One of the questions that are asked most often about injection molding is what kinds of products or parts can be made with it. This question does not have a simple answer, because this specific manufacturing process may be customized in order to suit the requirements of many manufacturers and industries. Plastic injection molding is a very versatile process that may be used to produce a wide range of parts. In this article, we will be closely examining injection molding, why this process is so dynamic, and which types of parts and products it creates on a regular basis.
How The Plastic Injection Molding Process Actually Works
Typically, the injection molding process is used for producing large volumes of a specific part with a very high degree of accuracy. The way this process works is that melted plastic resin is injected inside a hollow mold until the melted plastic completely fills up the mold. Then the mold is cooled so that the plastic resins that are inside the mold and harden so that it takes on the form of the specific part that is being produced. Molds may take on a practically endless number of forms and shapes. This is why injection molding is such a highly versatile manufacturing method that can be used for making so many different types of products.
Products and Parts Manufactured using Injection Molding Machines
Since injection molding machines may be used to fill practically any kind of mold design that you can imagine, there is no such thing as a comprehensive and definitive list of the kinds of parts and products that can be made using injection molds. That said, the following are some of the most widely and commonly used products that are made with the injection molding process.
Electronic housings. A majority of electronic devices have some kind of plastic housing that makes up the product’s main exterior body and protects the wiring and interior components against damage. Examples include printers, phones, remote controls, computers, TVs, and others. Injection molding is used to manufacture custom plastic enclosures or housings for all of these types of devices.
Toys. Numerous popular toys are made out of molded plastic -including the bright colored blocks that the well-known Lego brand is famous for.
Plastic drinkware, containers, and dishes, Plastic drinkware, and dishes, trays, Tupperware containers, and other types of plastic products that might be used in the dining room or kitchen are often produced using injection-filled molds. Another thing that fits into this category is water bottles.
Automotive parts. In automotive components and parts, injection molding is very common, including cupholders, dashboard housings, bumpers, and much more.
Healthcare supplies. There are numerous healthcare products that are disposable and made out of plastic. Most of them are produced using a molding process. Some of the supplies include implants, surgical equipment, containers (like test tubes or breakers), and plastic syringes.
Construction materials. Often when thinking of construction materials, concrete, steel, and wood come to mind. However, plastic frequently plays a major role in everything from housings for fixtures, to vents, deck fasteners, and flooring panels.
As previously discussed, our list is not intended to be comprehensive. We instead wanted to provide you with a basic idea of how wide-ranging injection molding is. Since it is inexpensive and easy to produce molds, and since the manufacturing process is very replicable, many money-saving opportunities can be provided by injection molds for product manufacturers. These savings are then passed onto consumers- without having to sacrifice overall quality, durability, or design precision.