Molded Coils

Molded Coils

Molded coils, like all electric coils, are made from conductive metal wire wrapped or coiled into a specific diameter, and considered electromagnets or magnets that are only activated to magnetism when introduced to an electrical current. Electric coils provide either movement or electric current transformation through electromagnetism. An outer casing is used on electric coils that require protection from harsh environmental conditions such as moisture, salt, oil or vibration; with nothing to protect delicate copper coils from the elements, an electric coil's conductivity would be easily lost. Molded coils and encapsulated coils solve this problem in overlapping ways: molded coils are enclosed in injection molded or thermoplastic coverings that seal the entire coil unit, while encapsulated coils more often use liquid or thermoformed polymer epoxies. While these two overlapping types are often the same, molded coils more often refer to coils that are encased in hollow, thermoformed or injection molded plastic casings; encapsulated coils are often molded into liquid or thermoformed epoxies, the coil becoming one with its casing. Molded coils generally have hard, hollow casings, which are good at protecting coils from harmful weather.

The design of molded coils offers superior weather resistance; many molded coils are entirely waterproof, allowing for a much broader diversity of applications. While some types of molded coils can be cost-effective alternatives to larger, more complicated structures, the tooling costs of manufacturing plastic parts that encapsulate molded coils are often more expensive than impregnated coils, which have wire directly epoxy or laminate-dipped and therefore require little or no tooling. Manufacturers choose molded coils, encapsulated coils or custom coils that best fit the application and manufacturing process at hand. Some such applications and industries that utilize this basic function of transmitting heat, sound or electricity include: Mp3 players and cameras in the electronic arena, engines and ignition systems in the automotive industry, x-ray and ventilation machines in the medical field, tractors and fertilizers among agricultural equipment and numerous material handling equipment in industrial manufacturing.