Guide to Material Selection for Injection Molding Manufacturing

 

Injection molding is a unique process we use in the manufacture of plastic products of varying shapes and sizes using different materials. There are over 85,000 commercial options of materials that we classify under thermosets and thermoplastics. This wide category is exactly where the confusion arises. Despite it being a daunting task for product designers and molders to choose the appropriate material. Therefore, at Creatingway, Our experts are capable of carrying out this selection process deftly. This is sole to minimize future plastic failure. Below are a few pointers that we consider during the material selection for plastic injection molding.

Some of the wide array of common raw materials we select from include:

• Acetyl
• Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
• Nylon
• Polyether ether ketone
• Polystyrene
• Polyurethane
• Polyester
• Polypropylene
• Liquid Crystal Polymers
• Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
• High-Density Polystyrene (HDPS)
• ULTEM
• Acrylic

 

Parameters of Choosing Materials in Plastic Injection Molding

 

Since the material is the most decisive component, it determines the overall quality of the part, and we carefully partake in its selection process. So we have to consider the following properties:

• Durability and Hardness

Different materials have different in their shell lives. Hence, we carefully ascertain that the material meets the durability standards of the application we are manufacturing. Some important considerations include usage, environmental conditions, type of abrasion and overall user experience. The hardness of a material is its degree of resistance to indentation.

• Resistance to Environmental Conditions

The products that we manufacture from plastics end up in different environmental settings exp

experience differing levels of stress. Examples of these levels of stress include heat, cold, or moisture. They have a massive impact on its stability. Often, improper selection results in discoloration, cracks, and other unwanted defects.

• Flexibility

Some materials that we choose for plastic manufacture can bend to extreme positions without breakage. Some applications require certain levels of flexibility. There is a common misconception that all soft materials are flexible while all hard materials are stiff. Hence, we seriously factor in application requirements prior to making a selection.

• Impact Resistance.

Harsh conditions that our plastic products may encounter include the impact and stress of varying degrees. If the material does not have a certain level of ruggedness, it may experience breakage or deformation.

• Tensile Strength

This commonly indicates the resistance of the plastic material to breakage when under tension. This is a varying quality between materials.

• Minimal Secondary Operation

Some materials may require auxiliary modification and operations like inserts and trimming before their use. This often results in an additional higher overall operation cost. Utilizing perfects alternatives of such know material is a specialty here at Creatingway as we know which materials have similar properties.

• Cost of Material

It is not always necessary to select expensive material for use in the production process. A common misconception among manufacturers is that quality increases with an increase in rate. A similar performance may arise from cheaper alternatives.

• Material Weight

The weight of the material plays an important role in material selection. The material’s weight determines the density of the end product.

 

A summary of other equally important parameters in material selection include

• Machinability
• The intended end use of a product
• Chemical exposure
• Mold design
• Special appearance considerations

 

The Basics of Plastic Failure

Plastic failure is a term that refers to any type of deformation that arises in plastics during their lifetime. The major types of failure are wear, degradation, crack, aesthetic alteration, and distortion. These failures have massive influence over the performance and service life of the prototype. We at Creatingway thus strive to understand the types and causes of plastic failure.

 

Types of Plastic Failure

• Environmental failure

It refers to plastic deformation as a result of environmental factors such as UV rays, heat, microbes, and pollution.

• Chemical Failure

This refers to plastic failure that arises from exposure to harsh chemicals.

• Thermal Failure

This type of failure results from plastic exposure to extremely high or low-temperature ranges.

• Mechanical Failure

This type of failure occurs due to impact of an external force that is stronger than the countering yield strength of the plastic material.

 

Causes of Plastic Failure

There are four critical areas that we analyze when assessing the causes of plastic failure.

• Material Selection for injection molding

As aforementioned, this is a critical component to the integrity of plastic products. Lots of manufacturers choose poor quality material or cheaper material replacements in a bid to meet the consumer’s demands. This often results in application failure. Also, the lack of understanding of the interaction between polymers and the environment, chemicals and long-term response usually leads to premature failure.  The various key parameters that we consider to avoiding poor selection decisions have been mentioned.

• Manufacturing Process

Various factors may alter the plastic during the manufacturing process. These include moisture content, welding and cooling.

• Design

Poor design is a primary cause of plastic failure as the product’s function is a key consideration. The inappropriate design often results in material weakness after long-term use, high speed loading and exposure to chemical environment.

• Service Conditions

Some defects arise due to improper use of the application. We offer advice to our clients through our professionals on the appropriate use of the plastic part or component.

 

Analysis of Polymer Failure

At Creatingway, our engineers understand why plastic products may fail. This is through years of accumulating knowledge on the long-term performance of polymers and on the likely interactions with the service environments such as temperature, chemical, time and stress. So we carry our mechanical testing and chemical analysis of plastic products in our labs to rapidly evaluate and diagnose them. This ensures our products have minimal defects.

As a customer, you must ascertain that you partner with appropriate manufacturers that have a proper understanding of materials used in the injection molding process. Therefore, we have a variety of techniques for assessing plastic failure in plastics, and you can thus trust in us to deliver top-notch products.

 

Creatingway is concentrated on CNC machining manufacturing, prototype machining, low-volume manufacturing, metal fabrication and parts finishing services, provide you the best support and services. ask us one inquire now.

 

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