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Putting The Right Spin On Rotational-Molding

Designs
May 18, 2000

Stephen J. Mraz

New developments let rotational molding compete with injection or blow molding.

Printer-friendly version

John Fawcett
Fawcett Design Inc.
Kent, Ohio
www.fawcett.com

Computer-generated color renderings

help rotational molders finalize designs.
The use of 3D models boosts productivity
and helps create drawing views and
cross sections that simplify the job of
building patterns.

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Computer-generated color renderings help rotational molders finalize designs. The use of 3D models
boosts productivity and helps create drawing views and cross sections that simplify the job of
building patterns.

A premeasured amount of powdered or liquid plastic is

placed in mold half. The mold is closed, transferred
to the heating oven, and then on to the cooling
station. During the entire heating and cooling
process, the molds simultaneously rotate around two
right-angle axes.

A premeasured amount of powdered or liquid plastic is placed in mold half. The mold is closed,
transferred to the heating oven, and then on to the cooling station. During the entire heating and
cooling process, the molds simultaneously rotate around two right-angle axes.

Typical carousel rotationalmolding machine

with three arms that rotate between
loading/unloading stations, heating ovens,
and cooling chambers.

Typical carousel rotationalmolding machine with three arms that rotate between loading/unloading
stations, heating ovens, and cooling chambers.

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Kiss-offs increase part stiffness. They are

used individually or in a series or pattern
and will outperform ribs in many cases.
The almost kiss-off gives nearly the same
structural strength without adding a
blemish on the outside wall.

Kiss-offs increase part stiffness. They are used individually or in a series or pattern and will
outperform ribs in many cases. The almost kiss-off gives nearly the same structural strength without
adding a blemish on the outside wall.

Rotationally molded
newspaper boxes
manufactured by Steel
City, Youngstown, Ohio,
unlike their metal
counterparts retain their
good looks (no chipped
paint or scratches),
remain rust free, and are
nearly dingproof.

Rotationally molded newspaper boxes manufactured by Steel City, Youngstown, Ohio, unlike their
metal counterparts retain their good looks (no chipped paint or scratches), remain rust free, and are
nearly dingproof.

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Rotational molding gives a

portable fuel tank a heavy-duty
handle which provides good load
control and a secure grip. Made
by Tempo Products, Cleveland,
the tanks have a 29-gallon
capacity and are color coded for
different fuel.

Rotational molding gives a portable fuel tank a heavy-duty handle which provides good load control
and a secure grip. Made by Tempo Products, Cleveland, the tanks have a 29-gallon capacity and are
color coded for different fuel.

Football enthusiasts
now sit on rotationally
molded bench seats.
Designed by Dant
Clayton Corp.,
Louisville, Ky., the
plastic seats were
installed in 1999 in the
Citrus Bowl, Orlando,

Football enthusiasts now sit on rotationally molded bench seats. Designed by Dant Clayton Corp.,
Louisville, Ky., the plastic seats were installed in 1999 in the Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla. Normally
with a volume requirement of 65,000 one would consider the blow-molding process. But the project
required seven different sized seats each in three different colors. The blow-mold tooling would have

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been more expensive and the production runs for each size/color combination would have been small
for the blow-molding process.

Rotationally molded products are a good fit for a wide

range of industries. Production runs up to 10,000 units
maybe suitable for rotational molding.

Rotationally molded products are a good fit for a wide range of industries. Production runs up to
10,000 units maybe suitable for rotational molding.

Rotational molding, often known as rotomolding, is usually described as a plastic process suited for
forming large hollow parts. This description was accurate 20 or 30 years ago but does not fully
describe the process today. Rotationally molded products are a good fit for a wide range of industries.
The most common are toy and juvenile products; industrial, agricultural, and chemical tanks;
recreational and sporting goods; and material-handling parts such as totes, pallets, and bins.

In their simplest form, rotomolding machines have three arms that rotate between loading/unloading
stations, heating ovens, and cooling chambers. Molds made from either sheet metal or cast aluminum
mount on each arm. A premeasured amount of powdered or liquid plastic goes in half the mold. The
mold then closes and the arm moves it into the heating oven.

Inside the oven, the molds simultaneously rotate around two right-angle axes. Heat fuses the resin into
uniform layers on mold surfaces. The amount of resin added controls wall thickness. The rotating
molds then move to the cooling chamber. As a combination of air and water cools the molds the
plastic solidifies.

Parts made from different grades of polyethylene (PE) dominate the rotomolding market. The most
common grade of PE is linear low density (LLDPE). Others include high-density (HDPE), cross-
linked (XPE), and ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) copolymers. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) was the
original material used for rotational molding and is probably the second most common material. It can
be either liquid or powder and comes in a wide variety of durometers. Thermoplastics such as nylon,
polycarbonate (PC), or polypropylene (PP) generally give better heat resistance, tensile strength, and
stiffness than PE.

Rotomolding is known for providing design flexibility, low-cost tooling, and stress-free parts. Its
disadvantages, however, include higher part cost, fewer material choices compared to other processes,
and slower production.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
Because most rotomolded products use PE, the following guidelines are geared toward this family of
resins. Nylons, PVCs, and PCs will need minor modifications.

Wall thicknesses of 0.125 to 0.25 in. cover most PE applications and should be specified with
nominal dimensions. Tolerances generally should be on the order of ±20% depending on part size and

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shape. Tighter tolerances are possible but will boost part cost. Often designers can get a feel for
reasonable wall thicknesses by examining similar rotationally molded parts.

Part design and mold details affect wall thickness tolerances. Any detail that affects heat transfer into
the mold will influence wall thickness in that area. Thinner walls result from thicker mold walls, deep
recesses, and shielding from mounting frames. Deep and sharp V-shaped recesses, for example, serve
to form trim-lines in parts letting sections of the part be easily removed.

Conversely, mold areas with thin walls form thicker-walled parts. Ditto for those with protruding part
details. Of course it's possible to adjust the wall thickness of a rotomolded part even after you've
fabricated the mold. This lets designers refine strength and cost after producing samples. As with
most plastic processes, it takes longer and costs more to make parts with thicker walls.

In most cases, the walls of the mold must be made with a slight angle, called draft. Tapering the sides
of the mold so the top is slightly larger than the bottom makes for easy part removal. The amount of
draft, however, depends on whether the surface is an inside or an outside wall. Draft may be
unnecessary on the outside wall of a large hollow part. But molders often recommend a 1° draft if it
will not degrade the part function. Deep texture on an outside wall does, however, require more draft
as do parts having holes and recesses near an outside wall. These features can otherwise keep the part
from shrinking away from the mold.

Holes or recesses that create inside walls demand greater draft angles of perhaps 5°. This compensates
for the part shrinking onto the mold core instead of away from it. As would be expected, greater
depths or more recesses and holes demand larger draft angles. Material shrinkage also affects draft.
PE, for example, is somewhat slippery and needs less draft than other materials. And draft angle
should increase as material stiffness rises.

Corner radii are important in these parts. Their primary function is to let material flow around corners.
Inside corners will have different radii than outside corners. They should be at minimum 1⁄8 and 3⁄16
in., respectively. Sharp corners are generally unacceptable. Sharp outside corners create bridging
across the feature and holes in the material. This is a cosmetic blemish that also weakens the part.
Sharp inside corners generate thin, weak walls. But sharp corners can be useful for creating lettering
and logos having details less than 0.030 in. deep. Two situations require larger radii. Walls thicker
than 3⁄16 in. need a minimum outside radius equal to the wall thickness. The minimum inside radius
should increase by the same amount. Corner angles below 45°, may need as much as a 0.5-in. radius.
However, smaller-than-normal radii find use in special situations. For shallow recesses or steps,
designers often blend outside and inside radii together forming an “S” curve. This has the added
advantage of built-in draft. Compared to other plastic processes, rotational molding requires larger
tolerances. Low pressures used in rotomolding tend to produce parts that shrink and move freely
during cooling. Process controls also are apt to be less sophisticated than other forming processes.

Variables such as the quality and accuracy of the pattern contribute to wider tolerances. The shrinkage
value assigned when making the pattern may impact tolerances as well. Actual part shrinkage varies
with part design, wall thickness, and processing parameters used to make the part.

Tolerances for rotationally molded parts are generally given as a percentage of the dimensions. A
wide tolerance is around ±2%, while tight tolerances are on the order of ±0.5%.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Large flat surfaces are a major problem with rotomolded parts. If possible, flat surfaces should be
broken up by adding design details such as steps or recesses. This helps reduce part distortion. When

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large flat surfaces are unavoidable, a slight crown added to the surface often keeps the surface from
oil-canning or bowing-in. Adding heavy textures to flat surfaces makes a part look better if it distorts.

Rotationally molded parts with parallel walls require careful design con-siderations. Molds with
closely spaced walls restrict material flow and create thin part walls. Small parts having walls 1⁄8 in.
thick or less need a minimum 5⁄8 in. from outside wall-to-out-side wall. Extremely large parallel walls
often need at least 1 in. between them. As walls get thicker the minimum distance between them must
rise as well. In general, 1 in. will suffice, except for extremely thick walls over a large distance.

Design features called kiss-offs are also important. They form when two walls of a part come together
in small circular or oval-shaped areas. Kiss-offs make parts stiffer. They are used individually or in a
series or pattern and outperform ribs in many cases. The distance between the outside walls of the kiss
-off should be 1.5 to 1.75 times the part wall thickness. This creates a small gap in the mold. It is
better to start with a small gap and increase it as necessary. Kiss-offs must be spaced at least 2 in.
apart. This lets material flow through and around them, so walls on the rest of the part keep uniform
thickness.

Kiss-offs, however, cause a blemish on the opposite wall. To make surfaces look better without losing
the strength advantage from kiss-offs, molders use the "almost" kiss-off. An almost kiss-off leaves a
slight gap between the two walls. A good starting point is to use spacing equal to twice the wall
thickness plus 1 /8 in. No blemish is formed because the two walls don't join. This design is almost as
strong as a regular kiss-off because the opposite wall only need flex 1 /8 in. before the kiss-off
supports it. The technique often finds use in playground slides where regular kiss-offs tend to leave a
slight hump in the part.

Rotational molding tolerates designs with undercuts (inwardly or outwardly projecting walls that are
parallel to mold parting lines) better than most plastic-processing techniques. Molded undercuts often
require that parts be forcibly bent or twisted to be demolded. But, because the molded material is free
to shrink away from mold walls, it is possible to design parts that shrink completely away from the
undercut. This makes removal easy.

In general, undercuts equaling half the shrinkage are acceptable for an unrestricted part. It's best to
avoid under-cuts on mold cores because the material shrinks onto the core and the plastic must stretch
to demold the part.

3D MODELING
Productivity has been boosted in many areas by 3D modeling, and is particularly useful for
rotationally molded products. But, despite this, most tooling patterns are still being made by hand.
Designers often use 3D CAD packages to create drawing views and cross sections that simplify the
job of building a pattern.

Rapid prototyping is made possible by 3D data files. Rotational-mold prototypes often are made in
several pieces and fastened together to avoid size limitations of prototype equipment. Scale models
can help check fit and function and aesthetics when parts are too large even to be prototyped as
pieces.

Likewise, 3D modeling lets designers quickly calculate exact part weights. Solid models are useful for
determining the amount of material needed to mold the part. Such calculations tell whether the
volume of powered plastic needed will actually fit inside the mold. The part center-of-gravity also
comes out of the 3D model. This information is useful where parts move or rotate during use.

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CNC machines have been around for many years, but the rotationalmolding industry didn't use them
much until 3D models came along. Now patterns are machined directly from the 3D data. They are as
durable as typical handmade wood patterns and more accurate. CNC may be the only option for
making patterns of complex and highly contoured parts. But traditional wood patterns are still best for
large but simple patterns.

It's also possible to CNC an aluminum mold directly from the 3D data, entirely eliminating a pattern.
CNC molds are well established for injection and blow-molding industries, but are relatively new to
rotational molding.

Automotive and aerospace industries use CNC molds because of the complexity and tight tolerances
of their designs. Machined molds often retain tolerances of ±0.010 in. over a 48-in. span compared to
tolerances of ±0.030 ipf of mold length for castings.

Unlike injection or blow molds, rotational molds must be machined on both the inside and outside to
maintain even wall thickness, which is typically 1/4 to 3 /8 in. Most machined molds have shallow cross
sections. However, molds with deep cross sections often use multiple piece assemblies to help reduce
the amount of metal that must be removed.

Machined aluminum molds are tougher and denser than their cast aluminum counterparts. This gives
them better parting lines and wear resistance. In addition, machined molds have no porosity so they
accept any texture regardless of its depth and often take 25 to 50% less time to make.

A LITTLE HISTORY
In the past, many rotationally molded parts were developed with little or no documentation. A wood
pattern was made to build a cast mold. Much of the design review process took place using the wood
pattern.

The finalized pattern was the basis for the first mold. A design review took place after sampling runs
and also looked at processing issues. It was common practice to view this first mold as a prototype.
Revisions took place on the original wood pattern, from which a second mold was made. This step-by
-step process was adequate because tooling was inexpensive and few products required rapid
execution.

Process comparisons

DESIGN FLEXIBILITY
LARGE PARTS

1. Injection and rotational molding

2. Blow molding
3. Vacuum molding

TOOLING COST

1. Vacuum molding
2. Rotational molding
3. Blow molding
4. Injection molding

PART COST/HIGH VOLUME

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1. Injection molding
2. Blow molding
3. Rotational molding
4. Vacuum molding

LARGE PARTS

1. Rotational molding
2. Blow and vacuum molding
3. Injection molding

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© 2011 Penton Media Inc.

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Comments
I want to produce artificial
On April 17th, 2009 mahmood (not verified) says:

I want to produce artificial tree , planet and branches can i make them with rotational moulds?

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