Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: paul.fr on 06/07/2007 09:14:21

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: paul.fr on 06/07/2007 09:14:21

 [???]

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Seany on 06/07/2007 10:02:12

Hmm.. Well....... LOL!

Random question.. [;D] I was thinking... LOL nevermind stupid idea

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Karen W. on 06/07/2007 10:06:11

Is it heated and pressed together like with a waffle iron kind of thing..LOL No I guess that would melt but somehow me wants to think that two pieces laid together and heated but not to hot might cause a bubble instead of melting!

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Seany on 06/07/2007 10:16:13

That's what I thought..

Two sheets of plastic are heated to stick together.. Then get a really fine pointed needle with a hole, and stick it through one layer and put air in!

But that means there would have to be a hole from the pin poking through... But if it is the pin is fine enough, then no air will leak out

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Karen W. on 06/07/2007 10:51:49

You know how a seal a mealer works, a vacumn packer! How about something that has heat strips in a grid......OH OH OH OH I have it!!!! LOL I am excited LOL Two pieces of plastic in a machine much like a seal a meal only with a grid wire that heats up in tiny round circles and when it is compressed over the top of the two pieces of plastic the air being blown in is quickly trapped and sealed inside the grid heat coils which seals the individual bubbles !!! Hows that for a hypothesis! LOL Come on that will work right??? LOL

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: eric l on 06/07/2007 14:18:39

Well, I checked the site of the brand owners Sealed Air™ (http://www.sealedair.com).  While it does not explain the process, the page on Bubble Wrap™ advantages does give some indication.

It is (probably) done by laminating together two polyethylene sheets between heated rolls, one of which shows a honeycomb pattern.  You do not create a vacuum between the sheets, as you would do sealing bags for your deep freezer, instead, you pressurize the whole installation so that the pressure between the sheets is well over that of the atmosphere.  (Wouldn't know how much, it must be possible to find out).

When the laminate leaves the pressurized room where the machine was, the internal pressure makes the bubbles.

Of course, you can ask the inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes (info from Wikipedia), or find a way to see the original pattent.

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: paul.fr on 06/07/2007 15:26:02

Nice info, thanks Eric.

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: AlphBravo on 07/07/2007 12:23:14

But for the eco friendly
http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Seany on 08/07/2007 14:04:15

Quote from: eric l on 06/07/2007 14:18:39

Well, I checked the site of the brand owners Sealed Air™ (http://www.sealedair.com).  While it does not explain the process, the page on Bubble Wrap™ advantages does give some indication.

It is (probably) done by laminating together two polyethylene sheets between heated rolls, one of which shows a honeycomb pattern.  You do not create a vacuum between the sheets, as you would do sealing bags for your deep freezer, instead, you pressurize the whole installation so that the pressure between the sheets is well over that of the atmosphere.  (Wouldn't know how much, it must be possible to find out).

When the laminate leaves the pressurized room where the machine was, the internal pressure makes the bubbles.

Of course, you can ask the inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes (info from Wikipedia), or find a way to see the original pattent.

But how is it so even made? The bubbles are in lines..

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: Karen W. on 08/07/2007 15:28:42

Quote from: Karen W. on 06/07/2007 10:51:49

You know how a seal a mealer works, a vacumn packer! How about something that has heat strips in a grid......OH OH OH OH I have it!!!! LOL I am excited LOL Two pieces of plastic in a machine much like a seal a meal only with a grid wire that heats up in tiny round circles and when it is compressed over the top of the two pieces of plastic the air being blown in is quickly trapped and sealed inside the grid heat coils which seals the individual bubbles !!! Hows that for a hypothesis! LOL Come on that will work right??? LOL

 So even made by the waffley part that Eric described as Honey combed and I described as waffle like!
LoL AS I said in my post above as the air blown in not vacumn sealed..LOL Even about the little waffle like part to divide the bubbles.. Yes!!! I like when I can come close to accurate! LOL Thank's Eric pretty much what I thought!  Cool!

Title: How do they get the bubbles in bubble wrap?
Post by: eric l on 08/07/2007 16:33:06

I hoped to find more on the net (I have not stopped searching after my previous answer), but the best thing I find is this link :
http://plastics.turkavkaz.ru/processes/extrusion/blown-film-extrusion/

It describes the standard process for making plastic films. 
If you replace the "nip roles" in the diagram by waffles roles or honeycomb patterned rolls,and do not slit up the tube to or do anything else to relieve pressure, you should end up with bubble wrap.