Prototype Plastic Molding
Plastics can be shaped into many forms using different types of processes such as molding, casting, extrusion, calendaring, laminating, foaming and thermoforming. During plastic molding process, force is applied to the plastic material during and after it enters the mold. The product is released from the mold, as soon as it hardens. There are many types of plastic molding processes. They are compression molding, injection molding, blow molding and rotational molding. Injection molding is an extremely versatile process for producing a wide range of simple or complex plastic parts – economically and with a good finish. Injection molding is accomplished by injecting melted plastic into a mold. The molded shape produced is a reverse image of the mold tool.
A Plastic molding machine consists of three basic parts, the plastic mold plus the clamping and injection units. The clamping unit is what holds the mold under pressure during the injection and cooling. Basically, it holds the two halves of the injection mold together. A machine used to extrude materials is very similar to the injection-molding machine explained above. A motor turns a thread, which feeds granules of plastic through a heater. prototype The granules melt into a liquid, which is forced through a die, forming a long ‘tube like’ shape. The extrusion is then cooled and forms a solid shape. The shape of the die determines the shape of the tube.
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Approximately 30% of all plastic products are produced using an injection molding process. Of this 30%, a large amount of these products are produced by using custom injection molding technology. Six steps are involved in the injection molding process, after the prototype has been made and approved. The first step to the injection molding process is the clamping of the mold. This clamping unit is one of three standard parts of the injection machine. They are the mold, the clamping unit and the injection unit. The clamp is what actually holds the mold while the melted plastic is being injected, the mold is held under pressure while the injected plastic is cooling. Next is the actual injection of the melted plastic. The plastic usually begins this process as pellets that are put into a large hopper. The pellets are then fed to a cylinder; here they are heated until they become molten plastic that is easily forced into the mold. The plastic stays in the mold, where it is being clamped under pressure until it cools. The next couple of steps consist of the dwelling phase, which is basically making sure that all of the cavities of the mold are filled with the melted plastic. After the plastic dwelling phase, the cooling process begins and continues until the plastic becomes solid inside the form. Finally, the mold is opened and the newly formed plastic part is ejected from its mold. The part is cleaned of any extra plastic from the mold.
Plastic molding is a relatively new way to manufacture parts. It is a fast process and is used to produce large numbers of identical items from high precision engineering components to disposable consumer goods. Injection molding is often used in mass-production and prototyping. It produces such small products as bottle tops, sink plugs, children’s toys, containers, model kits, disposable razors and parts of cameras. The process can even mould such large items as dingy hulls and kit car body shell parts. The advantages of injection molding are: high tolerances are repeatable, wide range of materials can be used, low labor costs, minimal scrap losses, little need to finish parts after molding. The disadvantages of injection molding are: expensive equipment investment,
running costs may be high, parts must be designed with specific molding consideration. Injection molding is a manufacturing technique for making parts from plastic material. Molten plastic is injected at high pressure into a mould, which is the inverse of the desired shape. The mould is made by a mold maker from metal, usually either steel or aluminium, and precision-machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection molding is very widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest component to entire body panels of cars. Services offered by providers of liquid injection molding include bonding, design assistance, graphics, tool or mold making, prototype or market entry molding, low volume production, high volume production, micro molding, large part molding, insert molding, two-shot plastic moulding, stamping services, assembly services, just-in-time capability, and packaging and shipping.