Balloon FAQs
How are balloons made?
The most common balloons are made from latex, a material that comes from sap of rubber trees. Water, curing agents, oil and colored pigment are all added to make a consistent, colorful mix and then put into an open vat. Before the mold can be dipped into the mixture a special coagulating agent is applied to the mold so that the latex will stick to it. Once the mold is dipped into the mixture a set of revolving brushes made the balloon neck that aids inflation. Then the balloon is washed with hot water to remove any other chemicals and moved to an oven where it cures at 200 degrees for about 25 minute before the balloon can be removed from the mold.
How is the rolled lip on balloons made?
Each balloon mold is the shape and size of the un-inflated balloon. The molds are arranged into rows and dipped into liquid latex in assembly line fashion. The latex at the top (thin) end of the mold becomes the "lip" when it is rolled down (toward the wide end) by a device which looks like a small motorized brush. As the rows of molds progress down the line, they pass between rotating, cone shaped brushes that are positioned horizontally, one on each side of each row of molds, pointing at the approaching molds. The brushes turn in opposite directions and are positioned so they touch the molds on each side. The point of the brushes start rolling the lip, and the lips continues to form as the row of molds moves along the line from the point to the larger end of the brushes. This occurs while the latex is still uncured, just before it is vulcanized.
How are balloons printed on?
The first method of printing is a form of offset printing. Ink is applied to the plate, the plate then transfers the ink to a printing drum. The balloon is then rolled across the printing drum transferring the image to the balloon. The second method of printing is silk screening. This method has the balloon in a flat, un-inflated condition for printing. A silk screen, into which an image has been etched, is then laid over the balloon, and ink is forced through the mesh in the screen in the image area and onto the balloon. The non-image area does not permit ink to penetrate, thereby putting ink only in the image area. Silk screening is also done on inflated balloons by using a holding device and slightly compressing the surface of the printing area with the screen prior to applying the ink. This type of screening is done with an automatic machine on small to medium size balloons. Immediately upon placing the image on the balloon surface, the balloon is released and deflation begins. By the time the balloon is deflated, the ink must be dry to prevent offsetting onto other balloons.
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