Injection molding is an advanced manufacturing process that utilizes a mold to fabricate parts out of a wide variety of materials including metals, glasses, and thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers among other substances. It is widely used in manufacturing to fabricate mass-produced and custom parts. Read on to find out more about the injection molding process and how it can be used to fabricate the custom parts your company needs.
How Injection Molding Works
First, a mold is constructed by a specializing mold-maker using metal that is precision-formed to perfectly fit the needs of the company or individual contracting the custom injection molded part. The material being used to fabricate the product must be heated to a molten temperature and then injected by force into the mold cavity. This entire process is quite complex and requires extreme precision to produce the part to the customer’s exact specifications, and everything from the material being used for the mold and the part itself to the properties of the injection molding machine must be carefully considered.
Once the molten plastic or other material has been injected, pressure must be applied to the mold from the outside to make sure that all of its cavities are filled. The part is then allowed to cool and solidify inside of the mold. When the mold has cooled, the mold can be opened, and the part can be ejected out fully-formed.
Common Applications
Injection molding is widely used in fabricating everything from automotive components to furniture, mechanical parts, and even some musical instruments. It is extremely useful to those working within industries that use drill pipe, as it allows them to order custom-fabricated thread and pipe protectors to perfectly fit the pipes and pipe threads being used even when they do not adhere to standard sizing. Most of the injection molded products used for pipe protection are fabricated from high-quality plastic polymers, such as those from MSI Pipe Protection Technologies.
Quality of Materials
One of the key factors influencing the quality of the end product being fabricated is what type of material is used. High-quality molding resins such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, nylon, and polypropylene lead to a more durable and long-lasting final product. When it comes to pipe protection products, material quality and precision are both of the utmost importance, as these factors influence how well these products will fit the pipes they are intended to protect.
Avoiding Injection Molding Defects
Even perfectly designed molds used with high-quality materials can sometimes produce flawed parts. That’s why companies that specialize in custom injection molding must perform quality-assurance on their finished products. This is to ensure that no outside contaminants have been introduced into the system, and that the mold and material temperatures, cooling times, and moisture levels are all appropriate to the materials being used.
MSI Means Quality
Need high-quality custom-fabricated pipe protectors or other plastic polymer products? At MSI, we make use of custom injection molding that fabricates high-quality pipe protection products and other custom-designed products in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. To learn more about our products and services, call and speak with one of our services experts at 877-276-9208, or request a quote online.
