Rotational Moulding

Rotational Moulding Products & Services

Trifibre is your rotational moulding specialist and plastic products OEM partner.We’re experts in providing affordable custom rotational moulding services and producing plastic products for a wide range of industries in the UK and internationally.

From our high-tech manufacturing site in the East Midlands we’ve built a reputation for the quality of our products and our tailored approach to design and manufacturing.

Rotational moulding, also known as rotomoulding, can be used to manufacture a diverse range of simple and complex products. It involves the use of sophisticated plastics moulding technology and is most often used to make hollow goods and components, such as hard plastic cases for storing electronic equipment, bins and containers and children’s toys.

Rotational moulding is a popular method of manufacturing plastic products due to its affordability and is used by a wide range of industries, as it delivers a precise and robust finish on every item.

As the leading rotational moulding company in the UK, Trifibre has invested in the best technology and uses the highest quality materials to develop hard wearing and durable products via our custom rotational moulding service.

Read on to find out more about our rotational moulding products and services, and how they can benefit your company.

Project Consultation

Let us help you on your project journey from start to finish.

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Product Design

Our experienced team of designers get the best from your idea.

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Tool Design & Manufacture

Better tools result in better more efficient products.

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Product Prototypes

Getting your product ready for its big launch!

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Manufacturing

Get reliable service and consistent product quality from Trifibre.

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Storage & Drop Shipping

Let’s grow together! Trifibre can take the hard work away from the logistics of your rotomoulded product.

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Our rotational moulding capabilities

Our expert knowledge and capabilities make us the UK’s first choice for rotational moulding services, but we also believe in using the best tools for the job. To do this, we’ve invested heavily in our rotomoulding equipment, so we can deliver the highest quality products every time.

This latest machine is a traditional four arm carousel rotational moulding machine with a 4.5 metre oven that enables us to increase our capacity to either produce much larger products or use more tools simultaneously per cycle, compared to traditional shuttle rotomoulding machinery.

It is our continued investment in our services that makes Trifibre the leading rotational moulding company in the UK.

How rotational moulding works

Loading

Raw material is placed into the mould. The most common material being polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE, MDPE) which is available in a vast array of colours. Additives can be added during the rotomoulding process for different requirements such as UV protection and colour consistency.


Heating

The mould is then heated in an oven and rotated causing the polymer to coat the mould walls. Rotation occurs on two or more axes rotating at different speeds and frequencies. This allows for an even wall thickness and clean finish to every rotomoulded product.


Cooling

After heating, the mould is cooled whilst rotating to ensure an even wall thickness. During this time the product will incur a small amount of shrinkage which is catered for in the design of the mould. The shrinkage aids the removal of the product from the tool.


Removal

The final steps in the rotomoulding process are removal of the product from the tool and finishing. During the finishing process the parts are trimmed and allowed to cool further sometimes using jigs to prevent further shrinkage and to achieve an accurate final product.


Your OEM partner for plastic products

At Trifibre, we believe in taking a client-focussed approach and provide a full OEM rotational moulding service. Using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, we work with you to produce designs and prototypes to ensure your requirements are fully met prior to production.

Once these designs have been finalised, we ensure that the manufacturing of your project is completed efficiently and successfully. To manufacture your plastic products, we use polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon or polycarbonate in our rotational moulding process.

As the tooling used in rotational moulding makes it a cost-effective manufacturing technique, we provide competitive pricing for quality products. Check out our FAQs on plastic rotational moulding for further information on the process.

Established in 1981, the Trifibre Ltd group has over 40 years of manufacturing experience and has gained an outstanding reputation for delivering bespoke and innovative, design-led products.

Contact us if you would like Trifibre to become your OEM rotational moulding company or for support with your new custom rotomoulding project!

What are the benefits of rotational moulding?

There are numerous benefits to using plastic rotational moulding for your products. It is an affordable manufacturing process that delivers a uniform finish and an end product that is strong and resilient, while providing complete design freedom and the ability to create highly complex shapes.

Durable and Reliable

Products made using rotational moulding are inherently reliable, internal stresses are minimal and joints are eliminated. The materials are tough and resilient even under extreme conditions when compared to fabricating, fibre glass, injection, vacuum or blow moulding.


Unlimited Design Possibilities

Rotomoulding offers the opportunity to manufacture stress-free parts with uniform wall thickness and complex shapes. The process is extremely versatile. Parts can be manufactured with inserts moulded in, while surface textures and effects can be reproduced with relative ease.


Low Cost

The tooling used to produce rotational moulding products is created from either steel or aluminium and is relatively low in cost when compared to tooling used for other processes, such as blow or injection moulding. Plus, all of our plastic rotational moulding products are UK-made and manufactured.


The UK’s Leading Rotational Moulding Company

Trifibre Ltd has over 40 years of manufacturing experience and provides a client-focused consultation for OEM rotomoulding services from our professional and experienced customer service team to ensure individual client requirements and project briefs are met. Trifibre is currently the preferred rotomoulding OEM partner for companies in a wide variety of industries including leisure, medical, utilities, construction.

For more information on our plastic rotational moulding services or to find answers to commonly asked questions, read our Guide to Rotomoulding.

An ISO 9001 Registered Company

We’re experts in rotational moulding with over 40 years of experience. Our in-house design and technical team take your project from concept to completion, all being managed with in our 70,000 sq ft UK based facility.

If you’d like to hear more, simply fill out a contact form, or call us on 0116 232 3166, or drop an email to [email protected]

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Trifibre Guide to FAQs on Rotomoulding

What is rotational moulding?

Rotational moulding involves the use of computer controlled machines to ensure consistent quality for every unit produced. The plastic rotational moulding process is split into four operations:

1. Charging

The rotomoulding process begins by loading a hollow, aluminium mould with a pre-determined amount of powdered polymer, typically polyethylene and virgin or recyclable material. The mould is then closed, locked and loaded into an oven chamber.

2. Heating

Once inside the oven, the mould is rotated biaxially (ie. around 2 axes). The temperature of the oven, typically between 260°C – 370°C depending on the material used, causes the polymer to melt. As the mould rotates, the molten polymer is dispersed evenly and coats the inside walls of the mould.

3. Cooling

After the mould has been rotated sufficiently to spread the molten polymer evenly, it is then removed from the oven and cooled, causing the polymer to solidify.

4. Unloading

When the mould has cooled sufficiently to retain its shape, it is opened and the product removed. The mould can then be reloaded and the rotomoulding process repeated.

What is rotational moulding used for?

A wide range of everyday items are made using rotational moulding due to its versatility as a manufacturing process. Wheelie-bins and litter bins, car dashboards and cup holders, aeroplane components, cones and road barriers, and children’s toys are just some of the products that are make using rotomoulding.

At Trifibre, rotational moulding is used to manufacture our exhibition cases and point of sale stands, including products for Salem & Senior Design. The resulting products are lightweight, ensuring they can be easily transported, and incredibly strong to protect the contents, which may include roller banners or product samples. We also add hinges, clasps and wheels for greater usability.

Take a look at various components that are used to make the Trifibre Pegasus case a useful piece of kit for exhibitions and events. Contact us for a rotational moulding quote.

What are the advantages of using rotational moulding?

Rotational moulding can be used to make a wide range of plastic products that require a rigid and highly resilient finish. It is recognised as being a highly versatile and reliable manufacturing process because it reduces internal stresses by providing a consistent finish through an even distribution of materials and eliminates the need for joints.

Strength and resilience

Products that are manufactured using rotational moulding do not have seams or joins, so they can withstand more extreme conditions than those made using fabricating, fibre glass, injection, vacuum or blow moulding.

Precision

Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is used to create designs that are completely accurate. It helps to streamline the design and manufacturing process and improves the overall quality of the final product.

Affordability

Rotomoulding is ideal for projects that require an affordable manufacturing process, as moulds are created using cost-effective materials such as aluminium.

Lightweight products

It is a popular manufacturing process for products that need to be lightweight and user friendly, but also strong enough to withstand external pressure or weight. It’s an ideal solution for making hollow products, such as water containers, kayaks, floats and buoys.

Detailing

Individual moulds are custom made for each project and can incorporate a range of details, including textured finishes, brand logos, symbols or other lettering.

What materials are used in rotational moulding?

At the start of the process, metal moulds are created using aluminium, while the final product is made from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon or polycarbonate.

At Trifibre, we use a powdered polymer, usually polyethylene and virgin or recyclable materials, to make products using rotational moulding. Polyethylene is an ideal material for the rotomoulding process as it does not deteriorate when exposed to extreme heat, enabling it to be easily melted and manipulated into a range of shapes and items.

How does rotational moulding work?

Rotomoulding is a thermoplastic moulding process that involves four key processes: charging, heating, cooling and unloading. As a largely automated process, rotomoulding can improve production times while producing high quality items.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is used during the development process to create accurate product designs and complex shapes. It can also predict how a product may react to external factors, such as extreme temperatures.

At Trifibre, CAD software also enables us to calculate weight and volume for accurate material usage and accurate quotes.

See one of our rotational moulding machines in action.