Poor Plastic Injection Molding
What is Plastic Injection Molding?
Plastic injection molding is a manufacturing technique used for producing parts and products out of plastic material. The process involves melting down the plastic material and injecting it into a pre-made mold. Upon hardening and cooling, the material is then ready to be removed from the mold and become a high-precision functioning part or product.
Plastics have been developed to have many different qualities, including thermoset, thermo-soft, elastomers, and much more. This gives manufacturers a greater range of components they can produce with plastic, and the scope of their plastic injection molded parts is virtually limitless.
The Process of Plastic Injection Molding
The plastic injection molding process is a precise and complicated process, and often requires a skilled and precise touch. The process usually requires expensive machinery, and precise machinists, trained to operate and maintain the equipment.
The plastic injection molding process begins with heating an already prepared plastic granule until it is soft enough to be injected into the desired pre-made mold. This plastic material is then injected into the mold (often at high speed and with plenty of pressure applied). As the plastic cools, it takes the shape of the mold and custom designs that were created for the plastic and for the parts or products being produced.
When completed, the parts or products can be removed and become the favored product of choice in many manufacturing industries.
Problems with Poor Plastic Injection Molding
With all this said, when something goes wrong during the plastic injection molding process, it can have a direct negative impact on the parts or products being produced. Poor molding techniques can often lead to an inferior product or one which is below expectation.
Inferior parts can be identified easily by their inconsistent wall thickness, flash (material sticking out of the part or product), sink marks (reverse wall thickness), burrs (sharp edges where they should not be) and warping (parts which take on undefined shapes).
The Importance of Precision
To ensure precision and excellent production of plastic parts, quality injection molds and skilled plastic injection molders are essential. In order for plastic injection molding to be successful, the pieces of equipment must be precisely calibrated, maintained and serviced.
Those working in the plastic injection molding industry must also continually advance their knowledge and education in order to keep up with the highly dynamic and ever changing industry of plastic components and fabrication.
Conclusion:
Plastic injection molding is a precise and powerful technique for mass-producing plastic components. It requires a great deal of precision and skill to ensure a successful outcome. Poor plastic injection molding can lead to inferior parts or products and an increase in costs due to wastage or a lack of suitable products. This underscores the necessity that companies must have the right equipment, experience, and knowledge when it comes to plastic injection molding.
