From Goop to Gulp: The Wild Ride of Plastic Bottle Making

Poland Spring, Coca-Cola, and Simply Orange juice have something in common: all these refreshing drinks come in plastic bottles. But have you ever wondered how these bottles are made? Creating plastic bottles involves molding the plastic into the desired shape, filling it with the beverage, and then sealing it to ensure it stays fresh. It’s a fascinating journey from the factory to your refrigerator!

It all starts with tiny beads of plastic resin, originally made from PET, derived from petroleum; however, with the sustainability boom around the nation, many companies have sought alternative, plant-based materials.  The pellets are then poured or vacuumed into a hopper, which is heated and mixed, turning them into a molten state.  

Once the plastic is at its necessary consistency, this liquid leaves the hopper and is injected into a hollow tube-like mold that gives it shape. After these molds are cooled, they’re placed on a conveyor belt and heated enough to be pliable once again. They’re put into a more extensive mold where air is pumped into the center from a tube, causing the plastic to inflate.  Ultimately, this shapes the bottle into the legendary liter or twelve oz bottle we drink from. From there, cold water fills the bottles as a rapid way to cool them, and they also undergo other cooling methods and inspections to ensure their perfect construction.  

Afterward, they are packaged and sent to bottling plants for cleaning, filling, labeling, and final packaging.  

Fun fact! Some of these machines are so large that almost everything is done internally. Technicians will maintain equipment, monitor the process, and attend to a machine’s needs in an emergency. 

An immense amount of equipment is used to create these bottles, including drives, conveyor belts, and robots that help move plastic pellets and bottles around the factory. Proportional valves are used to control the air pressure and temperature that blow plastic bottles into shape, and controllers are used to ensure that bottles are filled with the correct amount of liquid. When a skilled technician or sensor recognizes something is off with any part of these fantastic machines, we’re here to help fix them and keep your production lines running smoothly, ensuring your customers stay hydrated with their favorite products!  

Give Industrial Repair service a call if you find yourself needing repairs with your plastics equipment!