Our team uses high performance thermoplastics to design and manufacture solutions — whether injection molded, machined, stamped, fabricated, or assembled — that exceed the demands of your specific applications so you can focus on product and market development.

Gas assist molding can be used in nearly any industry, including medical, aerospace, and space equipment, parts, and component manufacturing. The Gas Assist Injection Molding process works well using a wide range of materials and can help you reduce your cycle times and material costs.

1. Identify the sections of your design that will benefit from Gas Assist Injection Molding. While these typically include thicker sections of larger products, it may also include transitional points where part thicknesses change, as these areas may be more prone to potential warpage during the cooling process;

Contact us at rtaylor@altek-inc.com or call 509.924.3731 and ask for Rick Taylor to learn more about how Gas Assist Injection Molding can help you achieve your product goals. We’re excited to work with you!

2. Factor in a balanced filling pattern during the injection mold design stage. This will allow gas to flow throughout the mold at an even rate, giving a more even finished product;

Annealing Torlon can be critical to the final properties of a component. Post-curing torlon removes all moisture in the part and must be done with care to reduce bubbling or warping the final components. Once post-cured, PAI components will have superior mechanical properties to uncured parts.

3. Incorporate the proper gas pressure into the Gas Assist Injection Molding planning process. Depending on the desired wall thickness, greater or lesser gas pressure will be needed to avoid product impurities and ensure gas penetrates only the designated gas areas.

Taking these factors into account early in the product design phase and considering them during the injection mold design and construction phases will allow you to reap the benefits of this process.

Torlon 4503 is compression molded polyamide-imide offers exceptional properties for insulating components. It is similar in composition to Torlon 4203 which is the extruded grade of unfilled Torlon. When a component requires larger stock and cannot be extruded, 4503 is utilized. Torlon is known for its high temperature resistance, dimensional stability and machinability.

During the Gas Assist Injection Molding process, a plastic material is injected into the mold cavities, filling up to approximately 70 percent of the mold volume. As the molten plastic comes in contact with the mold walls and begins to solidify, nitrogen gas is injected into the mold through strategically designed and placed gas inlets, providing uniform pressure that pushes the plastic into the mold extremities and keeps part surfaces smooth and free from warpage.

We are honored to have some of the best machinists in the industry running our complex machinery, ranging from stand-alone 3-axis vertical mills to 5-axis high speed horizontal mills with linear pallet shuttle systems, and 2-axis lathes to 9-axis mill/turns allowing us to accommodate a full range of our customers’ needs. Our molding technology includes injection molding press sizes ranging from 40 ton to 1,760 ton.

Altek’s experienced project managers work with you to make sure your product designs are ready for high quality Gas Assist Injection Molding. Together, we:

As a premier global contract manufacturer specializing in the aerospace, medical, space, technology, and defense sectors, Altek offers a complete service center with injection molding, machining, painting, printing, bonding, hardware installation, testing, electro-mechanical assembly, and final assembly. Our core competencies include gas assist injection molding, injection molding, injection mold tooling, and state-of-the-art machining at our 150,000 sf facility located in Liberty Lake, WA.

Gas Assist Injection Molding is preferable to standard injection molding techniques for plastic parts and components with large, thick outer walls. It is also the preferred method when the desired outcomes are to reduce part warpage and shrinkage, while also reducing costs associated with the traditional molding process of injection mold tooling. Outside of these parameters, injection molding is still favored for parts requiring tighter tolerances, as this technique allows for more control during the process.

Gas Assist Injection Molding is a plastic injection process providing greater flexibility over traditional methods. Introduced in the 1970s as a way to mold a hollow plastic part or component, Gas Assist Injection Molding was quickly adopted by manufacturers seeking a viable alternative to traditional molding techniques, such as injection mold tooling.