The market counts on different plastic manufacturing processes. Among the most popular in the industry are blowing, injection and extrusion. In addition, the plastic raw material is essential so that the final product has good quality and high performance.
In this article, we will explain the characteristics and main differences between these types of processing in more detail. Keep following Polyexcel’s blog to find out how do you make plastic raw material!
Most used materials in the industry
Thermoplastic is one of the main highlights of the plastic raw material. This is because it can be subjected to melting and heating several times, that is, the main advantage is the possibility of being molded and remolded, which makes it a recyclable material.
Thermoset is another main plastic raw material. With characteristics contrary to the option above, this compound has polymer chains due to primary intermolecular forces of attraction, which can be made through cross-linking.
Injection process
After all, how plastic is made? As we said earlier, there are three ways to do it. Among them, there is injection, which consists of casting the polymer to mold it according to the desired purpose. Toys, home appliances, and medical equipment are made this way.
This process begins with the addition of plastic raw in the feed region of the injection molding machine. The resin is sent to a heated area, passing through a screw that transforms the polymeric granules into a plasticized mass.
Next, this mass is compelled by the screw to a mold, which was previously changed to have dimensions and details of the piece that will be produced.
After the processing conclusion, operators responsible for manufacturing perform the inspection, finishing (if necessary), packaging and transport. After the closing of these steps, the final products are sent to the client.
Extrusion process
The extrusion process comes from the production of plastic films that act as inputs for flexible packaging, used in different types of applications. Generally, this material is utilized in the manufacture of food packaging, such as flour, beans, rice, etc.
In addition to food packaging, the result of this processing is used in cleaning and hygiene products or the manufacture of packs with several units of the same merchandise. Extrusion is also used by civil construction and the agricultural sector, in thermoforming processes.
The transformation process by extrusion starts with the formulation of the plastic raw material, based on the customer’s need for the manufacture of the final product. For this, the polymers are added to a mixer, remaining there for about 20 minutes.
After that, the resin is sent to the extruder and goes through the same processing as the previous alternative. After this step, the material is sent to a heated matrix, leaving it in the form of a film, like a balloon.
In the matrix, there is an exit for the air with the function of inflating the “balloon”. This air is responsible for defining the width and thickness of the film. When reaching the end of the process, the material gains a cylinder shape. In the final step, the product can receive finishing (if necessary) or be sent to the customer.
Blowing process
Finally, blowing is another way of how is plastic created through rigid packaging, used in different applications. The product manufactured by this processing is used in the production of packaging for the cosmetic, agricultural, provision, automotive, and pharmaceutical industries.
The transformation by blowing starts with the transport of the raw material for plastic industry to the machine feed. After that, the material is taken to a heated cylinder, which counts on a screw conveyor, capable of modifying the chemical structure of the piece to a plasticized mass.
This mass is transformed into a product with a hollow and cylindrical mold, called “parison”. After leaving the matrix, it is placed in a shape configured for the piece that will be produced. In this step, the material receives compressed air and blowing pressure.
Whatever the chosen process for the manufacture of the additive compounds, the desired result is obtained when a good-quality raw material is used. Therefore, it is very important to verify which solutions are used by the company chosen as a supplier of your business.
Know the Polyexcel solutions!
Present in the polymeric compounds market since 2011, Polyexcel has high-performance solutions that act in the insulation of wires and cables for power and telecommunications. To request a quotation or learn more about our products, visit the “Contact Us” page.
