What Is Plastic Injection Molding?

In the plastic industry, manufacturing of most plastic injection process is by the injection molding process - from medical equipment to toys. In the aerospace industry and particularly in the automotive industry, many parts are manufactured through the injection molding of plastic. Take a moment to take a look around. It is likely that there is a plastic object nearby. Quite possibly, manufactured by an injection molding machine.

The injection molding industry has undergone a series of changes in recent years, including faster marketing. One of the fundamental strategies for plastic injection moulders is to work with associated tooling suppliers to reduce manufacturing times.

How is the process of plastic injection molding developed?

The basic process of manufacture of injection molding: the plastic is melted in the plastic injection molding machine and then injected into a mold at high pressure. There, the material is cooled, solidified and then released when the two halves of the mold are opened. This technique results in a plastic product with a fixed and predetermined shape.

To facilitate production, the parts that play a role in the plastic injection molding process must be carefully designed. Before commencement of the plastic injection process, the industrial engineer designs the injection molding machines. Then, a mold maker creates the mold - usually steel or aluminum. This troquelista takes into account all the essential conditions: The material used for the final product, the characteristics of the product; but also the material of the mold and the properties of the plastic injection molding machine.

The proper cycle of the injection molding process comprises the following steps:

The mold is placed in the injection molding machine (IMM). The molding machine closes the mold and, thanks to the fixing tools, the mold remains closed during the injection molding of the plastic.

The plastic is introduced into the IMM in the form of granules or spherical particles (pellets). The molding machine heats the plastic until it becomes liquid. Next, the nozzle of the injection molding machine injects the molten plastic into the mold (injection pressure). Now, the mold cavity is filled with liquid plastic. Then, the plastic will cool to form a solid product. Finally, ejectors (link to: Ejection systems) expel the cooled product from the machine as a finished part. The injection molding process has finished.

The plastic injection molding process can be broken down into a cycle: the injection time, the cooling time and the setting or transition time.