Injection molding is a manufacturing process that uses a heated metal slug to create products by forcing hot plastic into molds. This technology is used in a wide range of industries, including toys, automotive, electronics, and medical.
It is ideal for the consistent and affordable production of a massive range of high-quality complex plastic parts. While that reason is enough to rank injection molding high on the list of most favored and go-to solutions, there’s much more that gives this manufacturing process an edge over other counterparts.
Curious to know why manufacturers around the world prefer using Injection Molding over other methods? Here’s a comprehensive guide covering the key benefits of using this technique.
A Quick Introduction to the Injection Molding
Injection molding is a manufacturing process that prduces plastic objects by pressing molten plastic into a mold, where it cools and hardens. This process creates items that are often more consistent in shape and size, thus supporting mass production.
It is extremely versatile method of manufacturing plastic parts and comes with multiple advantages over other methods. Not only this technique is simpler and reliable, but it is also extremely efficient for creating thousands of even millions of similar products in succession.
njection molding uses a press technique to create objects from a plastic material. The plastic is heated until it liquefies, and then it is forced into a mold, which is why, the final product is often very attractive, with a smooth finish. This process is mainly used to create products such as toys, furniture, and automobile parts.
Additionally, injection molding is faster than other methods; it can produce objects in less time than stamping or machining.
6 Reasons Why Manufacturers Prefer Using Injection Molding
Manufacturers are increasingly turning to injection molding to produce high-quality products at a lower cost. It is one of the most efficient ways to create products, and it has a number of advantages over other manufacturing processes.
Here are 6 best reasons that makes Injection Molding such an attractive option for manufacturers.
- Low Cost Per Part
Manufacturers use injection molding because it is a low-cost way to produce parts. The machinery and the process are relatively simple, so there is little need for specialized equipment, except mold.
Since it manufacturers products in the bulk, it automatically reduces the labor costs, as compared to other types of molding. This method comes with an ability to produce the parts with a high output rate, which in turn helps with its cost efficiency and effectiveness.
Injection molding also allows for a high degree of flexibility in the design of the part, which means that it can be produced quickly and cheaply. Additionally, there are several other ways through which this process can help OEMs reduce the overall manufacturing costs.
Once the mold is designed and approved, manufacturers can significant produce as many parts as required with minimum hassle. The process of Injection Molding mainly focuses on Design for Manufacturability and other details required in the design phase to reduce the number of problems later on.
It further minimizes the need of pricey tooling changes, downtime, and other unnecessary production delays. Moreover, Injection Molding is an automated process and a majority of the process is performed by machines and robotics; hence requires a one or two operators to control and manage the entire procedure.
Automation further helps reduce manufacturing costs, as the overheads are significantly reduced. It also allows for making precise and accurate injection molds. Hence, all in all, Injection Molding is one of the cheapest methods to carry out mass production of products of similar shapes and sizes.
- Low Wastage and Scrap Rates
Unlike other manufacturing techniques, Injection Molding is one of the sustainable solutions to manufacture plastic products. It mainly uses polyethylene terephthalate and high-density polyethylene plastics during the manufacturing process. Both of them can be recycled, thus reducing the overall impact on the environment.
Since this method produces less waste as compared to its counterparts, it automatically boasts shallow scrap rates in comparison to other traditional manufacturing processes which cut away huge percentages of an original plastic block or sheet.
When it comes to Injection Molding, waste plastic comes from four areas, including The Spruce, The Runners, The Gate Locations, and Any other overflow material that leaks out of the cavity.
With thermoplastic materials, they can be recycled and can be used again. They can either being melted back down for a future project or sent to be recycled elsewhere. It further helps cutting down on landfil and reduces toy companies’ carbon footprints.
The durability of plastic also means that it doesn’t have to be replaced as often and new components can be manufactured so often. With Injection Molding,
manufacturers can easily opt for sustainable practices like plastic regrind, which further minimizes waste and directly benefits OEMs.
- It enables manufacturers to produce complex part designs.
Injection Molding can easily handle complex part designs while maintaining uniformity and accuracy. Components manufactured using this technique for toy industry can be made to any specification, including very small units to fit into intricate structures and plans to much larger pieces.
In order to optimize the effectiveness of high-volume injection molding and maximize the accuracy and quality, manufacturers should keep into account some key factors. For instance, the part design must be developed to maximize the efficient inherent in high-volume molding. With the right mold design, parts can be made consistently and with quality.
Injection Molding allows manufacturers to produce complex shapes that would otherwise prove too difficult and costly to assemble. It means that you and your client can easily create intricate designs, knowing that they will be easily replicated in plastic with virtually no deviation.
The injection molds are subjected to extremely high pressure, owing to which, the plastic within the molds is pressed harger against it as compared to any other molding process. This excessively high pressure makes it possible to add a large amount of details into the design of the part.
Remember that the key to consistency is reliance on the comprehensive data collection and analysis techniques at the center of scientific molding. Specialization is required to accurately develop and document the specifications, settings, and steps required to create a tightly controlled and repeatable manufacturing process.
However, designing and then prototyping the mold itself is a big taks for manufacturers. One small design errors can lead to a massive loss, hence make sure you get the design right for the very first time to avoid any troubles later on.
- High Repeatability
Manufacturers use injection molding because the process is repeatable, reliable, and produces products with consistent quality. There’s no denying that that Injection Molding leverages repetition and consistency, which means that the second part you produce is going to be practically similar to the first one.
Injection Molding is an effective way to maintain brand consistency and part reliability even in high volume production. Since all parts are created using the same process, they have similar characteristics. This makes it easy to compare and contrast different products, ensuring that they all meet client’s specifications.
This technique is great for businesses that need to produce a high volume of products quickly and without errors. can create similar products with no variation between batches, thus allowing businesses to produce products in large quantities without having to worry about variations in quality.
In addition, injection molding is a fast and reliable process, which means that your products can be delivered on time.
- It created highly durable parts
Durability and Strength are key factors that need to evaluated when manufacturing an injection molded part. The designer first check that if the part needs to be flexible or rigid in order to adust the integrating ribs or gussets accordingly.
Injection molded products are exceptionally durable as these are precision-made using a controlled process. They have a high tensile strength compared to other others. Since these parts are made up from molten plastics, they feature no joints or layers that could act as a weak point from a certain direction.
Moreover, parts manufactured with the Injection Molding are much more resistant to wear and tear than products made using other manufacturing techniques. It is possible to add fillers to the injection mold, which furthers reduces the density of the product during the molding process while adding extra strength.
This makes injection molded products ideal for use in high-stress environments, like toy industry, automotive components, and more.
- It gives freedom to choose material and color
Yet another reason why manufacturers often prefer using Injection Molding over other techniques to manufacture toy parts is its extremely flexibility. This method gives manufacturers a complete freedom to choose different materials and colors to enhance the possibilities.
The advancement of polymers and the development of large resin selection allows manufacturers to make the appropriate choice, that fits their client’s requirements well. However, there are certain factors that manufacturers should keep in mind while choosing the resins for their project, such as tensile strength, impact strength, heat deflection, water absorption, and many more.
Plastic has overtaken several other raw materials for its versatility in texture, color, and style. They can take colors and images well, which further makes them an ideal choice for an injection molding process.
So, these are some of the major reasons that make Injection Molding the most preferred choice among manufacturers worldwide. There’s no secret that this molding technique has many benefits over traditional manufacturing processes.
It is faster, more flexible, and can produce higher quality products with no variations. Injection Molding also has a lower environmental impact than its counterparys as it doesn’t produce damaging emissions or require harsh chemicals during the process.
The process is extremely versatile and can be used to create products for many different industries. It produces repeatable parts which makes it ideal for products that need to be precision-made.