Plastic Parts & Moulding English Vocabulary
Moulding – The process of shaping plastics or other materials by using a variety of moulding tools such as injection, blow, and compression.
Injection Moulded Parts – Parts made using the injection moulding process.
Plastic Injection Mould – A tool used to create the shape of an object by injecting molten plastic into it.
Thermoplastic Resins – A type of plastic resin which becomes mouldable when heated and returns to a solid when cooled.
Thermoset Resins – A type of plastic resin which cures to form a permanent bond and cannot be melted again without breaking down its structure.
Plastics – A broad term for a variety of synthetic or semisynthetic materials, used in the manufacture of parts.
Resins – A type of plastic material made from a variety of combinations of monomers, chemicals and additives used in the manufacture of durable goods.
Vacuum Formed Parts – Parts made by using heat and pressure to form a sheet of plastic into a desired shape.
Blow Moulding – A process of creating objects by blowing molten plastic into a mould.
Extrusion – A process of pushing a material through an opening to form a shape.
Mould Cavity – The space inside a mould which is filled with the plastic resin to make the object.
Injection Mousand – A tool used to shape materials by injecting them into a cavity.
Backing Plate – A thin metal plate typically found on the back side of an injection mould, which is used to hold plastic parts securely in place.
Finishing – The process of smoothing and polishing the surface of moulded parts to the desired finish.
Weld Lines – An imperfection on a plastic part caused by two pieces of plastic that were once connected via a weld line but have since separated.
Plasticizing – The process of adding heat and pressure to a plastic material in order to make it more flexible and easier to mould.
Vent Holes – Holes in the moulding tool which help to equalize the pressure on the plastic part and relieve trapped air as the plastic sets.
Knit Lines – Crease marks left on a plastic part when two different materials or two sets of materials have been joined together.
Release Agents – Agents used to prevent the moulded material from sticking to the mould itself.
Polymer – A long chain of molecules which can form a variety of shapes when heated and cooled.
Filler Agents – Substances added to a plastic resin to add strength, stiffness, heat resistance, and other characteristics.
Gating – The process of controlling the flow of molten material into the mould cavity.
Straddles – The part of a plastic moulding tool which helps to create uniform parts.
Runner – The system of channels that distributes molten plastic from the nozzle to the mould cavities.
Undercut – An indentation in the mould which is slightly deeper than the thickness of the plastic part.
Cavity – The interior of a mould which is used to form a desired shape.
Draft Angle – An angle or taper created at the edges of the mould in order to help the moulded parts release easily from the mould.
Moldflow Analysis – The computer simulation of the entire injection moulding process in order to determine potential areas of improvement.
Surface Finish – The finish on a plastic part which can range from matte to glossy depending on the injection moulding process.
Mechanical Properties – The specific characteristics of a plastic part, such as strength, stiffness, and elongation.
Reinforcement – The process of adding fillers or other materials to a plastic part in order to increase its stiffness, strength, heat resistance, or other desired properties.
