What is Injection Moulding

Injection moulding is one of the most widely used manufacturing processes in the plastic industry. Injection mold is a tool that used to produce part in injection machine, the plastic material be injected into mold when the material cool down, open the tool to get the part. The mold cavity and core side shape is mirrored with part. The process cycle can vary, typically from a few seconds to minutes, depending on the size of the moulds and materials used. In a word: injection mold is mother of plastic and die-casting part.

Injection moulding is the preferred process for manufacturing thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics parts of diverse industrial sectors like packaging, electronics and automotive, etc. Injection moulding is used to create many things, for example -  electronic housings, containers, bottle caps, pocket combs, and most other plastic products we always use in our life. Some advantages of injection molding are quick cycle of production, material and colour flexibility, low labour costs, design flexibility and low waste, and little need to finish parts after molding. Some disadvantages of this process include an expensive tooling investment and the need to prototype, as some custom complex parts may encounter problems during the injection molding process such as warp or surface defects. Therefore, injection molded parts must be designed with careful molding consideration.

Do you know the history of injection mould? In 1868, billiard ball maker Phelan and Collander, John Wesley Hyatt invented a way to make billiard balls by injecting celluloid into a mould. Hyatt improved the celluloid so that it could be processed into a finished form. In 1872 John and his brother Isaiah patented the first injection molding machine. This machine was relatively simple compared to the machines used by today's injection molding companies. It contained a basic plunger to inject the plastic into a mold through a heated cylinder. The industry progressed slowly over the years producing injection molded products such as plastic collar stays, buttons, and hair combs. In the 1940's the concept of injection molds grew in popularity. This is because World War II created a huge demand for inexpensive, mass-produced products. The industry of injection molds has evolved over the years, from producing combs and buttons to a diverse array of custom injection molded products for the following industries: medical, aerospace, consumer, toys, plumbing, packaging, automotive, and construction.