In the manufacturing process of bubble wrap packaging, cold forming and hot forming are two commonly used production methods, which have significant differences in process, material selection, product performance, and applicable fields.

Different manufacturing processes

Firstly, the main difference between cold forming and hot forming lies in the manufacturing process. Thermoforming is a process of plastic deformation of thermoplastic materials using high temperatures. In the hot forming process, plastic sheets are softened by heating and then molded into the desired shape using molds and vacuum or pressure. In contrast, cold forming is the process of shaping aluminum composite films or other cold formed materials into blister cavities at room temperature using pressure, without the need for heating.

Different material choices

Secondly, the materials used in the two molding methods are different. Thermoforming typically uses thermoplastic sheets such as PET, PVC, etc. These materials become soft and easy to form after heating. Cold forming often uses aluminum foil or aluminum-plastic materials to form a hard blister cavity under pressure, providing better protection performance.

Different product performance

There are also significant differences between products made by cold forming and hot forming. Thermoformed blister packs are usually transparent or semi transparent, suitable for occasions where product appearance needs to be displayed, such as food packaging. Cold formed products are usually opaque, providing better protective performance and suitable for products that require protection such as pharmaceutical packaging.

Applicable fields vary

In addition, there are differences between cold forming and hot forming in terms of production speed and applicable fields. Thermoforming is usually fast and suitable for large-scale production, but it has certain material requirements and high costs. However, cold forming has a slower speed and is suitable for small batch and high-end product production, providing better protection performance and suitable for product fields with high requirements for product quality.

In summary, although both cold forming and hot forming are plastic materials in their basic principles, there are significant differences in processes, material selection, product performance, and applicable fields. When choosing a production process suitable for their own products, enterprises should consider multiple factors based on product characteristics, production needs, and costs to achieve better production efficiency and product quality.