Injection Molding and Things Every Startup Should Know
Today’s technology is developing at an astounding speed. Although it’s hard to keep up with all the latest innovations, one thing remains true – injection molding will continue to be an integral part of manufacturing. It is one of the most popular manufacturing processes in the world, allowing you the opportunity to choose a manufacturing partner that helps with the design, tooling, and continuous production of your product.
As the process offers many benefits, it has become a staple for many companies. We have noticed an increase in demand for injection molding and so we wanted to provide a brief introduction to the topic.
How Injection Molding Works
Injection molding uses a special-purpose machine that contains three parts – the mold, injection unit, and clamp. The parts must be carefully designed to facilitate the molding process which involves injecting heated liquid plastic into a mold, letting the product cool down, and ejecting it from the mold afterward. This process can be used to create a variety of plastic parts used in the production of toys, as well as automotive components, and medical devices.
A machine for filling plastic containers is composed of two halves of a removable mold that can be fitted together. The machine fills the cavity with liquid plastic and then closes the halves. This clamps the molten plastic down, which allows it to gradually lower its temperature. As soon as it has cooled all the way through, it will be ejected from the machine.
The process of injection molding is one of the most broadly used manufacturing processes out there. It has minimal initial costs, and there are many affordable machines to choose from.
The Process of Injection Molding
The process of injection molding is simple, but there are several complex variables that can affect the quality of the product it creates, such as CAD program accuracy and heating temperature.
Injection-molded products are typically made out of plastic and rubber. The plastic component is usually polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or PVC and rubber can be natural or synthetic. The process is quite simple when using CAD design, you have your design already developed on your computer, so you just need to send it to the injection machine for manufacturing.
The mold is what will ultimately determine how the product appears and feels, as well as the size before going for mass production. The size and shape of the mold depend on the injection equipment you will be using or if there are other possible choices for you to consider. Options vary depending on your budget.
In order to make a mold, you need to have the right tools and materials on hand. Their quality will heavily impact the level of success in your project, so you should try not to cut costs wherever possible in order to save money.
Types of Materials Applied in Injection Molding
There are several different types of materials that can be used for injection molding, depending on each project’s needs. A few examples would be:
- PVC pipes or joints with lead as an additive
- ABS – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
- metal alloys specifically made for use in the automotive industry in creating equipment and parts
- wood, rubber, or natural fibers
The choice of material is also important when choosing your injection machine. Heated injection machines are ideal for PVC and natural fibers, while an open-die machine will work best with rubber.
How to Get Started
In order to get started with injection molding, you first need to find the right supplier for your business. From there, you should do some research on that company to see if they specialize in the sorts of products you offer.
The next step would be to request quotes from each vendor and details about how long it will take for them to make an injection mold and ship your order to you.
To compare service provider quotes and choose the best one for your needs, you should consider factors like price, quality of workmanship, and turnaround time.
Injection molding is one of the most convenient production methods for startups as it allows them to produce a wide range of high-quality products with minimal investment.
Final Thoughts
Injection molding has been around for over 60 years, but it’s only recently that it’s been making its way into mainstream manufacturing. It allows manufacturers to produce high-quality products quickly and economically while reducing waste in the process.
It is believed that the process of injection molding will continue to grow in popularity as time goes on. It has the ability to provide a high-quality finished product at a reasonable cost and numerous benefits to manufacturers and consumers alike.
