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4. What is blow molding used for?
Blow molding is commonly used to produce plastic bottles, cans, or containers.
Bottling in the beverage industry relies heavily on this method. If this is the ideal product you want to produce, be it soft drinks, water, or carbonated beverages, then you will most likely choose this product.
It produces high precision and high volume hollow products, including sturdy and lightweight transparent and opaque bottles.
Applications range from beverage bottles to containers for storing chemicals, food, or pharmaceutical containers, to watering cans. Blow molding is suitable as long as it ends up being a hollow product.
With so many types of goods that can be produced, it is no wonder that blow molding is gaining popularity every year to match the global demand for plastic products.
The key stages of the blow molding process are as follows, but may vary slightly depending on the exact machine available, materials used, and product desired, but are outlined below:
Create preforms or prisons; preforms can also be purchased from other suppliers and stored until ready to use.
The preform or prison is loaded into the machine, ready for blowing.
Heat plastic until ready to use, or transfer to a blower while still warm.
After one end is clamped, the plastic is blown into the desired shape using hot pressurized air. This can be compared to inflating a balloon.
The shape is stretched to its final size, and if injection stretch blow molding is used, there will be additional processing to achieve the desired output.
Cool the finished products, so they’re ready to pop and don’t get damaged.
The freshly formed plastic is released and ready for the next step in the line, filling and labeling the bottle with liquid.
Common defects or defects that may occur in the production process are:
Warped bottles, cracked walls, air bubbles or material defects, and inconsistent wall thickness.
These can often be attributed to the quality of the materials used, the temperature during molding and molding, or the lack of material or imperfect preforms/prisons used.
To correct these problems, it is essential to have a properly trained and skilled operator who knows how to quality check the equipment and adjust accordingly. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing the temperature or pressure of the air.
Other times, more regular cleaning, especially of the mold, might solve the problem you’re having.
In any case, having equipment that is well maintained, cleaned, and properly aligned will have a better chance of producing a product your customers will love.
5. What is injection molding used for?
This equally popular manufacturing method is widely used to produce bottle caps, gears, and small intricate parts.
Essentially, if you wish to create solid, flat, detailed, or complex shapes, injection molding may be the most appropriate method.
Because the material is injected into the mold in the molten state, it can penetrate complex designs that may not be possible in blow molding.
The six key stages of the injection molding process are outlined below; these are often contained within a single machine, which helps keep your operation compact.
The mold is clamped and ready for injection.
Heating material is injected using a screw drive that creates pressure and forces molten plastic into the mold.
The dwelling allows the material to fully penetrate and form the desired shape.
Cooling hardens the newly formed body enough, so it doesn’t break when released.
The mold opening gives the item a chance to be removed.
Remove products that may require further processing.
For a helpful visual reference to help understand the steps involved in this manufacturing technique, click
What material is used for injection molding?
The most common practice is to use polymer-based materials to make injection-molded components; several factors come down. No material knowledge is involved here, but the main types must be known.
If you need further clarification on which materials are suitable for your project, please consult the material or fabrication specialist who can best advise.
There has been some recent progress in glass injection molding, which has significantly reduced temperatures and is now a viable option because the molds are more cost-effective. To learn more about this emerging technology, check out this website.
Once more thoroughly tested and accepted as a serious contender, we could see polymers being substituted for specific projects.
The benefits of injection molding?
The main advantages of using this manufacturing technique are:
Ability to change the color of an item or material that has not been used to cast the same thing and use the same equipment.
Large quantities can be produced continuously with reasonable accuracy, so it is an excellent choice for long-term projects that require consistency.
Once the initial outlay for tooling and machinery is covered, ongoing production costs are relatively low.
Low waste and any waste produced can be recovered by regrinding and melted into another batch.
What are the disadvantages of injection molding?
Although this is a very desirable process for making plastic products, there are a few things to consider, which are:
The initial cost of tooling and tooling is relatively high, so if you are only running a short run, it may not be a good deal.
As part of the setup, you need to create a prototype and ensure that the preparations are done correctly to achieve a scalable, high-quality product; this experimental phase can be expensive and time-consuming.
For some, this tool cost is not feasible.
Also, imagine that after going through a few molds, you need to change the design; this could result in a new one being cut, adding time and expense.
Long lead times aren’t all that exciting either, and it can take months or even years to go from an initial idea to delivering a suitable prototype or first run.
If the market changes in this genre and new advancements make your product less popular or obsolete, all of this work may be in vain.
Another scenario is when a competitor brings it to market earlier.
Get your manufacturing operations up and running faster with blow molding.
The overall size of the single piece being injection molded can be considered a slight disadvantage. Compared to the connection process, it would require multiple machines, which would add more steps or costs, or require larger equipment at a higher price.
Finally, there is a limit to the thickness of the molded wall, too thin and the material may have difficulty filling the mold, too thick and uniform. You’re bracing for a range of defects, slower cycle rates, and higher material costs.
It is not the scope of this article to discuss each material and its suitable applications in detail. If you are interested in learning more about these materials, we recommend that you review the following websites; here or here.
Cost is always a factor, and since injection molding is a more expensive operation to set up and run, some people will prefer blow molding to produce their products if feasible.
6. Conclusion
All things considered, you should now have a clearer picture of what’s involved, commonly used materials, and any potential benefits of using blow or injection molding in your manufacturing operations.
Both techniques are beneficial and have their associated place in the production line.
When seeking to make an informed decision on which equipment and machines will be the best solution for your company’s needs, all possibilities, the costs involved, and any potential limitations or disadvantages must be weighed.
If you have any specific questions about the process outlined or would like to discuss your needs in more detail,
please feel free to contact us directly via the website https://www.amanmachine.com/ or email sales3@amanmachinery.com