A beginner’s guide to plastic injection molding
What is plastic injection molding?
Plastic injection molding uses molds that are injected with melted plastic, which is then cooled to create hard plastic objects of a uniform shape and size. There are a number of different commercial and technical plastic injection molding applications.
Plastic injection molding offers several advantages over the traditional machining process.
The process begins with the creation of a mold in the desired shape. While plastic forms can be created through traditional machining without the use of a mold, using a mold offers several benefits. First, molds offer consistency in shape and size that is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve through traditional machining. Second, molds allow for the creation of more intricate decisions than can be created through traditional machining. Third, molds allow for more parts to be created in a shorter period of time than individual machining of each part would permit.
I.F. Associates, Inc. of New Jersey can help you create a finished product from your conceptual idea by taking you through the steps from idea, to conceptual drawings and CAD files, to a molded part or assembly.
Once a mold is created, then the mold is held together with a clamping unit and attached to the injection unit. Small plastic pellets are fed into the injection unit, where they are heated to a molten stage and then forced into the mold. This injection process is controlled for both speed and pressure, to ensure that the molten plastic does not break the mold. The plastic stays molten inside the mold for a short dwelling phase, which serves to ensure that the entire mold is filled, before being cooled and hardened. Once removed from the mold, the object needs little, if any, finishing.
Their design engineers can help you build a prototype or build a mold for production. By specializing in fast track engineering for your designs, I.F. Associates, Inc. can help you move from idea to creation as rapidly as possible by offering design assistance and helping you integrate the requirements of tooling and production into your final design, while retaining your unique design elements.
I.F. Associates, Inc. also offers tooling that fits your needs.
Whether you need temporary tooling to prove your design, accurate tooling for precision parts, tooling for high volume production, or low budget tooling for limited production, I.F. Associates Inc. offers tooling that fits your needs and your budget.