The advantages of plastic injection moulding

Plastic injection moulding is an extremely versatile, highly efficient and reliable method of producing complex plastic parts and components.

It is one of the most widely used manufacturing processes for mass producing plastic components. A versatile manufacturing process involves melting plastic pellets or powder and forcing the liquid plastic under pressure into a precision-engineered mould tool cavity. The molten plastic then cools and solidifies to precisely match the shape of the mould cavity.

There are many advantages of using injection moulding for manufacturing plastic parts and components:

Production speed

Plastic injection moulding is inherently a fast production method. Production cycle times can be as short as a few seconds depending upon the component being moulded.

The initial component design and tooling set-up process needs careful thought and consideration to ensure the component meets the design specification and can be successfully mass produced. The complexity of the mould itself will impact the speed of production.

Highly efficient process

To optimize the effectiveness of high-volume injection moulding and maximize the precision and quality of your parts, key design elements should be taken into account. The part design must be developed to maximize the efficiency inherent in high-volume moulding

Once the injection moulds have been designed and approved, and the injection presses pre-programmed, the actual moulding process is very quick compared to other methods of moulding.

The plastic injection moulding process consumes little time and this allows more parts to be manufactured from a single mould. The high production output rate makes plastic injection moulding more cost effective and efficient.

Minimal waste

The plastic injection moulding process is extremely efficient as very little raw material is scrapped or wasted. Essentially, there is little to no waste that is produced – this ensures the use of raw materials can be optimised and costs minimised.

Any plastic that is left over from a previous job can be collected and recycled. In many instances excess plastic material can be reground, melted down and reused. If this is not appropriate, then any waste material can be sold and reprocessed.

Complex design

Plastic injection moulding can produce extremely complex parts with a high degree of accuracy, uniformity and repeatability. Plastic injection moulding uses a higher injection pressure to create the part than other types of moulding. Due to the high pressure used, intricate designs can be created.

There are fundamental design elements that must occur for the injection process to work correctly. They include wall thickness, rib design, boss design, corner transitions, weld lines, and gate and vent placement.

Flexibility

While the speed, accuracy and cost efficiency of plastic injection moulding are huge benefits, the flexibility of the manufacturing method is remarkably important. There also is flexibility to alter part design, especially at the beginning of the process.

Choosing the right material and colour for a project are two of the essential factors in creating plastic parts. Due to the wide variety of both, the possibilities are almost endless. Advances in plastic polymers over recent years have contributed to the development of a large selection of materials to choose from.

Cost effective manufacturing

Plastic injection moulding allows for automated, mass production on a very cost-effective scale. The majority of the process is controlled by computerised equipment and machinery. Automation helps to reduce manufacturing costs, as overheads can be significantly reduced. As a result, this means the overall cost of manufacturing parts can be fully optimised.

Production quality

At Skar our injection moulded components are produced to the highest levels of precision and where relevant require minimal finishing and secondary processing.

All moulds are custom-made meaning they are specifically designed for the exact requirements of each individual customer. The use of automation, such as computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM), enables precise and accurate injection moulds to be made with the risk of error during manufacturing is minimised.

Skar knowledge and expertise

Plastic injection moulding has become widely popular for good reason. It is accurate, detailed, fast, cost-efficient, flexible and creates minimal waste. Skar specialise in the manufacture of injection moulded plastic products that range from medical device components, electrical and electronic parts to automotive and agriculture machinery components.

Skar’s team of experienced industry professionals have many years of experience in mould making and plastic injection manufacturing. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your specific product needs.