For any company looking to mass produce a large number of identical products, there are only a few options available. The most cost effective in terms of production, distribution and highest level of quality is plastic. With several different kinds of available plastic, rapid plastic injection molding can be used for containers, automotive parts, toys and anything else in between. For a business owner interested in plastic parts design, they need to educate themselves on the process of plastic injection molding and how it can be used to cater towards their specific needs.
The Design
The initial product design takes place on a computer with CAD (computer aided designer) software. This allows the manufacturing company to render a 3D image of the final product. Once complete, a company such as Proto Plastics inspects the 3D design to ensure a completely accurate construction. From there, a mold is produced. From the mold, every single replicant product will come from, so the design quality of the mold is vital.
Injection Process
Once the mold has passed inspection, the plastics parts design can continue with the injection process. This is where the physical product is manufactured. Small granules of plastic are deposited into a heated drum. Inside of the drum is a rotating, screw-like body that carries the plastic towards the nozzle of the drum. The screw design ensures even displacement of the plastic. As the plastic travels down the barrel of the drum, it continues to heat until it has liquified. The nozzle injects the liquid plastic into the mold. Once the mold is full of the liquid plastic it is pushed outward and rapidly cooled (typically) with a quick water bath. This hardens the plastic inside of the mold. Once hard, the finished plastic produce is ejected from the mold, at which point the mold lowers back into position and readies itself for the next injection of plastic. This process continues for as long as the manufacturer needs the part produced.
Exact Accuracy
While the plastic parts design allows for a large number of finished products in a short period of time, a good deal can go wrong when a less than professional staff heads the project. It is why going with an experienced company such as Proto Plastics is important. With experts on hand who know the proper plastic temperature, a manufacturer will never run into errors with injection molding.