Plastic Manufacturing – Know The Complete Process

Plastic, being a versatile product, is manufactured in all parts of the world with a rapid evolution in the manufacturing processes. Industry experts believe that the total demand for plastic products is likely to increase by 3.5 percent in 2018. With increased demand, modern technology and new applications, the plastic industry is expected to grow at a constant rate. The formation of plastic is a complex process which is accomplished through different methods.

Injection molding is a method used for manufacturing different products of plastic. In this method, the plastic pellets are fed into the hopper from where they are fed into the barrel. The pellets are crushed by a reciprocating screw in the barrel which makes liquefaction of plastic easier. There is an empty mold into which the liquefied plastic is injected from the reciprocating screw via nozzle. The plastic is then kept into the mold in cool place for hardening into the desired shape. Injection molding is mostly used for mass production of various plastic products such as plastic toys, cell phone stands, electrical switches,sheds, small kitchen items and large items for kid’s playground. Thermoplastic is mostly used in this method for allowing the plastic to melt and cool down several times; thereby, minimizing the waste production.

Extrusion molding is another method which is used for making tubes, hoses, pipes and various other hollow plastic materials. A die, containing heating chambers, is used in this process for melting the plastic. There is a tube-shaped orifice into which the liquefied plastic is propelled from a rotating screw in a barrel. The plastic is flattened and formed into its final shape after its cool down. A fixed shaped plastic product is formed when the melted plastic is pressed through a die.

The custom tubing prepared from the process of extrusion is used in many different industries such as construction, automotive, food and beverage and medical industries. Some of the most commonly prepared custom tubing products include spacers, marine components, conveyor components, automotive motor tubing, farm & garden components, processing equipment tubing, point of purchase displays and sleeves.

Co-extrusion, also referred to as co-injection, is a type of extrusion process in which two or more types of plastics are combined to obtain a new texture. The different types of plastic pellets are used in this process which are melted and pressed through the same die. This produces a new plastic product with distinct properties. This is different from the ordinary mixing of the plastic, i.e. the original properties of each type of plastic is retained. It can produce tubes that are internally hard.

The manufacturers of plastic make use of the appropriate method to produce the desired plastic products. With the increasing demand, it is likely that new plastic manufacturing methods are developed in future.