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There are numerous reasons for developing custom-made plastic containers. Sometimes the container has to be adapted to the shape and dimensions of the transported goods, sometimes high demands are made on transport safety, in retail the container has to present the goods in the market, and more and more often the special requirements of automated warehouses have to be met. WALTHER Faltsysteme is a specialist in customising plastic containers. This is not least due to our process chain, which is flexible up to series production and in which the result is compared with the customer's requirements at every intermediate step.
The starting point for the development of a new container is the individual requirement profile of the supply chain and the goods to be transported. Only if we understand these requirements perfectly, we can develop an optimal solution for you. These initial, intensive briefings are followed by the design phase. In this phase, we produce first freehand sketches or 3D representations on CAD basis, which offer a basis for discussion, always presenting different approaches for a solution.
Once the design phase is completed, prototyping takes us to the core of custom-made container development. Prototypes bring security, trust and, as a rule, time savings on the way to series production. There are three different ways to produce prototypes:
3D printing is an excellent way of representing the shape and function of a container or component. It can also be produced relatively quickly. At present, however, 3D printing is not yet able to reproduce the colour and material properties of an injection-moulded part.
3D printing can be followed by vacuum casting. The printed part is used to make a silicone mould in which plastic parts are cast. Such moulds can only be used to produce a maximum of 30 pieces, but the optical and haptic properties of the pieces produced in this way are very similar to those of series injection moulding.
The production of a prototype mould is ideal for complex developments. This aluminium mould is by far not as complex as a series mould. The parts produced correspond exactly to the later series injection moulding and thus represent the technically optimal possibility when it comes to achieving project safety. A prototype mould can produce several thousand containers, so that even larger application tests can be carried out.
Special individual samples can also be milled from the solid. However, this is only suitable for special cases.
The finished prototype corresponds to the series model. That is why after approval of the prototype, the series mould is manufactured. This is designed for the high continuous load in the fast injection moulding cycle and can produce millions of items. All that remains to be done is to clarify purchase quantities and transfer processes, then there is nothing getting in the way of the custom-made plastic container.
Would you like to find out more? Then take a look at our Project Support video.