The molding machine is a vital part of a rotational molding process. Depending on the requirements of the products, the size and features of the best-suited machine will vary. Although the processes will be similar, there will be some modifications in the features, characteristics, tooling, arm counts, rotational axes, and much more. You should select a rotomolding machine that will suit the needs of your clients. If your project is small-scale, you need not buy a high-end machine and operate at loss. So, it is necessary to know the different types of rotational molding machines in the market. Let us discuss this.

Types of rotational molding machines

Rock and Roll machine

If you want to produce lengthy and narrow parts, you should consider this type of molding machine. As the name suggests, there will be two mold arms in the setup. There will be rotating mechanisms in each arm, and they will rotate each other in other directions by a contact tip. These molds will rotate completely in an axis. It is useful to produce lengthy parts. Here, the heating process of the mold will happen with the help of hot air passage. You can save a lot of money by using this machine because of its low heat usage.

Clamshell machine

It is the simplest molding machine for rotational molding purposes. There will be only one chamber that rotates along one axis. It will have supports at both ends. You can heat the mold and cool it without moving to a cooling chamber as both the processes of heating and cooling happens in the single chamber. The size of the mold will be less, and you can find the application of this machine in non-industrial purposes or small-scale industries. Your purchasing and overhead costs will be less in this type of rotational molding machine.

Shuttle machine

It is another economical molding machine. You can find two arms rotating independently with mold materials in them. There will be no connection between the two, and some models have only one arm. Each arm will be rotating in an axis and taking the mold material from the hot chamber to the cold chamber and vice versa. There will not be separate heating and cooling processes. A linear movement will be there, along with the rotational movement. You can find this machine for small scale applications like prototyping in schools.

Carousel machine

Carousel machine is a bi-axial molding machine that is mostly used around the world for rotational molding purposes. There will be several different sizes for the machine, and you can choose according to your needs. It will contain up to four arms. There will be two different models of the machines as a fixed arm and independent arm molding machines. If it is a fixed arm, there will be three arms that will move together. Each arm will be in different conditions or locations like the heating chamber, cooling chamber, and the loading area. An Independent type of machine will have three arms that can move freely.