What Product Can I Make It via Injection Moulding?
Plastic injection moulding is a popular rapid manufacturing process that plastic parts can be produced in high volume cost-effectively. Plastic injection moulding process works by injecting molten plastic into a pre-designed mold under high pressure and heat. The molten plastic fills the hollow mould before cooling quickly and solidifies the desired shape.
Injection Moulding Process
Injection moulding process is versatile and allows to produce a wide range of parts for a wide variety of applications in different type of industries.
When it comes to creating products which need plastic molded parts. There are many processes available to choose from, depending on the type of application and type of part are produced. injection moulding process is one of the most popular processes to produce high quality and cost effective plastic parts.
Injection moulding process allows to produce parts in large volume ranging from thousands to millions. During injection moulding process, melted resin is injected into a hollow mold until it is fully filled. The interior is filled with molten plastic resin or liquid polymers by high temperature and extreme pressure. The molds are then cooled and the plastic parts are released. Injection moulding process is highly versatile and can produce a wide range of parts for a wide variety of industries.
How Does Injection Moulding Work?
Injection moulds must have a high precision match between the two mold halves to control the material flow perfectly. It is important to build an injection mold to create a seamless and precise injection moulding part. Injection moulds are typically made with steel or aluminum, and precision machined to create the features of desired injection moulding products.
The injection mould process repeats once a functional, errorless mold has been made. Compared to other manufacturing processes like CNC machining which cut considerable portions of the original material blank away in a subtractive, the injection moulding process has a low scrap rate.
The Injection moulding process is repeatable and reliable for production in high volume. Once the first part is produced, the second is going to be practically identical because of the ability to make multi-cavity injection mould parts, where several parts are made in one cycle.
There is a wide range of material selection available in injection moulding process. The labor cost for injection moulding process is low. Injection moulding require minimal post-molding finishing operations.
The main disadvantage of injection mould is the high upfront cost of the mold design because of the design, testing, tooling requirements and long lead time. In some cases, custom complex parts may have some problems during injection moulding process like warpage or surface defects. So, injection moulding products have to be designed with very careful consideration to any change in geometry.
What Products Can I Make by Injection Moulding?
Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are the most common products in our daily life. Every year, around billions of plastic bottles are produced. They are in multiple shapes and sizes. The plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is strong and lightweight. These plastic bottles are used to hold potable water and other drinks.
Electronic Housings
Electronic housings are the common injection moulding products. Electronic housings devices have remote controls, computers, televisions, medical equipment, and other consumer electronic components, which are all manufactured by injection moulding process. Injection moulding process can produce any custom plastic enclosures for any application and in any sizes.
Toys
Toys are built with plastic which is durable, lightweight and does not corrode. It can be any size, color and can be assembled easily. The Lego brand of toys are made of firmer plastic granules which are heated until liquefied and then injected into metal molds. The plastic cools and solidifies into a brick or other shape. Each brick and component are accurately molded so they can all fit together. It’s a precise injection moulding product which can be made in many colors, shapes, and sizes.
Agricultural
Customized agricultural plastic products are the low cost alternative to metal components commonly used throughout the industry. Plastic injection moulding parts are higher resistant to impacts during use, humidity. They are able to resist extreme high or low temperatures. UV additives can be added to protect plastic injection moulding products from harsh weather conditions or exposure to corrosive substances.
Household
Molded closures, containers, components, and drinkware are the customized made items which are made by injection moulding process.
Machinery and Automotive Parts
Bumpers, dashboards, radio controls, cup holders, and many other parts which are found in cars and transportation vehicles, both interior and exterior, are injection moulding products.
Healthcare Industry
In healthcare industry, there are many injection moulding products. The healthcare industry relies heavily on multipurpose plastic products which can be produce in high volume. Many of these healthcare products are single use, disposable to maintain sterility or to prevent the spread of germs or disease. From plastic syringes to tools used in medical procedures, injection moulding process helps the medical professionals get achieve this.
Packaging
The food and drinks industry uses plastic injection moulded products for packaging like trays, boxes, shrink wrap, bags and protective layers. They are lightweight and hygienic. These injection moulding products can be sealed hermetically to keep the food contamination-free. Plastics are useful for rigid packaging, point of sale and advertising materials because of the versatility of the finished products. Tobacco, electrical appliances, toys, clothing and electronic devices are also packaged by injection moulding products.
Textiles
Tape strapping, plastics ropes and twines, sports clothing shoes and bags, sunglasses, watch straps, tote bags and beach shoes are the plastic injection moulding products in the fast-moving textiles industry. The plastic materials provide good color fastness, waterproofing and sun or UV fading or damage from bacteria mould and heavy usage when being worn, carried or used.
Injection Moulding Process Applications
Injection moulding process is a common process to create daily life household items. Injection moulding applications cover commercial, industrial, and consumer products. Injection moulding process offers the versatility to generate designs that have intricate detail or complexity, down to simpler forms in any range of sizes from small to large objects. Injection moulding process can produce electronic housings, bottle caps, containers, computers, televisions parts, outdoor furniture, agricultural parts, toys, machine components and more.
Commercial Parts
Electrical boxes, mop heads, trash, recycling receptacles, bending machine parts, equipment housings and more.
Medical Parts
Disposal bin, wall mounts, medication trays.
Automotive
Interior or exterior parts.
Commercial Construction
Conduits, insulators, raised flooring panels.
Residential Construction
Roofing vents, railing gaskets, fasteners.
Consumer Goods
Barbecue accessory, skateboard storage racks, bird feeder, toilet seats, tackle boxes.
Toys
Collection models, children’s furniture.
POP
Supermarket display tray, literature display rack.
Home Products
Flower pots, wire ties, air freshener units.
Food Service
High temperature serving pans, bread trays, food service parts.
Sporting Goods
Training device, exercise tools
3D Printed Components
Electrical knobs, specialty buttons, fixtures
Conclusion
Injection moulding is a complex process. It is the most common manufacturing process as its capability and efficiency to create everyday use items. Injection moulding process can create functional prototypes and end use products cost-effectively. TEAM Rapid specializes in low to high volume injection moulding, contact us today to learn more about our services.
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