Here’s what you need to know about plastic injection molding

From car parts to window frames, plastic injection molding is everywhere. Read on to discover more about this essential manufacturing process.

If you’re here to learn more about one of the most widely used processes in manufacturing, you’ve come to the right place. Plastic injection molding is essential to life in the United States. You’ve probably interacted with dozens of injection-molded parts today without even knowing it! Read on to learn what you need to know about plastic injection molding.

How does plastic injection molding work?

Plastic injection molding starts with tiny plastic beads made from a material of the client's choosing. Different materials have different properties, making some uniquely suited to certain tasks. These beads flow into a heating barrel that melts the plastic down so that it can easily feed through a nozzle.

The melted plastic leaves the nozzle and enters a mold, which is a perfect negative of the component that the printer will make. For example, if the final product is a simple cube, the mold will look like an empty cube. After the plastic fills up the mold completely, the manufacturing team waits until the plastic cools down.

Liquid plastic becomes solid again, and the part drops out of the mold. Now, the machine is ready to begin the process again!

What materials should you use?

We mentioned different materials earlier. There are dozens of options available with varying resistances to heat, chemicals, water, and impacts. It's up to you and your team (with the help of the injection molding company) to select the optimal material for your use case.

Applications of injection molding

Several industries make great use of plastic injection molding, from the food and beverage industry to the construction industry! Whenever someone needs materials with high stability, efficiency, and durability, they turn to injection molding.

Now that you understand what you need to know about plastic injection molding, you must determine whether this process is right for your components. When you need a cost-effective solution to produce lots of identical parts, injection molding is often the perfect way to go!