Plastic injection molding is one of the leading methods for creating automotive parts made of various polymers and plastics. In fact, this method is so popular that its current market value is estimated to reach over $385 billion by 2027.
With injection molding potentially transforming how your business produces and creates parts for your vehicles, you must know the basics about it.
Here are three things you need to be aware of about plastic injection molding.
You Can Use Multiple Materials For Plastic Injection Molding
When using a plastic injection mold to create your products, you need to know which plastics and materials will work with this method, not to mention the materials you need to avoid.
Thankfully, this process is very versatile, meaning you can use multiple plastics to create the perfect product for your needs.
Currently, the most popular plastics that you can use with plastic injection molds include:
- Acrylic
- Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (also known as ABS)
- Nylon polyamide
- Polycarbonate
- Polyethylene
- Polyoxymethylene
- Polypropylene
- Polystyrene
- Thermoplastic elastomer
- Thermoplastic polyurethane
There are also other plastics that you can use in the molding process; however, those listed are the top ten.
The Molding Process
Plastic injection molding is a fairly simple process, which is why it’s become one of the leading methods for many manufacturers.
To create a product using this method, you first need to create an aluminum mold in the shape of your desired product. Once you have the mold, hot, melted resin is injected into the mold through a cavity.
Once shot into the mold, the plastic will quickly set into the desired shape and typically will not require cooling channels. From here, these pieces of plastic products will then be shipped off.
Industries That Use Injection Molding The Most
Plastic injection molding is useful for pretty much every industry in business. With that said, some use it more than others.
Out of all the industries, the food and beverage industry utilizes plastic injection molded products the most. These are usually to create packaging and cutlery.
Following the food industry, another area is the automotive industry. Here, this process is typically used to make customized parts that can improve a vehicle’s performance.
The automotive industry is what we focus on, and you can learn more about plastic injection molding for automotives on our blog.
Plastic injection molding is also used in other industries like agriculture, electronics, and the pharmaceutical industry. You’ll also find that many of your household products have been created with injection molding.
Find Out More
Plastic injection molding can help your business create multiple, high-quality products efficiently. With the ability to mold numerous plastics and being used in various industries worldwide, there’s always an application for this useful manufacturing process.
To get started with plastic mold injection, contact us here so we can help.
