TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. THEORY

3. OBJECTIVES

4. MATERIALS AND METHODS

5. DISCUSSION

6. REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION

The process of creating different plastic goods is referred to as plastic fabrication. The most popular methods for
creating plastics include moulding, extrusion, casting, calendaring, and laminating. It's significant to note that
plastic moulding is regarded as the principal method for producing plastic components.

This lab session was designed to familiarize students with a few plastics moulding techniques, including
compression moulding, transfer moulding, and injection moulding using a universal plastic moulding machine.

THEORY

There are many methods that can be use to fabricate plastics. Moulding, casting, forming, machining and joining
are some examples for that. By the name of plastic, we know that plastics can be easily melted and formed into
desired shapes. With less effort and less energy consumption we can easily formed plastics into desired shapes.
Plastics are polymers. Polymers do not have any specific melting temperature like that for metals. Instead of that
there is a temperature range which can be used to form plastics into desired shapes. The temperature which this
transition occurs is known as the ‘Glass-transition temperature’.

The qualities of plastic parts and components are highly influenced by manufacturing processes and processing
conditions, which are also crucial for the requisite part quality. The features of a few of the plastics processing
techniques are shown in the tables below.

Process Characteristics
Extrusion • Long, uniform, solid or hollow, simple or complex cross-sections
• Wide range of dimensional tolerances
• High production rates
• Low tooling cost
Injection Moulding • Complex shapes of various sizes and fine detail
• Good dimensional accuracy
• High production rates
• High tooling cost
Blow Moulding • Hollow-thin-walled parts of various sizes
• High production rates
• High tooling cost
Compression Moulding • Parts similar to impression-die forging
• Medium production rates
• Relatively in-expensive tooling
Transfer Moulding • More complex parts than in compression moulding
• Higher production rates
• Some scrap loss
• Medium tooling cost
Thermoforming • Shallow and relative deep cavities
• Low tooling cost
• Medium production rate
Casting • Simple or intricate shapes
• Made with flexible moulds
• Low production rates

The producer can choose which approach is more appropriate for that particular application by taking into account
the product finish, production rate, tolling cost, and simplicity or complexity of the necessary plastic parts or
components.
OBJECTIVES

• To develop an awareness of plastics and their characteristics.

• To appreciate different methods available for processing of plastics.
• To familiarise different features and correct usage of the universal moulding machine.
• To understand process parameters and their effects on the quality of the part.
• To develop a basic understanding of mould design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The most common method of manufacturing plastic components or plastics is the injection moulding method. In
this practical also we are mainly focusing on that. We used universal moulding machine to perform our practical.
Even if our experiment was is limited to the injection moulding process using a universal moulding machine there
are more methods that we can discuss.

1. Extrusion
Material: - Thermoplastic pellets or powder
Procedure: -
• Hopper introduces plastic pellets or powder to the extruder.
• Screw mechanism is used to blend the pellets or the powder.
• While pellets or powder are being blended they are heated and liquified.
• Liquified plastics will be forced through a die.
• Cool-down by water or natural air.

Figure 2.1

Applications: - Solid rods, tubing, channels, window frames.

2. Injection Moulding
Material: - Thermoplastic pellets or powder
Procedure: -
• Hopper introduces the pellets or powder to the injection moulding machine.
• Heat up the pellets or powder to the required temperature.
• Molten plastic will be injected to the mould through a
injector hole.
• Cool-down by water or natural air.
• Ejector pins are used to remove the part.

There are many types of injection moulding machines. Figure 2.2 is only
a universal type plastic moulding machine.

Applications: - Cups, containers (lunch boxes), housing, tool handles.

Figure 2.2
3. Blow moulding
Material: - Thermoplastic pellets or powder
Procedure: -
• A short tubular piece(parison) is injection moulded.
• Then parison is transferred to the blow moulding die.
• Hot air is injected into the parison.
• Cut the unwanted parts and transfer for finishing operations.

Applications: - Bottles, oil containers.

4. Rotational moulding
Material: - Powdered plastic material
Procedure: -
• A thin-walled two-piece metal mould
which can be rotated around 2
perpendicular axes is used.
• Powdered plastic material is kept inside
the mould.
• Powdered plastic material will be heated
inside the mould while rotates around
two axes.
• Cool down the mould.

Applications: - Tanks, Buckets, Toys, Trash cans

Figure 2.3

5. Thermoforming
Material: - Thermoplastic sheets or films
Procedure: -
• Sheet or the fil is heated up to the sag point.
• Clamping the heated sheet or film over the mould.
• Vacuum is created inside the mould.
• Due to the pressure difference between two sides of the sheet or the film, it will
be forced against the mould.
• Cool down the product. Cuts-off unwanted parts and finishing.

Figure 2.4
Applications: - Biscuit trays, Advertising signs

6. Compression Moulding
Material: - Mainly used with thermosets
Elastomers and thermoplastics are also possible
Procedure: -
• Raw material is placed inside a heated mould cavity.
• Pressure is applied by a plug or the upper half of the die.
• Material will take the shape of the cavity.

Applications: - Dishes, fittings, handles, rubber end caps Figure 2.5

 7. Transfer Moulding
Material: - Thermosetting resins
Procedure: -
• Heated transfer pot or a chamber is used to place the
thermosetting resin.
• After heating the resin, it will be injected to a closed mould
through a injector hole.
• Material flows through small narrow channels and get the
final shape. This method can be used to manufacture
complex plastic shapes. Figure 2.6

Applications: - Rubber and silicon parts, electronic connectors

DISCUSSION

1. The selected product was manufactured using injection moulding process. As I observed I couldn’t find
any injector point on the product. When I was looking inside of the product, I could see the ejector points.
Parting line could also be clearly seen. When the mould was designed, they have intentionally design it
in a way to use the parting line as a decorative part of the product. Surface finish and the quality of the
product was so good. As the injector points could not be clearly seen it can be concluded that some
finishing operations were going on even after the moulding process.
2.
 3. Preparing the mould with
the given bed size of the
moulding machine.

Fix the mould in the Finishing and inspection of

injection moulding the product.
machine.

Put plastic pellets or plastic Remove the part from

powder to the hopper. mould using ejector pins

Turn on the heater. Let the mould cool down.

Check for the optimum When the temperature reaches its’

temperature which the molten optimum temperature introduce
plastic can be introduced to the molten plastic to the mould through
mould. the injector hole.

REFERENCES

[1] T. Rogers, “Everything you need to know about injection Molding,” Creativemechanisms.com.
[Online]. Available: https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-
about-injection-molding. [Accessed: 21-Sep-2022].
[2] “5 types of plastic moulding — active plastics,” Active Plastics | Plastic Injection Moulding |
Plastic Manufacturing. [Online]. Available: https://www.activeplastics.co.nz/types-of-plastic-
moulding. [Accessed: 21-Sep-2022].
[3] “What is transfer molding and how does it work?,” OneMonroe, 11-Aug-2021. [Online].
Available: https://monroeengineering.com/blog/what-is-transfer-molding-and-how-does-it-
work/. [Accessed: 21-Sep-2022].
[4] Wikipedia contributors, “Blow molding,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26-Aug-2022.
[Online]. Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blow_molding&oldid=1106767337.
[5] “What is plastic extrusion?,” Twi-global.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.twi-
global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/plastic-extrusion. [Accessed: 21-Sep-2022].