ROTOMOLDING

New Era for Rotomolding?

Innovative technology and equipment offer superior process control and
produce better parts with higher repeatability and reproducibility

By Peggy Malnati

Ripple Engineering’s patent-pending technology is said to consistently make better rotomolded parts, regardless of weather,
shift, or operator experience. By combining active vent technology––which can be retrofitted to existing tools––with special
rotomolding equipment (shown above), processors gain far better control of both internal mold pressures and temperatures,
features that can be manipulated to reduce cooling cycles significantly and repeatedly mold more consistent parts. Courtesy
of Ripple Engineering

10 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2019 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org

N Pressure-Cooled Rotomolding
ew developments by Kansas City, Mo., startup
Ripple Engineering address two of the most
frustrating challenges with rotational molding A key aspect of Ripple’s patent-pending technology
(rotomolding): long cycle times and poor part involves use of an active vent, which not only lets gases
escape from inside the rotating mold but also permits
repeatability and reproducibility (R&R). Ripple’s
monitoring and control of both internal tool temperatures
technology—involving a new rotomolding machine and
and pressures. The vent opens automatically at the
unique vent technology—holds promise for helping
start of the cooling cycle, allowing large volumes of
transform this versatile molding method from art into
low-pressure, chilled air to be blown inside the part.
a true science. This greatly reduces cooling times—up to 78 percent
for 0.250-inch/6.35-millimeter-thick PE parts with non-
From Customer to Machinery OEM chilled air and 82 percent lower with chilled air, and 70
percent reductions on PA parts with chilled air. “The
Ripple Engineering’s technology was developed in
higher the temperature delta or the thicker the part,
response to frustrations that founder and president Ben
the shorter the cooling cycle is when internal cooling
Ismert experienced in his previous job as the president
is used versus no internal cooling at all,” explains
of a company that designed and sold large underground Ismert. Warpage also is reduced since both inside and
water-storage tanks. “We spent years as designers and outside of parts are cooled simultaneously and at the
marketers of rotomolded parts,” Ismert recalls. “Our same rate, helping ensure even shrinkage. Furthermore,
frustrations grew as we battled parts that warped, were by cooling parts faster, it slows down and reduces
out of tolerance, couldn’t hold water, took too long crystallization—at least in the semi-crystalline materials
to mold, or were delivered late owing to complicated Ripple has tested, as verified by differential-scanning
machine scheduling. The more questions we asked calorimeter (DSC) and scanning electron micrographs
our vendors, the more we realized that our livelihoods (SEMs)—and that, in turn, increases impact strength. For
were at the mercy of outdated machinery, inconsistent example, with a common PE grade, 27 percent impact
quality, and the ‘black magic’ of rotomolding. We improvements were measured while for a medium-
had good designs that were hindered by bad process density PE (MDPE) grade, a 48 percent increase was
quality.” That got Ismert and some outside consultants seen. Not surprisingly, lower crystallization comes with
tinkering with ways to improve quality and shorten a tradeoff: slightly lower chemical and environmental
molding cycles, primarily by monitoring and controlling stress-crack resistance. However, with better process
temperature inside the tool. Armed with some ideas, he control, molders can manipulate the cooling cycle to
left his previous employer and started Ripple in 2015. take advantage of whichever property is more important
After Ismert assembled a development team, they spent for a given application.
the next two years investigating ideas, molding parts,
Another aspect of Ripple’s technology is new processing
and getting them third-party tested. “As we looked for
equipment offering state-of-the-art process control
ways around both process and equipment limitations to more akin to that found on injection molding rather
improve quality, we took everything we learned during than rotomolding machines. A touchscreen interface
that period, made some pivots, refined the technology, shows processors exactly what’s happening throughout
and eventually sold our first machine last year,” adds the molding cycle, which is controlled by temperature
Ismert. “Our first machine took longer to build than we rather than time, so regardless of the season, consistent
liked, but that’s typical when you’re creating something parts can be produced. Machines are connected to
that’s the first of its kind. We learned better ways to the Cloud, allowing for remote troubleshooting. Once
build our second machine—which we’ll deliver this ideal molding and cooling conditions are recorded,
summer—and put into action some feedback potential a given “recipe” for a specific mold is saved for easy
customers provided.” repeatability. Still other features include the ability to

Because pressure-cooled rotomolding chills both the outside and inside of parts simultaneously, shrinkage rates are consistent,
which reduces warpage. On the left is a part produced with Ripple Engineering’s technology, while the part on the right, made
of the same material and produced on the same tool, was cooled using the traditional method (on the outside only). The latter
part exhibits significantly more warpage. Courtesy of Ripple Engineering

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 ROTOMOLDING

Old Process Made New? lower weight. One interesting process feature is that
it produces slightly thicker corners, which are higher
in strength, reducing the chance of premature failure
Rotomolding is an old process for creating hollow parts
via biaxial rotation of a tool that is simultaneously in what in other processes would be high-stress areas
heated then cooled. Interestingly, for almost 100 of the part. From a design standpoint, rotomolding
years, it was used with many different materials but is flexible enough to create parts with molded-in
not plastics. The first documented use, circa 1855 threads, handles, inserts, ribs, and flat surfaces with
in Great Britain, produced metal artillery shells and, 0° draft angles. These parts can be large or small—
later, other hollow vessels. In 1905, an American used the latter molded in single- or multi-cavity tools or
the method to create hollow wax objects. Five years on rotating platens with multiple molds and stations.
along, it was used to produce hollow chocolate eggs, a Parts can be reinforced with fiberglass or foam-filled.
process still employed by the confectionary industry. Unlike other molding processes, with rotomolding
In the 1920s, plaster of Paris was rotomolded to form it’s not only feasible but cost effective to create huge
hollow decorative objects. However, it wasn’t until the parts—as large as 22,000 gallons/83,279 liters.
early 1950s that polymers began being rotomolded,
first to produce doll heads and later other plastic However, like any process, rotational molding has its
toys. Today, rotomolding is used to form a broad challenges. These include long cycle times—from 30
and ever-growing range of parts, including kayaks, minutes to three-plus hours—low levels of automation
bins, coolers, drums, barrels, trash cans, shipping (and, therefore, higher labor costs), low repeatability
containers, tanks, playground equipment and balls, and reproducibility (R&R) with part quality affected
outdoor furniture, garden planters, water-filtration by operator skill, ambient temperature/humidity,
systems, pallets, utility carts, stretchers, oxygen powder quality, and many other issues, and the need
masks, medical supply cases, floats and buoys, to refurbish or replace those soft tools after roughly
pool liners, dental chairs, plastic cones and road 3,000 molding cycles. While forming pressures are
signs, manhole covers, mobility devices, agricultural low, molding temperatures can be high and long,
equipment, and fuel tanks and ducting. which limits material choices. Resins require both
excellent flow to properly fill molds with minimal
It’s one of the few thermoplastic processes (other voids as well as high thermal stability and oxidation
than blow molding) that produces hollow, 3D parts resistance to withstand those long molding cycles.
in one piece but, unlike blow molding, it can do this
Still another issue is the need to grind—in some
without parting lines, pinch-off seams, or weldlines.
cases to cryogenically grind—most materials into
That eliminates secondary joining operations, which
fine powders, increasing cost. At present, most
can create weak spots and/or aesthetic blemishes
rotomolded parts are olefins—especially those in
in finished parts. Because forming pressures are
extremely low, residual stresses in parts also are the polyethylene (PE) family with lesser amounts
quite low. Low forming pressures means investments of polypropylene (PP). Other polymers sometimes
in tooling and equipment can be quite modest versus employed include polycarbonate (PC), polyamide 6,
other thermoplastic forming processes. For example, 11, and 12 (PA6, PA11, PA12), styrenics including
most tools are made from soft metals, and the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polymethyl
process has comparatively low energy usage, making methacrylate (PMMA), polyoxymethylene (POM),
it cost effective for development programs and short and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Thermoset epoxy and
production runs. Material waste is also low, since silicone also are rotomolded.
there are no sprues or flash to trim. It can produce a
good A-surface that is textured or smooth, colored, In recent years, process improvements have focused
and that includes logos and/or lettering. The process on two areas. One is mold pressurization, which
tends to create parts with consistent wall thicknesses. helps produce parts with fewer voids in less time, but
Using drop-box technology, it also can make double- increases the risk of explosion of the pressurized part.
wall constructions without secondary operations, The second is monitoring air temperature inside the
e.g. sandwiches of costly colored exterior polymer mold, which helps take the guesswork out of when to
with natural-color interiors using the same polymer, remove molds from ovens and when to remove parts
or two different polymers such as a tough exterior from molds. These changes have helped reduce cycle
resin with a more chemical-resistant liner as with fuel times and make part quality better but have not been
tanks, or even a foaming agent to increase stiffness at universally implemented.

12 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2019 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org

Another interesting aspect of the process is that because parts cool much faster, crystallization rates can be significantly lower,
increasing impact strength, albeit at a slight loss of chemical resistance and environmental stress cracking. Above are scanning
electron micrographs of two samples of medium-density polyethylene cut from rotomolded parts. The right sample was cooled the
traditional way (outside the part only) while the left sample was cooled both inside and outside. Courtesy of Ripple Engineering

apply either a vacuum or introduce inert gas during the be a catalyst to double the size of the global rotomolding
heating cycle to reduce oxidation risks. Further, the team industry over the next 30 years by exposing what
has added the ability to control a drop-box inside the mold happens during the molding process so people can take
to produce multi-material parts. The system’s oven can better advantage of it,” explains Ismert. “First, we’ll show
reportedly heat tools to 650°F/343°C in order to process people exactly what’s happening inside their tool during
higher performance engineering thermoplastics. Also the molding process, and then we’ll teach them how to
beneficial, the active vent can be retrofitted to existing control it to make perfect parts every time. Second, we’ll
tools and existing tools can be mounted to Ripple’s new greatly expand the range of resins that can be rotomolded,
machines once the active vent is installed. In fact, the which will open up a host of new applications.” To that
company reports that it has started both materials- and end, he says Ripple currently works with 10 compounders
mold-testing programs for customers wishing to see what plus a third-party test lab, which does all the company’s
pressure-cooled rotomolding can do for their current materials-characterization studies.
cycle times and part properties. The engineering team
also is exploring gas versus electric oven heating with a
goal of quadrupling machine heating capacity, making
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
the system practical for customers without higher-voltage
electrical service access. Peggy Malnati has more than 30 years’ experience
writing about the global plsatics and composites
Combined, these technologies are said to make part industries. She has organized technical conferences
for SPI, SPE and SAE international, edited the
quality more consistent regardless of operator experience, 1994 book, “Structural Analysis of Thermoplastic
shift, or weather. “With the new technology and real-time Components” from McGraw-Hill, spent 15 years
process monitoring, if something goes out of variance, as board member and communications chair
you can adjust it on the fly, not wait until the end of the for the SPE Automotive Division, and has been
a contributing writer covering automotive and
shift to check and find out you’ve made bad parts all day composites beats for various trade publications,
and have to throw away a truckload of product,” notes including Plastics Engineering. She also provides
Ismert. “With the process savings and far better quality, communications services for plastics-and
composites-industry clients globally via her
payback is much faster too.” own Detroit-area firm. Contact her at peggy@
malnatiandassociates.com.
What’s the company’s long-term plan? “Our mission is to

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