Friday, December 6

Air Compressor Applications in Toy Manufacturing

Toys come in all shapes, sizes, and materials and were most likely created with the help of an air compressor. That’s right, the secret to Santa’s elves’ success is compressed air! Let’s look at how this works:

Compressed Air Applications in Toy Manufacturing

Conveying & Assembling

Like any manufacturing process, compressed air can be used to power the conveying and transporting of toy materials through the manufacturing process in the factory. A large use of compressed air is also in pick and place machines used to assemble toys, especially electronics. Automated pick & place machines utilize pneumatics that are powered by compressed air to assemble these toys. An example of toys that utilize this assembly process are electronics such as smartphones or circuit boards in computers.

Stuffing & Inflating

We know that a common use of air compressors is inflating tires, but compressors can also be used to stuff and inflate toys. The pressurized air can be used to push stuffing into plush toys or to inflate plastic inflatables like sports balls, pool inflatables, or bike tires.

Injection Molding, Blow Molding, & Thermoforming

Plastics manufacturing relies heavily on compressed air to carry out tasks like injection molding, blow molding, & thermoforming. Many toys are constructed of plastic, so many toy manufacturing facilities also rely on these processes:

Injection Molding
Injection molding is the process of utilizing compressed air to inject molten plastic materials into molds. As an example, this process may be used to create uniform army figurines or Lego pieces that are popular toys for kids.

Blow Molding
Blow molding uses compressed air to inflate molten plastic (or other materials) into desired shapes. Like injection molding, the plastic is first melted in order to be manipulated into various shapes. Compressed air is then used to inject air into the plastic to create the desired, hollow shape and then used again to cool the shape to maintain its form. Examples of toys that utilize the blow molding process to take shape are any hollow plastic toy such as plastic toy food. Blow molding may also be used for single piece toys that have an irregular shape, such as playground equipment or toy table and chairs.

Thermoforming
Thermoforming is the process of using air compressors to turn plastic sheets into three-dimensional shapes. This process is done by heating a plastic sheet until it is soft and pliable, where a vacuum is then used to pull the plastic down onto a mold to form the desired shape. Compressed air may then be used to cool the shape for it to hold. This process can be used to manufacture many plastic toys and their packaging, such as toy superhero masks or plastic toy packaging shells.

Cleaning & Packaging
Compressed air is finally used to blow off the finished product, package it, and clean the facility. After air is blown on the toy to ensure it is clean and free of debris, compressed air can then be used to assist in multiple different packaging processes.

Manufacturing the Package

First, much like the toy manufacturing processes, compressed air can be used to power the processes to manufacture the packaging the toys go into- many times manufacturing plastic containers in unique shapes and sizes.

Filling: Compressed air can also be used to dispense the toys into the correct containers to enhance efficiency in this end-stage process.
Sealing: Compressed air and vacuum equipment can then be used to power machines that tightly seal the packages.
Labeling: Finally, compressed air can be used to manufacture the unique labels and apply them quickly and accurately onto the outside of the package before being shipped off to toy stores for sale.

ZORN'S PROMISE

Zorn is the Midwest leader of custom, engineered compressed air and vacuum solutions. We provide the best customer experience by understanding your applications and needs and offering an unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction.

Our comprehensive product and service solutions keep you running 24/7.

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Our compressed air experts look forward to meeting you to discuss your equipment and support needs. Please contact us directly at (262) 695-7000 with any questions or to schedule service for your system moving forward.

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