Injection moulding is the most popular technique for producing a large volume of identical plastic products or containers for various uses. Nonetheless, knowing the particular design limitations involved in this process is vital for a cost-effective and quality-oriented production plan. We have prepared this article to show the benefits and drawbacks associated with this process.

Kindly note: the procedures below are meant for conventional injection moulding with a production capacity of 100,000+. Initially, these procedures may seem quite restrictive if you want to set up a plant to process exceptionally large numbers.

The Benefits Of The Injection Moulding Process

#1. Rapid production and high efficiency: Injection moulding has an extremely high production rate. However, the speed of the production process is dependent on the size and complexity of the mould and ranges between 15-120 seconds per cycle time.

#2. Affordable labour costs: Most plastic injection moulding processes are automated and run by machines and robots, requiring a sole operator to regulate general work. Often, automation significantly reduces overheads and the overall manufacturing costs.

#3. A wide range of designs: The process involves subjecting the moulds to tremendously high-pressure levels. The high pressure allows the plastic to be pressed more to attain various intricate shapes and designs, and other details can be imprinted on the container.

#4. High volume production: Injection moulding enables the production and manufacturing of thousands of pieces before any part of the machine needs repair or maintenance.

#5. An extensive selection of large materials: The manufacturer can pick their preferred polymer resin from a wide range of selections. In addition, the manufacturer can use numerous plastic materials at the same time. For instance, TPW can be moulded above PP parts.

#6. Minimal scrap or waste – The injection moulding process is more effective, resulting in minimal waste production compared to traditional manufacturing processes. The only small waste produced comes from sprue and runners. Fortunately, all unused or waste plastic can be recycled or reground for future use.

#7 Insert adoption – the manufacturer can use this process to easily insert-mould metal or plastic inserts.

#8. Able to regulate colour appropriately—Manufacturers can use masterbatches or compounding to produce plastic pieces of varying colours.

# 9 Product consistency – The injection process can be repeated numerous times and produce an identical piece each time. This quality benefits manufacturers who want to make a large volume of highly reliable and strong individual products.

#10. The products need less finishing—Minimal post-production work will be done on the pieces after the injection process. This is because the plastic products have an excellent finish by the time they are ejected at the end of the process.

#11 Extra strength: The manufacturer can use fillers inside the moulding material during the injection moulding process of plastic. The fillers lower the density of the plastic during the moulding process to provide extra turgidity to the final parts. If you want to know more see here – https://www.plastechgroup.com/injection-moulding

The Drawbacks Of The Injection Moulding Process

#1. High tolling costs and a longer time to set up the plant. The design, tools, and tests needed to set up the facility take up large amounts of capital and time. The first step involves making the design and prototype using CNC or SD printing. Next is designing a prototype mould tool to produce a large volume of replica plastic parts. Finally, following rigorous testing in both stages, the manufacturer can begin injection moulding a part.

Production design limitations: There are several considerations and specific rules to follow when designing injection mouldings.

They include:

-Stay away from sharp and cutting edges as much as you can.

-The wall thickness must be even to avoid discrepancies during the cooling phase, which may cause sink marks or other defects.

Often, the process needs draft angles to enhance the moulding process.

In addition, most of the tools used are metallic (steel or aluminium), making it hard to effect design alterations. To add extra plastic to the product, you will have to enlarge the tool cavity by cutting off the steel or aluminum. However, to remove the plastic, you have to reduce the size of the tool’s cavity by adding steel or aluminum to it. Indeed, this difficult task may force you to scrap the tool or start the process again.

In addition, the product’s weight partly determines the tool’s size and the required press size. If the product is too large, it will be more complex and more costly to make.

#3: Running a small business can be costly – As earlier mentioned, tooling can be complex, and you have to remove all the products before making the following product; this downtime can be extended. This is why the production of small parts using an injection mould is traditionally too costly.