Plastics are versatile materials used to produce many consumer and medical products. There are thousands of polymer options for plastics, each with different mechanical properties. For designers and engineers, it is important to understand available plastic manufacturing processes and new developments. When selecting a process, factors to consider include the desired part form, required volume or production cost, necessary lead time, and suitable material type. Common plastic manufacturing processes include 3D printing, CNC machining, polymer casting, rotational molding, injection molding, vacuum forming, blow molding, and extrusion molding.
Plastics are versatile materials used to produce many consumer and medical products. There are thousands of polymer options for plastics, each with different mechanical properties. For designers and engineers, it is important to understand available plastic manufacturing processes and new developments. When selecting a process, factors to consider include the desired part form, required volume or production cost, necessary lead time, and suitable material type. Common plastic manufacturing processes include 3D printing, CNC machining, polymer casting, rotational molding, injection molding, vacuum forming, blow molding, and extrusion molding.
Plastics are versatile materials used to produce many consumer and medical products. There are thousands of polymer options for plastics, each with different mechanical properties. For designers and engineers, it is important to understand available plastic manufacturing processes and new developments. When selecting a process, factors to consider include the desired part form, required volume or production cost, necessary lead time, and suitable material type. Common plastic manufacturing processes include 3D printing, CNC machining, polymer casting, rotational molding, injection molding, vacuum forming, blow molding, and extrusion molding.
Plastics are versatile materials used to produce many consumer and medical products. There are thousands of polymer options for plastics, each with different mechanical properties. For designers and engineers, it is important to understand available plastic manufacturing processes and new developments. When selecting a process, factors to consider include the desired part form, required volume or production cost, necessary lead time, and suitable material type. Common plastic manufacturing processes include 3D printing, CNC machining, polymer casting, rotational molding, injection molding, vacuum forming, blow molding, and extrusion molding.
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MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR PLASTICS
What is plastic?
Plastics are the most common materials for producing end-use parts and products, for everything from consumer products to medical devices.
Plastics are a versatile category of materials, with thousands of polymer options,
each with their own specific mechanical properties.
Plastic Manufacturing Processes
For any designer and engineer working in product development, it is
critical to be familiar with the manufacturing options available today and the new developments that signal how parts will be made tomorrow.
How to Choose the Right Plastic Manufacturing Process
Consider the following factors when selecting a manufacturing process for
your product:
1. Form 2. Volume/cost 3. Lead time 4. Material Types of Plastics
Thermoplastics
Are the most commonly used type of plastic. The main feature that sets them apart from thermosets is their ability to go through numerous melt and solidification cycles without significant degradation.
Thermosetting Plastics
In contrast with thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics (also referred to as
thermosets) remain in a permanent solid state after curing.
Types of Manufacturing Processes
3D Printing. 3D printers create three-dimensional parts directly from CAD models by building material layer by layer until a complete physical part is formed.
CNC Machining. CNC machining includes mills, lathes, and other
computer-controlled subtractive processes. These processes start with solid blocks, bars, or rods of metal, or plastic that are shaped by removing material through cutting, boring, drilling, and grinding.
Polymer Casting. In polymer casting, a reactive liquid resin or rubber fills
a mould which reacts chemically and solidifies. Typical polymers for casting include polyurethane, epoxy, silicone, and acrylic.
Rotational Molding. Rotational moulding (also called rotoumolding) is a
process that involves heating a hollow mould filled with powdered thermoplastic and rotated around two axes to produce mainly large hollow objects. Processes for rotomoulding thermoset plastics are available as well, however less common.
Injection Moulding. Injection moulding (IM) works by injecting molten
thermoplastic into a mould. It is the most widely used process for mass manufacturing of plastic parts.
Vacuum Forming. Vacuum forming is a manufacturing method where a
plastic is heated and formed, typically using a mould. Vacuum forming machines vary in size and complexity from low-cost desktop devices to automated industrial machinery. The steps below describe the typical process for industrial vacuum forming.
Blow Molding. Blow moulding is a manufacturing technique used to create
hollow plastic parts by inflating a heated plastic tube inside a mould until it forms into the desired shape.
Extrusion moulding. Works by pushing plastic through a die. The shape of
Interacademic Collaboration Involving Higher Education Institutions in Tlaxcala and Puebla, Mexico. Presented in Collaboration with Université Clermont Auvergne (France): Case Studies of Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Applications.
