MTP (S.E.

Mechanical Engineering)
3. Plastic Shaping

Thermosetting materials
• Thermosetting Polymers are the type of polymers where the macromolecular chains
tend to bond with one another forming a cross-linked 3D network.
• These polymers are also known as Thermosetting plastics or Thermosets.
• The definition of the word Thermosetting translates to a term which means setting
permanently upon heating. Thus the Thermosetting Polymers get a hard texture after they are
exposed to heating to their pre-Thermoset form.
PROPERTIES
• Thermosetting plastics tend to be heat resistant.
• The Thermosetting Polymers are brittle in nature owing to loss of elasticity when they
are heated.
• Once cured or moulded, these polymers cannot be re-shaped through application of
heat.
• The Thermoset density is dependent on the constituent components that are used for
creating the polymer.
• Thermosets are usually resistant to chemical attacks.
APPLICATIONS
• They are used for manufacturing permanent parts in a wide array of industries.
• Thermosets are used for producing electrical goods as well as components such as
panels and insulators.
• Thermosets are used for manufacturing construction equipment panels.
• Since they tend to be heat resistant, Thermosets are used for manufacturing heat
shields.
• In automobiles, Thermosets are utilised for producing brake pistons.
• Thermosets are also used for various agricultural equipment that include motors and
feeding troughs.
Example of thermosetting materials
Thermoplastic materials
• A thermoplastic is any plastic polymer material that becomes moldable at a certain
elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.
PROPERTIES
• Thermoplastic includes a relatively low melting point,
• resistance to chemicals,
• mouldable, flexible, durable,
• recyclable, strong, environmentally friendly, and the ability to maintain its molecular
structure after being heated and reshaped.
APPLICATIONS
• Thermoplastic material used in making sports equipment.
• It is also used in making toys.
• It is used in automobile parts.
• It is used in making CDs and DVDs.
• Containers like shampoo bottles, drinking bottles, and food storage containers are
made up of thermoplastic polymer. Bakelite, Epoxy Resin, Melamine Resin, Duroplast, and
Urea-Formaldehyde
INTRODUCTION TO BLOW MOULDING
 Blow molding is a type of plastic-forming process for creating hollow plastic
products made from thermoplastic materials.
 The process involves heating and inflating a plastic tube known as a parison or
preform.
 The parison is placed between two dies that contain the desired shape of the product.
 Air is then supplied to expand the tube causing the walls to become thinner and
conform to the shape of the mold.
 Once the blowing process is complete, the product is then cooled, ejected, trimmed,
and prepared for the secondary processes.
INJECTION MOULDING
 Basic Process: Injection molding is the most widely used molding process for
thermoplastics.
 It is based on the ability of thermoplastic materials to be softened by heat and to
harden when cooled.
 The process thus consists essentially of softening the material in a heated cylinder and
injecting it under pressure into the mould cavity, where it hardens by cooling.
 Each step is carried out in a separate zone of the same apparatus in the cyclic
operation.

APPLICATIONS
 Applications: Solid Wide neck, Flat Product is made like bucket, Automobile &
Industrial parts, Moulded chairs, Computer/ TV/ Radio Cabinets, Washing
machine Cabinets, Mobile, Power tool housings etc. Moulded House hold items
etc. by injecting molten thermoplastic material in to a closed mould which is
relatively cool.

INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS

 Main process steps: Clamping, Injection, Cooling, Ejection and Refilling for next
cycle.
 1. The mould closes and the screw begins moving forward for injection. 2.
 The cavity fills as the reciprocating screw moves forward, as a plunger. 3.
 The cavity cools as the gate freezes off and the screw begins to retract to
plasticized material for the next shot.
 4. The mould opens for part ejection 5.
 The mold closes and the next cycle begins.
Extrusion
Extrusion is a metal working process in which cross section of metal is reduced by
forcing the metal through a die orifice under high pressure.
It is used to produce cylindrical bars, tubes and sections of any regular or irregular types.
Forces required to extrude a metal are quite high and hence hot extrusion is most widely
done as deformation resistance of metal is low at high temperature. However, cold
extrusion is also performed for soft metals like Aluminum, lead etc.

Difficult to form metals like stainless steels, nickel based alloys and high temperature
metals can also be extruded.
History; Originally the principle of extrusion was applied to make lead pipe and lead
sheathing of electrical cables.
CALENDARING PROCESS

Introduction

 Calendering is a continuous process where melted plastic, paper, rubber or fabrics are
squeezed between pairs of rollers.

 Calendering is one method of making plastic sheets and plastic film. (Another method
is Blown Film)

Plastics Used

The plastics used to create film and sheets by calendaring are:

 polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

 modified polyethylene (PE),
 polypropylene (PP)
  acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
 thermosetting compounds

Making Plastic Film and Plastic Sheets

 Plastic film and thicker sheets of plastic may be made by calendaring molten plastic.
 In the calendaring process, molten plastic is extruded and then passed between
pairs of heated rollers that squeeze the molten plastic into a sheet.
 The thickness of the plastic sheet depends upon the gap between the pairs of
rollers.
 Very thin plastic sheet is called plastic film.
 The calendaring process usually involves using four or more pairs of rollers that
gradually reduce the plastic thickness, polish the surface, add a texture or emboss a
pattern into the plastic sheet.
 After the sheet passes between the final pair of rollers, it is cooled and fed to a
winding station where it is coiled and edge trimmed.
Thermoforming Process
 Thermoforming is a plastic manufacturing process that uses pressure or the force of a
vacuum to stretch thermoplastic material over a mold to create a three-dimensional
shape, part of plastic product.
 Cups, containers, lids, trays, and clamshells are formed by thermoforming using thin
sheets of thermoplastic,
 While thicker sheets of thermoplastic are used to produce car doors and dash panels,
refrigerator liners, and plastic pallets.
 The two processes used for thermoforming are vacuum forming and pressure forming,
which are used to stretch the heated thermoplastic over the surface of the mold.

Positive Tool
 Positive Tool, or "male mold" is convex-shaped - the heated plastic sheet is positioned
above the convex tool.
 The "humped surface", or the convex surface, will now give the plastic sheet its final
shape.
 The exterior surface of a positive mold tool will give the shape of the inner surface of
the part.
Negative Tool
Negative Tool, or "female mold", on the other hand, is concave-shaped - the interior surface
contour of a negative mold tool will give the shape of the outer surface of the part.