Plastic packaging products ranging from bottles and cans to large containers are inevitable for every manufacturing firm. The rigid and durable packaging not only helps protect products from external impact, but also allows for safe transporting the item to customers. How are these plastic packaging materials produced? The blog provides answer for this.
Injection Molding Technique – Widely Employed to Produce Plastic Packaging Products
Injection molding is the most versatile and the most cost-effective way to produce packaging products of various types. One of the major advantages of this technique lies in its ability to produce high volume of products in less time. Design flexibility, low labor cost, minimal wastage, ability to create detailed features and complex geometries are some other notable benefits of the technique. Due to all these advantages, the method is widely preferred for producing packaging products to store:
- Dairy products
- Bakery items
- Frozen foods
- Candy and snacks
- Cosmetics products
- Chemicals and pesticides
- Pharmaceutical products
Which is the Most Ideal Polymer Used to Produce Packaging Products?
The question is highly relevant as there are several kinds of polymers available, compatible with injection molding technique. These include, thermosets, elastomers, and thermoplastics. However, when it comes to manufacturing packaging products, injection molding service providers generally utilize thermoplastics.
Why Thermoplastics?
Thermoplastics are a category of plastic that are softer, malleable, and flexible. Since they possess low melting point, the material can be easily melted and reprocessed for different applications. Also, they can be easily recycled, contributing to environmental sustainability. Due to these advantages, among several others, thermoplastics are largely opted to manufacture plastic packaging products of various sizes, shapes, and dimensions.
Examples of thermoplastics that are compatible with plastic injection molding technique are:
- Polyethylene
- Polypropylene
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- Polystyrene
- Polyamide
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Each of the aforementioned thermoplastics features specific characteristics. Hence, plastic injection molding service providers consider several factors when choosing thermoplastics to produce packaging products. These include, chemical resistance, melting point, strength and stiffness, shrinkage rates, processing rate, and several other physical, mechanical, and thermal properties.
A Note on Selecting Injection Molding Service Provider
To get plastic packaging products to your exact specifications, it is critical that you partner with a service provider who possesses extensive experience in the field of injection molding. Associate with the one who is experienced in handling various types of polymers and know about their peculiar properties. Also, it is advisable to collaborate with the one who is specialized in producing plastic injection molding packaging components to varied specifications. Only experienced service providers can act according to your requirements and provide durable and high quality packaging products to your expectations.