
2k Injection Molding The Definitive GUIDE (2022) - 2k injection molding
Author:gly Date: 2024-10-15
At Europlas, we place great importance on delivering exceptional plastic products that are created with meticulous attention to detail and precise craftsmanship. Our team consists of dedicated professionals with high levels of expertise, committed to providing excellent customer service to guarantee your complete satisfaction. Discover the unique features of Europlas products and enjoy the unmatched quality and reliability that our esteemed customers depend on. Take the opportunity to contact us today and explore our wide range of products, finding the perfect plastic solution that precisely meets your needs. You can find additional valuable information right here!
BiOMates is a range of plastic fillers produced using biodegradable base resins and appropriate additives tailored to meet the specific requirements of the end product. These bio fillers possess all the exceptional advantages of filler masterbatch while also being biodegradable within 12 months after use, making them highly environmentally friendly.
Thermoplastic molding is a common manufacturing process that uses various types of plastic materials. Some commonly employed materials for this technique include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These materials possess unique properties that render them suitable for different applications. PE is renowned for its strength and resistance to chemicals, making it ideal for applications like containers and piping systems. PP exhibits exceptional heat resistance and finds extensive use in packaging, automotive components, and household appliances. PS is available in both rigid and porous forms and is commonly utilized for disposable utensils, packaging materials, and insulation. PVC is well-known for its insulating properties, making it a favorable choice for cables and wiring. ABS is a robust material known for its ability to withstand impacts, making it well-suited for applications in electronics, auto parts, and toys. Lastly, PET is a transparent and strong material commonly employed for beverage bottles and food containers. In summary, these materials share the common characteristic of being easily melted, shaped, solidified, and transformed into a wide range of products.
Think of the products made from thermoplastic molding like cheese and thermoset molding like a burger patty. Cheese comes in a variety of different shapes but when melted it can take on a new form. Once cooked, a burger patty can’t be melted to take on a new form.
Color masterbatch is a commonly used technique for coloring plastics, which involves combining a conventional plastic base with pigments and suitable additives in the form of masterbatch granules. EuroPlas provides a diverse selection of premium pigments that deliver precise, steadfast, and durable colors.
For all of its strengths, PEEK isn’t resistant to UV light and doesn’t hold up well in the presence of halogens or sodium. Also, it’s one of the more expensive CNC machining plastics on the market — product teams should only consider using it for their most demanding applications.
Nylon 66 is particularly well-suited for CNC machining because it’s strong and durable enough for a wide variety of applications in many industries including automotive and medical devices. This plastic is naturally high-performing, can withstand a lot of wear and tear, and resists damage from oil and fuel. However, nylon 66 has low dimensional stability when it takes on moisture, and it takes on moisture very easily. It also doesn’t hold up well in the presence of strong mineral acids.
1. What is thermoplastic molding? 2. Applications of thermoplastic molding 3. The Advantages and Disadvantages of thermoplastic molding 4. Ideal material to use 5. The differences between thermoplastic molding and thermoset molding 6. About European Plastic Company
Delrin 570 and 150 are the most common grades of POM used in CNC machining because they have excellent dimensional stability and are ideal for creating precise parts with tight tolerances. However, this plastic has poor resistance to acids. Plus, it can be difficult to bond. Common applications for POM include seat belt components, electronic cigarettes, insulin pens, and water meters.
The filler masterbatch comprises a mixture of conventional plastic materials (PP, PE, HIPS, etc.) combined with CaCO3 stone powder and suitable additives, presented as masterbatch particles. The primary objective of the filler masterbatch is to substitute a portion of the main plastic material, facilitating cost reduction during production and ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of the final products.
Designers should know that PC is naturally transparent and can transmit light as well as glass — plus it takes on color very well. Common applications include safety goggles, surgical implements, circuit breakers, and CDs/DVDs.
Nylon, also known as polyamide (PA), is a broad category of low-friction engineering thermoplastics with high impact strength, high abrasion and chemical resistance, and overall excellent mechanical properties.
Unfortunately, PC’s good mechanical properties will degrade after prolonged exposure to water over 60°C. Also, although PC is resistant to diluted acids, oils, and greases, it’s susceptible to hydrocarbon wear and will yellow over time after prolonged exposure to UV rays.
PTFE, commonly known as Teflon, is a versatile high-performance polymer with a number of mechanical properties that make it valuable for product teams designing commercial products. This plastic is chemical-, temperature-, light-, UV-, water-, weathering-, and fatigue-resistant. Known for its excellent anti-adhesion properties, PTFE is most commonly found in the coatings for non-stick pans, but it is also used for gaskets, semiconductor parts, and even heart patches.
However, PMMA is not very resistant to heat, impact, wear, or abrasion. Also, this material is prone to cracking under heavy loads. As such, product teams should only consider PMMA for low-stress applications like greenhouse canopies, car indicator light covers, solar panels, and drug testing devices.
Thermoplastic molding offers numerous benefits that make it a preferred choice across various industries. Firstly, this process offers immense design flexibility, enabling the creation of intricate shapes and sizes. Secondly, thermoplastic molding is economically viable due to its capacity for mass production, resulting in reduced production costs. Furthermore, Thermoplastic molding ensures high output quality, delivering finished merchandise that meet dimensional and material specifications accurately. Additionally, this production process is environmentally friendly as it utilizes recyclable materials and minimizes waste generation. In summary, the benefits of thermoplastic molding encompass adaptability, cost-effectiveness, superior product quality, and environmental sustainability.
Most commonly known by its commercial name, Delrin, POM is the one of the most machinable of all CNC plastics. Product teams choose POM when they need a high-strength, high-stiffness plastic with excellent heat, wear, weather, chemical, and fuel resistance.
PEEK is a high-performance thermoplastic known for its unusual combination of mechanical properties. This plastic is resistant to chemicals, wear, creep, fatigue, liquids, and temperatures up to 260°C (480°F). It’s also lightweight, strong enough to endure harsh environmental conditions, and insoluble in all common solvents. Plus, PEEK is recyclable and biocompatible.
Since ABS is so lightweight, affordable, and widely available, many product teams use it for rapid prototyping. Other common applications include electronics enclosures, keyboard caps, and dashboard components in cars.
Even though ABS is strong, it’s highly susceptible to wear by certain greases, solvents, and alcohols. Also, ordinary ABS grades that haven’t been treated with modified with heat stabilizers burn easily and will sometimes continue to burn even after the flame has been removed.
LDPE is primarily used for orthotics and prosthetics. However, LDPE shouldn’t be used for applications in which stiffness, high structural strength, and high-temperature resistance are required. Part size is also limited because of thickness limitations on commercially available LDPE.
LDPE is a tough but flexible CNC machining plastic known for its low-temperature flexibility and corrosion resistance. It’s easy to weld and heat seal and offers good chemical resistance.
PTFE has the lowest friction coefficient of any solid material and is one of the top five most corrosion-resistant plastics. However, PTFE’s mechanical properties are generally inferior to other engineering plastics at room temperature — though this can be remedied by adding appropriate fillers. It’s also important to note that there are limits on the thickness of parts made with PTFE since it’s typically only available in two-inch thick plates or rods. PTFE is also sensitive to creep and abrasion.
Like nylon, PEEK is often used to replace metal in CNC machining. Common applications include piston units, critical airplane engine parts, and dental syringes.
Thermoplastic injection molding process offers a flexible and efficient approach to manufacturing diverse plastic products with minimal cost and lead time. Let's find out with EuroPlas now!
On the other hand, alongside its exceptional advantages, thermoplastic molding also presents certain inherent weaknesses. One of the most significant drawbacks of thermoplastic molding is the relatively high initial investment cost associated with tooling and mold design. This process necessitates a profound level of specialized expertise in order to produce precise molds and tools. While the eco-friendliness of thermoplastic molding is widely recognized, it is crucial to exercise caution when choosing input materials and avoiding the utilization of detrimental chemicals and additives during production. Additionally, a constraint emerges from the selection of raw materials since thermoplastic molds can only operate optimally with compatible substances. Moreover, if any unexpected issues arise during the molding process, addressing them can prove to be intricate, requiring a significant investment of time, effort, and financial resources. In general, thermoplastic molding provides abundant benefits to both manufacturers and consumers, nonetheless, it remains crucial to thoroughly evaluate the inherent limitations of this procedure and establish suitable measures to mitigate them.
PC is well known and widely used in the manufacturing industry. It’s tough but lightweight, naturally heat retardant, and offers excellent electrical insulation properties. PC is also more efficient than other engineering thermoplastics.
Compared to polystyrene, PMMA transmits light better and is more weathering- and UV-resistant. From a design standpoint, this plastic offers unlimited coloring options and a refractive index of 1.49.
When it comes to injection molding, thermoplastic molding and thermoset molding are the two commonly favored processes. Despite having similar names and some similarities, they possess distinct characteristics and find applications in diverse fields.
Product teams must keep in mind that UHMW isn’t suitable for high load applications because it’s highly susceptible to creep, and shouldn’t be used in temperatures exceeding 80 to 100°C. UHMW is commonly found in truck bed liners, food processing machinery parts, wear strips, and marine dock fender pads.
ABS is a popular engineering thermoplastic known for its impact strength and resistance, high heat resistance, and good machinability. This plastic is a good insulator, ideal for electrical applications, and remains mechanically stable over time.
Plastic is susceptible to the influences of environmental conditions and its own inherent factors throughout processing and use. To enhance production efficiency and product quality, EuroPlas presently offers an array of 11 fundamental additives including anti-UV, anti-aging, flame retardant, anti-static, and more.
HDPE is a flexible, easy-to-process plastic that’s resistant to stress cracking, chemicals, and corrosives even at low temperatures. It offers the same exceptional impact strength of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with a tensile strength that’s four times higher. However, this material has poor UV resistance. Common applications include plugs, seals, and electrical insulators.
Polypropylene is a cost-effective CNC machining plastic that offers a unique combination of properties not found in many other plastics. It’s lightweight, highly chemical resistant in corrosive environments, and resistant to most organic solvents, degreasing agents, and electrolytes.
Thermoplastic molding commonly referred to as plastic injection molding, is the method used to manufacture plastic parts and products in massive quantities. The special feature of this technique is its capability to repeatedly melt and solidify thermoplastic materials while retaining their original properties. Consequently, this process typically produces plastic merchandise with high precision, stable physical properties and a smooth glossy exterior.
CNC machining is a subtractive manufacturing process that uses rotating tools and drills to systematically remove material from a solid block of material, thereby shaping the part. When it comes to manufacturing plastic parts, CNC machining is more precise than injection molding. What’s more, CNC machining is compatible with a wider range of plastics than many other manufacturing methods, making parts production via machining a desirable choice for many product teams. Here are 11 of the most common CNC machining plastics available today:
UHMW is a tough, versatile, and highly machinable plastic with high abrasion and wear resistance. Product teams turn to this material when they need a durable, low-friction plastic for their industrial applications.
BiONext is a specific type of bio-engineering plastic produced from biodegradable base plastics and carefully chosen additives to suit the specific needs of end products. It finds extensive use in various industries including but not limited to blowing biofilm, food packaging, agricultural film, injection molding, and extrusion processes for creating items such as spoons, forks, laminations, and plates.
Compared to LDPE and HDPE, PP has a lower impact strength but it makes up for it in tensile strength. Similar to PTFE, PP is typically limited to three-inch sheets for machining, so part size is limited.
PMMA, commonly known as acrylic or acrylic glass, is a rigid thermoplastic widely known for its shatter-resistance. It’s tough, lightweight, resistant to most laboratory chemicals. It does, however, break down when used with chlorinated or aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, or ethers.
Compound engineering plastics find extensive application in various industries that demand a high level of technical expertise. This includes sectors like automotive and motorcycle parts, household electrical appliances, electrical engineering, electronic components, and office equipment. EuroPlas products are designed with exceptional attributes such as chemical resistance, impact resistance, wear resistance, and easy structural adjustment to meet rigorous specifications.
A seasoned manufacturing partner like SyBridge Technologies can streamline the material selection process. Our team has years of experience seeing customers through the entire manufacturing process — from design optimization and material selection to production and speedy fulfillment. We’re well-equipped to help product teams zero-in on the CNC machining material that’s right for their unique projects. Contact us today to get started.
CNC machining is a versatile manufacturing process that allows product development teams and engineers to create high-quality parts with complex geometries. However, since CNC machining is compatible with almost any material that can be machined, engineers are spoiled for choice. Wading through all of the possible options and choosing the material that’s best for their use-case can be challenging and time-consuming.
Thermoplastic molding is extensively applied across multiple industries due to its adaptability and effectiveness. Within the automotive sector, it is utilized for producing both interior and exterior components like dashboards, headlights, and front bumpers. By using this technique, automakers can enhance productivity while delivering durable and visually appealing products to customers. Thermoplastic molding holds a significant position in the medical industry for its crucial role in producing medical devices of consistent and high quality. Components such as endotracheal tubes, surgical instruments and various medical devices demand an extremely high level of precision. Thermoplastic molding enables the creation of medical products that comply with rigorous safety and effectiveness standards, thereby enhancing the overall quality of patient healthcare. Thermoplastic molding is a common occurrence in our day-to-day lives, playing a crucial role in the manufacturing of consumer goods like household appliances, equipment, and packaging materials. It also holds significant importance in the electronics industry for producing enclosures, connectors, and components. Additionally, thermoplastic molding finds applications in aerospace and construction sectors. Its ability to achieve remarkable precision, durability, and cost-effectiveness has made it the preferred choice in numerous industries.
Plastics are integral to the modern manufacturing industry — they’re widely available, most are affordable, and they’re compatible with popular manufacturing processes like injection molding, 3D printing, and CNC machining.
Thermoplastic molding typically commences by melting thermoplastic materials in the form of pellets or granules inside an injection molding machine that operates under elevated temperature and pressure. Subsequently, the molten plastic transforms into a uniform liquid state, ensuring homogeneity of the material. Once the plastic is in its molten state, it is injected into the mold through the force exerted by the large screw system. The molds utilized for this purpose are typically constructed from steel and meticulously designed to create the desired shape. Once the entire liquid resin has been injected into the mold, it undergoes a cooling process facilitated by a cooling system embedded within the mold, as a result, the plastic solidifies and takes shape. To obtain the final product, the mold holding the frozen part is opened, allowing for the separation and ejection of the solidified plastic. This marks the conclusion of a multi-step process. A plastic injection molding system generally automates and controls this procedure, which helps ensure gentle and precise impact to avoid any potential damage to the product.
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