TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT...

• Where do materials come from?

• In what stock sizes and forms are they found?

• What properties do different materials have?

 About Plastics
Plastics are versatile and flexible materials and they may be very
suitable for use in your project. This may be an area of materials
research that you need to investigate in detail. It is important
that you read the information below and consider the type of
plastic that will best suit your project.

Plastics are to be seen all around us and there are two main
groups:

Thermosetting Plastics Thermo Plastics

Once 'set' these plastics cannot These plastics can be re-heated
be reheated to soften, shape and and therefore shaped in various
mould ways.
 Stock Forms

Types Sheet Form Granule Form

Rods Range of Sheet sizes Plastic is often made
into granules ready to
heat and mould
Powder

Foam
 Injection Moulding

Molten plastic is injected under high pressure into a cooled, split mould to produce a
high precision moulding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bit-D1NnfjI
 Injection Moulding

Pro’s Con’s
• Complex shapes can be • Set up costs are high
produced
• creating the moulds are
• High numbers can be expensive
produced quickly
What you need to know…
• How the process works
• Be able to identify the Pro’s & Con’s
• Understand how you could apply is process in your designs
 Blow Moulding

A hot thermoplastic tube is inflated by compressed air into a cooled split-cavity mould
to produce a hollow moulding
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vSabFFQUr9E
 Blow Moulding

Pro’s Con’s
• Very fast process that can • certain shapes cant be
make large quantities made
• non circular products can • creating the moulds are
be made expensive
What you need to know…
• How the process works
• Be able to identify the Pro’s & Con’s
• Understand how you could apply is process in your designs
 Compression Moulding

Thermosetting plastic powder is compressed and heated in a matched die-set to

produce a precision moulding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lvK-Gw8cc
 Compression Moulding
Pro’s Con’s
• Set up costs are relatively
low • products produced are
relatively simple
• a range of products can be
produced • a Preform has to be
manufactured
• There is little waste
material
What you need to know…
• How the process works
• Be able to identify the Pro’s & Con’s
• Understand how you could apply is process in your designs
 Vacuum Forming Line Bending
Often used in school. This
processes allows a strip of plastic
to be heated and then bent into a
particular shape.
Once cooled the plastic will retain
the new shape.

Thermoplastic sheet is heated and

forced under vacuum into contact
with a cooled form-mould to
produce a simple shaped moulding