vacuum forming is an excellent and cost effective option for those who need larger parts, prototype parts and items that simply don't have a large amount of detail. The plastic sheets are heated and then vacuum pulls the pliable thermoplastic down into the mold where it is fitted, cooled and trimmed.

When you have smaller items or highly detailed products, such as items with printing or sharp edges, you need a bit more precision, so you probably should opt for pressure forming. Pressure forming is an excellent option because it provides a high level of quality with a lower cost than injection molding. With this process, vacuum is used to draw in the plastic, but this plastic also is pressed from above to ensure that the thermoplastic fits snugly into the mold.

Because this can be a complicated process, look for a thermoforming specialist that provides you with help at all stages. This includes assisting with development and design, as well as the actually production process. When calculating the total cost, many factors are considered including the type of plastic that you need as well as the amount of products that are being created. Whether you opt for injection molding, vacuum forming or pressure forming, this also affects the total cost.




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