In Broadcast - March 2021 - 22

22

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 11 - Issue 3 | March 2021

InStudio

New Rotational Moulding
Plant Opens

I

n the midst of the pandemic, we are
delighted to announce the opening
of our new rotational moulding plant.
This past year has definitely been
a world-wind for a lot of people and
businesses. There has been a lot of
uncertainty masking the landscape in
many industries making it harder to
plan ahead. Bus as a business we have
continued to grow and innovate, with
the introduction of our new rotational
moulding machine for our range of
Amazon Cases and Amazon Racks,
housed in our new factory unit.
The planning for this plant has been
a long process with the layout, design
and set up helped with the assistance
of VR (virtual reality) technologies.
There have been many benefits of
using VR for a project such as this,
most importantly helping us get a
better understanding of positioning,
distancing and the layout of the
equipment. The ease of handling from
having a virtual model has allowed
a more visual representation with
added flexibility when making the big
decisions.
Real-time
communication,
data acquisition and widespread
connectivity is changing the landscape
of how manufacturing companies
operate. We are keeping with the curve
and introducing this new technology
into our practices; with the added
benefits of sustainability for the
company.
The importance of sustainability
Sustainability
has
been
a
predominant trend over the last couple
of years and we only feel it is going

to become even more prevalent.
This focused importance is crossing
over into different industry more
and more with the message that we
are the first generation to see the
effects of our creation on the plant
but the last generation that can really
do something about it. Whether
individually or through your business,
there is an increased awareness on
activities that will impact the planet.
Sustainability is becoming more of
a focal point for companies across all
industries with 62% of directors taking
into consideration a sustainability
strategy needed to be competitive in
todays markets. Another 22% predict
this type of planning will be the future.
With this in mind, we took the
entrepreneurial step to hold our own
rotational moulding machine in-house
for the manufacture of our range of
Amazon Cases and Amazon Racks.
What is rotational moulding?
Rotational Moulding (rotomoulding)
is a manufacturing process used
across industries to create hollow but
immensely durable plastic products;
such as protective cases amongst
others. Developed throughout the 20th
century after rising to prominence
due to the demands of wartime
production. Rotational moulding today
is a technique with virtually no design
limitations.
The moulds are made of aluminium
for good thermal conductivity and
low mass. This allows even and rapid
heating of the mould to melt the
thermoplastic granules placed inside.
Low mass allows the mould to be

rotated easily
in all directions
so that the melted
thermoplastic coats all inside surfaces
evenly.
To maintain the even coating,
the mould is cooled whilst still
rotating. Once sufficiently cool that
the thermoplastic has solidified
the moulding is removed and fresh
granules are placed inside for a new
cycle.
Wall thickness can be easily modified
by increasing or decreasing the
measured quantity of granules placed
in the mould. Consistency of wall
thickness is obtained by controlling the
orientation and rotational speed.
Where the molten thermoplastic
can flow, there can a shape be made.
The basic requirement to extract
the component from its mould is the
main limitation. But moulds can be
made inseparable pieces where shape
complexity is essential. Fine detail
and surface texture can be readily
reproduced. Larger scale details
provide stacking locations and feet.
An attractive feature of the process
is the ease of producing double wall
cases and lids, the range of product
options available via this method is
virtually limitless!
What are the benefits of
rotational moulding?
Aside from the sustainability of
creating 100% recyclable cases; also,
the relatively low cost of moulds
and material lends itself to making
large mouldings. Then the structural
limitations of polyethylene on its own
become apparent and reinforcing can
be added to suit the particular need.
This can be quite localised, such as
for latch and hinge mountings on a
case, or more extensive, such as a full
steel chassis that is enveloped in the
moulding.
If the requirement is for an enclosure
even larger than the processing
equipment allows then mouldings
can be joined. This can be done by

fabricating a steel chassis to the
size required. Together with
hot air welding mouldings to
make an airtight whole. This
technique can also help where
a custom solution is needed.
Larger cases currently available
are over 2.5m long with height and
depth over 0.5m, and further bespoke
design options can be incorporated as
needed.

The sustainability of our products
Although
there
are
many
thermoplastics available the most
commonly used for rotational
moulding is polyethylene. This is
because it has good processing
characteristics,
is
relatively
inexpensive and has satisfactory
engineering performance combined
with resistance to environmental
conditions. It can be coloured for
corporate
requirements
(even
mottled!) and to improve UV
resistance.
There is essentially no waste
material in this process because it is
readily recycled, as is the end product
meaning 100% recyclable cases and
racks.
Speak to our team about
our range of products
At CP Cases we pride ourselves on
meeting the exact needs of clients
across a huge range of industries, and
we've been developing and improving
our products for over 50 years.
Contact us today to talk about your
requirements and our friendly team
will be glad to hear from you.
https://cpcases.com/contact
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.cpcases.com https://www.cpcases.com/contact
In Broadcast - March 2021

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