Polymer processes features and products Flashcards
1
Q
Vacuum forming:
- Polymer stock form
- Products
A
- Thermoplastic sheet up to 6mm thickness
- lightweight trays, box inserts and liners, takeaway coffee cups and yoghurt pots
2
Q
Key features of vacuum forming (3)
A
- Moulds are relatively easy to make but need a draft angle, air holes and rounded corners
- Not cost effective for one-off manufacture
- Small-scale batch and mass production
3
Q
Thermoforming:
- polymer stock form
- products
A
- Thermoplastic sheet approx 6mm
- Bath, food packaging (fruit punnets, cake boxes, sandwich boxes)
4
Q
Key features of thermoforming
A
- Good for fine detail such as moulding in logos
- Slow process used in industrial production
5
Q
Calendering:
- Polymer stock form
- products
A
- Thermoplastic pellets
- Thin polymer sheet and film
6
Q
Key features of calendering
A
- Is an industrial production method, carried out by specialist manufacturers
- Used for continuous production
7
Q
Line bending:
- Polymer stock form
- Products
A
- Thermoplastic sheet
- Acrylic boxes, sheet or point-of-sale displays
8
Q
Key features of line bending (2)
A
- Quite slow and labour intensive - commonly used in school or college workshops
- Suitable for one-off or limited batch production
9
Q
Lamination:
- polymer stock form
- products
A
- Fibre-based composite sheets (GRP, CFRP)
- Boats hulls, kayaks, train carriages, theatre and film props, theme park rides
10
Q
Key features of lamination (lay-up) (4)
A
- Requires a former to mould around
- Polymer resin used as the polymer
- A top gelcoat is applied which may contain pigment
- CFRP requires an autoclave for the product to ‘cure’
11
Q
Injection moulding:
- polymer stock form
- products
A
- Thermoplastic granules
- Electrical product casings (computers, TVs, vacuum cleaners, calculators
12
Q
Key features of injection moulding (4)
A
- Complex 3D shapes can be easily made
- Fast industrial production method
- Used for large-scale mass or production
- High initial tooling cost
13
Q
Blow moulding:
- polymer stock for
- products
A
- Thermoplastic tube ‘parison’
- Drink bottles, shampoo bottles, detergent bottles etc
14
Q
Key features of blow moulding (3)
A
- Produces hollow thin-walled components
- High initial tooling cost
- Used for continuous production
15
Q
Rotational moulding:
- polymer stock form
- products
A
- Thermoplastic powder or granules
- Traffic cones, kayaks, water tanks, kerosene tanks, children’s play equipment
