How to... reduce plastic packaging
wall thickness by 25% using
injection compression moulding
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s UK packaging WHY IS IT BENEFICIAL TO PACKAGING?
expert Kevin Heap talks through the Global forecasts for rigid plastics, which
commercial and ecological benefits of is the category thin walled containers sits
injection compression moulding and how in, is predicted to rise at an annual rate
the technique compares to traditional of 3.7% from 52.9 million tonnes in 2017
moulding of ultra-thin plastic packaging. to 63.4 million tonnes in 2022, according
to research by Smithers Pira*. The value
WHAT IS INJECTION COMPRESSION of materials used to produce rigid plastic
MOULDING? packaging is also forecast to grow across
The method of pressing material in a the same period at an annual rate of 3.9%
mould is quite a common industrial to reach $202 billion. PE is projected
process, typically using rubber and resin to be the largest-growing segment
and a combination of heat and pressure during this forecast period. Light-
to mould products. It has generally been weighting and consumer convenience
used to produce thicker sectioned parts are important factors in this expansion,
on slower cycle times, for example, optical with the combination of environmental
lens or thermoset applications. However, pressures and high polymer prices placing
the technique hasn’t been applied to increasing pressures on packaging
the mass-production of polypropylene manufacturers.-
packaging applications, until recently.
16 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk