Ideal for producing high volumes of the same object, custom injection molding is one of the most common methods of part manufacturing. Custom injection molding is an injection molding process in which the mold is not pre-made, but is formed specifically for the consumer’s application.
Related Categories
Custom injection molding creates parts that are extremely accurate and efficient because they were formed with the application in mind. This ability is particularly useful in industries with more unusual product requirements as well as for design engineers desiring to create new products and test prototypes. From catheters, contact lens containers, monitors, mop buckets and video game cartridges to office supplies, toys and tools, custom injection molding offers the ability to create unique parts whether they are simple in shape or require high precision geometric complexities. Typical industries that utilize custom injection molding processes include aerospace, manufacturing, medical, automotive, electronics, textile, construction and appliance. While custom injection molding is most often done using thermoplastic materials, such as ABS or polycarbonates, other plastic materials such as biodegradable plastics, thermosets and elastomers, can also be used in this process.
Custom injection molds are typically contracted from metals such as aluminum, and are often design through using CAD software for high accuracy. To begin, an injection molding machine has a barrel section which is heated first. Plastic pellets or granules are fed into a hopper where a screw pushes them to the heated barrel. In the barrel, the pellets or granules are heated to the melting point. The molten plastic material is then injected into the cavity of a split die chamber/mold, which is then clamped shut. The plastic resin cools as water or other fluids circulate through the cooling system of the mold, extracting the heat. The molded plastic part is held in the mold under high pressure until the part solidifies. The plastic part is finally ejected from the plastic mold, and the process begins again. There are many advantages to the custom injection molded plastics manufacturing process, such as the wide range of plastic material which can be used and the low cost per part despite the high cost of tooling. In addition, other advantages of the custom injection molding process include the efficient use of materials and energy, precision-formed parts and a negligible amount of waste produced.
