You would think “they” (read: industry scientists) would have thought of this long ago: use computer software to simulate the plastic injection molding process, consigning “trial-and-error” testing to the plastic slag heap, and saving enormous amounts of time and money. At the risk of stating the obvious, plastic injection mold simulation utilizes software to simulate…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
Manufacturing is all about reducing complexity. After all, if you can remove a step from the process, wouldn’t that save time and (of course) money? The big question is, (also, of course)”how”? Enter “in-mold labeling,” which is the process of applying labels to plastic-injection molded products like containers or bottles during the manufacturing process. In-mold labeling,…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized
Smaller… Lighter…Faster: Such is the mantra for many plastic injection molders these days, especially in the area of “thin wall” parts-manufacturing. “Thin-wall” in relation to portable electronics parts are those with a wall thickness less than 1 millimeter. For larger automotive parts, “thin” may mean 2 mm. Whatever the specification, thinner walls call for modifications…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
Plastic packaging for food and beverage products comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. But which standard plastic parts-forming process — blow-molding or plastic injection molding — is the right one for your product? The answer is, of course, “it depends”. On what, you ask? On a multitude of variables that include (but are not…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
It had to happen sooner or later. We’re talking about fiber optics vs. thermocouples: which sensor is better at monitoring melt-temperature during the injection molding process? For years, the all-important melt-temperature monitoring process was strictly a thermocouple thing. But leave it to a Chicagoland vendor (Okay, Futaba of Japan … but they’ve been in Schaumburg…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized
Okay, let’s start out with a few basic concepts… Thermoplastics are formed into products when they are molten: their ultimate shape and internal structure is determined by cooling. If a malformation occurs, they can be re-heated, then reshaped, if need be. The polymer chains of thermoplastics, whether branched or linear, will stay separated and distinct…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
Even if 3D printing eventually usurps plastic injection molding — and that’s a BIG if — prototypes will continue to play an indispensable role in the production of plastic parts. Why? Simply put, prototypes are crucial to several steps which precede the actual production of parts. These include communications, engineering studies, market studies (to evaluate…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized
Cooling time: is there any plastic injection molding company that wouldn’t like to reduce it, and thus reduce cycle time? After all, a typical production cycle for a plastic part is 30 seconds to a minute, but cooling takes more than half of that cycle time. Time is money, so lowering cooling time directly impacts the bottom…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized
The hype over 3D printers has been as relentless as it has been ubiquitous: you can’t turn on a TV, radio or computer without hearing yet another breathless story on the new manufacturing technology. But is it unwarranted? Will 3D printing be the next Internet, the uber-technology that will take over the world, flattening entire…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
The process of forming a plastic part by shooting hot, molten plastic resin into the cavity of a mold may seem like a scientific exercise. However, many industry veterans will tell you it’s more of an art. In fact, the injection molding process and tooling design practices have evolved over the years through trial and…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods