Plastics Processing Methods

Extrusion Molding -- the main process used to form plastics. A heated plastic compound is forced continuously through a forming die made in the desired shape (like squeezing toothpaste from a tube, it produces a long, usually narrow, continuous product). The formed plastic cools under blown air or in a water bath and hardens on a moving belt. Rods, tubes, pipes, Slinkys, and sheet and thin film (such as food wraps) are extruded then coiled or cut to desired lengths. Plastic fibers also are made by an extrusion process. Liquid resin is squeezed through thousands of tiny holes called spinnerets to produce the fine threads from which plastic fabrics are woven. Injection Molding -- is the second most widely used process to form plastics. The plastic compound, heated to a semifluid state, is squirted into a mold under great pressure and hardens quickly. The mold then opens and the part is released. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary and is particularly suited to mass production methods. Injection molding is used for a wide variety of plastic products, from small cups and toys to large objects weighing 30 pounds or more. Blow Molding -- pressure is used to form hollow objects, such as the soda pop bottle or twogallon milk bottle, in a direct or indirect method. In the direct blow-molding method, a partially shaped, heated plastic form is inserted into a mold. Air is blown into the form, forcing it to expand to the shape of the mold. In the indirect method, a plastic sheet or special shape is heated then clamped between a die and a cover. Air is forced between the plastic and the cover and presses the material into the shape of the die.

The Materials Plastic is a synthetic material made by man, and can take many forms. In its smallest form it is a polymer, a large molecule chain of repeating structural units. Most of these molecules in the chain are familiar to you already, for example, carbon and oxygen. When these chains are linked together they form synthetic solids, otherwise known as the plastic. There are two types of plastics, thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers. When it comes to plastic bags, we are talking about the thermoplastics. These thermoplastics can be formed and heated and then this process repeated infinitely. Speaking of types of plastic, another useful term to know in regards to it is 'polyethelene.' Most plastic bags are made of either high or low density polyethelene. These plastic bags are manufactured to the tune of 80 million metric tons annually. The Manufacturing Process In order to make plastic bags the raw materials need to be present. The key ingredients are petroleum and natural gas. These components are heated, broken apart, and then recombined with other additives. These additives have a variety of purposes; adding color, providing fire resistance, or simply protection from degrading in the future. The tangible material of this manufacturing process looks like small pellets. Once the pellets are made they are combined in a process known as extrusion. Extrusion is the action of pushing the materials through a template in order to make, in this case, plastic bags. Remember that polyethelene is a type of thermoplastic, this means that during the process of extrusion the plastic is heated in order for it to be formed into its finished shape. Once the plastic is heated it is blown through a tube into the appropriate shape (a bag) and then cooled using blown air. The plastic bags are then rolled along so that they can be flattened and cut into the desired size