Manufacturing Engineering

UNIT-VI

6. PLASTIC AND PLASTIC MOULDING

Contents:

Moulding characteristics of Plastic,Moulding Processes : blow moulding,

compression ,transfer, injection moulding, extrusion, calendaring and
Thermo forming, processing of thermosets.

2.7 Plastic Shaping: Introduction to blow moulding:

Blow molding is a manufacturing process that is used to produce hollow plastic parts by
inflating a heated plastic until it fills a mold and formed the desired shape.
Working Principle
In this process, the thermoplastic in the form of small pellets or granules is first heated
above the melting temperature and molded into a preform using injection molding process. These
preforms are used to feed into the blow mold. The preform is heated above the glass transition
temperature and formed into a hollow tube which is called parison. The parison is then clamped
between two mold halves and inflated by high air pressure until it conforms to the inner shape of
the mold. The air pressure is required as 60 to 140 psi depending upon the material used. The
preform is always stretched from the center of the part during the process. This is a single stage
process, as both preform manufacturing and bottle blowing are performed in the same machine.
The formed part solidified as it is cooled inside the mold. The mold halves are separated and the
final product is removed. Final part may be trimmed.

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Fig. Blow molding

Generally, mold can be made of metal. Cycle time depends upon the finished part wall thickness.
If the part wall thickness is 1.5 mm, the cycle time will be 40 to 50 seconds.

• Process Parameters
1. Amount of plastic material
2. Melting temperature of plastic material
3. Air pressure require
4. Cooling time
Materials Used
Different types of thermoplastic material are used, for example: High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene Terephtalate (PET), and Polycarbonate (PC).
Applications
Different types of plastic products can be manufactured by this process such as bottles in
different shape and size, jars, and containers, ducting, fluid oil tanks, mugs, and toys.
Advantages
1. Low tooling cost
2. Fast production rates
3. Ability to mold complex part with uniform thickness
4. Little scrap generated

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5. Large hollow shape can be produced

6. Produced parts can be recycle
Disadvantages
1. Limited to hollow parts
2. Thick parts can’t be manufactured

2.8 Injection moulding:

Injection molding is generally used to produce thermoplastic polymers. It consists of
heating of thermo plastic materials until it melts and then injecting into the steel mould, where it
cools and solidifies to take its final shape. The plastic materials are usually received in the
granular form. It is placed in the hopper of the moulding machine from which it is fed to a heated
cylinder. Granules are heated in the cylinder to melt or plasticize. The typical melting point is
about 1800C. The melting temperature varies with the material. The mould is usually made up of
steel and it is water cooled. A plunger forces the molten plastics from the cylinder into the mould
wherein, it cools and solidifies. The mould is opened and the moulded part as well as the
attached runner is removed.

Fig. Injection Moulding

• Typical characteristics of injection moulded parts

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Injection moulding is advantageous when it is required to produce the intricate parts in more
quantity. Apart from the above, this method also can produce one moulded part that can replace
an assembly of components. In injection moulding, parts can be often moulded directly with
color and surface finish thereby avoiding secondary finish. Injection moulded parts are usually
thin walled and heavy sections are usually not recommended. Since, thermoplastic parts are
having less strength they are preferred to be used in lower stress application area. In the current
practice, thermoplastics are reinforced with glass or other fibers and functionally competitive
with Zinc and Aluminum.
Suitable materials
Commonly used thermoplastic materials are
Polyethylene
• Polypropylene
• Polystyrene
• Polyvinyl chloride (vinyl or PVC)
• Nylon
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
• Acrylic

2.9 Plastic Extrusion:

Extrusion is a high volume manufacturing process. The plastic material is melted with the
application of heat and extruded through die into a desired shape. A cylindrical rotating screw is

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placed inside the barrel which forces out molten plastic material through a die. The extruded
material takes shape according to the cross-section of die.

• Working Principle:
In this process, plastic material in the form of pellets or granules is gravity fed from a top
mounted hopper into the barrel. Additives such as colorants and ultraviolet inhibitors (liquid or
pellet form) can be mixed in the hopper. The plastic material enters through the feed throat and
comes into contact with the rotating screw. The rotating screw pushes the plastic beads forward
into the barrel. The barrel is heated using the heating elements up to the melting temperature of
the plastic. The heating elements are used in such ways that gradually increase the temperature of
the barrel from the rear to the front.

Fig. Plastic Extrusion

There are three possible zones in a rotating screw i.e. feed zone, melting zone, and
metering zone. In the feed zone, the plastic beads melt gradually as they are pushed through the
barrel. The plastic material is completely melted in the melting zone. A thermostat is used to
maintain the inside temperature of the barrel. The overheating of plastics should be minimized
which may cause degradation in the material properties. A cooling fan or water cooling system is
used to maintain the temperature of the barrel during the process.

At the front of the barrel, the molten plastic leaves the screw and travels through a screen
pack to remove any contaminants in the molten plastic. The screens are reinforced by a breaker
plate. The breaker plate assembly also serves to create back pressure in the barrel. The back

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pressure gives uniform melting and proper mixing of the molten plastic material into the barrel.
After passing through the breaker plate, molten plastic enters into die. The die gives the desired
shape of plastic product. An uneven flow of molten plastic would produce unwanted stresses in
the plastic product. These stresses can cause warping after solidification of molten plastic.
Plastics are very good thermal insulators and therefore it is very difficult to cool quickly. The
plastic product is cooled by pulling through a set of cooling rolls.

Extrusion Process Parameters

There are five important process parameters to be considered before extrusion process:
• Melting temperature of plastic
• Speed of the screw
• Extrusion pressure required
• Types of die used
• Cooling medium
Materials Used
The different types of plastic materials that can be used in extrusion process are
Polyethylene, Polypropylene (PP), Acetal, Acrylic, Nylon (Polyamides), Polystyrene, Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate.
Applications
The extrusion process is used for manufacturing rods, plates and tubes, wire and cable
coating, hose liners, hose mandrels, filaments, sheet, multilayer film, medical packaging and
food packaging, etc.
Advantages:
• High production volumes
• Relatively low cost as compared with other molding process
• Design flexibility
• Short lead times
• Coating of wire can be done to achieves desired properties
• Continuous part can be produced
Disadvantages:
• Limited complexity of parts

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• Uniform cross section can only be produced

2.10 Plastic Calendaring:

The rolling mills consist of two rolls that are used exclusively for the compounding of
thermoplastics. The product that results from rolling is a sheet that can be granulated after
cooling or fed in plasticated form directly into the processing equipment. PVC and rubber are
processed using this process. When the rolls are more than to in number and the polymer is to
be shaped using these rolls; then the machine is called a calendar.
The number of rolls in a calendar can be uptoseven; however, most commonly, four rolls
are used. The rolls are made of polished cast iron, and are driven individually and heated. The
heating medium is usually oil or water. The temperature and speed increases from one roll to
the next. The roll mill must be able to withstand the extreme forces to which it is exposed, and
hence, be made extremely rigid.

The calendars are one of the most expensive types of processing equipments and are
employed for the manufacture of a few special products like floor coverings and films made of
plasticised PVC.
2.11 Thermo forming process:
Thermoforming is a plastic manufacturing process in which the thermoplastic sheets are
formed with the application of heat and pressure in a mold. The thermoplastic sheet is held
horizontally over a mold surface and clamped with a holding device. The sheet is heated up to
predetermined temperature using a heating element called heater. The thermostat is used to
maintain the temperature of the heater. When the temperature becomes substantially high in the
mold, the temperature is controlled by adjusting the heater and providing the cooling air. The
thermoplastic sheet softens with the application of heat and is pressed into or stretched over the

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mold surface by application of air pressure or by any other means. The softened sheet conforms
to the mold shape and it is held in place until it cools. The mold cavity is opened and the
thermoformed part is released. Some of the plastic materials require air cooling in order to make
those rigid quickly, because plastic materials have low thermal conductivity. The excess material
is then trimmed out from the formed part. Excess material can be reground, mixed with unused
plastic, and again reformed into thermoplastic sheets. Thin sheet (up to 1.5 mm) and thick sheet
(about 3 mm) can be formed easily.
Thermoforming set-up usually consists of the clamping unit, heaters, mold, and air
cooling system. The molds should be cleaned after every cycle, as materials in the mold can
cause the change in the shape of the finished goods. There are mainly three different types of
thermoforming process depending upon the pressure required i.e., vacuum forming, pressure
forming and matched die forming.
1. Vacuum Forming:-
In this process, the vacuum pressure is used to form the heated thermoplastic sheet into
the desired shape. The thermoplastic sheet is placed on the mold surface and fixed with the help
of clamping unit. The sheet is heated until it is softens and thereafter vacuum needs to be applied
quickly. A surge tank is used to quickly pull the air out between the mold cavity and the sheet.
When the vacuum is created, the sheet conforms to the shape of the mold cavity. The formed part
is cooled and then ejected from the mold cavity. The schematic of vacuum forming process is
shown in figure.

Fig. Vacuum Forming

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2. Pressure Forming
The pressure forming process is closely related to vacuum forming. In this process, the
air pressure required is much higher as compared to the vacuum forming. The preheated plastic
sheet is placed on the mold surface, and then air pressure is applied quickly above the sheet as
shown in figure. The high pressure is developed in between the softened sheet and the pressure
box. Due to high pressure, the preheated plastic sheet can be deformed into the mold cavity in a
fraction of a second. The formed sheet is held in the mold cavity for cooling for a few seconds.
The formed part thereby solidifies and is ejected from mold cavity. Prototype parts can also be
made using pressure forming process.

Fig. Pressure Forming

3. Matched die forming:-

Matched die forming is also called mechanical forming. In this process, mold consists of
two parts i.e. die and punch as shown in figure. The thermoplastic sheet is heated with the
application of heat until it softens. The preheated sheet is placed into the mold surface (that is
called die) and through punch pressure is applied on the hot sheet. The air in between the die and
softened sheet is evacuated by using vacuum pump, and therefore the thermoplastic sheet
conforms to the mold shape. The formed part is cooled and ejected from the mold cavity.

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Fig. Matched die forming

The important process parameters that are considered during the thermoforming process
are heating temperature, heating time, vacuum pressure, air pressure, mechanical pressure,
cooling time and ejection mechanism.
Materials Used
The different types of thermoplastic materials which can be processed using
thermoforming process are: Acrylic (PMMA), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Cellulose
acetate, Low density polyethylene (LDPE), High density polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene
(PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Applications
Thermoforming process is used for variety of applications, for example, food packaging,
automotive parts, trays, building products and aircraft windscreens. Thick gauge parts are used as
cosmetic surfaces on permanent structures such as trucks, medical equipment, material handling
equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, spas and shower enclosures, vehicle door and
dash panels, refrigerator liners, utility vehicle beds, and plastic pallets. Thin gauge parts are
primarily used to package or contain a food item, disposable cups, containers, lids, blisters and
clamshells.
Advantages:
• Extremely adaptive to design requirement
• Rapid prototype development
• Low initial setup costs
• Low production costs
• Less thermal stresses than injection molding and compression molding

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• Good dimensional stability.

Disadvantages:
• Poor surface finish
• Parts may have non-uniform wall thickness.
• All parts need to be trimmed
• Ribs and bosses cannot be molded easily
• Limited number of materials can be used
• Very thick plastic sheets can’t be formed

2.11 Thermosets:

The property of material becoming permanently hard and rigid after cooling when heated
above the melting temperature is called thermosets. The solidification process of plastics is
known as curing. The transformation from the liquid state to the solid state is irreversible
process, further heating of thermosets result only in the chemical decomposition. It means that
the thermosets can’t be recycled. During curing, the small molecules are chemically linked
together to form complex inter-connected network structures. This cross-linking prevents the
slippage of individual chains. Therefore, the mechanical properties (tensile strength, compressive
strength, and hardness) are not temperature dependent, as compared to thermoplastics. Hence,
thermosets are generally stronger than the thermoplastics.
The joining of thermosets by thermal processes like ultrasonic welding, laser welding,
and gas welding is not possible, but mechanical fastening and adhesive bonding may be used for
low strength applications.

Fig. Thermosets structure

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The different types of thermosets are Alkyds, Allylics, Amine, Bakelite, Epoxy, Phenolic
(PF), Polyester, Silicone, Polyurethane (PUR), and Vinyl Ester.
Applications
Thermosets are commonly used for high temperature applications. Some of the common
products are electrical equipments, motor brush holders, printed circuit boards, circuit breakers,
encapsulation, kitchen utensils, handles and knobs, and spectacle lenses.
2.12 Selection of manufacturing process for automotive components:

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