From toothbrushes to toys, medical supplies to car parts, food packaging to the computer keyboard you used to click on this blog, plastic products touch our lives every day. And just as those products take many forms, there are many different ways to make these plastic goods.
Rotational molding and thermoforming are two common plastic manufacturing processes. Both methods create a variety of durable goods. But there are some vital differences. Choosing the wrong method for your project could compromise results, cut into revenues, and cause delays.
Here’s the difference between the two.
Take Rotational Molding for a Spin
Rotational molding, or rotomolding for short, uses heat, gravity and centrifugal force to form hollow plastic parts. Invented in the 1850s, the process rotates a mold along two perpendicular axes. Plastic resin coats the mold evenly through the rotation and eventually cools.
With its lower cost of tooling, rotomolding is great for manufacturing smaller quantities of goods. It can be used to create nearly any shape, size, or color product. Rotomolded goods turn out very strong and resilient.
Rotomolding is an ideal process for creating products like storage tanks, fuel tanks, grain bins or any sort of vessel. It can also be used to create other hollow goods like ping pong balls, doll parts, and even pink flamingoes for your yard.
Thermoforming: a Pressing Issue
Thermoforming, a completely different plastic manufacturing process, uses heat to stretch and form plastic sheets over a mold. After a cooling period the products are trimmed to create the finished part. Leftover scraps are recycled for the next project.
This process comes with a lot of advantages. Like rotomolding, thermoforming boasts low tooling costs. Unlike rotomolding, thermoforming has rapid production times and minimal labor needs, reducing costs even more.
Products created via thermoforming can be simple or detailed, smooth or textured. The goods are lightweight, durable, consistent, and appropriate for harsh outdoor conditions.
Examples of thermoformed plastic goods include enclosures for medical devices, packing and shipping trays, clamshell food packaging, to-go drink lids, and greenhouse growing trays.
Call Expert Roto Molding for Your Manufacturing Needs
Be it rotomolding or thermoforming, Expert Roto Molding, in Clermont County, OH can serve your plastic manufacturing needs. A Division of Kaivac, the professionals at Expert Roto Molding will find the right solution for projects big and small.
Place your next plastic manufacturing project in professional hands. Click here to contact Expert Roto Molding™, a Division of Kaivac®, today.