The Four Steps In Plastic Manufacturing (Contd.)

Plastic injection  molding doesn't use just one type of plastic.  There are several types in fact.  

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Types of Plastic in Injection Molding

No matter which process takes place, whether it is plastic injection molding or not, polycondensation or polymerization, different types of monomers are combined in order to form resin with various characteristics. They can also be mixed with other specific additives, such as plasticizers or flame retardants which will ensure that the end product is less brittle.  

Continuing from our previous article, here are the remaining steps of plastics manufacturing:

Step 3: The monomers are processed into thermoplastics or thermosets.

There are two forms into which polymers can be processed: thermoplastics or thermosets. Thermoplastics tend to melt when they reach a specific temperature, but become hardened when they cool off. The exact opposite happens when it comes to thermosets; they get harder as the temperature rises, however they can only be heated and set once. While thermoplastics create chains that alternate between soft and hard sections, thermosets form bonds that are hard and interlocked. 

Step 4: The thermoplastics or thermosets are molded.

Thermoplastics are processed through several forms of extrusion or molding. Extrusion means that the resin is pushed through a mold in order to make it form a specific shape, and is used to make items such pipes, fibers for weaving and straws. Molding is achieved by heating the resin and injecting it into molds or blowing air into softened tubes of resin which are inserted into molds in order to make it take on a specific shape. Molding is used to create items such as soda bottles, containers and toys. Thermoplastics may also be calendered-- melted and pressed between large rollers in order to create long plastic sheets which can eventually be used to make flooring.

Thermosets can also be molded, though molds are usually pressurized so as to encourage polymers to link more closely, which is meant to make the final product more durable. They are also occasionally treated with a chemical before being molded. The first process is used to create end products that need to be able to take heavy impact (due to consumer use) such as sports equipment and phones, while the second is used in order to make stronger things (for the sake of longevity) like machines or parts for vehicles. This type of plastic is sometimes used as a coating for materials, like fabric or paper or fabric in a process called lamination. 

Injection  Molding: Final Thoughts

Plastic is plastic, right?  Wrong! The sort of part that you need will be determined on a lot of factors such as how much wear and tear will it be exposed to?  A harder, more brittle plastic would be worthless in a part that needed a bit of give and take.  Inversely, a plastic part that needs rigidity would go bad if a softer plastic was used.  

Ultimately, you want to work with a company that can do custom work, and create custom plastic parts for you.

Read more on this subject here.

AZP & Associates

295 E. Corporate Place

Suite # 108

Chandler, Arizona 85225

602-437-0136

http://www.azpandassociates.com

The Four Steps In Plastic Manufacturing

Plastic injection molding is one of the four steps of plastic manufacturing.  Today's article will cover the first two steps.

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Injection Molding and Plastics Manufacturing

Not a day goes by that we don't use some form of plastic. Whether it is being used as a container, such as a milk carton or is a piece of equipment used in our favorite sports such as catcher's mask, plastic is all around us. We can't avoid it, but how much do we actually know about plastic and what goes into its production?

The exact details of how plastic is manufactured will depend on what type it is as well as what it is going to be used for, but the fundamental steps will be the same for every kind of plastic. One of the most common ways to make plastic parts is by plastic injection molding.  It's created by using various chemicals and refining processes which turn single molecules (commonly referred to as monomers) into long chains (commonly referred to as polymers). After all of this occurs, the polymers are capable of being shaped or molded into the desired end product. Lets take a moment to discuss the step by step process of plastic manufacturing.

Plastic Manufacturing and Custom Plastic Parts 

Step 1: Hydrocarbons are used to create monomers.

Fossil products, such as natural gas and crude oil, are among the main types of raw materials which are used in order to make plastic, though it may also be created from things such as hemp, soy and corn. All of these products contain compounds which are called hydrocarbons and are used to create monomers. Hydrocarbons are either chemically treated or heated to very extreme temperatures in order to break them down into monomers such as styrene or ethylene.

Step 2: The monomers are chemically treated.

After being extracted, monomers must be chemically treated in order to ensure that they bond together and can form long polymer chains. This is done through either polycondensation or polymerization. If its done through polymerization, then monomers are mixed in with another chemical that functions as a catalyst and causes them to bind together in order to form a resin. If, however, this is accomplished through polycondensation, the monomers are processed so that they bind together and release byproduct like water.

We will continue this topic in a future article.

For now, know that you want to make sure you find a plastics manufacturer that does plastic injection molding to make sure you get the custom plastic parts that you and your business needs.

AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
http://www.azpandassociates.com