Plastic Injection Molding

Injection Molding
3 major functional units; injection, mold, clamping
Plastic Injection Molding
is a manufacturing technique for making parts from thermoplastic and thermoset m
aterials In contrast to the extrusion (which makes continuous parts of constant
cross section), injection molding make discrete parts (with complex and variable
cross section) Molten plastic is injected at high pressure into a mold, which i
s the inverse of the desired shape. The mold is made from metal, usually either
steel or aluminium widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the sm
allest component to entire body panels of cars
Plastic Injection Molding
The key to success in injection molding are to have;
Proper machine for good melting and injecting of the resin The proper resin to a
ppropriate part performance A good mold for part definition and removal Proper o
peration for efficient molding cycle (mold cycle depends on the design of the mo
ld and manufacturing parameters)
 The most commonly used thermoplastic materials are;
polystyrene (low-cost, lacking the strength and longevity of other materials) AB
S or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (a co-polymer or mixture of compounds used
for everything from Lego parts to electronics housings) nylon (chemically resist
ant, heat-resistant, tough and flexible - used for combs) polypropylene (tough a
nd flexible - used for containers PVC (more common in extrusions as used for pip
es, window frames, or as the insulation on wiring where it is rendered flexible
by the inclusion of a high proportion of plasticiser).
Injection Unit
Purpose: to liquify the plastic materials and then inject the liquid into mold
Resin is introduced through hopper Some machines can have several hoppers (to fe
d filler, colorants, other additives)-Injection molding act as mixer However, du
e to limited size of barrel, mixing capability is poor
Injection Unit
From hopper hole (feed throat) Barrel made of heavy steel cylinder to withstand
the pressure and temperature involved in melting the resin 2 types of system use
d in injection molding;
Reciprocating screw- similar to extruder screw but with unique reciprocating act
ion Ram injector
Injection Unit
Design of screw- similar to an extrusion screw 3 sections;
Feed section- to advance the resin Compression section- to melt the resin Meteri
ng section- to homogenize the resin and pump it forward
The screw of injection molding machine is shorter than extruder, L/D ratios are
12:1 and 20:1 Low L/D ratios suggest the mixing is less efficient in the injecti
on molding machine The compression ratio (diameter of root at feed zone to the d
iameter of root at metering zone) often in the range of 2:1 and 5:1 Low compress
ion ratio means less mechanical action is added during melting process
Injection Unit
Important measure of the size of an injection molding is weight of resin that ca
n be injected, called shot size Typical shot size range from 20g to 20 kg Since
shot size depends on the density of the plastic, PS has been chosed as the stand
ard for rating the machine
Reciprocating Screw Injection Molding Machine
Resin is melt by mechanical shear and thermal energy from heaters The molten res
in is conveyed to a space at the end of the screw- collects in a pool Here, the
mold is closed
Reciprocating Screw Injection Molding Machine
The entire screw move forward and pushes the molten resin out through the end of
barrel To ensure the resin does not flow backward, a check valve or nonreturn v
alve is attached to the end of screw Normally the screw will stay in the forward
position, until resin began to harden in the mold
Reciprocating Screw Injection Molding Machine
Retraction of the screw, create space at the end of the screw Cooling of the par
t in the mold, until it can be removed While the part is cooling, the screw turn
s and melts additional resin
Reciprocating Screw Injection Molding Machine
Advantages
More uniform melting Improved mixing or additives and dispersion throughout the
resin Lower injection pressure Fewer stresses in the part Faster total cycle
Ram Injection- Injection Molding Machine
In this type of injection molding, the resin is fed from a hopper into the barre
l, and heated through thermal energy from the heaters The molten resin is collec
t in a pool in a barrel celled injection chamber The molten resin is then push f
orward by the action of plunger (ram or piston) To five better mixing, the molte
n resin is pushed past a torpedo/spreader, impart shear to the melt
Molds
Designing and making mold for injection molding is more complicated than making
extrusion die Mold Parts mold is placed in between stationary plate and the move
able plate
Molds
The connection from the injection unit to the mold is through the nozzle The cha
nnel that run through the stationary plate of the mold is called the sprue chann
el (material that is in the channel is called the sprue) The solid sprue is remo
ved from the finished part assembly after the part is ejected from the mold Resi
n flow from the sprue through the runner (connecting channel) to the mold caviti
es
Mold Bases
Assembly of various mold parts Mold bases can be purchased as entire units, then
the cavities are cut from A & B plates
Runners
Distribution system for the resin from the sprue to the cavities Flow characteri
stics (viscosity), temperature and other factors are important in determining th
e runner diameter and length If the diameter of the runner is too small or the l
ength is too long,the resin can freeze in the runner before the mold is complete
ly full If the runner system is too large, excess material would be ejected and
too much regrind created
 If the resins have a high viscosity, larger runners are needed compared to low v
iscosity resin The optimum flow of the resin through the runner system depends o
n the shape and diameter of the channel Round channel give the best flow charact
eristics but difficult to machine Machining cost can be reduce by machining one
side of the mold plates Better shape where the depth of the channel is at least
two-thirds the size of the width and the sides are tapered between 2 to 5.
Runner Channel Shapes
Secondary Runners
Secondary runner channel are used for multicavity molds The flow into the second
ary channel should be streamlined (angle in flow direction) The streamlined mini
mizes shear on the resin
Gates
The end of runner and the entry path into the cavity The gate shape can also aff
ect the filling of the cavity, dimension and properties of the parts Gate is the
most restricted point in injection molding system, i.e. for reinforcement and f
iller + polymer systems
Gate Design
Small rectangular opening at the end of the runner channel, connect to the edge
of cavity Edge gate can be below the parting line if the channel and part are al
so below the parting line Or it can be symetricaly about the parting line, if th
e runner channel and part are at both side of parting line
Edge gate
Submarine Gate
Starts from the edge of the runner, and goes into the cavity edge at an angle It
narrows to a point as it moves from the runner to the cavity The advantage; sep
aration of the parts and the runner is automatic Disadvantage; gate cannot be us
ed for some resins because of high shear
Submarine Gate
Tab Gate
By connecting the runner directly into the cavity with no reduction in runner cr
oss-section Used for very large parts where a reduction in flow would disturb th
e resins flow pattern and might result inadequate flow into the cavity
Fan Gate
Made by reducing the thickness and not the diameter of the runner channel as it
goes into the cavity Used for intermediate size, and when reinforcement in the r
esin cannot flow through the edge gate
Ring Gate
Used to make hollow cylinder parts The ring gate covers the entire top of the cy
linder part so that the resin flow is downward into the wall of the part
Cavities
Are actual molding locations Resin enter the cavities through gate, fills the ca
vities, and cools to form the solid. The parts are ejected and finished Cavities
are the heart of the molding process, and must be precisely prepared The shape
of the cavities determines the shape of the part
Materials & Product Consideration
Almost all thermoplastic can be injection molded Resin with low melt viscosity i
s required; so that the flow through runner, gate, cavity easily done with minim
um injection pressure Resin with injection molding grades have low molecular wei
ght and narrow molecular weight distribution
Shapes
Hollow parts can be created by allowing the moveable plate to protrude into the
cavity of the stationary plate
Shapes
Threads can be placed on the inside of a part by using a core pin that is insert
ed into the cavity where the threads are desired
Shapes
A hollow part with a hole on the side is even more complicated (the core pin is
used) The core pin slide into position after the mold is closed The core pin sea
ls against the surface of the moveable plate, prevent flow of resin into the are
a