Plastic Injection Moulding
Plastic Injection Moulding
Plastic Injection Moulding
ABSTRACT
Injection molded components are consistently designed to minimize the design and
manufacturing information content of the enterprise system. The resulting designs, however, are
extremely complex and frequently exhibit coupling between multiple qualities attributes.
Axiomatic design principles were applied to the injection molding process to add control
parameters that enable the spatial and dynamic decoupling of multiple quality attributes in the
molded part. There are three major benefits of the process redesign effort. First, closed loop
pressure control has enabled tight coupling between the mass and momentum equations. This tight
coupling allows the direct input and controllability of the melt pressure. Second, the use of multiple
melt actuators provides for the decoupling of melt pressures between different locations in the
mold cavity. Such decoupling can then be used to maintain functional independence of multiple
qualities attributes. Third, the heat equation has been decoupled from the mass and momentum
equations. This allows the mold to be filled under isothermal conditions. Once the cavities are
completely full and attain the desired packing pressure, then the cooling is allowed to progress.
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INTRODUCTION
Plastic injection molding is the most commonly used manufacturing process for the fabrication
of plastic parts. A wide variety of products are manufactured using injection molding, which
vary greatly in their size, complexity, and application. The injection molding process requires the
use of an injection molding machine, raw plastic material, and a mold. The plastic is melted in
the injection molding machine and then injected into the mold, where it cools and solidifies into
the final part. The steps in this process are described in greater detail in the next section.
Injection molding is used to produce thin-walled plastic parts for a wide variety of applications,
one of the most common being plastic housings. Plastic housing is a thin-walled enclosure, often
requiring many ribs and bosses on the interior. These housings are used in a variety of products
including household appliances, consumer electronics, power tools, and as automotive
dashboards. Other common thin-walled products include different types of open containers, such
as buckets. Injection molding is also used to produce several everyday items such as
toothbrushes or small plastic toys. Many medical devices, including valves and syringes, are
manufactured using injection molding as well.
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1) Capabilities
Typical Feasible
Thin-walled:
Cylindrical
Shapes: Thin-walled: Cubic Flat
Thin-walled:
Complex
Envelope: 0.01 in³ - 80 ft³
Part size:
Weight: 0.5 oz - 55 lb
Composites
Materials: Thermoplastics Elastomer
Thermosets
Surface finish -
4 - 16 μ in 1 - 32 μ in
Ra:
Tolerance: ± 0.008 in. ± 0.002 in.
Max wall
0.03 - 0.25 in. 0.015 - 0.5 in.
thickness:
1000 -
Quantity: 10000 - 1000000
1000000
Lead time: Months Weeks
Can form complex shapes and fine
details
Excellent surface finish
Advantages: Good dimensional accuracy
High production rate
Low labor cost
Scrap can be recycled
Limited to thin walled parts
Disadvantages: High tooling and equipment cost
Long lead time possible
Applications: Housings, containers, caps, fittings
Turning
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2) Process Cycle
The process cycle for injection molding is very short, typically between 2 seconds and 2 minutes,
and consists of the following four stages:
1. Clamping - Prior to the injection of the material into the mold, the two halves of the mold must
first be securely closed by the clamping unit. Each half of the mold is attached to the injection
molding machine and one half is allowed to slide. The hydraulically powered clamping unit
pushes the mold halves together and exerts sufficient force to keep the mold securely closed
while the material is injected. The time required to close and clamp the mold is dependent
upon the machine - larger machines (those with greater clamping forces) will require more
time. This time can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine.
2. Injection - The raw plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, is fed into the injection
molding machine, and advanced towards the mold by the injection unit. During this process,
the material is melted by heat and pressure. The molten plastic is then injected into the mold
very quickly and the buildup of pressure packs and holds the material. The amount of material
that is injected is referred to as the shot. The injection time is difficult to calculate accurately
due to the complex and changing flow of the molten plastic into the mold. However, the
injection time can be estimated by the shot volume, injection pressure, and injection power.
3. Cooling - The molten plastic that is inside the mold begins to cool as soon as it makes contact
with the interior mold surfaces. As the plastic cools, it will solidify into the shape of the
desired part. However, during cooling some shrinkage of the part may occur. The packing of
material in the injection stage allows additional material to flow into the mold and reduce the
amount of visible shrinkage. The mold can not be opened until the required cooling time has
elapsed. The cooling time can be estimated from several thermodynamic properties of the
plastic and the maximum wall thickness of the part.
4. Ejection - After sufficient time has passed, the cooled part may be ejected from the mold by
the ejection system, which is attached to the rear half of the mold. When the mold is opened, a
mechanism is used to push the part out of the mold. Force must be applied to eject the part
because during cooling the part shrinks and adheres to the mold. In order to facilitate the
ejection of the part, a mold release agent can be sprayed onto the surfaces of the mold cavity
prior to injection of the material. The time that is required to open the mold and eject the part
can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine and should include time for the part to
fall free of the mold. Once the part is ejected, the mold can be clamped shut for the next shot
to be injected.
After the injection molding cycle, some post processing is typically required. During cooling, the
material in the channels of the mold will solidify attached to the part. This excess material, along
with any flash that has occurred, must be trimmed from the part, typically by using cutters. For
some types of material, such as thermoplastics, the scrap material that results from this trimming
can be recycled by being placed into a plastic grinder, also called regrind machines or
granulators, which regrinds the scrap material into pellets. Due to some degradation of the
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material properties, the regrind must be mixed with raw material in the proper regrind ratio to be
reused in the injection molding process.
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3) Equipment
Injection molding machines have many components and are available in different configurations,
including a horizontal configuration and a vertical configuration. However, regardless of their
design, all injection molding machines utilize a power source, injection unit, mold assembly, and
clamping unit to perform the four stages of the process cycle.
Injection unit
The injection unit is responsible for both heating and injecting the material into the mold. The
first part of this unit is the hopper, a large container into which the raw plastic is poured. The
hopper has an open bottom, which allows the material to feed into the barrel. The barrel contains
the mechanism for heating and injecting the material into the mold. This mechanism is usually a
ram injector or a reciprocating screw. A ram injector forces the material forward through a
heated section with a ram or plunger that is usually hydraulically powered. Today, the more
common technique is the use of a reciprocating screw. A reciprocating screw moves the material
forward by both rotating and sliding axially, being powered by either a hydraulic or electric
motor. The material enters the grooves of the screw from the hopper and is advanced towards the
mold as the screw rotates. While it is advanced, the material is melted by pressure, friction, and
additional heaters that surround the reciprocating screw. The molten plastic is then injected very
quickly into the mold through the nozzle at the end of the barrel by the buildup of pressure and
the forward action of the screw. This increasing pressure allows the material to be packed and
forcibly held in the mold. Once the material has solidified inside the mold, the screw can retract
and fill with more material for the next shot.
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Clamping unit
Prior to the injection of the molten plastic into the mold, the two halves of the mold must first be
securely closed by the clamping unit. When the mold is attached to the injection molding
machine, each half is fixed to a large plate, called a platen. The front half of the mold, called the
mold cavity, is mounted to a stationary platen and aligns with the nozzle of the injection unit.
The rear half of the mold, called the mold core, is mounted to a movable platen, which slides
along the tie bars. The hydraulically powered clamping motor actuates clamping bars that push
the moveable platen towards the stationary platen and exert sufficient force to keep the mold
securely closed while the material is injected and subsequently cools. After the required cooling
time, the mold is then opened by the clamping motor. An ejection system, which is attached to
the rear half of the mold, is actuated by the ejector bar and pushes the solidified part out of the
open cavity.
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Machine specifications
Injection molding machines are typically characterized by the tonnage of the clamp force they
provide. The required clamp force is determined by the projected area of the parts in the mold
and the pressure with which the material is injected. Therefore, a larger part will require a larger
clamping force. Also, certain materials that require high injection pressures may require higher
tonnage machines. The size of the part must also comply with other machine specifications, such
as shot capacity, clamp stroke, minimum mold thickness, and platen size.
Injection molded parts can vary greatly in size and therefore require these measures to cover a
very large range. As a result, injection molding machines are designed to each accommodate a
small range of this larger spectrum of values. Sample specifications are shown below for three
different models (Babyplast, Powerline, and Maxima) of injection molding machine that are
manufactured by Cincinnati Milacron.
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4) Tooling
The injection molding process uses molds, typically made of steel or aluminum, as the custom
tooling. The mold has many components, but can be split into two halves. Each half is attached
inside the injection molding machine and the rear half is allowed to slide so that the mold can be
opened and closed along the mold's parting line. The two main components of the mold are the
mold core and the mold cavity. When the mold is closed, the space between the mold core and
the mold cavity forms the part cavity, that will be filled with molten plastic to create the desired
part. Multiple-cavity molds are sometimes used, in which the two mold halves form several
identical part cavities.
Mold overview
Mold base
The mold core and mold cavity are each mounted to the mold base, which is then fixed to the
platens inside the injection molding machine. The front half of the mold base includes a support
plate, to which the mold cavity is attached, the sprue bushing, into which the material will flow
from the nozzle, and a locating ring, in order to align the mold base with the nozzle. The rear half
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of the mold base includes the ejection system, to which the mold core is attached, and a support
plate. When the clamping unit separates the mold halves, the ejector bar actuates the ejection
system. The ejector bar pushes the ejector plate forward inside the ejector box, which in turn
pushes the ejector pins into the molded part. The ejector pins push the solidified part out of the
open mold cavity.
Mold base
Mold channels
In order for the molten plastic to flow into the mold cavities, several channels are integrated into
the mold design. First, the molten plastic enters the mold through the sprue. Additional channels,
called runners, carry the molten plastic from the sprue to all of the cavities that must be filled. At
the end of each runner, the molten plastic enters the cavity through a gate which directs the flow.
The molten plastic that solidifies inside these runners is attached to the part and must be
separated after the part has been ejected from the mold. However, sometimes hot runner systems
are used which independently heat the channels, allowing the contained material to be melted
and detached from the part. Another type of channel that is built into the mold is cooling
channels. These channels allow water to flow through the mold walls, adjacent to the cavity, and
cool the molten plastic.
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Mold channels
Mold design
In addition to runners and gates, there are many other design issues that must be considered in
the design of the molds. Firstly, the mold must allow the molten plastic to flow easily into all of
the cavities. Equally important is the removal of the solidified part from the mold, so a draft
angle must be applied to the mold walls. The design of the mold must also accommodate any
complex features on the part, such as undercuts or threads, which will require additional mold
pieces. Most of these devices slide into the part cavity through the side of the mold, and are
therefore known as slides, or side-actions. The most common type of side-action is a side-core
which enables an external undercut to be molded. Other devices enter through the end of the
mold along the parting direction, such as internal core lifters, which can form an internal
undercut. To mold threads into the part, an unscrewing device is needed, which can rotate out of
the mold after the threads have been formed.
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Mold - Closed
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5) Materials
There are many types of materials that may be used in the injection molding process. Most
polymers may be used, including all thermoplastics, some thermosets, and some elastomers.
When these materials are used in the injection molding process, their raw form is usually small
pellets or a fine powder. Also, colorants may be added in the process to control the color of the
final part. The selection of a material for creating injection molded parts is not solely based upon
the desired characteristics of the final part. While each material has different properties that will
affect the strength and function of the final part, these properties also dictate the parameters used
in processing these materials. Each material requires a different set of processing parameters in
the injection molding process, including the injection temperature, injection pressure, mold
temperature, ejection temperature, and cycle time. A comparison of some commonly used
materials is shown below (Follow the links to search the material library).
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opaque,
low/medium
cost
Dexel, Tough,
Handles,
Cellulose Acetate CA Cellidor, transparent,
eyeglass frames
Setilithe high cost
High strength,
fatigue
resistance,
chemical
Akulon, Bearings,
resistance, low
Polyamide 6 (Nylon) PA6 Ultramid, bushings, gears,
creep, low
Grilon rollers, wheels
friction, almost
opaque/white,
medium/high
cost
High strength,
fatigue
resistance,
chemical
Handles, levers,
Polyamide 6/6 Kopa, Zytel, resistance, low
PA6/6 small housings,
(Nylon) Radilon creep, low
zip ties
friction, almost
opaque/white,
medium/high
cost
High strength,
fatigue
resistance,
chemical Air filters,
Polyamide 11+12 Rilsan,
PA11+12 resistance, low eyeglass frames,
(Nylon) Grilamid
creep, low safety masks
friction, almost
opaque to clear,
very high cost
Automotive
Very tough,
(panels, lenses,
temperature
consoles),
Calibre, resistance,
bottles,
Polycarbonate PC Lexan, dimensional
containers,
Makrolon stability,
housings, light
transparent,
covers,
high cost
reflectors, safety
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helmets and
shields
Automotive
(filters, handles,
Rigid, heat pumps),
Celanex, resistance, bearings, cams,
Polyester - Crastin, chemical electrical
PBT, PET
Thermoplastic Lupox, resistance, SScomponents
Rynite, Valox medium/high (connectors,
cost sensors), gears,
housings, rollers,
switches, valves
Tough, very
high chemical
Polyether Sulphone PES Victrex, Udel Valves
resistance, clear,
very high cost
Strong, thermal
stability, Aircraft
chemical components,
resistance, electrical
Polyetheretherketone PEEKEEK
abrasion connectors,
resistance, low pump impellers,
moisture seals
absorption
Electrical
Heat resistance, components
flame (connectors,
Polyetherimide PEI Ultem resistance, boards,
transparent switches),
(amber color) covers, sheilds,
surgical tools
Lightweight,
tough and
flexible,
Alkathene, excellent Kitchenware,
Polyethylene - Low
LDPE Escorene, chemical housings, covers,
Density
Novex resistance, and containers
natural waxy
appearance, low
cost
Tough and stiff,
Eraclene, Chair seats,
Polyethylene - High excellent
HDPE Hostalen, housings, covers,
Density chemical
Stamylan and containers
resistance,
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natural waxy
appearance, low
cost
Tough, heat
resistance,
Automotive
flame
(housings,
resistance,
panels),
Noryl, dimensional
Polyphenylene electrical
PPO Thermocomp, stability, low
Oxide components,
Vamporan water
housings,
absorption,
plumbing
electroplating
components
capability, high
cost
Very high Bearings, covers,
strength, heat fuel system
Polyphenylene Ryton,
PPS resistance, components,
Sulphide Fortron
brown, very guides, switches,
high cost and shields
Lightweight,
heat resistance,
high chemical Automotive
resistance, (bumpers,
Novolen,
scratch covers, trim),
Polypropylene PP Appryl,
resistance, bottles, caps,
Escorene
natural waxy crates, handles,
appearance, housings
tough and stiff,
low cost.
Lacqrene, Brittle,
Polystyrene - Cosmetics
GPPS Styron, transparent, low
General purpose packaging, pens
Solarene cost
Impact strength,
rigidity,
toughness,
Polystyrol, Electronic
Polystyrene - High dimensional
HIPS Kostil, housings, food
impact stability,
Polystar containers, toys
naturally
translucent, low
cost
Tough, flexible,
Electrical
Polyvinyl Chloride - Welvic, flame
PVC insulation,
Plasticised Varlan resistance,
housewares,
transparent or
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6) Possible Defects
Defect Causes
Flash Injection pressure too high
Clamp force too low
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Many of the above defects are caused by a non-uniform cooling rate. A variation in the cooling
rate can be caused by non-uniform wall thickness or non-uniform mold temperature.
7) Design Rules
Maximum wall thickness
Decrease the maximum wall thickness of a part to shorten the cycle time (injection time and
cooling time specifically) and reduce the part volume
INCORRECT CORRECT
Uniform wall thickness will ensure uniform cooling and reduce defects
INCORRECT CORRECT
Non-uniform wall thickness (t1 ≠ t2) Uniform wall thickness (t1 = t2)
Corners
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INCORRECT CORRECT
Draft
Apply a draft angle of 1° - 2° to all walls parallel to the parting direction to facilitate removing
the part from the mold.
INCORRECT CORRECT
Ribs
Add ribs for structural support, rather than increasing the wall thickness
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INCORRECT CORRECT
Orient ribs perpendicular to the axis about which bending may occur
INCORRECT CORRECT
Thickness of ribs should be 50-60% of the walls to which they are attached
Height of ribs should be less than three times the wall thickness
Round the corners at the point of attachment
Apply a draft angle of at least 0.25°
INCORRECT CORRECT
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Close up of ribs
Bosses
Wall thickness of bosses should be no more than 60% of the main wall thickness
Radius at the base should be at least 25% of the main wall thickness
Should be supported by ribs that connect to adjacent walls or by gussets at the base.
INCORRECT CORRECT
INCORRECT CORRECT
Undercuts
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Simple external undercut Mold cannot separate New parting line allows undercut
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Internal undercut
accessible
from the side
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Threads
If possible, features with external threads should be oriented perpendicular to the parting
direction.
Threaded features that are parallel to the parting direction will require an unscrewing device,
which greatly adds to the tooling cost.
8) Cost Drivers
Material cost
The material cost is determined by the weight of material that is required and the unit price of
that material. The weight of material is clearly a result of the part volume and material density;
however, the part's maximum wall thickness can also play a role. The weight of material that is
required includes the material that fills the channels of the mold. The size of those channels, and
hence the amount of material, is largely determined by the thickness of the part.
Production cost
The production cost is primarily calculated from the hourly rate and the cycle time. The hourly
rate is proportional to the size of the injection molding machine being used, so it is important to
understand how the part design affects machine selection. Injection molding machines are
typically referred to by the tonnage of the clamping force they provide. The required clamping
force is determined by the projected area of the part and the pressure with which the material is
injected. Therefore, a larger part will require a larger clamping force, and hence a more
expensive machine. Also, certain materials that require high injection pressures may require
higher tonnage machines. The size of the part must also comply with other machine
specifications, such as clamp stroke, platen size, and shot capacity.
The cycle time can be broken down into the injection time, cooling time, and resetting time. By
reducing any of these times, the production cost will be lowered. The injection time can be
decreased by reducing the maximum wall thickness of the part and the part volume. The cooling
time is also decreased for lower wall thicknesses, as they require less time to cool all the way
through. Several thermodynamic properties of the material also affect the cooling time. Lastly,
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the resetting time depends on the machine size and the part size. A larger part will require larger
motions from the machine to open, close, and eject the part, and a larger machine requires more
time to perform these operations.
Tooling cost
The tooling cost has two main components - the mold base and the machining of the cavities.
The cost of the mold base is primarily controlled by the size of the part's envelope. A larger part
requires a larger, more expensive, mold base. The cost of machining the cavities is affected by
nearly every aspect of the part's geometry. The primary cost driver is the size of the cavity that
must be machined, measured by the projected area of the cavity (equal to the projected area of
the part and projected holes) and its depth. Any other elements that will require additional
machining time will add to the cost, including the feature count, parting surface, side-cores,
lifters, unscrewing devices, tolerance, and surface roughness.
The quantity of parts also impacts the tooling cost. A larger production quantity will require a
higher class mold that will not wear as quickly. The stronger mold material results in a higher
mold base cost and more machining time.
One final consideration is the number of side-action directions, which can indirectly affect the
cost. The additional cost for side-cores is determined by how many are used. However, the
number of directions can restrict the number of cavities that can be included in the mold. For
example, the mold for a part which requires 3 side-action directions can only contain 2 cavities.
There is no direct cost added, but it is possible that the use of more cavities could provide further
savings.
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9. CONCLUSION
Injection molding is one of the most important processes for plastics and it has a very wide list of
kinds of products it can produce, which makes it very versatile.
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9) REFERENCES
1. MENGES / MICHAELI / MOHREN; How to Make Injection Molds; Third Edition;
Hanser; Cincinnati, USA; 2001
URL:
http://www.energyusernews.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Ite
m/0,2584,66600,00.html
www.plasticsone.com
www.badgercolor.com
http://www.mhi.co.jp
www.gasassist.com
www.plasticnews.com
www.engelmachinery.com
www.modernplastics.com
www.plasticstechnology.com
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