Blister thermoformers are equipment used in the packaging industry to create thermoformed blisters, which are plastic containers shaped to hold products and protect them during transportation and storage. These blisters are often used in cartoning machines to create blister packaging, where the product is displayed in a transparent blister on the front of a card.
What is it for:
Product Packaging: Blister thermoformers are used to create custom, transparent packaging that wraps and protects a variety of products, such as medical devices, toys, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and many others.
Product Display: Blisters allow the product to be visible to the consumer without the need to open the packaging, which is particularly useful in retail environments where product visibility is important.
How it works:
Material Formation: The thermoformer heats a sheet of plastic material, usually in rolls, until it becomes malleable.
Molding: The heated plastic material is then pressed against a mold (which may be shaped like the desired end product) using vacuum or positive pressure to create the blister shape.
Cooling and Solidification: The molded plastic is rapidly cooled to solidify the blister shape.
Cutting and Removal: Excess plastic is cut and removed, leaving only the blister formed.
The resulting blisters are often combined with a paper or cardboard card to create a complete package. This process is generally called "cartoning" or "insert" and is carried out in a cartoner, where the blister is attached to the card.
Types of Blister Thermoforming Machines:
Intermittent Thermoformers: They work intermittently, stopping to form and cut one blister at a time. They are suitable for smaller scale productions.
Continuous Thermoformers: They operate continuously, forming a series of blisters while the material passes through the machine in a constant manner. They are more suitable for large-scale productions.
High Speed Thermoformers: Designed to achieve high production rates, being ideal for industrial environments that require fast and efficient production.
Vacuum and Positive Pressure Thermoformers: Depending on the method used to shape the plastic, thermoformers can be classified as vacuum thermoformers (using a vacuum to form the plastic against the mold) or positive pressure thermoformers (using compressed air or pressure for molding). .
The choice of the type of thermoforming machine depends on the specific production needs of the industry and the type of products that will be packaged. |
