How Are Water Bottles Made?

Plastic Production

The first step in making a water bottle is to make the plastic. It is formulated from petroleum, or corn and various chemicals. Once manufactured, it is shipped in sheets to the water bottle plant. There, it is cut into lengths of material suitable for making water bottles by a cutting device. The sheets are stacked and fused into round, hollow plastic sheets and ready to proceed to the molding device.

Molding

The hollow plastic sheets are fed into a molding device. This device will take the sheets and blow-mold them into the shape of the bottle. The device sets the sheet into the mold, heats the plastic and injects an air current into the plastic. This air current expands the plastic until it forms against the inside of the mold. The machine then reduces the heat, but continues to blow air into the mold. As the plastic cools, it takes the shape of the mold.

Bottle Neck

The bottle neck of the water bottle is much thicker than the bottle itself. However, it is part of the plastic and not a separate attachment. It is formed by heating the plastic sheet and condensing it into this smaller area, thereby forming the thicker bottle neck and head. The plastic sheets are cut to a size and shape that allows the final shape of the bottle to be obtained with minimum waste, so the right thickness in the plastic is always achieved.

Resources

• About plastics and water bottles