How Does Plastic Injection Molding Work?
Plastic injection molding is used in a wide range of industries to create everything from automotive components and medical equipment to toys, and so many things in between. The basic manufacturing process involves melting down plastic and then injecting it into a mold under high pressure. The plastic is then cooled, so it can solidify and be removed by opening up the mold. The result is a plastic product with a fixed, predetermined form.
Before the plastic injection molding takes place, a designer or industrial engineer will design the product or part. That design is then sent to a mold maker who builds the mold, usually from aluminum or steel. The type of plastic that is used depends on the requirements of the product being created—whether it needs to withstand hot or cold environments, come into contact with corrosive chemicals, etc.
The plastic injection molding process
- Step 1: Close the mold
- Step 2: Inject the hot melted plastic
- Step 3: Once the mold is filled, the plastic cools
- Step 4: The mold opens and the part is ejected
- Step 5: The parts are weighed, counted, and packaged
What are the advantages?
There are several key advantages of plastic injection molding that make it superior to other manufacturing methods:
- It’s fast – Plastic injection molding is efficient and provides a high production output rate, allowing manufacturers to create a large number of molds in a short period of time.
- Complex parts – More than just speed, this process can handle complicated geometries and churn out millions of virtually identical products. As long as a mold can be created with the right design, then you can manufacture a highly complex component.
- Excellent strength and versatility – Injection molding allows you to use a wide variety of plastics and resins with varying stiffness, wear rates, and chemical compatibilities, so you can match the capabilities to the needs of your project.
- Low labor costs – Plastic injection molding equipment is usually highly automated to keep production streamlined and ongoing with minimal supervision.
- Opportunities to reduce waste – The excess plastic generated by injection molding can be recycled and used again in future production.
Aztec Plastic Company
Chicago, Illinois 60612