How Bubble Wrap Is Made

[carsxotic07]

two of these sheets are used for making bubble wrap. One has the actual bubbles and the other acts as a cover to seal the air in. To form the bubbles, the first sheet is wrapped around a cylindrical bar with little bubble shaped indentations in it. As the plastic is held taut on the cylinder, suction pulls it into each little hole, shaping the bubbles by stretching plastic into the dents. This is a lot like when you poke you finger into a taut sheet of plastic wrap and leave a dent.

[holly007]

First, granules of plastic are closely sprinkled onto a heated conveyor belt. This warms the plastic grains to a pliable consistency, though they still hold their shape. Think of these bits of plastic like heated chocolate chips; even when they are hot they still stay the same shape unless disturbed, at which point they become liquid. So the warm plastic grains pass under a roller which squashes them all flat.