In the plastic extrusion market, scientists and industry leaders are always working to develop new technologies that can help to decrease the costs, increase the quality and provide environmentally friendly plastic products. One of the newest developments is the thermoformed plastic bottle. Here are just a few things to know about this new achievement:
- New bottles save material use. A thermoformed plastic bottle uses far less plastic than in previously used technologies. Companies making these thermoformed bottles can decrease the amount of plastic used by 30% to 50% in comparison to extrusion blow molding.
- How are bottles formed? During the thermoforming process, a thin sheet of plastic is used. This sheet of plastic is cut into slits that are rapidly formed around blow air pipes. The shape is welded along the seam to make cylinders. These cylinders are then heated and blown into the precise shape needed for the product using a low pressure of under six bars. This entire process is completed under 150 degrees Celsius.
- Thermoformed plastic bottles come in a wide range of sizes. These newly developed plastic bottles come in sizes that can be used by a variety of industries. Currently ranging from 50ml to 300ml, new technology may allow these bottles to be increased in size up to 500ml.
- Versatility in sealing and marking. Once the bottles have been created and filled, they can be sealed with either foil lids or screwed on caps. Identifying the product is achieved through shrink labeling.
- Quick processing is possible. For companies needing a large amount of bottles, these thermoformed plastic bottles can be created at a level of 7,000 to 20,000 bottles per hour during processing. This is dependent on the shape of the bottle and the size.
Want to hear more? Call Extrudex today to learn more about plastic extrusion.