Plasttyper, maskiner og forme i plastfaget
The materials production methods and equipment you work with as a plastics worker
The plastic worker's craft is built on knowing the material and the machine. Here is what you work with most.
§Thermoplastic and thermoset
Thermoplastic is softened by heat and can be formed again and again — it is the type that is typically injection moulded and can be reused by remelting. Thermoset hardens permanently by a chemical reaction and cannot be melted again. Which type you work with determines both method and machine — and is why the education has two specialties.
§Injection moulding
With injection moulding plastic is melted and pressed under pressure into a closed mould where it cools and becomes a finished part. The method is fast and precise and is used for everything from small components to larger items. Most of your training is about adjusting and controlling this process.
§Extrusion and thermoforming
- 01Extrusion: plastic is continuously pressed through a die to form long profiles such as pipes, plates and cable insulation.
- 02Thermoforming: a heated sheet is formed over or down into a mold — used for trays, packaging, and bowls
- 03Blow moulding: used for hollow items such as bottles and cans
§The form — the heart of production
With casting the mold (the tool) is absolutely crucial. It is a precisely manufactured metal form that gives the workpiece its shape. A good part can only come from a good mold and the mold must be assembled adjusted and maintained carefully. Errors in the workpiece often come from something in the mold or the setting not the plastic itself.
§Settings that control quality
The most important parameters are temperature (melt and mold) pressure and time. Together they determine whether the object is completely filled maintains size and is free of errors. Understanding how they relate is the core of setting a machine correctly.
§Measuring and control equipment
To ensure quality measuring tools are used to check the dimensions weight and appearance of workpieces. Measurement gives you answers instead of guesses — and makes it possible to detect that something is slowly changing before it becomes many defective pieces.
§When material, machine, and form work together
Skilled work is about getting material, machine, and mold to fit together. The better you know all three parts, the easier you find the cause when one part is not as it should be.
“The good part is not found in the plastic alone — it is found when material, machine and form are right together.”
— Professional view on materials and equipment.