There has always been a need for packaging since the dawn of mankind. This need would arise when one was planning to move around with stuff, store it, or even preserve them in a safe environment. The materials used in the manufacture of the packaging materials have always varied depending on the times. In the early times people used to fashion their packaging materials from leaves, skin all of which were good for preserving food. One well known example of this is that throughout WW2, the soldiers would make packaging out of iron and steel to help and keep their food safe.
Nowadays of course there have been many advancements in terms of technology which has led to the invention of better suited materials for packaging. Plastic is one of the materials that was invented as a result of this.
How Is Plastic Made?
Plastic is actually manufactured from oil. According to the statistics, only 4% of the world’s oil is used in the manufacture of plastic. This is done by subjecting the oil to biogeochemical processes which turn it into polymers. There are five types of plastic which can be created from polymers. The plastic bags are manufactured from a polymer which is known as a polyethylene. It actually comes from resins which are derived from polyethylene.
There are different types of plastic bags which are created from 100% virgin resins which ensures that you get the best quality. Good examples include tri-fold plastic handle bags and wave top plastic handle bags. Plastic bags are also available in different colours depending on the customer needs. This is mainly due to colour resins or master batches which are used so as to make plastic bags which are not transparent.
There are some additives which are used to make stronger bags. This is what is referred to as impact modifier. This starts off by the blowing or extruding film process. The materials are all placed into the extruding machine which creates a roll of film. The technicians then control the way the plastic rolls out to ensure that it gets that smooth appearance.
The next stage involves the printing of the plastic bags. They can be used to do advertising or create awareness among customers about the products offered by that particular business. Among the things printed on the plastic bags include the company logos or even brand names of the companies. Depending on the orders that the printing companies get, they usually come up with printing plates that are then added to printing machines. The images are then isolated into different colours all of which are controlled by different technicians. The more the colours the more challenging the job.
Once all this is done, the bags are cut in different shapes and sealed. They are also made to have different types of handles depending on the customer needs.
There are some bags which need one to follow some steps manually because they cannot be done using an automatic machine. They include the rigid plastic handle bags, draw strings and soft loop plastic handle bags. This is mainly because the workers have to do some sewing and punching manually to fit customer requirements.
Amspac.co.uk manufacture ethical, bio degradeable plastic bags.