7 Types of Custom Injection Molding

Coffee pot made using injection molding

Injection molding is the preferred process in the plastic manufacturing industry. Injection molding refers to the manufacturing process of identical plastic parts by melting polymer granules and injecting them under pressure into a mold. The liquid plastic in the mold is then cooled until it becomes solid.

Injection molding is widely utilized, and most of the plastic components around us today are made using this technology. Some common everyday items are created using injection molding, include car parts and kitchen appliances.

Why Is Injection Molding so Popular?

Plastic injection molding offers manufacturers extremely low costs per unit when manufactured in high quantities. It also provides design flexibility and allows manufacturers to replicate products easily.

Types of Injection Molding

Types of injection molding are usually based on three classifications: feeding system, number of cavities, and mold opening.

Feeding System

There are two types of injection molding classified by feeding systems: hot runner injection mold and cold runner injection mold.

Hot Runner Injection Mold

Many manufacturers prefer to use hot runner injection molds because they reduce waste and eliminate regrinding or reprocessing. This process entails heating the plastic at a temperature beyond its usual melting point while the runner is already placed within the molding setup. This process also allows you to form more complex mold shapes than cold runner injection molds.

Cold Runner Injection Mold

Since they are less expensive to set up than hot runner injection molds, manufacturers often prefer cold runner injection molds. The cold runner process uses cold temperature to eject the runner along with the plastic from the molding setup.

Unfortunately, this system creates a lot of waste and cannot provide the same design intricacies as hot runner mold setups.

Number of Cavities

There are three types of injection molding systems classified by the number of cavities.

Single Cavity Injection Molds

This method of injection molding can only create a single part per process. It’s mainly used for low-volume productions and is inexpensive to set up.

Multiple Cavity Injection Molds

This method of injection molding produces multiple parts per process. However, it is costlier to set up and suited to higher production volumes.

Family Cavity Injection Molds

This process can simultaneously produce two or more different parts. It also reduces tooling costs.

Mold Opening

There are two separate methods of injection molding based on the mold opening classification.

Two Plate Injection Mold

Two plate injection molds have one parting system, and the mold is divided into two at the parting plane where the runner is located.

Three Plate Injection Mold

Three plate injection molds have two parting systems, and the mold is divided into three parts at the parting planes. A runner is located on either end of the parting planes.

7 Types of Custom Injection Molding

Get Customized Injection Molding Today

Injection molding provides benefits to your business process, reducing costs and time. Connekt LLC provides custom injection molding to create customized plastic parts for your organization. We also offer other services such as finite element analysis, 3D printed prototypes, and rapid prototyping. Contact us to get customized injection molding today.

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