There are tens of thousands of different materials available for injection molding. Most polymers may be used, including all thermoplastics (such as nylon, polyethylene, and polystyrene) and some elastomers. Materials are chosen based on the strength and function required for the final part, but each material also has different parameters for molding that must be considered. Mixing the available materials with alloys or blends of previously developed materials enables product designers to choose from a vast range of materials to find the one with exactly the right properties. Injection Molding Equipment Injection Molding Machine: Injection molding machines, also known as presses, consist of a material hopper, an injection ram or screw-type plunger, and a heating unit. Molds are clamped to the platen of the molding machine, where plastic is injected into the mold through the sprue orifice. Presses are rated by tonnage, which is the calculation of the amount of clamping force that the machine can exert. This force keeps the mold closed during the injection molding process. Tonnage can vary from less than 5 tons to 6,000 tons, although higher tonnage presses are rarely used. The total clamp force needed is determined by the projected area of the custom part being molded. This projected area is multiplied by a clamp force of 2 to 8 tons for each square inch of the projected areas. As a rule of thumb, 4 or 5 tons/inch can be used for most products. If the plastic material is very stiff, it will require more injection pressure to fill the mold, thus more clamp tonnage is needed to hold the mold closed. The required force can also be determined by the material used and the size of the part, with larger plastic parts requiring higher clamping force.
TDL Mold has over 20 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of high-quality injection molded plastic parts build an Mold Design strategy and components. They specialize in 2K injection molding, IMD injection molding, micro injection molding, cleanroom injection molding, CNC machining services, plastics engineering services and more
