Large Scale Pot Manufacturing Videos

I was wondering why colanders are never sold in garden centers or nurseries, along with garden pots. Are they costlier to manufacture compared to a plain plastic pot ? These videos suggest that is not the case. So, I suspect the reason has to be the ignorance of pot manufacturers & buyers. To know more, read Colander vs. Bonsai Pots.

Manufacturing plastic colanders 
 

Injection moulding - liquid plastic is pumped under high pressure into the groves on the mould.
 
 More :
http://youtu.be/gwDwGf613UU

In fact, in the long term, colander production should be cheaper as it uses less plastic, despite the higher cost of etching the pattern on the metal mould. 

But I have found garden pots to be cheaper & more easily available than colanders, for a similar volume, maybe bcos of higher demand than colanders. Since colanders are intended for food contact, I guess the plastic quality has to better. So, the higher cost probably results from a higher quality product & low volume sales. Of course, various brands & prices complicate a clear verdict on this.

Manufacturing plastic pots

Circular discs are cut from a long sheet of plastic, pressed & vacuum sucked into shape using a process called thermoforming.

  

More :

http://youtu.be/7vNC5Io_IJc
http://youtu.be/GRjj-ekTGRs
http://youtu.be/eUthHS3MTdA (injection moulding)
http://youtu.be/SAUpN6zpSpQ (techniques)
http://youtu.be/qDvML_22m4M (techniques)
http://youtu.be/XL2YPyfCBHU (animation)



Manufacturing clay / ceramic pots  

After seeing many videos of hand made bonsai pottery of Japanese masters, I felt surely there has to be a easier and cheaper way to make clay pots. The following videos show you just that.

 
  

Cylinders of fine clay are automatically sliced & pressed into the desired shapes using moulds and excess clay is automatically cut & discarded for re-use. Machine made or hand made - you can debate all you want, as to which is better, but my vote goes for the processes that can make bonsai pots cheaper. For merely playing a supporting role to the hero bonsai trees, bonsai clay pots can get ridiculously expensive.

More :
http://youtu.be/d2ZSLRkO8B8
http://youtu.be/uxuzhLBSbjM
http://youtu.be/GAOUPE4NYTM