Flexible mold concepts

In the late 1960s the blow-molded flexible plastic 2-quart (1.89 1) canteen was developed to provide additional water for the soldier. The 2-quart canteen also utilized the molded NBC cap. It came with a nylon carrier that was lined with fleece-like material. The concept was that the fleece could be soaked with water and evaporation would keep the liquid in the canteen cooler for a longer period of time. Initially there were several suppliers of the molded 1 and 2-quart canteen and cap. However, both items were eventually put on the US Federal Procurement List (FPL) for manufacture by blind persons. The FPL started in 1938 and is established by the President s appointed Committee for Purchase from People who are Blind or Severely Disabled. 

In a more general sense, for more than 100 years the basic concepts behind the compression molding technique have gone unchanged. But with the world looking for products that are more flexible, durable. 

---