What is Blow Molding?
Blow molding is a manufacturing method used in the plastics and polymers industries to create hollow but strong containers for their clients. Plastic beverage bottles and fuel tanks are commonly created through blow molding. A typical blow molding machine set-up uses an extruded plastic preform and compressed air to fill the chamber of a divided mold. The two halves of the mold separate and the finished container is released. Although many products are manufactured using the blow molding process, it might be simpler to examine what happens to one particular product — a standard two-liter soda bottle. Plastics are actually chains of polymers held together by a strong but fluid bond. The reason a thin soda bottle is strong enough to withstand the pressure of carbonated liquids is a phenomenon called ‘biaxial orientation.’ The polymer chains in a plastic bottle form in two directions, creating a very strong webbing effect. The plastic itself can be stretched out without sacrificing stren
