In plastic injection molding, the number of items that can be molded in one shot using one mold is called the number of cavities. The number of cavities can be from 1 to a reported maximum of 216. Since the number of items molded in one shot becomes large as the number of cavities becomes large, it is possible to reduce the cost of production per item. However, as the number of cavities becomes larger, there is a trend of […]
Tags: Injection Molding, Plastic Parts
Injection molding is a manufacturing process where a material is injected into a mold to create a desired shape. Typically, this process is used for plastics, but it is also possible to use it for metals like aluminum. Aluminum injection molding involves melting aluminum pellets and injecting them into a mold cavity under high pressure. The aluminum solidifies quickly in the mold, taking the shape of the cavity. Once the aluminum has cooled and hardened, the mold is opened, and […]
Tags: Injection Molding
Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce single parts and products using various materials, most commonly thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers. Today, injection molding is the most popular method of manufacturing parts and is used to produce a variety of everyday plastic products, including packaging, toys, telephones, bottle lids, chairs and many more. Injection molding is also used to manufacture complex, small metal parts, known as Metal Injection Molding (MIM). But just how does injection molding work? The machine An injection […]
Tags: Injection Molding
Making injection molded prototypes is both an art and a science. High levels of technical expertise and attention to detail are required to prevent small mistakes from costing companies big money when it comes to mass-production of novel parts. Preventing such a circumstance is all about highly competent design. This article discusses some of the molding defects that can occur in a part during injection molding, and ways to fix and avoid them. Design shortcomings we will discuss include: Flow […]
Tags: Injection Molding, Plastic Parts
Troubleshooting flash is complicated, and often there is a lot of tail-chasing on the shop floor in trying to get a solution. This approach should lead you to the solution via a data-driven procedure. Testing the parting line, using pressure-indicating paper: The image on the left is flash-free. The part on the right side is flashed; note the location of flash where the paper is mostly white at the top and bottom. The white color indicates the parting-line touch force […]
Tags: Injection Molding, Plastic Parts