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Plastic Processing Technologies Have Evolved According to Specialized Needs, Business and Industry Trends Analysis

Depending on the nature of the final products to be manufactured, several different technologies are used to process plastics from automobile components to food packaging.  The following is a list of primary technologies:
Plastic Film Manufacturing:  Plastic films and sheets can be made by extrusion.  In extrusion, heated plastic in liquid form is processed between rollers to make sheets.  Other extrusion processes can be used to make such things as plastic bags (blown film extrusion).  In dispersion processes, molten plastic is allowed to pool on a surface until it cools and creates a sheet.  Film and sheet plastics are used for food packaging, medical packaging and other end products.
Blow Molding:  Blow molding is an extruding process that is used to manufacture hollow products.  It offers some advantages over injection molding (see below) since blow molding can create a product in one piece, while injection molding would create two pieces that have to be joined in order to create a hollow object.  Among the more obvious uses for blow molding are the manufacture of plastic bottles and other containers for food and liquids.
Injection Molding:  Plastic resin, in the form of pellets, is fed into a high-temperature chamber where the resin is heated to the point that it becomes a fluid.  This fluid is then fed into a mold.  As it cools, the plastic takes the form of the mold to create a final shape.  This is considered to be a relatively unsophisticated manufacturing process useful for such items as plastic toys and household items.
Extruded Pipe:  One of the largest and most important uses of plastic is in pipe of all varieties.  In recent decades, the standard for plumbing has migrated from copper and cast-iron pipes to PVC.  PVC pipe offers many advantages, including high strength, light weight and ease of cutting and joining.  Extruded plastic pipe and tubing are used in numerous applications outside of plumbing as well.  The extrusion process involves heating plastic material and then forcing the plastic through a die.  As the plastic exits the die it is cooled on a conveyer.  In addition to round pipe, extrusion lends itself to other shapes that are long and continuous, such as window moldings.
Thermoforming:  In thermoforming, a plastic sheet is first heated and then shaped using a vacuum or pressurized air.  Uses include food packaging, cases for electronics and consumer goods.
Rotational MoldingRotational molding (“rotomolding”) takes advantage of centrifugal force as it pushes heated plastic material into a rotating mold, resulting in an even coating of plastic in the mold.  The final product is then cooled.  Rotational molding can be used to create large, very strong objects such as barrels and drums.  While it is one of the smaller sectors of plastic manufacturing, there are several companies in the $50 to $150 million revenue range that are involved in rotational molding.
Single-Cavity Pressing:  In a radical departure from most plastics manufacturing methods, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies (a Michigan-based joint venture between Freudenberg of Germany and NOK of Japan) is creating plastic seals one part at a time in single-cavity presses.  A recent two-year study found a 20% improvement in cost savings and quality compared to seals produced by other methods including injection molding.  The firm has manufactured a plastic piston for automobile engines that is 30% lighter and six times better quality than a comparable part made of aluminum.  The part also leaves no material waste when produced and requires 20% less floor space in the factory.


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