The Advantages Of Structural Foam Molding Of Plastics

By Gwen Lowe


Since its introduction in the mid 19th century, plastic has been used as a substitute of wood, concrete, fiberglass and metals in many instances. For example, hundreds of kitchenware are made of plastic instead of the traditional metals like iron or aluminum. In fact, there are floors made of plastic as opposed to concrete. It is also not strange to see several plastic chair designs in the market today. So, the question is how do they make some of these chair designs? To answer that, you must understand structural foam molding.

In brief, this is the process where inactive gas is mixed with plastic to produce foam. This is then allowed to flow throughout the mold to produce the desired product. Interestingly, the procedure does not require high pressure or force, but works in an environment with low pressure to give high-density polyethylene.

It is true that the technique uses a number of raw materials; however, the Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polystyrene (PS) and Polycarbonate are the most popular. From such materials, products such as Containers Pallets, Point of Sale Components and Displays can be produced. Business Machine Chassis also come from the foam method.

Prior to examining the advantages of foam molding, it is important that you know the other popular molding methods. Primarily, there are Gas Assist, Injection, Rotational and Blow (that employs both the extrusion and injection techniques in a single procedure) techniques. On the other hand are the Film Insert as well as thermoforming methods. It is important to note that each technique has an advantage over the other depending on the product. However, the foam molding method is the best in low-pressure surroundings.

Obviously, the technique has its own merits and demerits. On the brighter side, the process is cheaper to run. Many also love the method because it uses cheap and light molds (such as the ones made of aluminum). Additionally, it has very low internal stresses compared to Compression molding. Lastly, the technique allows the production of large plastic products.

Granted, structural foam method can be cheaper than most molding techniques. When it is compared to procedures such as Compression, it may end up more expensive to start and run. So, it would not be the top choice if you do not have enough money. The other shortcoming is in regard to speed, the process is slower compared to other injection techniques, especially those employing pressure.

Having known the whole process, including its benefits and applications wonderful, what is even better is to learn how to identify the right provider of such services. Now that fake products are sold to unsuspecting customers, the need to know the qualities to look for is necessary. This need is evident in cases where a manufacturer of plastic ware chooses to lower their production quality while overcharging for same.

There are several characteristics that define a credible manufacturer; however, you should need to read what other customers are saying. Also, check if they are legally operating and that they are in conformity with environmental laws in your state. They should also be affordable.




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