In modern manufacturing, paper molding equipment and pulp molding equipment play important roles in the production of environmentally friendly packaging and disposable tableware. Although both use paper as a raw material, their processes and characteristics are significantly different. This article will explore the process flows and respective advantages and disadvantages of paper molding equipment and pulp molding equipment.
Process Flow of Paper Molding Equipment
Paper molding equipment is mainly used to produce various shaped paper products, such as disposable paper knives, paper forks, paper spoons and paper trays. The process flow includes the following steps:
1. Compounding: Heat-pressing multiple layers of raw paper into sheets.
2. Die Cutting: Punching the sheets into the corresponding shapes.
3. Forming: Heat-pressing the shaped sheets into three-dimensional effects.
4. Sealing: Soaking the formed products into coating solutions to produce waterproof and oil-proof effects.
5. Drying: Drying the products to enhance the waterproof and oil-proof effects.
Process Flow of Pulp Molding Equipment
Pulp molding equipment is mainly used to produce pulp molded packaging materials, such as egg trays and industrial packaging. The process flow is as follows:
1. Pulping: Making pulp from waste paper and other raw materials.
2. Forming: Injecting the pulp into molds and forming the pulp in the molds through vacuum adsorption or pressure molding methods to achieve the initial shape.
3. Wet Pressing: Wet-pressed products need wet pressing to improve the product's density and strength.
4. Drying: Wet-pressed products need to be dried, typically using hot air drying or oven drying methods.
5. Post-Processing: The dried products may need cutting, edge pressing, and other subsequent treatments to ensure the dimensional accuracy and appearance quality of the products.
Advantages and Disadvantages Analysis
Advantages of Paper Molding Equipment:
· Aesthetic and High-End Appearance: Paper molding equipment can produce products without burrs or shavings, with smooth surfaces and moderate hardness and stiffness, suitable for disposable tableware and aviation fields.
· Diversity: Products of various shapes and specifications can be produced according to mold design, with high flexibility.
· Environmental Protection: Using paper as a raw material meets environmental requirements, and the products are biodegradable.
Disadvantages of Paper Molding Equipment:
· Early Market Development Stage: As it is a new design and manufacturing concept, the market has insufficient awareness of paper molded products, requiring initial promotion.
Advantages of Pulp Molding Equipment:
· Environmental Protection: Using pulp as a raw material, the products are biodegradable and meet environmental requirements.
Disadvantages of Pulp Molding Equipment:
· Lower Precision: The products produced by pulp molding equipment have relatively simple shapes and lower precision, making it difficult to meet some high-precision demands.
· Lack of Diversity: Due to the limitations of the process and equipment, there is less diversity in product shapes and specifications.
Conclusion
Paper molding equipment and pulp molding equipment each have their characteristics in terms of process flow and application areas. Paper molding equipment is more suitable for the demand for replacing plastic with paper in disposable tableware and aviation fields.
