Mechanical Manufacturing Process:

Assignment 2

Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Page 1

Processes:
Plastic processing:
Injection molding

Injection molding is the most common method of producing parts out of plastic materials.
Process involves injecting molten plastic at high pressure into a mould shaped in the form of the
part. Once the plastic cools and solidifies, the mould opens and the part is injected.

Extrusion molding

Extrusion is a continues process in which thermo plastic feed stock in an extruder is transported
in an extruder is transformed into a molten viscous fluid using heat and mechanical sheering.
Thermo plastics fluid is then forced through a die opening where its shaped and cooled in solid
forms. For example- bar, rod, tubes etc.

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Blow molding

Blow molding is the process of inflating a hot, hollow, thermoplastic preform or parison inside a
closed mold so its shape conforms to that of the mold cavity. A wide variety of hollow parts,
including plastic bottles, can be produced from many different plastics using this process.

Thermoforming

Thermoforming is one of the oldest methods of shaping plastics into useful products. Originally
referred to as vacuum forming. The process involves heating a sheet of plastic until it reaches the
point of melting and then introducing it to a form or mold. Vacuum pressure draws the hot plastic
material against the mold to take on its shape.

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Rotational molding

Term rotational molding comes from the action of the machine arms which are rotating. As they
carry the mold through the process. Raw plastic material starts out as powdered raisin which is
loaded into the wall heavily framed mold. The rotating molds are heated in oven chamber to very
high temperatures. The plastic powder is picked up by the hot inside surface of the cavity. The
plastic forms a hollow shape and finish that reflects the inside the surface of the mold. It then
enters the cooling chamber where the part gets cool and then is removed from the mold.

Compression molding or transfer molding

It is a molding process where a preheated polymer is placed into an open heated mold cavity. The
mold is then closed with a top plug and compressed so the material contacts all areas of the
mold. This process is able to produce parts with a wide variety of array of lengths, thickness and

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complexities. The object is produced by this method are very high in strength and it was one of
the first process to be used by plastic industry.

Foam processing

Foam process is a process in which a pattern is made by using polystyrene foam. After the
desired pattern is made from the foam the foam is coated which creates a obstruction between
foam and the sand surface. When the coating is dry it is placed in the cavity with sand. molten
metal is then poured in the cavity which takes over the foam and when is cooled the desired
metal part gets reveled.

Calendering process

Calendering is a process in which a single continues sheet is passed through rollers which are
heated for smoothing and compressing. Rolls are laid right one after the other and are calender.
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The rolls are constructed of steel and are very hard and apply really high amount of pressure onto
the material. This process is widely used throughout the manufacturing industry.

Machining processes
The main types of processes used to machine plastics contain:
Sawing
Milling
Routing
Drilling
Turning
Water jet Cutting
Laser Cutting

Sawing is typically used to shrink in size plastic sheet stock, and bar and rod stock for
subsequent machining. The most communal saws used include table and miter saws, as well as
computer numerical control, or CNC, saws (Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Video Series
Study Guide)

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Milling is a nifty machining process that uses the relative motion among a rotating, multi-edge
cutter and the work piece to cut smooth and rounded surfaces(Fundamental Manufacturing
Processes Video Series Study Guide)

Routing is a type of milling procedure commonly used to machine even plastic sheet stock.
Routing is normally performed using an end-mill cutter, and done physically, or mechanically
with CNC machine tools or routers(Fundamental Manufacturing Processes Video Series Study
Guide)

Drilling is accomplished with either fixed or rotating work pieces presented to the drill bit. The
drill bit may be helically grooved or straight grooved and carbide or diamond tipped. In either
case it is desirable that the drill grooves be highly polished. Twist drills should be a high helix or
fast spiral angle of from 35 to 40. Once drilled, hole concluding tasks such as tapping and
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reaming can be performed. Tapping uses a rotating tap having sharp cutting ends on its margin.
The threads are cut on the inside as the tap works its way into the hole. Reaming widens the hole
to its final and most accurate size, eliminating only a small quantity of material(Fundamental
Manufacturing Processes Video Series Study Guide)

In turning, a plastic work piece is rotated about its axis on a lathe. Single point cutting tools are
fed into the work piece shaving off undesirable material to create the wanted cylindrical, axially
symmetric shape. Cutting is also done on inner surfaces and the visible end(Fundamental
Manufacturing Processes Video Series Study Guide)

Waterjet cutting uses a great pressure stream of water, or rough particles in water, to cut
plastics. Typical water jet pressures is from 20,000 to 60,000 psi(Fundamental Manufacturing
Processes Video Series Study Guide)
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Laser cutting for plastics is used when a sufficient, polished cut is crucial(Fundamental
Manufacturing Processes Video Series Study Guide)

Advantages and disavantages

Advantages of Machining:
Closer dimensional accuracy compared to casting, forming, or shaping processes alone.

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 External and internal geometric features as well as sharp corners and flatness, which
cannot be produced by forming and shaping processes.
Additional finishing operations, such as grinding is required after the parts are subjected
to various heat treatments.
Parts may require special surface characteristics or surface texture that cannot be
produced by other means.
In many engineering applications, parts must be interchangeable to function properly and
reliably during their expected service lives.
Machining parts may be more economical than other processes when numbers of parts
are small.
Plastic processing:
Advantages:
fast production, low labour cost, high design flexibility, low carbon footprint
Disadvantages:
high initial tooling cost, part design restrictions, difficult to find the accurate cost

Mold drawing

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Work cited

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8IR3SV9R5I
http://www.kenplas.com/topic/blowmolding.aspx
http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/processes/PlasticsMachining.pdf
http://www.hbcc.edu.sa/Facpages/Zaidi/Data%20Files/1_Intro.pdf

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