How To Choose The Best Injection Molding Material

Introduction

 

With multiple varieties bombarding our lives each day, it is tough to narrow down on a choice. Injection molding suffers from the same dilemma of choice. Injection molding as a process is quite efficient and makes mass production convenient and quick. This ease drives up the number of service providers in the field.

 

One can always go for professional service providers based on their previous work record, the scientific additions they have in equipment, checking out their furnished products, and how much time they take to fulfilling the demands and deliver the final product.

 

You can choose injection molding service companies if they intend on outsourcing the work to a professional and getting a hassle-free product in their hand. As a manufacturer, especially if you are new, it is essential to make a well-researched choice on what kind of injection molding can ease your work and which one can be a pain.

 

What Makes For A Good Injection Molding Material?

It can get quite nerve-racking if the molder stops functioning or does not deliver the quality you wanted, or the material gets unevenly heated causing air bubbles, flow lines, or sink hole formation, especially when you are walking on a tightrope to deliver on time as a manufacturer. It is essential to make an informed choice of what makes an injection molding material good/bad to avoid embarrassment and a loss of a client like that.

 

 

● Price Of The Mold And Material

 

A general tendency is to go for a product that fits our budget. Low prices are like honey to a bee where you stop focusing on any other functionality and choose a product because it is cheap. It might end up driving the cost higher, with earlier maintenance needs, hidden charges, or a sub-optimal quality.

 

The market for injection molding is competitive and adequate exploration can help you get the best product in an affordable price range only if you are willing to put in the required time and effort.

 

● Resin Availability

 

Resin is the material used as a base in many plastic and polymer components. It is essential to undertake proper research about material suitability and keep the end use and final product in mind. PTFE film can be used as an effective, reliable, and durable resin for multiple end products.

 

The component is not made up of a single resin only. There are materials in combination, so the focus should not only be on the material base but on the filler or combined resin material too. Professional molders can also be consulted for guidance on saving material but producing an equally high-end product.

 

● Weight Of Final Component

 

All injection molding material is unsuitable for every component you intend on creating. Injection molding has various applications, ranging from automotive parts, medical devices, furniture, and electronics.

 

Materials differ as per the end product such as lightweight components requiring something light like polyethylene while production of high-quality heavy components with a heavy material like Nylon.

 

One can also refer to medical device contract manufacturing companies for more professional guidance on the suitability of the mold for medical purposes. Similar specialized manufacturers exist for other areas of application as well who can be consulted and delegated the work to get a premium quality product at your doorstep.

 

● Temperature Tolerance

 

It is a common but dreadful mistake to have no idea about the temperature tolerance of the material you are using. It might be subjected to fluctuating temperatures, which will end up creating flow lines and warping it.

 

Every material you choose might have a different temperature tolerance limit, so be careful while making this decision and observe the material when subjected to heat. When two materials of widely different temperature ranges are molded together, one must exercise caution while choosing the materials. If not taken care of, it can cause air bubbles and even undermine the strength of the product, thus affecting its durability.

 

● Viscosity, Pressure, And Temperature Mismatch

 

A high viscosity product means it will take much longer to flow to the mold, and then it has to be subjected to heat and higher pressure for a prolonged period. People usually prefer a low viscosity product due to ease of flow and less input required.

 

● Hardness And Flexibility

 

Every hard material isn’t necessarily strong, and every soft material is not flexible. Nylon is soft than Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene but is harder to bend. The end product determines if you should go for a hard/ flexible/soft/ stiff material.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Increased material availability has given a widespread opportunity to the customers to customize it as per their requirements. It has also enabled cost competitiveness in the market that benefits the end consumer. The material chosen with every required information gets reflected in the end product that is durable, reliable, and eye-pleasing to the consumer.