The benefits of injection moulding

Plastic injection moulding is favoured over other methods of plastic moulding for a variety of reasons: It is straightforward, consistent and extremely efficient.

Here are five key benefits to using this technique to manufacture parts:

Efficiency

Injection moulding is an extremely efficient method of producing a large number of identical products, both in terms of time and cost.

Once the mould itself has been designed, depending on the material used, it can produce hundreds of thousands of components. For large batches of products, the price per component drops significantly.

As the molten, liquid plastic solidifies in seconds, injection moulding is a very quick process.

Product Strength

Products produced using plastic injection moulding have a high tensile strength compared to other creation methods, such as 3D printing.

The liquid plastic forms a single product with no joints or layers that could be weak points from a certain direction.

Additionally, it is possible to add fillers to the injection mould. This reduces the density of the product during the moulding process, whilst simultaneously adding extra strength.

Complex Design

Injection moulding allows manufacturers to produce complex shapes that would prove too difficult and costly to assemble.

When the liquid plastic is injected into the mould, it is done so under a great deal of pressure. This forces the liquid plastic into every area of the mould. It is, therefore, possible to create intricate designs, confident in the knowledge that they will be replicated in plastic.

Co-Injection Moulding

A key benefit of adopting the injection moulding process is the ability to inject two different types of plastics. Co-injection removes any concerns about using a particular type of plastic for the entire product.

Automation

The injection moulding process is primarily conducted inside a machine. This means that a single operator, or robot, can control and manage the procedure. This helps to minimise costs. With the recent developments of the smart factory, the largely automated process means that injection moulding can become even more efficient with factories potentially being able to run 24 hours a day with little impact on the human workforce.

Injection moulding offers customers a great range of versatility and choice for their products and business requirements.