Injection Moulding Parts Manufacturer
Injection moulding is a highly efficient process that delivers complex, finished parts with little to no postmolding operations. Injection molding machines are designed for accuracy and consistency by companies like Milacron whose hydraulic and all-electric Elektron and Magna series are known for energy efficiency and reliability.
Clamping pressure, which complements the injection pressure, is important for ensuring the quality of the molded part. Insufficient clamping can result in leakage of the molten plastic and flashes on the final part.
Thermoplastics
Injection moulding can be used with over 25,000 engineered materials including plastics, metals and silicones. These materials can be mixed to produce a part that meets the specific physical, mechanical, and chemical requirements of your product. For instance, adding glass fibers to a thermoplastic can create a stronger composite.
Thermoplastics are a class of polymers that soften when heated and can be molded into various shapes. This makes them an ideal material for injection molding. They can be reheated and remolded many times without losing their original shape, so they are a very versatile option for a wide variety of applications. Thermoplastics are made up of monomers that link together to form branches or chains. They are loosely bonded, which allows them to be remolded, and they can even be recycled.
One benefit of using thermoplastics for injection moulding is that they are able to withstand high temperatures and pressure. This allows for parts to be fabricated at very high speeds, which can save your company time and money.
In addition, thermoplastics are a great choice for lightweighting your product. Popularized in the automotive industry, this is the practice of replacing metal components with high-strength, lightweight plastics that offer the same strength and dependability. This can help reduce the overall weight of your product, which will decrease manufacturing costs, improve fuel efficiency and emissions, and reduce the risk of structural failure in the vehicle.
Thermosetting Plastics
Thermosetting plastics are solid at room temperature but soften when heated and injected into the mold. They cannot be re-melted like thermoplastics, so they are not suitable for recycling. However, these materials offer high resistance to chemicals and corrosion, as well as better heat resistance than thermoplastics.
The moulding process for thermosetting plastics requires that the material is injected at a low viscosity, meaning injection moulding parts manufacturer it can flow into every crevice and corner of the mold without damage. This allows for larger overall parts and more complex geometric shapes that are impossible with thermoplastics.
When injected, thermosets also create a hard product that is chemically bonded to the plastic. This process is known as vulcanization. This process increases the strength of a thermoset polymer as it forms permanent links between molecules and is why these types of plastics are not re-melted.
The thermosetting injection molding process is a little different from the thermoplastic injection molding process, as it uses a screw and barrel to reduce the polymer’s viscosity in a heated barrel. The screw can be designed for different types of thermosets, and is slightly compressed to remove air in order to obtain a low viscosity. This low viscosity helps the material to enter the mold at a high speed, and most thermosets flow quite well at this stage.
Thermoplastic Rubber
Thermoplastic rubbers like TPE, TPU and TPV are the most versatile injection molding materials. These plastic casings combine the physical properties of both plastic and rubber, such as high wear resistance with a soft feel. They are also highly customizable to meet the specific requirements of a project.
TPEs are manufactured from copolymerization of monomers using either block or graft polymerization. They can be molded or extruded on standard thermoplastic processing equipment in considerably shorter cycles than those required for vulcanized rubbers. This translates into lower energy costs and less waste. They are often formulated to be non-toxic.
They are lightweight, easy to mold, and offer good slip and flexing resistance. They are also available in a range of colors and can be mixed with other materials to create customized products. TPEs are highly recyclable.
TPEs are used to produce everything from control buttons and grips on specialty medical devices to the handle of a hospital bed. They are durable, able to stretch to moderate elongations and return to their original shape, and can withstand a variety of temperatures. They also have excellent chemical resistance, especially to acids and alkalis. Medical grade TPEs also provide good tensile strength and fatigue strength. This makes them ideal for medical applications. TPEs can also be molded with other materials, such as metals and wood, to make a composite product.
Metals
Metal injection molding (MIM) is used to produce components in a wide range of industries, including automotive and aerospace. It is particularly suitable for producing high-performance, hard and durable metal parts that require superior fatigue resistance. The process is also highly repeatable, meaning that each produced component meets precise specifications and performance standards.
The MIM process starts with compounding, or grinding, to create car parts mold a metal powder. The resulting alloy is then fed into the MIM machine, where it is injected into a mold cavity to resemble the final part. The resulting part, which is known as a “green” part, has an organic binder that must be removed before sintering to become the finished metal part. There are several methods for debinding, including thermal, pyrolytic, and chemical treatments. The key is to find a method that can remove all of the binder, while not damaging or warping the green part.
MIM is capable of producing parts with very fine features and complex geometries, which would be impractical to produce using other manufacturing methods. This gives engineers great design freedom to produce components with specific performance characteristics. It is also able to manufacture parts with tight tolerances, which is critical for medical devices such as endoscopic tools and catheter components. This has helped to improve minimally invasive surgery, speeding up recovery times and improving patient outcomes.
