Typical Plastic Injection Molded Parts

Plastic injection molding technology consists of feeding plastic material into a heated barrel. The material is mixed and then led into a mold cavity, where it takes shape and hardens into the final product.

What you might not know is that plastic injection molding has a bevy of advantages and benefits over comparative plastic processing and manufacturing methods. Plastic injection molding is such a precise method that it can fabricate nearly any type of plastic part. There are certain design restrictions, but the molds that are made allow the finished product to be very precise. This makes it a very widely used production method. With such accuracy and precision, plastic injection molding is used in almost everything you touch in some form or another.

The History of Plastic Injection Molding

When you really stop to think about it, it’s hard to imagine a world without plastic. Plastic is used in such a wide variety of products. Its versatility makes it perfect for anything from simple lunch boxes to more complex things.

But before plastic and injection molding were discovered, mankind had to make do with more natural materials, like wood ivory and metal.

The rise of plastic injection molding started with Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization. After this, various contributions to the development of plastic were made by scientists and inventors through the 19th century, making plastic a common material used to mass produce household items by the mid 20th century.

Plastic Injection Molded Parts in Different Industries

It’s easy to think of things like containers, bottles and other common plastic goods. But plastic injection molded parts are required for most industries nowadays. Examples of industries that need plastic injection molded parts include:

Technology

While things like cellphones, computers, televisions and even USB memory sticks need a lot of parts made with metals, these items always feature some plastic molded parts too. Phone and computer covers, or often times even screens, are made from injection molded plastic.

Medicine

Medicine is a lot like another branch of technology, and so many things doctors use on a daily basis (even in surgical theaters) are made of plastic.

Automotive industry

While the engine, doors and wheels of a car aren’t made of plastic, the interior of most vehicles are filled with plastic molded parts.

Construction

Once again, barely anyone thinks about plastic molded parts used to build, but plastic is used to make things like plumbing pipes and electrical switches, for instance.

Fashion

In the fashion industry, injection molded plastic parts are often used for items such as buttons and buckles. And while polyester material isn’t injection molded, it’s worth mentioning that even a lot of materials used to make garments are made from plastic.

In reality, it’s hard to think of an industry that doesn’t use plastic molded items for some purpose. Even CD’s and DVD’s are made from injection molded plastic. And before CD’s and DVD’s cassettes were made from plastic too!

Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding Parts

• Flexibility: Because there’s such a wide variety of different plastics available, injection molding is a good process to produce products with different qualities regarding durability, resistance to temperatures and hardness.
• Production speed: Plastic injection mold cycle times make it easy to mass produce products and create hundreds of plastic injection molded parts every day.
• Precision: With a good mold, every plastic injection molded part will be an exact duplicate of the previous. Molds can also be designed to create highly detailed parts that can be easily mass produced.
• Cost effectiveness: Compared to other production processes, plastic injection molding is by far the most cost effective for mass producing parts.

Although other materials and production processes will never become redundant, it’s clear to see why plastic has become one of the most commonly used materials in the 21st century.

Producing Quality Injection Molded Parts

Plastic injection molding by far outperforms a process like 3D printing for mass producing parts. But even though plastic injection molding may seem easy, it’s not. Producing plastic molded parts requires knowledge about different plastics, their melting points and how the injection molding process works.

A high quality plastic injection mold is also an essential part of molding parts that are free of defects, such as flow lines or surface delamination. Because of this, it’s worth investing in a high quality plastic injection mold.

Too many plastic injection molders try to save on a mold by importing from abroad, but this is rarely worthwhile. When you buy from an American injection mold manufacturer, you can usually count on better quality and mold design. Because your injection mold manufacturer is closer, it’s also easier to arrange for molds to be regularly maintained, so ensuring you get the most out of every mold!

Most Common Thermoplastics Used in Injection Molding

Thermoplastic injection molding is the most well-known approach to make parts. Thermoplastics are polymers that can be heated to a liquid repeatedly or relaxed by warming and set by cooling—as a physical change as opposed to a chemical change that happens amid the formation of thermoset materials. It is imperative to recognize what sort of thermoplastic ought to be utilized for the kind of item you need to make. The following are the most widely recognized thermoplastics utilized as a part of injection molding.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), it is a dark thermoplastic and amorphous polymer. It is a terpolymer (copolymer comprising of three unmistakable monomers) of Acrylonitrile, Butadiene, and Styrene. Together they make an item that is adaptable and light in weight that can be shaped into numerous things that we use in our regular day to day existences.

The benefit of ABS is that an assortment of changes can be had to enhance impact protection, sturdiness, and heat protection. Molding at a high temperature enhances the gleam and heat protection of the item while molding at a low temperature is where the highest impact resistance and strength are obtained.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer with variable crystalline structure and a huge scope of uses relying upon the type. It is a standout amongst the most adaptable and most famous plastics on the planet since the 1950s when it was produced by German and Italian researchers. The two most regular kinds of this plastic are high-thickness polyethylene (HDPE) and low-thickness polyethylene (LDPE).

The upsides of polyethylene are abnormal amounts of pliability, rigidity, impact protection, protection from dampness, and recyclability. The higher the thickness of the polyethylene material utilized the more grounded, more unbending, and more heat safe the plastic is. The essential employments of polyethylene are plastic sacks, plastic films, compartments including bottles, and geomembranes.

Polyamide (Nylon)

Nylon material is utilized as a part of a vast scope of various applications in view of its electrical properties, sturdiness, wear protection and chemical protection being very noteworthy. Nylon has an abnormal state of strength and is impervious to numerous outer components like scratches, impact, and chemicals. This material produces plastic parts utilized as a part of numerous businesses, for example,

• Medicinal items
• Car items
• Games hardware
• Attire and footwear
• Industrial components

High Impact Polystyrene

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) is a prevalent and intense plastic that is in the Polystyrene family. Polystyrene is weak and can be more impact safe if joined with different materials. It is made from modifying crystal styrene with rubber which helps to give it many levels of impact resistance. It is low cost, has good dimensional stability and rigidity. There are FDA grades available since it is non-toxic and used as containers for many food goods.

It is exceptionally flammable, yet there are fire resistant and polished evaluations that are generally utilized for injection molding.

Polypropylene

This is an extremely regular plastic that is known for its adaptability. PP (polypropylene) is an exceptionally unique plastic and has been intensified for an extensive variety of properties. A few attributes of this plastic are its high liquefying point, high protection toward stress and splitting, magnificent impact quality, and does not break down from responses with water, acids, and cleansers.

PP is ok for use as food holders since it doesn’t filter chemicals into nourishment items. It can be generally found in family unit merchandise, for example, utensils, athletic clothing, area rugs, and car parts, for example, auto batteries.

Picking the correct material for your application can bring about expanded performance and decreased cost. At Quality Mold Shop, we comprehend that there is no “one size fits all” arrangement with regards to injection molded parts. If you have any inquiries or worries on what kind of plastic you ought to utilize, contact our group of specialists who can help you at all times.