We use plastic every day, but how much do we really know about it? Find out more here.
What is It?
injection mold tooling is a basically a process for manufacturing parts from plastic materials. Liquid plastic is fed from a barrel into a mold and then hardened into the shape of the mold cavity. These molds are created from metal by toolmakers via precision machining. These molds can be made in many different shapes and sizes, making injection molding a very common manufacturing technique across many different industries.
A Brief History
In 1872, John Wesley Hyatt patented the very first injection molding tooling machine. The first products created via this method included buttons and hair combs. The process advanced quickly during World War II due to the need for mass-produced plastic products. In 1946, James Watson Hendry invented a screw molding machine which allowed for greater control over the injection speed. It also allowed for the use of color plastic. Hendry also invented a gas-assisted machine in the 1970s, which was capable of producing hollow products that cooled even faster. These hollow products were incredibly strong, and soon came to be utilized in throughout the automotive, aerospace, toy, medical and plumbing industries.
Why It is Popular
As mentioned, items manufactured via this method can be pretty strong. Additionally, injection molding is very cost effective. It has a very high rate of production, but a very low labor cost because the process generally produces finished materials. The only real disadvantages to this process are the start-up costs and the time required to design the molds.
Real Life Applications
Injection mold tooling is routinely used to create many of the objects that we use every day. These include wire spools, bottle caps, some musical instruments, pocket combs, automotive parts and components, one pieces tables and chairs, and mechanical parts. It’s even used to make Gameboys! One of the greatest uses for this technology is for making various types of packaging and storage containers. In fact injection molding is the most common method of manufacturing parts in today’s world, as it is ideal for producing high volumes of the same object.
