What is Injection Molding?
Plastic injection molding is a manufacturing process that allows to manufacture finished parts quickly and in large volumes. It works by injecting molten materials into a mold and it is most commonly used with thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers.
This process is widely used for the production of plastic components for the medical, aerospace, automotive, Oil&Gas industries, etc., thanks to the high performance of technopolymers that allow the finished pieces to withstand critical conditions, such as high temperatures and pressures, chemical agents, friction, etc.
How does it work?
The first stage of injection molding is to create the mold itself. Most molds are made from metal, usually steel, and they are precision machined to match the features and geometries of the parts that will be produced
Once the mold has been designed, the polymer for the part is fed into a heated barrel and mixed. Heating bands melt the material in the barrel and the molten plastic material is then fed into the mold cavity where it cools and hardens, matching the shape of the mold.
When is it used?
Injection molding is used to make a range of widely used products, especially where there is a need to manufacture hundreds of identical parts from a mold.
Which are the main advantages?
The main advantage of injection molding is being able to scale up production to produce a large number of parts. Once the initial costs of the design and the molds have been covered, the price of manufacturing is low and the cost of production drops as more parts are produced.
This technology also allows the production of many identical and reliable parts even in high volume productions and it guarantees constant quality and zero waste.
Which plastics are used in Injection Molding?
In addition to the most commonly used plastics, there are also special and niche ones belonging to the families of High Performance Polymers and Fluoropolymers.
Our company
Fluorten is a company specialized in injection molding that has been manufacturing customized components for the food, aerospace, chemical, Oil&Gas sector and for the industry in general for over 55 years. All the molds are manufactured internally and the production of the pieces takes place using our injection molding machines. In this way it is possible to satisfy, in a quick and efficient way, the requests of each customer.
The finished parts, of small or large dimensions and series, with insert/coating (metal or polymer) can be produced both by mono or co-injection molding. In addition, if necessary, they are assembled in kits.
Fluorten transforms only high-quality raw materials that it purchases directly from the main technopolymer manufacturers in the world (PEEK, PPS, PA, PC, PU, PP, etc.), including Fluoropolymers (FEP, PFA, ETFE, PVDF, PCTFE, etc.).
To further advantage, being able to dispose internally of a modern CNC machining department (lathes and multi-axis milling machines), the pieces can be finished by mechanical machining obtaining shapes and tolerances that injection molding does not allow to realize.
If you have special needs or if you have not yet identified the right material and production technology for you, Fluorten will be able to help you!
Contact our consultants: info@fluorten.com.