Top 10 Benefits Of Injection Molding Technology

Top 10 Benefits Of Injection Molding Technology

Plastic consumer goods, industrial parts, health care supplies, and construction materials are a few products made out of injection molding technology. It’s a manufacturing process that started around 1872. A lot of the things we use today have gone through this process.

Let us give you a little idea about injection molding. According to research, it’s a process for producing parts by injecting a molt into a mold. The host materials are usually metals, glasses, elastomers, confections, thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers.

Source

To let you understand more about injection molding technology, we laid you 10 benefits.

Fast And Efficient

Injection molding is incredibly fast and highly efficient. It can produce tens of thousands of amount of parts per hour. If the mold is simpler, the output is higher.

The speed of production depends on the complexity and the size of the mold. It only takes several minutes to a few hours per cycle time for a single part. Complex geometry mold cycles only last around 120 seconds.

This maximizes your efficiency. It gets the most out of every mold. Thus, it allows you to create hundreds of identical parts per hour at a low cost.

Source

Saves Cost

Speaking about cost, injection molding technology has low labor costs because the machine itself works for you. It’s an automated process that will save your budget.

It doesn’t mean you won’t be needing manpower all throughout the process. It means the majority of the process is performed by the machines. Because of that, a sole proprietor can control and manage the production.

You don’t have to worry when you’re still starting. An injection molding technology is manageable even if you’re still starting with a few team members or all alone.

Flexible Design

You can create complex designs or geometries with this technology. The molds are processed at extremely high pressure. This results in plastic within molds being pressed harder.

This is to allow a large amount of detail to be imprinted on the parts being produced. Thus, it manufactures complex and intricate shapes.

Injection molding technology allows large volumes of complex parts. Take note that they are all uniform too. Just don’t forget to pay attention to vent and gate placements, weld lines, corner transitions, wall thickness, and rib and boss design to achieve the parts’ precision.

Source

High Volume Output

It allows you to manufacture faster even before you need to maintain the tools. As you know, mass production helps you save a good amount of money. It reduces the cost per unit.

Manufacturing a plastic packaging box requires hours to complete a full load of output to make the production worth it. When you talk about big business, you don’t only mean a small number of production.

Wide Material Choice

There is a wide range of polymer resins to choose from. Additionally, you can use multiple plastic materials simultaneously. The process is called a Multi-Material Injection Molding (MMIM).

Compared to simpler technologies, the injection molding technology is high-technological enough to go through a more complex process like making custom ptfe parts.

Source

Lower Scrape Rates

An injection molding has post-production scrap just like a traditional manufacturing process. This waste comes from the sprue or runners. If there’s unused plastic waste, it can be reground and recycled.

Although it produces waste like any other manufacturing procedure, injection molding generates lesser waste. It can easily regrind, melt, and reuse any leftover plastic parts. By that, you can save on material and reduce waste.

Source

Good Color Control

It’s flexible to manufacture any required colors. You have to use masterbatches or compounding to achieve the color you desire. There is a wide range of materials and colors compatible to injection molding.

According to research, there are more than 25,000 engineered materials compatible with injection molding. Thermoplastics, thermosets, resins, and silicones are a few of these materials.

Given these options, it’s possible to achieve the one that offers the right balance of physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The commonly used materials are polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP).

Furthermore, you can mix up the materials to attain the quality, impact resistance, or stiffness that you need. A common example is adding glass fibers to thermoplastic and creating a strength-enhancing composite.

Product Consistency

Injection molding has a repeatable process. You have to create a mold at first. Then, reproduce it in thousands without changing your tooling.

When you reproduce parts, it’s going to be identical to the first one. It’s an advantage when you manufacture in high volume because you need it to be high tolerant and reliable.

Source

Reduced Finishing Process

Usually, manufacturers require post-production. For injection molding technology like medical plastic injection molding, you won’t need to effort more. The parts are produced with a good finished look after they’re ejected from the machines.

Stronger Mold

Plastic injection molding possibly uses fillers in the molding material. They help reduce the density of the plastic being molded which can add greater strength to the completed part.

Conclusion

This is a very beautiful technology that has become part of our lives, producing volumes of identical plastic products. To facilitate the benefits, one must understand the specific design restrictions. It is a heavily technical process that requires a thorough study.