What is blister packaging？ the principles and applications
Since the inception of manufactured goods, packaging materials have played a pivotal role. Evolving from early pulp and wood to diverse materials like foam, metal, and plastic, their development consistently centers on a core objective: ensuring effective protection throughout production, transportation, distribution, and even during the usage phase. As societal standards advance, the demand for aesthetically sophisticated packaging has grown increasingly prominent.
As one of the primary production processes in plastic packaging, vacuum thermoforming is extensively employed across various plastic packaging products due to its user-friendly operation and mature technology. Blister packaging is commonly referred to as thermoforming packaging, vacuum packaging or just as plastic packaging as a general term.
This article will comprehensively explore blister packaging from multifaceted perspectives, leveraging our company’s expertise.
Vacuum Thermoforming Process: Technical Procedure Overview
The vacuum thermoforming process comprises four sequential stages for producing blister packaging:
- Mold Fabrication & Preparation
- Molds are fabricated using gypsum, wood carvings, or metal according to product specifications.
- Post-fabrication, gypsum molds undergo natural or accelerated drying.
- 1-2mm micro-vents are drilled into concave areas to enable vacuum pressure distribution. Additional vents are added to packaging perimeters to ensure complete air evacuation from vacuum chambers.
- Hardening treatment is applied by saturating molds in concentrated alum solution to enhance durability.
- Thermoplastic Sheet Preparation
- Thermoplastic sheets are precisely sized to match mold dimensions.
- Sheets are secured within temperature-controlled heating frames (typically wooden structures) to maintain dimensional stability.
- The framed sheets undergo thermal softening in regulated furnaces to achieve optimal plasticity.
- Vacuum Forming Phase
- The heated sheet assembly is positioned over the mold within a vacuum chamber.
- Atmospheric evacuation activates vacuum pressure, forcing the pliable sheet to uniformly conform to the mold contour.
- Solidification occurs during cooling, replicating the mold’s geometry to form concave packaging structures.
- Post-Processing Operations
- The formed packaging is demolded and subjected to precision trimming to remove excess material.
- Final products undergo quality validation before distribution.
This manufacturing methodology leverages vacuum differentials to thermoform thermoplastic sheets into customized packaging solutions, establishing an industry-standard technique for plastic packaging fabrication.