When you get food to go, the restaurant will supply the food along with napkins and utensils. You might use these utensils once and then throw them away, or you might reuse them or save them for later. Even though you’ve probably used plastic utensils many times in your life, you likely don’t know how they’re made. Continue reading to learn how plastic cutlery is manufactured.
Creating the Plastic Sheet
- Polymer pellets feed into a large bin that flattens them. In this extruder, hydraulic screws crush and melt the pellets between 400 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. This creates a thick, semi-solid liquid.
- The polymer mixtures transfer through an opening and extrude as a thin mass. Water-chilled rollers thin out the mass further, increasing its width and length. This web of plastic material then rolls into large spools or is cut into sheets.
Thermoforming
- From there, the plastic sheets transfer to different steel block molds in the shape of forks, spoons, knives, or sporks. Silicon agents cool the plastic further, allowing for easier removal from the mold. A polish then removes any surface flaws in the cutlery.
- The molds then travel to a thermoforming machine, which pulls air from the mold to create a vacuum. This vacuum creates a drop in air pressure that causes the plastic sheet to fit into the mold.
- Large metal stamping plates then press down on the mold to create a single piece of cutlery. They can also imprint a logo or brand onto the cutlery. After this, the pieces eject from the molds and are ready to package. Any leftover plastic is reused to make more cutlery.
Assembly, Packaging, and Distribution
- Plastic cutlery has several packaging options. Some of the most common are individual plastic packages, which also contain napkins and seasoning packets, for restaurants to use for carry-out options. Otherwise, each type of utensil travels to its own container, which is then sent to retailers.
