Wednesday, December 28, 2016

General Information About Plastic Injection Molding

By Dennis Foster


With the improvement in technology manufacturing industries are on the verge of growth. Plastic injection molding is not left behind even as new technology is being invented in the manufacturing industry. This is a process which deals with the fabrication of plastic parts. Many products are manufactured by this process. These products differ in size, complexity, and their application.

The process requires the application of an injection molding machine, a mold, and raw material. During the process, the plastic is melted in the machine and the injected into the mold. It is then allowed to cool and hence solidifies into the final product.

There are four main stages which are required to manufacture the plastic parts. The first step is referred to as the clamping stage. Before the materials are injected into the mold, the two halves of this mold must be securely closed using the clamping unit which is a part of this molding machine. Each half is attached to the machine after which one part is freed to slide. The clamping unit is powered by a hydraulic system, and it pushes the two halves together thus exerting a force which keep the molds closed as the materials are being injected.

After clamping the material are injected into these molds. The materials entering the molds are usually in a molten state. To begin this stage, the raw materials which are in the form of pellets are fed into the machine. Heat and pressure are applied to them making them melt. The molten material is the injected into the molds. Pressure is created that packs and holds these materials into position. The amount of material injected into it is known as the shot. The taken while injecting the materials can be estimated from shot volume, injection pressure, and injection power.

Thirdly, is cooling. The molten plastic which is inside the mold starts to cool immediately it comes in contact with the interior mold surface. As it cools, it solidifies to the shape of the required part. However, it is important to know that during cooling, some shrinkage may occur. As a result, the packing of material in the previous stage allow additional material to flow into it thus reducing the visible shrinkage. The frame remained opened until required cooling is obtained.

Finally, the materials are removed from the molds in a process known as ejection. This procedure occurs in the ejection system which normally is attached on the back of the mold. As stated earlier, shrinkage normally takes place as the material cools. For this reason, some material adheres to the mold. A force is thus applied to force these materials out of the mold. A mold release agent can be sprayed on the surface of this mold before injections to make ejection easier.

There are many tiny plastic parts which are made by this process. The popular one is plastic housing. This is a thin walled enclosure, and it is used in a variety of products such as household appliances, power tools, consumer electronics and automotive dashboards.

On its benefits, accuracy is the outstanding; however, there are some other advantages. This process is accurate because it allows fabrication of any form of the part. Despite design restrictions of these molds, the finished parts are usually precise.




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