Three Reasons Why You Would Opt For Injection Molding Over Other Production Processes
Plastic injection molding makes everything from model car parts to plastic insulation for jet planes. A lot of other manufacturing processes could do the same, but injection molding is often the go-to choice. Here are some reasons why you might opt for injection molding over other production processes when you have a lot of one particular plastic item to produce.
Mass Production Made Easy
Injection molding is the fastest way to make a lot of one item. The molds are constructed such that you can get anywhere from one to fifty of the same plastic parts out of the reusable mold, depending on the size of the part you are trying to make. When you are making a lot of one small plastic item that can be made by using an injection mold that makes fifty at a time, you can crank thousands out in a single week.
Squeeze and Press Perfection
Injection molding takes two halves of one mold and compresses them together. the molten plastic is injected inside between the two halves of the mold and pressed hard to get the perfect shapes. The only added step in making the perfect plastic items from this process is a little light trimming of the extra bits that help the injection machine operator pull the objects from the mold. If the plastic is lightweight enough, this can be done with shears when the operator removes the cooled and formed plastic items from the machine. Otherwise, another machine in the line will address the extra bits and clean them up before packaging.
Plastic Does Not Have to Be Completely Liquid
Several other manufacturing processes that form the plastic require a liquid plastic material. Injection molding does not. Injection molding works best when you inject a hot, but not liquid, form of plastic into the machine. The plastic is like hot taffy that has not been pulled yet, but it allows for a lot more control over the plastic than a liquid formation process would. Natural flaws in the plastic "taffy" have to be monitored so that those flaws will not continue into the final product but that is a rare occurrence anyway.
Getting Started
If you have a plastic item in mind that you want mass-produced quickly and with fewer steps in the process, find a manufacturing plant that makes injection-molded products. Ask about their plastics lines and clients for their plastic injection molding services.
Share