Foaming, Molding and Finishing in Plastics and Rubber

Using Gases for Lighter Materials, Higher Process Stability and Greater Resource Efficiency

Gases play an important role in the manufacture of plastic and rubber components. Applications such as foam injection molding and gas injection molding are common in the processing of plastics. In foaming applications, pressurized carbon dioxide is used as a physical foam blowing agent to create lightweight cellular structures of high dimensional accuracy in plastics and elastomers. In gas injection molding processes - also known as gas-assisted injection molding processes, nitrogen and carbon dioxide offer many advantages as a pressure medium. Injected under pressure, these gases hollow out precise channels, reduce sink marks, improve surface finish and accelerate cycle times.

Rubber processing often relies on cryogenic gases such as liquid nitrogen for finishing steps such as cooling, cleaning, deflashing and deburring. Carbon dioxide snow or particles (dry ice) are also used as a blasting agent to deburr/deflash plastic parts. In tire curing, nitrogen offers many advantages over steam as the heating and pressurizing agent, including greater process stability and longer bladder lifetimes.

Success Factor for Gases in Plastics and Rubber

To unlock the benefits of gases in foaming, molding and finishing applications, manufacturers need a gas supply partner they can rely on for:

• Reliable gas supplies of consistent purity levels
• Precise dosing of molding and foaming gases
• Tight and consistent control over gas pressure and temperature
• Predictable flow characteristics for process consistency and repeatability
• Ease of integration - for example between new physical foaming technologies and existing injection molding installations

Building on our long-standing, close collaboration with customers in the plastics and rubber industries, we have developed a number of foam molding and gas injection molding innovations that meet these needs while also helping operators to meet their productivity, resource efficiency and sustainability goals.

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