Plastics can be molded into various forms and hardened for commercial use. Plastic molding products can be seen everywhere.
At Reid Industrial Graphic Products, we can assist you in choosing from a plastic molding process that fits your budget, your expertise, and your resources. These methods includes,
Melted plastic is forced into a mold cavity and once cooled, the mold can be removed. This process is commonly used in mass-production or prototyping of a product. This can be used to mass produce toys, kitchen utensils, bottle caps, and cell phone stands, etc.
This process is similar to injection molding except that hot liquid plastic pours out of a barrel vertically in a molten tube. The mold closes on it and forces it outward to conform to the inside shape of the mold. When it is cooled, the hollow part is formed. Typical examples of blow molding products are bottles, tubes and containers.
In this molding process, hard plastic is pressed between two heated mold halves. Compression molding usually uses vertical presses instead of the horizontal presses as opposed to injection and blow molding. The parts formed are then air-cooled.
This plastic molding technique embeds an image beneath the surface of a molded part and a material similar to film / fabric is inserted into a mold and plastic is then injected.
This molding process is used to create plastic parts with hollow interiors. Partial shot of plastic is then followed by high-pressure gas to fill the mold cavity with plastic.
Hollow molds packed with powdered plastic are secured to pipe-like spokes that extend from a central hub and the molds rotate on separate axes at once. The hub swings the whole mold to a closed furnace room causing the powder to melt and stick to the insides of the tools. As the molds turn slowly, the tools move into a cooling room. Here, sprayed water causes the plastic to harden into a hollow part.
This process of molding is usually used for parts that require thicker walls than standard injection molding. Insertion of a small amount of nitrogen or chemical blow agent into the plastic material makes the walls thicker. Foaming happens as the melted plastic material enters the mold cavity. A thin plastic skin forms and solidifies in the mold wall.
In this plastic molding process, sheets of pre-extruded rigid plastics are horizontally heated and sucked down into hollow one-piece tools. When the hot plastic solidifies, its shape conforms to that of the mold.
In either molding process, we can provide render assistance in your selection. Please discuss your requirement with one of our consultants who will help you choose the technology best suited for your product.