An Analysis of Plastic Injection Molding
You probably didn’t know that majority of the plastic products are produced through a manufacturing method called plastic injection molding. Some of the these products are quick release buckles, car dashboards, kitchen utensils, children’s toys, water bottles, gadget parts and so much more. This manufacturing process is a practical way to produce plastic products in bulk. The kind of machine to be used will depend on the type of product to be manufactured.
Who do we thank for all of this? The process as we know it was first invented by John Wesley Hyatt. It was first used in manufacturing billiard balls. Hyatt did this by injecting celluloid into a circular mold in 1868. Eventually, he added a plunger into the machine. Another inventor made improvements to this type of machine. James Hendry made some modifications by adding a screw to the machine back in 1946.
Nowadays, a plastic moulding company has the option to use either type of machine. The main difference between the two lies in the way the raw materials are injected into the mold. But in general, the screw type machine has gained more popularity because they offer more convenience to manufacturers.
The plastic injection molding process makes use of plastic raw materials or resins in pellets or granules. The kind of raw materials to be used depends on the type of product to be manufactured and the budget. There are several types of plastic available and some of them are not safe for human use. The following are plastics that are commonly used by quick release buckle suppliers and manufacturers; Delrin, Teflon, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polycarbonate and polyethylene.
Even if plastics are non-biodegradable, the injection molding process helps reduce the production of wastes and allows excess raw materials to be reused and remanufactured.
To start the process, the chosen raw materials are placed into the machine hopper. This is an opening where plastic is fed. Then it is transferred into the cylinder where plastic is heated to a certain temperature and liquefied.
The machine screw or plunger will then force the liquified plastic into the plastic injection mold through a nozzle. The injection mold may have more than one cavity. More cavity means it is possible for more than one product to be manufactured at a given amount of time. Manufacturers may use steel, aluminum or beryllium alloy for their molds. Steel molds are durable and long-lasting while the aluminum or beryllium alloy types are economical but not as durable and long-lasting like the steel molds.
The overall production cost will affect the selection of plastic raw material and metal type for the injection mold. In general, manufacturers use cheaper metals on the molds when they make the product prototypes and use the durable and long-lasting metals when they are already making the mass produced plastic products.
To finalize the process, the liquified plastic is allowed to cool and harden. Once the plastic has hardened, the product will be ejected from the machine. It will be checked for quality control, packed then shipped to the client. The entire manufacturing process can be finished in just minutes because it is done automatically by the plastic injection molding machines.
Since this process enables manufacturers to make several products in a short amount of time, it is possible for them to manufacture products that need high precision and save costs on labor.
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