How It’s Made: Plastic Furniture
Injection moulding is the technique used to make modern plastic furniture. And before the process can take place designers have to create the concept of the furniture. To do this, the first step is to come up with a drawing.
This describes not only the shape, but also the style, the structure, and the size of the product. It also includes whatever other details the designer wants to incorporate. These days to carry out this design and development of 3D drawing the designer uses a computer.
The next step is the making of a hardware mould. This needs to go through a set of added processes.
These include a drawing review and modeling. The preparation of the material and the mould base processed. Other techniques employed include mould core, electrode and parts processing. Finally the work in progress undergoes an inspection. Assembly, trial mould, and production complete the process. The product in now ready.
To manufacture plastic furniture requires injection moulding. And injection moulding produces the parts by injecting molten material into a mould.
The process of injection moulding uses a special machine. This has three parts: an injection unit, a mould and a clamp. But the designers needs to predetermine everything before the manufacture begins. The stage includes settling on the material used. It also sets out the shape and any features to need to included. These aspects define the versatility of injection moulding.
The third step involves testing the mould. And this needs to prove whether the mould qualifies and if the product will come out as planned.
All plastics are polymers. The root comes from the Greek polus, meaning many. The mer is from the Greek meros, meaning parts. Polymer describes a material made up of many parts. Typical long-chain polymer is a monomer, after mono the Greek word for one.
Plastics that have a two-dimensional molecular structure are thermoplastics. Heat can soften these. They also are recyclable as a result. Two of the thermoplastics common in furniture are polypropylene and PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The latter is often used to make panel edging and foils.
Plastics with three-dimensional internal structures, are themosets. Heat does not soften these after their formation.
This category of polymers plays a supportive role in furniture making. Polyurethane in adhesives and upholstery foam. Phenolics in adhesives. Polyester is often used for finishes, and in fabrics. Polymers can also work with each other or with other things like glass fibre. The five varieties of general plastics used for making plastic furniture are:
- Acrylonitrile ABS.
Engineering plastics tend to be those plastics that can withstand defined external forces. They also have good mechanical properties. Also, they can resist high and low temperatures. Engineering plastics have stable dimensions.
Early Plastic Furniture
The seeds of plastic furniture were sown after World War Two. In 1946, the Canadian National Research Council (NRC) produced the first moulded-plastic furniture prototype from glass-fibre-reinforced cotton and synthetic resin adhesives. The designers were James Donahue and Douglas Simpson. Three years later the American designer Charles Eames revealed his iconic designs to the world.
Plastics have a bad reputation. This is especially in an age of environmental concerns. But is plastic furniture always bad? Plastic in general has done much harm. But plastic furniture can be more sustainable than you may think.
Plastic furniture is reusable. It is made to last. And much plastic furniture encourages reuse. Indeed, plastic furniture often has a better carbon footprint than wood furniture.
Plastic is considered more sustainable than common furniture materials in several ways. For example:
- Plastic production requires less energy.
- It and leads to less carbon emissions than producing materials like metal.
- Plastic is lighter than wood and metal. This leads to a lower carbon footprint when transported and delivered.
- Plastic furniture lasts a long time.
- Plastic furniture encourages recycling, reuse and repurposing.
The version we stock uses clever technology. This creates a functional, contemporary version of this design classic. It comes in rotational–moulded polythene. It is weatherproof. And suitable for use outdoors use, where it makes a fantastic and memorable statement.