COMMONLY USED MANUFACTURING METHODS OF PLASTICS

Extrusion
Injection molding
Blow molding
Thermoforming
Rotational molding
Casting
Foaming
Compression molding
Transfer molding
Finishing and assembly

Extrusion

Some applications of extrusion are pipes, tubing, rods, fibers, coatings of

other products (such as wire, cable and paper ans various profile parts that have
crossectional shapes that don’t have very simple geometries.

Products of extrusion [11]

Extrusion molding is a plastic shaping process in which a continuous work-

piece is produced by forcing molten thermoplastic material through a shaped die
orifice. As the hot plastic work-piece is carried along a conveyor, it is cooled and
cut to the desired length.

As seen in the figure below, thermoplastic granules are fed from a hopper
into the heated barrel of an extruder. A rotating helical screw inside the barrel
toward the die located at the end of the machine as the plastic progresses
throughout the barrel. The heating jacket controls the temperature of the plastic. At
the end, the plastic takes the shape of the die. If there is mandrel at the die opening
where the molten plastic is forced through, the work-piece will be hollow.

Figure 2. Extrusion Process [5]

General Characteristics of Extrusion

 It is a continuous and high volume process
 Accurate control of material thickness
 Products are cut to desired lengths
 Has low tooling costs
 Intricate profiles can be produced

Design Details

The figure below shows various designs. Hollow interior sections are generally
difficult to produce, as seen on the leftmost column. The middle column point out
difficulties in extrusion with varying part thickness. The last column shows designs
that are easiest to fabricate. As can be seen, more uniform material thickness with
open sections are preferred.
 Figure 3. Various product shapes [5]

Typical materials that used to produce parts using this process are acetal,
acrylic, nylon, and PS. Whereas ABS and polycarbonate can also be used.
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Injection molding

With injection molding, parts with very complex shapes including ribs, pins,
bosses, etc. can be molded very easily. Therefore its product range is extremely
wide.

An example of injection molding [13] A reaction injection

molded part [12]
 This process is similar to extrusion in the way of melting and transporting
polymer resins. However this time the molten polymer is forced into a mold cavity
where it cools and hardens to take the shape of the final product. Sometimes
automated rams are used to push the molten material into the cavity.

Figure 4. Injection Molding Process [5]

In injection molding, granular plastics are fed by gravity from a hopper into
a heated barrel. As the granules move along the barrel by a screw plunger like in
the figure above, the plastic is forced to a heating chamber, where it is melted.
After melting, the plastic is forced through a nozzle, allowing it to enter the mold
cavity through a gate and runner system. The mold is cold, therefore the most of
the plastic solidifies as soon as the mold is filled.

General Characteristics of Injection Molding

 A ram or screw forces molten plastic into a mold cavity
 A solid or open-ended shape can be produced, conforming to the mold cavity
 Both thermoplastic and thermoset materials can be shaped
 A parting line, sprue and gate marks are formed in this process.
 Ejector pin marks are usually visible

Design Details

To improve quality, some recommended considerations are given below:

  Uniform wall thickness

 Thin walls require less material and curing time

 Streamlining – helps prevent gas pockets

 Gates and runners should be round, and sharp corners at runners should be
avoided to prevent plastic solidify at the runner

 Contoured parts warp less than flat parts

 Venting of molds removes trapped air

 Filets should be used at the base of ribs or bosses

Figure 5. Recommended part shapes [5]

Commonly used materials in injection molding are epoxy, nylon, polyethylene, and
PS. Thermosets are also possible to shape as well as thermoplastics.

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Blow molding
 Applications of blow molding include almost all kinds of bottles, toys,
cases, containers, drums, and housing.

A blow molded reservoir [13]

Blow molding is utilized for producing hollow products such as plastic milk
bottles

Figure 6. Blow molding process [5]

A heated thermoplastic tube (called parison) is placed in the mold cavity,

and then pressure is applied to the inside of the parison, forcing the plastic to blow
and eventually take the form of the mold cavity. Parts usually have quite uniform
wall thicknesses and are formed within a relatively short cycle time.

General Characteristics of Blow Molding

  Thermoplastics are used in this process
 A softened parison tube is inflated to the contour of a mold cavity
 Thin walled hollow products are formed
 Wall thickness can be increased by increasing the parison tube wall thickness
 There are parting lines on the products

Design Details
 Parts to be produced with blow molding must be hollow
 Wall thickness is limited to 1cm or less
 By the nature of the process, wall thickness of a blown part is greater on the bottom
surface and less towards the top due to parison sagging.
 Points of extreme stretching or of too deep draw should be avoided
 The stiffness of the final part greatly depend on the wall thickness, so control of wall
thickness throughout the part is important
 Corners and edges of the part must be adequately rounded
 The shape of the bottom of the part is important. A concave (push-up) shape is
recommended over a flat bottom.

The materials to be used in this process are required to have good melt
strength. If the polymer melt strength is too low, the parison will rip when it
is blown. The most common plastics are HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, PET,
polycarbonate, nylon, and FEP
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Thermoforming

Applications of thermoforming are spas, bathtubs, sinks, swimming pools,

furniture and housewares, point-of-purchase displays, amusement park rides,
automotive components, signs, aircraft components, molds, lighting fixtures,
snowmobiles and ATV's, recreational vehicle components, burial vaults, vault
liners and casket components.

Various thermoformed parts [10]

In this process, a thermoplastic sheet or film is heated to become softer, and is
pressed against the contours of a mold and allowed to cool until it retains the shape
of the mold.

Figure 7. Thermoforming Process [5]

As the figure explains, a sheet of plastic is heated to its softening point to

allow it sag to a specific contour. Then the sheet is pressed into the mold by the
plug assist. A vacuum is applies under the sheet to stick the plastic tightly on the
mold. The sheet is held on the mold until it cools down and then removed.

General Characteristics of Thermoforming

 Thermoplastic sheets (or films) are utilized
 The material is heated by convection or radiant hear
 The softened sheet is pressed on the mold by using vacuum, air or mechanical means
 With this process, simple shapes with large radii and no undercuts can be produced
 The finished product has varying thickness

Design Details
 Thermoforming makes relatively simple parts that are generally open-top or hollow
structures with opening wider than the rest of the part.
 Parts with modest undercuts can also be produced.
 Sharp angles should be avoided
 The practical thickness limit of thermoformed parts is about 1cm
 When molding, care should be taken that the depth of the part is not excessively
greater than width of the part

Although almost every type pf thermoplastic can be used in thermoforming, the

most commonly thermoformed plastics are ABS, PMMA, polyefins, HIPS, and
PVC. Common plastics that are not usually thermoformed include acetals and
nylons, which melt sharply and therefore are difficult to control in the
thermoforming operation.
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Rotational Molding

Playground
Lawn Mower Grass Chute
Equipment
Flow Gauge Golf Caddy
Industrial Lift
Children's Chaise
Mold
Chair

Fuel Tank
Commercial Pool Insulated Hot Water
Agri-grain Retail Display Cooler
Chlorinator Tank
Spill Distributor
Containment

Riding Mower

Tilt Truck
Tradeshow/Exhi Septic Pump
Spill Containment
bit Display
Construction Light
Case

Lid
Wall Bracket
Spill Containment Retail Cooler
Coffee Display
Childs Rocking Chair
 Retail
Kayak
Computer Retail Tire Display
Baby Changing Bio-filter
Display Industrial Tilt Truck
Table

Product examples for rotational molding [14]

This is a forming process in which melted plastic disperses over the inner
surface of a rotating split mold, resulting in a hollow enclosed or open-ended part.

Figure 8. Rotational Molding Process [5]

A pre-measured amount of plastic powder is placed inside a two-piece

mold. The mold is then rotated about two axis in an oven. The heat in the oven
liquefies plastic, enabling it to coat the walls of the mold. During cooling, the
rotational motion is maintained. After each cycle, the mold is stopped, opened, and
the workpiece is removed.

General Characteristics of Rotational Molding

 Thermoplastic or thermoset plastics can be used
 Work-pieces may be hollow or open ended
 Multi-layered products can be produced
 Tooling and maintenance costs are usually low

Design Details
  All rotomolded parts must be hollow, but some very different shapes can be achieved.
 Large, flat sections on parts should be avoided
 Wall thickness variation is usually better than blow molding or thermoforming, but
not as good as injection molding
 The thickness of the part is limited by the ability of the resin to transmit heat. Part
thickness must be between 7.5 and 30mm.
 Parts with undercuts are difficult to rotomold because of the problem of removal from
the mold. Sliding molds are recommended for undercuts.

A good resin for rotomolding should have the following properties:

- Thermal stability
- Excessively high fusion temperature
- Grindability to a fine powder
- Particle distribution (particle sizes should be narrow)
- Mesh size (is a measure of the size of the screen mesh through which
95% of the particles will pass)
- Pourability
- Bulk density (is a measure of the density of the powder before it is
heted or compacted. Higher bulk density is better)
- Fusability (the particles must fıse together easily during the heating
cycle)

The most suitable material for rotomolding is PE. However, mixed resins may also
be employed.

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Casting

Small objects of rather simple shape such as small radio cabinets, jewelry, and
ornamental objects are commonly made by casting.
 An example to plastics casting [16]

Casting processes are characterized by the use of a liquid or power starting

material that is shaped without the application of significant pressure. The absence
of pressure is such an important characteristic of casting process that all process for
forming processes that do not require pressure are called considered as casting
processes. Therefore there are numerous different casting processes. These are :

- Mold casting (exlained below)

- Slush casting (this processing technique is closely related to

rotational molding)

- Static powder casting (very similar to slush molding, except the mold
is filled with powder)

- Cell casting (uses a mold that is defined by two parallel plates – used
to produce sheets)

- Continuous casting (another method for making plastic sheets. This

time the resin is poured between two continuous belts separated by a
gasket)

- Film (or solvent) casting (used for producing plastic films)

 Figure 9. Casting Process [5]

Mold casting is the one most commonly associated with casting. The casting
material is poured into an open mold until the mold is filled. The resin hardens to
form the part. In an advanced form of mold casting (as in Figure 9), gates are used
to fill the mold. Risers, which are placed at the far ends of the mold, help
determine when the mold is full and ensure that the material flows to the upper
portions of the mold. This process, called surface casting or gated casting, is
similar to traditional metal casting in sand molds.

General Characteristics of Casting

 Parts are shaped without using pressure
 The absence of pressure means that the molds and support equipment used in casting
need not be as strong as would be required for a high pressure molding process (such
as injection molding)
 Large parts can be produced because the molds need not be massive, as they would
with pressurized processes
 Tooling and maintenance costs are usually low
 Suitable for prototype production, as well as large quantities
 Process is simple

Design Details

The design of cast parts has fewer restrictions than for most other plastic
manufacturing operations. Features that would be very difficult in other processes
can be done more easily with casting. These features include severe undercuts,
complicated surfaces and detail, and widely varying thicknesses in the part.

Almost all resins can be used for casting, either as liquid resins, hot-melt resins,
plastisols (used in slush molding), organisols, solvent based resins, or powders.
Some of the commonly used resins are acrylic syrup, polyester (thermoset) resins,
phenolics, epoxy resins, polyurethanes, silicones, vinyls, and hot-melt casting
resins (these are fully polymerized themoplastic materials that have been liquefied
by heating them above their melting point). (Plastisols and organisols are both
plastic particles that are suspended in a plasticizing solvent.)

The most common materials used in mold casting are liquid resins. These
materials do not have any evaporating solvents that would be difficult to remove
from thick parts typically made by the mold casting technique.
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Foaming

Typical products are furniture components, TV cabinets, Styrofoam cups

and food containers, insulating blocks, and shaped packaging materials (such as for
electronic appliances).

Packaging using foams [17]

Foaming processes are characterized by techniques that cause tiny bubbles

to form within the plastic solidifies the bubbles, or at least the holes created by the
bubbles, remain. The solidified bubble-containing material can be thought of as a
cellular structure. The products made by these processes are referred to as foams or
cellular plastics.
There are several techniques used to make foams in resins. Four major methods
widely utilized are,

- Mechanical foaming (a liquid resin or resin solution is mechanically

beaten or whipped to disperse air throughout the material)
- Chemical foaming (results from formation of a gas through the
breakdown of special chemicals called foaming or blowing agents)
- Physical foaming (If a gas is forced into a liquid or molten resin and
then the pressure is reduced, the gas is liberated quickly and a foam is
created)
- Hollow glass spheres (these can be mixed into a liquid or molten
resin as a filler)

Figure 10. Low-pressure Foam Molding Process [1]

After the foams are created, several processing methods can be used to shape and
solidify the foams into useful products. Common methods are molding, extrusion
foaming, casting, and expanded foam molding. The process of molding will be
explained here. Detailed information about these processes is given in [1].
 In molding, foamed liquid materials are injected or poured directly into
molds that define the shape of the product after solidification. There are two
methods used to control the manner in which the foam expands within the mold. In
one method, called low-pressure foam molding, a metered volume of liquid resin
containing the foaming agent is introduced into the mold. The volume of this yet
unfoamed or partially foamed material is much less than the volume of the mold,
but it is soon allowed to expand to fill the mold.

General Characteristics of Foaming

 The foaming is done by mixing a foaming agent with the resin
 Shaping and forming the foams can be done in several techniques
 Almost all thermoset and thermoplastic materials can be foamed

Design Details
 Since many different types of materials can be molded, a wide variety of physical,
mechanical and chemical properties are possible
 Foam density may vary widely
 Foams are majorly used in thermal insulation, lightweight, energy absorption and load
bearing

Most thermoplastic and thermoset materials can be foamed by one of the foaming
processes. The most common resins that are used to make foams include PU, PVC,
PS, PET, PP, epoxy, phenolic, ABS, ureaformaldehydes, silicones, ionomers, and
cellulose acetates.

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Compression Molding

Typical, everyday products (primarily from the auto industry) manufactured

via compression molding techniques include front and rear end automobile panels,
hoods, roofs, scoops, fenders, spoilers, air deflectors, and lift gates.
 Compression molded products [19]

In compression molding, a thermoset is introduced directly into a heated

metal mold, softened by heat, and forced to conform to the shape of the mold
cavity as the mold closes.

Figure 11. Compression Molding Process [5]

A calculated amount of thermoset plastic in powder, perform, or granular

form is positioned in the heated female female mold cavity. The mold is then
closed, and the part is formed by heat and pressure. After the molded part has
cured, the mold is opened, and the ejection pin pushes the part out of the mold.

General Characteristics of Compression Molding

 Thermoset performs or granules are used.
 Materials are usually pre-heated
 Amount of material must be accurately measured to avoid excess flash or insufficient
material
 Metallic inserts may be molded in the product
  Shape must be free of undercuts
 No sprues, gates or runners are required

Design Details
 Viscous materials flow very slowly in the mold
 Not suitable for intricate parts
 Not suitable for parts with fragile features
 Material shrinkage may occur because of chemical reactions such as vulcanization

Compression molding is used exclusively for temperature – activated

thermosetting polymers, including phenolic, amino and alkyd resins, and diallyl
phatalate (DAP) as wel as unsaturated polyesters (UP) and epoxy resins (EP).

Thermoplastics are used occasionally. the mold has to be cooled after

shaping the thermoplastic and this is not commercially attractive. Exceptions
include the molding of extremely viscous thermoplastics such as PTFE and
UHMWPE.

Vulcanizable rubbers are most commonly processed by compression

molding.

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Transfer Molding

Typical parts made by transfer molding are electrical and electric components and
rubber and silicone parts.
 Rubber parts [22]

In this process a pre-measured quantity of thermoset plastic is softened by heating

and then forced into a mold cavity where it conforms to the shape of the cavity.

Figure 12. Transfer Molding Process [5]

A measured amount of thermoset on powder, perform or granular form is

placed into a heating chamber. After the mold is closed, a plunger forced the plastic
through the sprue and runners into the mold cavity. After curing, the mold is
opened and the part is lifted out of mold cavity using ejection rods.

General Characteristics of Transfer Molding

  Thermoset plastics are used
 Amount of material must be accurately measured to avoid excess plastic in the
chamber or insufficient material
 A heated mold is used to cure and solidify plastic material
 Hot plastic is molded under pressure
 Fragile inserts can be molded
 Small gate marks are visible on the product

Design Details
 More complicated parts can be produced compared to compression molding. Part
complexity is about the same with injection molding
 Part dimensions are more accurate

Practically all thermoset resins can be compression molded. The starting

materials can be liquids, pastes, doughs, granules or performs. Pastes are usually
made by mixing a liquid thermoset resin with a filler. Doughs are pastes or,
occasionally, pastes with reinforcement added.
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Finishing and assembly

After the plastics are molded or cast to their desired shape, they require
additional finishing before they are in their final use form. Common finishing
operations are as follows;
- Runner system and flash removal
- Machining
- Non – traditional machining (with lasers, hot-wire cutting, etc)
- Shaping (postmold forming) (used if the molded part is at an
intermediate shape)
- Mechanical joining and assembly (by using rivets, metal screws, or
designing snap joints and internal hinges)
- Adhesive bonding (with adherents and adhesives)
- Nonadhesive bonding (i.e. fusion bonding, ultrasonic welding, Radio
frequency welding, friction welding, and induction welding)
- Coating and decorating (painting, printing, metallizing, etc.)