The injection moulding machine is a huge mechanism that injects the plastics and then
clamps them through the melting method. For industrial works, this gadget comes in handy to
build plastic stuff with no hassle.
Table of Contents
ToggleWhat Is an Injection Moulding Machine and How Does It Work?
plastic by squeezing it into shape from the inside.
It’s great for making lots of plastic stuff quickly and without spending too much money. But, this machine works best when you’re making a bunch of things at once. The process of making plastic stuff happens in three steps:
• Injection: The machine injects the plastic stuff and turns them into small pieces. That way these can fit inside and then get inside the molding tool.
• Melt and Mold: The machine heats the chopped plastic pieces until they turn into a gooey liquid. Then, it shapes the gooey plastic liquid into things you want to make, like a toy, bottle, or anything else.
• Hold and Cool Before Finishing: The machine holds the shaped plastic gears and then cools them out before ending its work.
FYI, this kind of machine can work with 25,000 sorts of materials, like plastic for car parts, toys, kitchen gadgets, and more.
Type of injection moulding machine!
For plastic or other uses, you’ll find around four types of injection molding machines that people usually use. These are:
▪ Hydraulic
▪ Hybrid
▪ Mechanical
▪ Electric
Main Parts of Injection Molding Machine!
This machine usually has 2 main parts where one part that pushes the plastic in (injection unit), and another part that holds everything together while the plastic is being shaped (clamping unit). Both units have 3 main parts. Let me break it down:
Injection Unit:
•Screw Motor Drive: It’s like the engine that makes the screw move.
•Reciprocating Screw and Barrel: This is where the plastic goes and gets melted.
•Heaters, Thermocouples, Ring Plungers: These things help heat the plastic and measure the temperature.
Clamping Unit:
•Mold: Like a template where the plastic goes to shape into the right thing.
•Clamping Motor Drive: Helps hold the mold tightly in place.
•Tie Bars: These are like sturdy bars that keep everything in place, like how a belt holds your pants up.
•Hydraulic QMC: It helps clamp the mold securely on a workbench.
The Good Sides of the Injection Molding Machine for Plastic!
There are quite a few benefits of using an injection molding machine for plastic use. Let me share each of them below:
Making Complicated Parts Easily:
Using an injection molding machine is great for making difficult plastic stuff. It makes them all the same, and you can make loads of them.
But, to make the most of this, you’ve got to design the part just right. With the perfect design, you can make high-quality parts that are still really complicated.
Fast and Efficient Production:
The injection molding machine is super-fast compared to other ways of making stuff. Based on the author of Xometry, it only takes about 15 to 120 seconds for each part to be made. Because it’s so quick, you can make a lot of parts in a short time.
Lots of Choices for Color and Material:
With the injection molding machine, you can choose what color you want your parts to be. You can also pick from lots of different materials. This gives you a ton of freedom to design your parts just how you want them.
Less Waste:
When you make stuff with injection molding, you don’t waste much material. Any extra bits can be melted down and used again later.
Not Much Labor Needed:
Making things with injection molding doesn’t need lots of people working. Machines do most of the work, so it’s pretty cheap to make stuff this way.
The Bad Sides of the Injection Molding Machine for Plastic!
Using an injection moulding machine to make plastic stuff has a lot of plus points. But, it also comes with some drawbacks. Let me share them below:
• An injection molding machine needs expensive steel molds, especially if you’re making a lot of stuff.
• If you’re not making a ton of things, the machine might cost a lot for each piece. So, you might want to think about using aluminum molds instead.
• The injection molding machine has some specific rules for how your design should look. Things like using drafts and curves, avoiding tricky shapes, and controlling how thick your walls are.
• Changing the design of the mold is hard. So, if you’re making just a few things, 3D printing gives you more freedom to design.
• The machine is best for making plastic parts in large numbers. But, for really small orders, 3D printing and CNC machining might be a better option than this.
Frequently Asked Questions
The injection molding machine usually costs up to $50,000 to $100,000 or more based on the size and purpose.
The use of plastic injection machines is quite a few. You can make different sizes of plastic stuff using this machine including electrical gears, toys, cups, and so on.
Acrylic, ABS, Nylon, Polyamide, Polypropylene. Polyethylene, and so on thermoplastics are used in injection moulding machine.
Wrapping Up
That’s all you need to know about the plastic injection moulding machine! Now that you understand what it is, how it works, the different types, its parts, and its pros and cons, you can make a choice more easily. I hope this guide helps you learn more about this machine.