Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Understanding The Plastic Injection Molding Process

By Ann Foster


Basically, injection molding is a manufacturing process which involves heating the plastic granules and then forcing the melted plastic through a mold cavity. This process is the one commonly used in production of plastic parts. However, with plastic injection molding, various products are produced. These products usually vary complexity, sizes, and application. This process, however, requires a machine, a mold, as well as raw plastic materials.

Usually, raw plastics are initially melted inside a machine prior to infusion into the mold to cool and solidify. In Cobourg, ON, this technique generates thin-walled parts made of plastics normally put to various uses including making plastic casings. The casings are generally used in sealing various items including power tools, automotive dashboards, household appliances and even consumer electronics. Open containers including buckets are also other products that are manufactured.

Injection molding cycle generally is a four stage short process that lasts for about 2 seconds and two minutes. The initial stage is referred to as clamping. Prior to injection of materials into the molds, one ought to ensure that the two halves are securely closed with clamping units.

During the injection stage, every half is attached to the machine and one half is made to slide. The clamping unit is normally hydraulically powered and pushes these mold halves together while exerting enough force to ensure the mold is closed securely while injecting the material.

The next phase entails infusion raw plastic pellet continuously into the molding apparatus. In this phase, raw materials are melted using continuous application of heat and pressure. The melted materials are then imparted into the casts where additional pressure build-up holds and compacts them. The quantity of imparted material is called a shot. The interval or time duration that the phase lasts is generally hard to ascertain. However, estimations are generally gained by relying on the injection power, injection pressure as well as quantity of shot.

The third phase is cooling. Here molten materials contained in molds are left to cool as they gain contact with the internal mold surfaces. They then solidify and take the desired shapes. Nonetheless, some shrinking can happen as the cooling takes place, although packing of materials at this point usually allows for addition of material into the molds that reduces any visible shrinkages.

The final stage is the ejection stage. This takes place after enough time has passed and the cooled parts can, therefore, be ejected by the ejection system from the mold. Once the mold is opened, a certain mechanism is used to remove the part from the mold. Normally, force is applied in ejecting the part since the part shrinks and sticks to the foam during cooling. To facilitate the ejection process, a mold release agent may be used and sprayed on mold cavity surfaces before injecting the material.

Once this cycle elapses, post-processing procedures are undertaken. This is as the cast held materials usually become solid on cooling and stick onto the parts. Nonetheless, any extra materials as well as flashes that might have occured ought to be clipped off from the part.




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