In the 1800s, the advent of plastics and polymers spawned the concept of injection molding. The basic definition of injection molding is easy to understand. In the case of plastic injection molding, plastic resins, sometimes referred to as “plasticizers,” are passed through a heated plastic injection mold to create specific product forms. Under heated temperatures, these resins become pliable and elastic enough to be transferred to molds. One example of injection molding is the method by which window lineals are produced. In this example, polymerized plasticizer resins are entered into a heated industrial hopper and transferred through a screw or clamp type output to a plastic injection molding machine with sprue and ejector controls. The heated elasticized material is shaped into long rods by the injection mold process. The injection mold may be designed with decorative curves and angles, or the injection mold may include small markings. These markings indicate where the rods will be joined so fabricators can attach these to window glass to create window frames. Some injection molding machines also have cooling chambers where high heat temperatures are required to create the final product.
A Plastic Injection Process With Many Uses
Today, a plastic injection mold is used to create rubber, metal and plastic products. These products include:
- Toys
- Computer hardware
- Housing for small household appliances
- Bottles
- Vinyl home siding and windows
- Automotive parts like ball bearings, dashboard panels and sparkplugs
A Plastic Injection Mold for All Your Needs
It’s possible to find a product in every home, business, office or manufacturing plant that has a number of injection molded products. Beauty accessories like combs, hair brushes and the housings for blow dryers are examples of these products. Outdoor picnic tables, chairs and chaise lounges and implements like garden rakes are also produced through the molding process. Milk, soda pop and laundry detergent bottles are another group of products. This particular group of products requires food grade quality plastic resins that are safe for human use. The resins for food grade quality items are blended with biocides to protect humans from exposure to bacteria when these bottles are filled with various organic liquids.
How an Injection Molding Machine Works
The size of an machine for molding processes depends on the specific use. The types of molds also depend on the specifications of the products to be produced. The basic operation remains similar in most processes: Resins entered into a hopper are pushed through the machine chamber to the mold and then ejected. This process is relatively simple and products are manufactured in a short period of time. It’s the preferred method of producing a host of commonly used products.
Learn How Injection Molding Can Help Bring Designs to Life
Superior Plastics has years of experience working with all types of resins and using injection molding to create parts for industries ranging from aircraft makers to electronics. If you’d like to learn more about how plastic injection molding can help you realize your designs and assist your manufacturing processes, feel free to contact us!
