Insert Molding Solutions - High Production Efficiency
Insert molding is an injection molding process used to insert metal parts into plastic to create a final plastic component. There are 2 basic steps of this process: Firstly, getting ready the molding insert and loading it onto the mold before molding. Secondly, injecting the molten plastic into the cavity, cooling down, and taking out the final plastic component. Applications for insert molding are wide. One common application is threading brass inserts to create a rigid thread in a plastic part. Due to the inserts can be just about anything, from alloy threads to electrical contacts, the application possibilities are seemingly endless. It is important to understand the insert molding process, then design the part correctly to optimize the production process. Looking for insert molding solutions for your projects and production? TEAM Rapid is one of the best insert injection molding manufacturers in China. Contact us to get a free design for manufacture ability report.
Benefits of Insert Molding
1. Improved the part's strength by plastic insert molding.
2. Inserts can offer strong and reliable attachment points for assembly.
3. The molding process is more cost-effective than other inserting processes.
4. No significant mold structure changes on plastic insert molding.
Types of Insert Molded Parts
Most commonly, the purpose of insert injection molding is to fasten and locate plastic parts with other assemblies by inserts. It is also common to have different kinds of inserts in one single injection molded part. The following is a list of some most common types of inserts. As one of the expert insert molding manufacturers, TEAM Rapid offers to insert injection molding service and CNC machining service to make your metal insert molding parts fast and cost-effectively. The common types of injection molding inserts used at TEAM Rapid
1, Male Threads insert
2, Female Threads insert
3, Dowel Pins insert
4, Spring-Loaded Clips insert
5, Electrical Contacts insert
Manufacturing Perspectives of Insert Injection Molding
As one of the professional insert molding solutions inc, TEAM Rapid helped many customers successfully make their custom insert molding projects in the past 10 years. Before kicking off the rapid manufacturing project, we always take the following major considerations from a manufacturer perspective and offer the best insert injection molding proposal to our customers:
1. Molding Insert
It must be strong enough to withstand the injection molding temperature and pressure. Commonly processes such as injection molding with metal inserts, plastic insert molding brass, aluminum insert molding, plastic insert molding copper, etc., are no problems.
2. Mold
Inserts must be firmly placed during the insert injection molding process. We fully consider the inserts' location at the mold design stage, ensuring the insert can be placed easily and is good for following low-to-mass metal insert molding production.
3. Mold Fitting
Injection molding inserts must fit perfectly onto the cavity, especially for the touched surfaces. They need to be mated well to guarantee the sealing. If sealing is not well, the molded part will come out with flashes easily. So. the sealing surfaces need to be as precise as possible. Meanwhile, every insert must have stable, tight tolerance on sealing surfaces. Varies from the injection molding materials. Take insert molding examples of ABS; sealing surfaces' tolerance should be +/-0.05mm, and tighter +/-0.02 mm for pp material. Avoid using radius and complex curved surfaces for sealing surfaces, and the sealing areas should be as large as possible.
4. Production
Inserts can be loaded by hand or automatically by robotics. For small-volume injection molding such as aluminum insert molding, we usually suggest to our customers the way of loading insert by hand so that the costs can be reduced.
What is insert molding? How does insert molding works?
Here we have the operational flows of insert molding examples below. Overmolding vs. insert molding? Contact us to learn how and when to choose the right one!
Please email us at [email protected] to see how TEAM Rapid makes your insert molded parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Insert Molding？
In injection molding, insert molding is a process that involves inserting components into a mold to create plastic parts with an insert. This step helps create the finished product that needs one or more inserts. Typically, components made of materials with different properties are used in insert molding. For instance, a brass fastener can be molded into a soft material to be used as a bearing surface.
What Is the Difference between Insert Molding and Overmolding?
Insert molding and overmolding are two subsets of the manufacturing procedure known as injection molding. While they share the same process, they have distinct characteristics.
One of the fundamental differences between overmolding and insert molding is that the latter is not bounded by plastic. In overmolding, the process is utilized to create products usually made for shelf appeal. On the other hand, in insert molding, the process is used to create rigid products.
How to keep metal part in place for insert molding?
The inserts placed in the plastic mold must be reliably positioned and matched!
The internal and external threads are fixed in the plastic mold in matching.
When the insert is too long or presents a slender rod or sheet shape, the plastic mold should have a support to insert to avoid bending. This support should not affect the assembly and function of the plastic parts. For the thin-walled inserts, holes can be punched in the plastic flow direction to reduce the force on the inserts.
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