subject: Case Constructions: What's The Difference [print this page] In order to arrive at the best possible solution when it comes to shipping cases, custom cases and other durable packaging designs, understanding the basics about the types of constructions that are used can help a lot. These days, many different processes are used to create high quality cases; depending on which characteristics are important to you, one kind of construction may work better than another. To help differentiate between the different constructions that are available for carrying cases and other containers today, please take a look at the following brief overview of the most common types of case constructions.
Roto-Molded
Rotational molding - often referred to as rotomolding - is a popularly used process in the package design & development industry. A heated mold melts down high-density plastic - often polyethylene - forming a puddle. The mold is then slowly rotated over a period of time; meanwhile, the melted plastic sticks to the walls of the mold. Ultimately, highly durable hollow plastic containers are manufactured.
Blow-Molded
Blow molding is another very popular method for creating custom cases and many types of business to business packaging solutions. With this process, plastic is melted down and formed into a preform or parison, which is a tube-like form with a hole on one end. Pressurized gas - usually air - then expands the melted plastic, pressing it to the mold cavity until it cools and hardens. The results are lightweight carrying cases and other similar products.
Fabricated
With fabrication processes, durable packaging solutions and other types of industrial supplies are often manufactured using ABS extrusions with injected mold components. Frequently, custom cases are designed by taking ABS sheet panels and cutting them into custom sizes. This allows for precise measurements and shapes to be accommodated for, providing unique and more usable products.
Aluminum
In some instances, the unique properties of aluminum can help create specialized shipping cases, transit cases, carrying cases and other necessary items. Aluminum can be cut and bent into a wide array of forms, but it's aluminum's special properties that make these cases truly custom. Excellent heat conductivity, better grounding characteristics and great tensile strength all converge to make aluminum cases a natural choice for many applications and situations. Best of all, aluminum is cheap and easy to work with, making for more affordable products.
Vacuum Formed
Many of today's top containers are manufactured with vacuum forming. In this case, a sheet of plastic is heated up to the appropriate forming temperature. Then, it it stretched out onto - or into - a mold, where it is held in place with a vacuum. The vacuum is created between the surface of the mold and the sheet of plastic, allowing for greater control and precision during the manufacturing process. Many of the most versatile and durable carrying cases on the market today have been manufactured using vacuum forming, and many other types of equipment supplies are produced using this unique and flexible process.
by: Beth Bulger
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