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Injection molding products may be right for your next project because of the many advantages that they offer. You can save time throughout the product development stage with injection molding's abilities in rapid prototyping. This can reduce your total landed cost for final products when you include multiple materials in your injection molding development.
Injection molding products are relied on every day to hold our food, protect our bodies, run our businesses and sell our products. Read more to learn about the advantages of injection molding, or contact us to learn more.
What Is Injection Molding?
Injection molding is among the more common parts manufacturing processes and can be used with a wide range of materials including metals, polymers, elastomers and glasses.
The process starts with a design mold that is completely encased in a machine on a line. The material that will make up the part is then heated and put into a pressurized barrel where it can be made pliable or even liquefied. This heated material is then forced - or injected - into the mold's cavity where it takes the shape of the product.
The materials are then left to cool and harden within the cavity as they take on the shape and characteristics of the mold. Parts can range from miniature items that require a high stress tolerance to large panels of cars, aircraft and other vehicles.
An interesting part of the current trend in injection molding products is that many new materials are being developed for the process. Lots of these innovations are coming about because of advances in 3D printing. New materials focus on thermoplastics that don't melt and lose their structural integrity when prepared to be injected into a mold.
The process also includes the use of controlled facilities to help regulate temperature, material use and prevent contamination risks. It's easy to enable monitoring on a line that uses injection molding, so products can be quickly managed and checked against temperature and pressure concerns.
Injection molding can be used with a wide range of materials from glass to metals, but the heat and pliability present make it a preferred choice for manufacturing work involving plastics and polymers. Plastics help ensure an error-proof production and are often able to take the intense heat of the process while retaining their strength.
These advancements and more are part of the injection molding advantages that make it perfect for creating high volumes of parts and inventory. So, what are the injection molding process advantages? Let's take a look.
What Are the Advantages of Injection Molding?
The controlled nature of injection molding makes it a process that has many different advantages. Top on the list is the ability for the line to reduce costs and defects through consistent checks and ever-advancing gear. The expertise of K S Tooling, Inc. will allow you to take advantage of that great cost savings and reliability for clean, strong products.
Some of the top money-, time- and worry-saving features of injection molding include:
- Versatility . Almost anything under the sun can be created with injection molding. From parts of your car to thousands of the plastic products you'll use this year, injection molding can create objects to fit almost any need.
- Speedy production . Injection molding allows for parts creation in fewer steps and with a tighter control on materials and waste products. Because of the clamping and injection pressures in this process, which are higher than those in transfer molding, you'll have a higher curing temperature and development. This allows you to produce a very large number of products quickly, with production cycle times as low as 15 seconds.
- Strong parts . Polymer-based injection molding allows you to include fillers in the injection molds. These can reduce the density of the polymer you're using and improve the strength of the product upon ejection. This has caused plastic injection molding to become popular for high-stress and high-heat parts.
- Reduced labor costs . Injection molding tools are typically automatic and self-gating, allowing you to start the production line and largely remain hands off. The parts themselves are usually whole and finished when the mold cools, reducing the finalization process after ejection.
- Reduced waste . Many of the materials used in injection molding, especially the polymers, can be recycled. This allows you to replenish your raw material stores with ease. You'll also have a generally reduced amount of waste products because of how controlled you can be with materials injected into a mold.
- Multiple materials . Co-injection molding procedures allow lines to insert multiple raw materials into a single mold - typically two or more types of plastics. This allows you to speed up the manufacturing process and can improve the automation capabilities of your lines.
- Multiple styles . Sometimes the same part needs to be different colors based on your own product lines, customer branding or federal regulations. Injection molding advantages include the ability to quickly shift colors and even materials used for the parts you're making.
- Fully auto . Lines are now moving into full automation with injection molding at the heart. This allows you to use multiple flows and start a whole line with minimal interference and checks.
Injection molding products are unique for each manufacturing instance so you'll see a mix of these benefits. You may see even more advantages of injection molding processes for your specific instance, especially if previous manufacturing processes have delivered inconsistent products.
Injection Molding Products
Many of the products you use every day and even have around your desk likely have parts designed and developed through injection molding.
Plastics
Many appliances use clear trays, dials, joints and housings that are developed through injection molding. Parts can weigh less than a single ounce or into the double-digit pounds. Plastic injection molds support these repeat-use products with a focus on cost-effective production and dependability.
Some plastics you're likely familiar with include the jars, containers and their lids used to keep food fresh after preparation. They also protect food in the work refrigerator, meeting the standards needed for safe consumption free from fears of chemicals leeching into the contents. These options are clearly visible on your headache medicine, the shampoo in the shower, food you buy and many home cleaning products that contain potentially harmful ingredients.
Advanced features are available as an advantage of injection molding because of the ability to use multiple raw materials and process complex shapes. These options include tamper-resistant and tamper-evident caps and lids, child-resistant lids and lids designed to be easily opened and used by senior citizens and those with impaired motor capabilities.
Home and Office
When you return home tonight and check to see if the lawn needs watering, take a look at your sprinklers and the hose and pipe couplings and fittings. Many of these parts were also likely created through injection molding. These products benefit from the injection molding advantages of mass-production for inexpensive, resilient components. If you're in the office late instead, consider the cap and body of the marker near the meeting room's whiteboard. These also use injection molding for dependability and uniform production. You've probably used hundreds of markers in your time, and the process helps ensure you've never noticed one that didn't feel right in your hand.
Vehicle Use
There are also specific areas that have higher demands where injection molding products meet the rigors of the job. The automotive and aeronautics industries are among the most demanding industries where injection molding products are used. From the decorative plastic that's sitting in your dashboard to the interior panels that must perform predictably during an accident, injection molding surrounds you every time you get behind the wheel.
Automotive parts can include your keyless entry systems, radio controls, armrest, sensors, lenses and engine parts designed to protect against heat and chemical spillage. These provide comfort, protection and can even reduce noise thanks to instrument clusters and housing designed to stifle rattling. Mix in options for sonic welding, hot stamping and more, and your automotive parts will be securely and consistently developed in a way that adheres to top standards in the industry.
Resin Flexibility
Part of the performance in the auto industry and other areas is due to the ability to use a wide range of engineering resins that are proving to be strong performers. Some of the major resin able to be used in injection molding include:
- Acrylic
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
- Glass-filled resins
- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Nylon
- PET
- Polybutylene Terephthalate
- PPO
- Talc polymers
There are some design and material restrictions that come with injection molding because of the heat required for the process. While new technologies are working to overcome this, K S Tooling, Inc. relies on tried and tested materials.
Your products will never be put in harm's way by using injection molding when it doesn't make sense. K S Tooling, Inc. will let you know the proper injection molding process advantages and restrictions so you only select it as an application when it makes sense. We're happy to help you determine your needs and come to a decision that best serves you. Contact us today for additional information.
K S Tooling, Inc.'s Precision Injection Molding Advantages
K S Tooling, Inc. focuses on precision manufacturing and has brought this attention to detail and tolerance development to the world of injection molding. Precision injection molding from K S Tooling, Inc. includes commitment to speed and quality so you can improve your market share, get to market faster and reduce your costs of production over time.
One of the biggest advantages you'll see by partnering with K S Tooling, Inc. is savings for tooling. By providing you with tooling and mold creation services, you consolidate the cost and can move right into production.
Consolidating your production line will allow you to avoid the associated costs of transferring products between vendors. Keep the entire production line in one place by choosing K S Tooling, Inc.
Adding precision to injection molding means a fast turnaround for your specific needs during your stage of development. Whether that's perfecting the design with injection molding products or working with established goods, we work hard to surpass your engineering standards.
Precision injection molding advantages, and the advantages of all of our precision development, are available from your product development and prototyping stages through full testing and final production. You'll get the benefit of partner consolidation as we take care of all of your needs.
Top benefits you'll receive include:
- Elimination of costly packaging supplies at subcomponent levels with proper assembly.
- Faster time-to-market with options to easily increase production for demand.
- Guarantee that the quality of the products you receive meets the standards set in your order.
- Liability that is transferred from customer to a single vendor.
- Savings on production line costs with increased times and quantities.
- Simplified logistics to manage raw materials acquisition through product delivery.
You can save yourself time and money by working with K S Tooling, Inc. for precision manufacturing processes that include:
- 3D modeling of final products
- Automation-capable assembly
- Injection molding
- Molding/over-molding
- Plating
- Procurement of commercial goods
- Raw material procurement
- Secondary stamping
- Stamping
We've been providing customers with high-quality, reliable manufacturing for more than 25 years, and injection molding is simply the latest tool in our arsenal. Don't just consider the advantages of injection molding; also consider the advantages of having a complete manufacturing partner.
Certified Manufacturing
K S Tooling, Inc. is able to create products, molds and tooling for a wide range of industries because we focus on achieving the right certifications demanded by top clients and OEMs. We make quality products and production lines a commitment to you, and we think the best way to back that up is by certifying our processes.
For example, the international automotive industry looks at TS 16949:2009 certified stamping as its standard of quality. We're happy to hold this certification because it guarantees that the parts we make will exceed commercial standards.
Certifications including the TS 16949 can give you the peace of mind that K S Tooling, Inc. will provide you with:
- Active defect prevention that moves beyond defection detection
- Continual quality improvement plans for all production lines
- High-quality production with an emphasis on waste reduction
- Improvements to existing products and your manufacturing process
- Quality Management System best practices and customer inclusion
- Variable production abilities to meet your demands and customer requirements
Certifications provide clarity to your operations and your customers so they can trust the parts and products you deliver. Make gains in every market at the right price, rate and reliability by selecting a certified manufacturing partner.
Ready to take advantage of all of the savings that precision molding can offer your business? Call (717) 778-4064 or contact us online today for additional information from experts in precision injection molding. You'll learn about the precision injection molding advantages available to every K S Tooling, Inc. customer.
K S Tooling, Inc. can help you save money on your next manufacturing project when you use injection molding. We focus on high-tolerance, repeat-use parts and are able to deliver a consistent quality part at a high rate thanks to more than 25 years of experience in tooling, design and parts development.
Get questions answered, learn pricing information and find out how you can speed up your time-to-market with K S Tooling, Inc.'s own special services like First to Market and our Pass Thru program guaranteed to provide a 5% discount after six months.
