A powder or pellet is compressed & liquefied, injected into a mold, cooled under pressure, and ejected. It is fast and easy to automate, with little waste.

A softened tube is extruded into a mold, then inflated, e.g., bottles.

Vacuum Forming

Softened material is drawn into a mold.

Compression Molding

A heated mold is squeezed around a pre-formed blank. It is slower, but the material does not flow as far.

 

Material is shaped by being forced through a tooling die. Think of it like squeezing toothpaste out of its tube.