Injection molding is an excellent technology in the manufacturing process that is often used to design several plastic items daily. The plastic parts made from this process are typically part of a larger end product and form an underlying base for the products’ smooth functioning. That is why it becomes essential to get the design of the injection molded part right to be applied for its intended use.
To design the parts accurately, it’s vital to understand the injection molding process. Visit a site like http://www.rapiddirect.com/services/injection-molding/ to know how you can benefit from a specialized design team that can simplify your specifications to deliver a one-stop solution for your injection molding requirements. Outlined below is the basic overview of the steps involved in the injection molding process:
Step 1: The Closure of Mold
As the first step, the injection mold created for the specific design requirement of the part is closed by clamping together either half of the mold. The mold consists of two halves, a fixed part, and a moving part. The mold design must enable easy ejection of the parts. The timer begins when the mold is closed.
Step 2: Injection
The molten plastic is injected in its granular form into the mold. As the particles enter the mold, the displaced air escapes through the vents. The runner, gate, and vent design are important design considerations to ensure that the mold is filled properly.
Step 3: Cooling
Once the mold is filled, it is allowed to cool down for the stipulated time needed to harden the material. The time is dependent on the type of resin and the thickness of the part.
Step 4: The Resin is plasticized
During the cool-off period, the barrel screw retracts and obtains new plastic resin into the barrel from the material hopper. The required barrel temperature is maintained by the heater bands depending on the type of resin used.
Step 5: Ejection
The mold opens while the ejector rod gets set to shift the ejector pins forward. The hardened part then falls into a bin located under the mold.
Step 6: Removing the Runners
Although the injection molding process ends with ejection, there is still a bit of leftover runner in the mold cavity that needs to be removed and cleaned up for further process to be carried out. In most cases, the runners are ground and recycled to make it eco-friendly and cost-effective. The usable parts are sent to packaging for final delivery.
To sum up, a part created using the injection molding process is constructed by injecting molten plastic into a mold that is subject to high pressure and, as a result, hardens to form its final shape. The hardened part is discharged, and the process can be repeated multiple times to create the desired volume. It’s vital to understand the several stages of the process to weigh all the factors in the design of the part and develop the desired outcome.
To design your injection molded part, contact the well-renowned experts and get started to design high-end parts according to your exact requirements. Don’t settle for less, and do your research to make an accurate design according to the specifications you want.
