Discovering plastic extrusion blow molding

Extrusion blow molding to create plastic items is one of the specializations of Meccanoplastica, a Florence-based company that produces machines for the production of polymer objects. Thanks to this advanced process, bottles, flasks, containers and canisters can be mass-produced.

But how exactly does this process work? Plastic extrusion blow molding is a molding technique that combines two phases: extrusion and blowing. In the first phase, the molten plastic material comes out in the form of a tube (called a parison): the molten material is pushed and “extruded” through the Extrusion Head to a die to arrive inside a mold with the cavity in the shape of the final product.

In the second phase of plastic extrusion blow molding, the blowing phase, the tube is closed in a mold and inflated with compressed air until it completely adheres to the walls of the mold itself, assuming its final shape.

This system brings with it objective production advantages, namely:

• it allows the continuous and automated production of large volumes of hollow, light and resistant objects
• it adapts to a wide range of shapes and sizes
• it reduces waste: scraps are minimal and often recyclable directly in the line
• it contains costs in terms of both materials and energy.

Plastic blow molding extrusion thus represents a versatile and sustainable solution for the production of hollow plastic objects, contributing significantly to various industrial sectors, from food & beverage to chemistry and household, from food to cosmetics to pharmaceuticals.