Understanding The Plastic Blow Molding Process for Your Manufacturing Needs
It’s important to understand the plastic blow molding process so you can successfully design and manufacture your desired part or product. Ideally, you will end up with a high-quality product, created efficiently, with as little waste as possible.
What is Blow Molding?
This process is used to make plastic hollow parts (like bottles and containers), in which air pressure inflates soft plastic into a mold cavity.
Blow molding is a two-step process:
- First, a starting tube of molten plastic (called a parison) is fabricated.
- Next, the tube is inflated to the desired final shape, cooled, and released from the mold
Blow Molding Materials and Products
Blow molding is limited to thermoplastics:
- Polyethylene – polymer most commonly used. In particular, high density and high molecular weight PE (HDPE and HMWPE) provide the stiffness required for the finished product, making it more economical to use these materials.
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
- Polyethylene terephthalate
Products made by blow molding include:
- Disposable containers for packaging liquid consumer goods
- Large shipping drums
- Pharmaceutical containers
- Storage tanks
- Telecommunications parts
- Hulls for sail boats and small boats
Design Process for Blow Molded Project
A well thought out design is critical to creating a finished product that meets your exact needs, takes advantage of the benefits of blow molding, and is also economical to manufacture. Here’s a brief overview of the design steps used to bring your product to life:
- Create a mock-up of the part. The shop team creates a 3-D drawing with a CAD program, which allows you to visualize your product accurately before a physical mold is made.
- Design and build the mold. Attention to detail during design phase ensures the ease and efficiency of production.
- Run quality checks. Following approval of the design and the mold build, production of your piece begins. Throughout the process, the blow molding team conducts regular, intensive checks to monitor quality, reliability, and consistency.
If you are considering blow molding for manufacturing your next product, contact us today. We are a one-stop, full-service facility offering start to finish plastic injection and blow molding services. Our manufacturing facilities are located in the USA, giving us significant advantages over overseas suppliers.