Process

Processing techniques
Some of the different processing techniques are described below, the most important for the production of toys are injection molding (hollow objects / fillings) and extrusion. Injection molding The plastic material is melted with heat and cutting energy and injected under pressure into a mold to achieve the required shape. This technique produces building blocks, figures, hard / flexible teethers and other types of toys. Blow molding A continuous tube of plastic material is extruded using heat and pressure. The tube, called "parison", is blown with pressurized air to achieve a shape, inside a closed mold. Most dolls, soft balls and hollow toys are made with this technique. Molding by rotation The plastic material is heated until the particles melt, and while this fusion occurs, the closed mold rotates in the major and minor axes to achieve a uniform wall thickness. With this technique toys such as plastic boats, busted figures, doll heads and large and hollow toys are manufactured. Thermoforming The plastic sheet is heated just below its softening temperature, and then pressure is placed on it with a male and / or female mold to produce a shape. Pressure and vacuum can be used to achieve maximum wall thickness, uniformity and strength. Plastic materials are also processed in a gummy state using this technique. This technique is used to make trays of toys, cups, masks and tables. Sheet extrusion The molten plastic materials are continuously extruded through a die to form sheets. Generally this method is used to make rigid sheets used in thermoforming. Films and tubes can also be made by extrusion. Calendered The sheets are manufactured by a continuous and synchronized method that converts the raw materials, melts them and then passes them through the nips of a series of rolls. This process can be used with PVC and ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), as well as with polyethylene and polypropylene. These flexible sheets are used to make toys like inflatable beach balls. Calendering is often a second step after extrusion. Dipping A liquid gel of plastics is applied on the surface of the mold and several layers of reinforcing agents, such as glass fibers, are added to form an article. This technique is used to make toys of complex shapes and contours that would be difficult to make, using conventional techniques. Immersion This is a simple technique of dipping the mold into a plastic solution and fusing the coating to make the article. With this technique you can make soft and flexible toys, such as balloons, handles and flexible covers. It is often used in latex processing. Slush molding This is a useful technique for producing hollow objects that involve filling a hollow mold with a solution of plastic material, exposing the mold to heat, gelling an inner layer or wall of material in the mold, inverting the mold to pour the mold. Excess liquid material, and heating the mold to fuse the material. then the mold is cooled and the finished part removed.