Over the last several decades, custom plastic injection molding has quickly become one of the most popular methods for manufacturing a wide array of simple and intricate parts. It offers enhanced design flexibility and exceptional cost-effectiveness. However, these are only some of the numerous interesting facts about plastic injection molding. There’s a lot more you can learn about this process.
What are the most interesting facts about plastic injection molding?
In essence, plastic injection molding is a fast, versatile, and efficient method for designing and manufacturing a variety of custom parts and components for different applications. What’s more, it produces parts in large volumes and features incredible design flexibility. There are many more interesting facts to learn about plastic injection molding:
Majority of products are made with plastic injection molding
The fact is that some of the most popular and widespread items made from plastic have been created using custom injection molding. For example, all Lego blocks from 1949 have been made using this process. However, there’s more to plastic injection molded parts than just Legos. Some of the most common products made with this process include:
- Different types of plastic packaging
- A variety of different toys
- Bottle caps and bottles
- Pocket combs
- Storage containers
- One-piece tables and chairs
The process is incredibly fast
Plastic injection molding is among the fastest manufacturing methods currently in existence. It doesn’t matter how intricate and complicated the desired product is – this method can create components quickly. For example, some of the more complex components take only 30 seconds to make until another production cycle begins.
There is a vast number of materials available
This process allows for a wide range of materials to be used in the creation of different products. Not only that – you can also combine several different materials during the creation of a single component.
There are currently more than 100,000Â different types of resins available for manufacturing. Depending on the choice, the end component will include varying degrees of weight, flexibility, and hardness. Some of the most popular materials are:
- TPR, or thermoplastic rubber
- TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane
- PE, or polyethylene
- PP, or polypropylene
- ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
- PS, or polystyrene
- POM, or polyoxymethylene
- Polycarbonate
- Acrylic
- Nylon
There’s little to no waste in the process
Plastic molding is an eco-friendly process that generates very little waste. All the wasted plastic that originates from the process can be recycled and reused in subsequent production cycles. This almost eliminates waste during manufacturing, enhancing the sustainability of the entire method.
World War 2 helped cement its popularity
War efforts generated increased demand for a variety of plastic components. It was in 1946 that James Watson Hardy invented the screw injection machine and revolutionized the industry forever. This machine improved process control and boosted production speed, giving plastic injection molding a solid basis for future expansion and current dominance.
Which company offers advanced custom plastic injection molding services?
Plastic injection molding is one of, if not the most popular process for creating a variety of parts and components from different types of plastic. There’s a good reason for this. The latest advancements in plastic injection molding allow this method of creating plastic parts to offer numerous benefits over other methods and makes it suitable for manufacturing components for different applications and industries.
However, all this is only true if you partner with a reputable company that offers advanced plastic injection molding services. We’re a manufacturer of high-quality plastic parts and components suitable for a variety of specialized uses. We design and create all the items per your direct specifications and we ensure they suit your specific needs. Reach out at sales@wundermold.com or give us a call at (707) 448-2349.