From natural materials to modern plastic — the history of the plastics trade
How a completely new material in good hundred years became one of the world's most used — and required its own handcraft
As a plasterer you shape a material far younger than most other craft materials. Plastic has in just over a hundred years spread to almost everything we surround ourselves with. To understand the trade it helps to know where the material and methods come from.
§The first plastics
Before plastic people used natural materials like wood, horn, metal, and natural rubber. The first plastics were developed because people sought materials that were easier to mold, cheaper, or had properties nature couldn't provide. Suddenly there were materials that could be molded into almost any shape.
§Thermoplastic and thermoset
Early on, the fundamental distinction that still governs the trade arose: thermoplastic, which softens in heat and can be shaped again and again, and thermoset, which hardens permanently and cannot be melted. The two types require different methods and machines — and are the reason the plastic maker training has two specialties.
§The breakthrough of injection moulding
The major shift came with injection molding: molten plastic is pressed into a mold under pressure cools and becomes a finished part. The method made it possible to make many identical parts quickly and precisely. It is still one of the most important production methods in the trade and a large part of your education is about mastering it.
§Other forming methods
Beyond spray moulding the trade developed methods such as extrusion (plastic is pressed out into a long uniform profile — pipes plates cable insulation) and thermoforming (a plate is heated and formed over a mould). Each method suits specific products and a plastics manufacturer must know them all.
§From mass production to quality and environment
Today the profession is not just about making many parts but about making them right: high precision uniform quality and control. At the same time environment and recycling matter more and more — how we use material wisely sort and reuse it has become an important part of the profession.
§Timeline — the development of the plastic trade
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| Second half of the 1900s | The first plastics are developed as a replacement for natural materials |
| The beginning of the 1900s | Thermoplastic and thermoset take form as two basic types |
| Mid-20th century | Injection moulding breaks through and enables rapid series production |
| 20th century second half | Extrusion, thermoforming and many new plastic types are spreading. |
| End of the 1900s | Computer-controlled machines give higher precision and control |
| Today | Focus on quality precision and recycling; plastic is everywhere |
§What the story teaches a plastics worker
Plastic is a material that makes almost anything possible, but only if you understand how it behaves. Know the difference between plastic types and methods and why they were developed and you can choose correctly and make parts that both work and meet requirements.
“Plastic is young as a material but requires just as much skill as the old — for it can only be done right in the right hands.”
— Professional view on the roots of plastics.