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.
If you are planning on producing a large number of items, injection molding might be an option for you to consider. While injection molding can be used to create products out of metal or glass, plastic is the most common material. Granules of thermoplastic, which is plastic that becomes moldable when heated, are melted and then injected into molds and then cooled. Once cooled, the product is ejected from the mold and the process starts again with more melted plastic. The end result is very high quality, but the cost for injection molding is quite high, which is why companies often opt to use thermoforming to create their products.
Thermoforming is a very common type of plastic processing, and as the name suggests, this process uses heat in order to create products or packaging. Large, thin sheets of plastic are heated to a specific temperature where they become malleable, and then they are fitted into a mold. This differs from injection molding in that we are using plastic sheets rather than the plastic granules or pellets. The mold that is being used might be the mold of a water bottle, a food storage container, the blister pack that holds batteries or perhaps a plastic tray that will eventually hold cookies. Literally thousands of products are created using the process of thermoforming.
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.
If you are planning on producing a large number of items, injection molding might be an option for you to consider. While injection molding can be used to create products out of metal or glass, plastic is the most common material. Granules of thermoplastic, which is plastic that becomes moldable when heated, are melted and then injected into molds and then cooled. Once cooled, the product is ejected from the mold and the process starts again with more melted plastic. The end result is very high quality, but the cost for injection molding is quite high, which is why companies often opt to use thermoforming to create their products.
Thermoforming is a very common type of plastic processing, and as the name suggests, this process uses heat in order to create products or packaging. Large, thin sheets of plastic are heated to a specific temperature where they become malleable, and then they are fitted into a mold. This differs from injection molding in that we are using plastic sheets rather than the plastic granules or pellets. The mold that is being used might be the mold of a water bottle, a food storage container, the blister pack that holds batteries or perhaps a plastic tray that will eventually hold cookies. Literally thousands of products are created using the process of thermoforming.
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.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell loves writing about how stuff is made. For further info about plastic thermoforming solutions or to find out more about retail product packaging, please visit the Indepak.com website today.
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