0:04 - 0:06

Injection molding is the secret sauce.

0:06 - 0:10

It transforms raw materials into everyday products with precision and efficiency.

0:10 - 0:17

This video will give you a quick introduction to what injection molding is and how it works.

0:17 - 0:23

Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce large quantities of identical plastic parts.

0:23 - 0:29

It works by injecting molten material into a mold where it cools and hardens into the desired shape.

0:30 - 0:33

The injection molding process involves four major steps.

0:33 - 0:35

The first step is clamping.

0:35 - 0:40

The two halves of the mold are closed under pressure to form a hollow cavity in the shape of the part.

0:40 - 0:42

The second step is injection.

0:42 - 0:48

Raw material typically in the form of plastic pellets are fed from a hopper into the barrel.

0:48 - 0:52

A screw moves the material forward and melts it with help from heaters along the barrel.

0:52 - 0:57

The screw then pushes the molten plastic into a steel or aluminum mold under high pressure.

0:58 - 1:00

The third step is cooling.

1:00 - 1:05

Heat is extracted from the part rapidly by cooling channels in the mold to solidify the part.

1:05 - 1:07

The fourth step is ejection.

1:07 - 1:12

Once the part solidifies, the mold opens and ejector pins push the finished part out.

1:12 - 1:17

This cycle repeats to make additional parts making it ideal for mass production.

1:18 - 1:25

Ejected parts often require some post processing such as trimming or polishing before it is ready to be sold.

1:26 - 1:29

Let us now review key features of injection molding.

1:29 - 1:31

It can handle high volume.

1:31 - 1:34

Thousands to millions of parts can be quickly produced.

1:34 - 1:39

It is very consistent process and produces parts with precise repeatable dimensions.

1:39 - 1:42

It can create complex shapes with intricate geometries.

1:42 - 1:48

It can work with many different types of plastics such as ABS, polypropylene and nylon.

1:48 - 1:54

Common products created by injection molding include toys, kitchen appliances,

1:54 - 2:01

bottle caps, medical devices, phone cases, automotive parts.

2:03 - 2:05

Mold cost can vary depending upon the part.

2:05 - 2:09

Simple aluminum mold, $3,000 to $15,000.

2:09 - 2:14

Complex multi-cavity steel mold, $50,000 to $200,000.

2:14 - 2:16

Many factors affect the mold costs.

2:16 - 2:20

Complex geometries and tight tolerances increase cost.

2:20 - 2:23

Steel molds are durable but expensive.

2:23 - 2:26

Aluminum molds are cheaper for low volume runs.

2:26 - 2:31

More cavities mean higher tooling cost, but lower cost per part due to higher output.

2:31 - 2:35

Polished or textured molds cost more to manufacture.

2:35 - 2:40

High volume molds need hardened steel, raising initial investment.

2:40 - 2:42

Thank you for watching.

2:42 - 2:46

For more information, please visit CustomPartNet website.