Moulage par injection rapide: The Complete Guide
The best method of manufacturing plastic components is rapid injection molding. The process of injection molding produces a large volume of the components with faster lead time and lower cost. If you are inclined to learn about the process and its applications, you can go through this guide.
What is Rapid Injection Molding?
Rapid injection molding is a manufacturing method that is fast and efficient. It can be opted for making the injection molded components with the help of custom molds. It has a combination of the speed of 3D printing and the quality of the traditional method of injection molding.
The process of rapid injection molding allows for manufacturing components with high quality in as less as 15 days. It is very fast when compared to the traditional methods and uses aluminum molds which are quickly manufactured compared to the steel ones. It is suitable for prototyping and manufacturing plastic parts in small quantities.
How Does Rapid Injection Molding Work?
Le processus de rapid injection molding offers accuracy and speed for manufacturing high-quality parts. The process offers multiple steps that are suitable for seamless outcomes. The entire process has various steps, and some of these are given below:
Prototyping and CAD Design
The process of rapid injection molding requires making a digital design of the component with the help of software like SolidWorks and AutoCAD. It creates a CAD program that allows the creation of an entire plan for the manufacturing process.
Rapid Tooling
Rapid tooling is the next step in which the CNC machines or 3D printers are used for making mold cavities. These machines offer high accuracy and tolerance for creating molds.
Aluminum is usually opted for creating the mold as it offers high machinability and even offers good thermal conductivity.
Selection of Material
In order to ensure success in the rapid injection molding process, choosing the right material is very important. There are different types of thermoplastics, like nylon, ABS, polypropylene, etc, which can be chosen. Selection of material requires considering factors like cost, chemical resistance, and the mechanical properties required for the component.
Process of Injection Molding
The process of rapid injection molding consists of injecting plastic in molten form in the mold cavity. The plastic pellets are first heated so that they can melt. When in liquid form, they are injected into the mold at a pressure of 10,000 to 30,000 psi.
The high pressure ensures that the material is properly filled in the mold cavity, leaving no areas behind. The process is very quick and takes as little as 1 second to pour small parts.
Ejection and Cooling
Once the molds are filled with liquid plastic, the cooling phase starts. In this process, the temperature of the mold is kept around 20 to 120 degrees centigrade for solidification. The small parts may take a few seconds, and larger ones may take longer. Once the plastic is hard and has taken the shape of the mold, the ejector pins push the part out.
Secondary Processing
After the plastic component is ejected out of the mold, some parts may need added finishing. Some of these methods are painting, trimming, and surface texturing.
Usinage CNC can be undertaken for tight tolerance of the components when it comes to trimming. In order to ensure surface smoothness, processes like vapor smoothing can be opted for.
Iteration
The process of rapid injection molding is suitable for iteration of designs in a quick way. The time taken is as less as 24 hours, and mold tweaks can be performed rapidly to enhance design upgrades. The process of iteration will take a few cycles before the design can be finalized.
Contrôle de la qualité
It is very important to ensure that the process of rapid injection molding is carried out with high quality control. In order to exercise control, the pressure of injecting the plastic and mold temperature must be tracked and managed.
Advantages Of Rapid Injection Molding
Some of the advantages of the rapid injection molding process are the following:
- Rapid injection molding reduces the product development cycles. The parts can be created in just 10 to 15 days, which is not possible with the traditional method.
- The use of aluminum in rapid injection molding costs much less compared to the steel that is used in traditional injection molding. Hence, low-volume production becomes cost-effective.
- This process offers flexibility in design. Even if any changes are required, they can be made quickly, and the product can be refined through iterations.
- The prototypes manufactured from rapid injection molding are always accurate with tight tolerance and excellent surface despite being quick.
- It is suitable for use with almost all those materials that are even used in the traditional injection molding process.
- The molds of aluminum used in the process of rapid injection molding offer wear resistance and hence can be used in the longer run.
Rapid Injection Molding vs. Traditional Injection Molding
Rapid injection molding, as well as traditional injection molding, are processes that help in manufacturing plastic parts but they differ from one another. The process of rapid injection molding uses aluminum molds, which are less sturdy but can be produced quickly. The traditional method uses steel molds, which take time to make but offer durability.
The process of rapid injection molding is suitable for small batches, whereas the traditional one helps manufacture larger batches. Rapid injection molding will take around 2 weeks to produce, followed by low cost for low volumes. However, traditional injection molding takes more than 6 weeks and the cost of low volume is high.
Applications for Rapid Injection Molding
Rapid injection molding is used widely in various applications, and some of these are the following:
Prototyping
The process of rapid injection molding is mostly used for creating prototypes for different designs. Due to its ability to manufacture the design quickly and with high quality, it is used by many industries like aerospace and automobile.
It helps to evaluate the design of different components in the form of prototypes. Hence, models for turbine blades and other components can be created before the final parts are sent for manufacturing.
Dispositifs médicaux
In the medical industry, the process of rapid injection molding helps create complex and highly accurate parts. It is used in manufacturing medical items that are disposable, like syringes, catheter pieces, and other such tools.
Électronique grand public
In consumer electronics, the use of rapid injection molding can be seen for manufacturing devices like smartphone cases, housings for electronic devices, etc. Due to the features of these components being trickly, like button placements and openings required, the process of rapid injection molding can create it with accuracy.
Tips for Rapid Injection Molding
The rapid injection molding process may sometimes pose challenges. In this case, some of the important tips to keep in mind are given below:
- Selection of suitable material is important for the process because if the material is compatible with the process, it will ensure the accuracy and quality of the part.
- It is also important to use advanced mold designs, which include uniform thickness of the wall and optimized locations of gates. All of these lead to reducing the challenges with mold constraints.
- Sometimes rapid injection molding may struggle with complex geometries and hence it is suggested to use simpler designs or removable inserts in the design of molds.
- Rapid injection molding may end up costing high when chosen for large production runs and is suitable for low to medium components. Hence, ensuring analyzing your production requirements beforehand.
Conclusion
Rapid injection molding process is a versatile process. As you have gone through the guide above, you must have learned about the different applications and the entire process of rapid injection molding.
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FAQ
What are the disadvantages of rapid injection molding?
Rapid injection molding is not suitable for low-volume production and may cost more, moreover, it offers limitations for certain materials to be chosen.
Is rapid injection molding suitable for manufacturing complex parts?
Yes, complex parts can be manufactured through the process of rapid injection molding.
Are parts made by rapid injection molding durable?
Yes, the durability of the components manufactured through rapid injection molding is high and these components can easily be used in versatile applications.
