There are two main types of polystyrene: general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). GPPS is brittle and has less dimensional stability than HIPS, which is compounded with butadiene rubber to enhance its material properties. GPPS also has a glass-like clarity whereas HIPS is opaque.

Acrylic is a strong, clear thermoplastic that provides a lightweight, shatter-resistant alternative to glass. This injection-molded material also offers excellent optical clarity so that a high percentage of light passes through. Acrylic resists ultraviolet (UV) light and weather, and is also known as PMMA, or by its full chemical name: poly(methyl methacrylate).

ABS has a relatively low melting point that makes it easy to mold. This opaque polymer supports the use of colorants as well as various textures and surface finishes. Its butadiene content delivers exceptional toughness, even at low temperatures, and its styrene content imparts a shiny, attractive finish to plastic injection molded parts.

The market of plastic injection molding is relatively broad as injection molded products are produced for various industrial applications. The revenue of the injection molding business market in 2020 stood at USD 343.23 billion and reached USD 357.34 billion in 2021. As per the market estimations, the global injection molding plastics market is analyzed to thrive at USD 476.46 billion by 2028.

The market for injection molding products is on the rise, and the demand for injection molded parts is thriving rapidly. There are many industries where injection molded parts are being used, such as the medical industry, automotive industry, consumer electronics, pharmaceutical industry, telecommunication industry, food and beverage industry, construction industry, packaging industry, etc.

The mold designers and tooling experts with enough experience can make the proper molds for your business. Therefore, it can become a little difficult to discover the right experts. In addition to that, hiring those skilled mold and tooling designers means one has to spend more money.

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The injection molding business is profitable because it has the capability to produce large quantities of products within a short time. In addition to that, complicated designs can be produced easily via injection molding due to the mold design and tooling. Another benefit is that the plastic molding company produces little to no waste, and the leftover plastic can be recycled.

Compared to other plastics, nylon provides poor resistance to strong acids and bases. Nylon is not as strong as polypropylene and can’t match polycarbonate for impact resistance. Injection molding nylon is challenging because it’s prone to shrinkage and is subject to inadequate mold filling.

The present plastic injection molding businesses are producing a wide range of products for different industrial niches. For example, the various niches include the pharmaceutical field, medical device field, automotive field, telecommunication field, electronics, food and beverage industry, packaging industry, construction field, and many more. As there are many niches for injection molding, it is vital to choose a specific niche. This way, one can establish a medical device component manufacturer that is focused on producing molded parts for a particular industry.

Based on the total cavities in the molding tool, the injection molding procedure can create plenty of components in an hour. With the proper molding tool design and molding equipment, it is possible for businesses to consistently create high-quality parts with shorter lead times.

Applications for polyethylene injection molding may be limited to indoor applications because of their poor UV resistance. Because they are unable to withstand high service temperatures, these plastic materials may not be suitable for some processing applications. Often, injection molded polyethylene is used in products such as housewares, toys, food containers, and automotive parts.

PE plastics include polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE), a material that is not defined by its density. Like LDPE, PET can be as clear as glass; however, designers can also select grades of PET or PETE with different levels of optical clarity. HDPE, LDPE, and PET all resist moisture and chemicals, but LDPE is softer and more flexible than HDPE, which is an opaque material.

Injection-molded polycarbonate is sometimes used instead of acrylic because PC maintains its physical properties over a wider temperature range. PC requires high processing temperatures, however, which can make it more expensive to mold. With its predictable and uniform shrinkage, however, polycarbonate offers precise dimensional control for tighter tolerances.

The injection molded parts are made using high-quality medical-grade materials that are known for their sturdiness and long-lasting features. Due to that, injection molding medical devices last for a long period, stay durable, and can withstand heavy pressure and temperature. The molded products are highly used in applications that require impact resistance, pressure resistance, temperature resistance, etc.

It is to be noted that there are different types of injection molding methods, and choosing the proper method will ensure high profits. The most common injection molding methods are plastic injection molding, foam injection molding, liquid silicone injection molding, metal injection molding, and 3D printing. Depending on the type of products your business is planning to produce, it will be easy to pick the right injection molding method.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes come in commercial, medical, and industrial grades. There are three main classes of TPU materials: polyester, polyether, and polycaprolactone. Trademarked products are available from manufacturers such as Lanxess, Lubrizol, Texin, and Ultralast.

Plastic materials for injection molding range from commonly used polymers to specialty plastics and polymer blends. There are hundreds of different plastic resins available, and they each have different end-use properties and processing requirements. Plus, there are different grades of the same plastic material, including resin types with fillers such as glass fibers or carbon fibers, and specific brand names.

With its low coefficient of friction, injection-molded POM is used in bearings, gears, conveyor belts, and pulley wheels. Additional applications include fasteners, eyeglass frames, parts for knives and firearms, lock systems, and high-performance engineering components.

Planning to sell injection molded products? In that case, finding a reliable plastic injection molding manufacturer is essential. SeaskyMedical is a China-based medical plastic injection molding producer with more than 10 years of industrial experience and Class 8 clean room. This company offers a one-stop molding service, including part design, material selection, mold tooling, and quick production and supply.

Polypropylene is the second most commonly used plastic in the world. It provides good chemical resistance, retains its shape after torsion or bending, has a high melting point, and won’t degrade when exposed to moisture or water. Injected molded polypro, as PP is sometimes called, is also recyclable.

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TPU is a type of TPE that is often called out separately because of its popularity. It has a rubber-like elasticity, and can be used as a replacement for hard rubber because of its higher durometer. Injection-molded TPU also has good load-bearing capabilities and can withstand exposure to ozone.

There are various injection molding machines, and almost all of them have automatic functions. Due to these automated machines, human labor assistance is not much required. Because of the less human labor, custom plastic molding can save money on labor expenses.

Starting an injection molding business can seem challenging if one does not know where to begin or what things are needed. To make it easy for people to get into the injection molding business, here we have listed the common steps involved in beginning the injection molding business.

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The mold tooling is a crucial part of ensuring that your molding company delivers precise, high-quality parts to the clients. It is highly recommended to hire mold design and tooling experts to handle the mold tooling requirements for your business.

In its pure form, acetals have low impact strength and a very high rate of thermal expansion. Yet, POM can be reinforced with fiberglass or minerals for improved strength and stiffness. Compounds that are reinforced with both provide an excellent balance of mechanical properties. Because injected molded POM lacks resistance to sunlight, its outdoor applications are limited.

Applications for polystyrene injection molding include medical, optical, electrical, and electronic applications. With its higher impact strength, HIPS is often used with appliances and equipment, while injection-molded GPPS is used in plastic toys, cases, containers, and trays.

Polystyrene can be filled with glass for added strength or co-polymerized with acrylic for greater clarity and improved chemical and UV stability. Brand names include American Styrenics PolyRenew® and BASF Polystyrol®.

With so many options, it helps to have an expert’s advice before choosing a plastic resin for your project. As part of our injection molding service, Fictiv has design and production experts ready to help you make the right choice, and you get design for manufacturing (DFM) feedback along with your quote.

Common brand names for acrylic plastics include Trinseo PLEXIGLAS®, which is available with high heat resistance, and DuPont LUCITE®, which has excellent optical clarity and transparency.

And if you’re looking for help with your injection molding projects, check out our Guide to Injection Molding Production. This downloadable PDF explains what you need to know to make your next injection molding project a success.

When the injection molding procedure has started, making alterations to the design will be difficult and expensive. It is because a new mold design and tooling are required, which will require more time and adds additional expenses.

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Despite its comparative advantages, polypropylene degrades with UV light and is extremely flammable. At temperatures above 100° C  (212° F), this injection-molded plastic dissolves into aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene and toluene, which are harmful to humans. Polypropylene plastic is also difficult to bond and paint.

Unlike some plastics, acrylic can withstand exposure to water and hold tight tolerances. PMMA won’t absorb odors, but it cannot resist solvents and is easily stained by greases and oils. Although injection-molded acrylic has high tensile strength, it’s prone to stress cracking under heavy loads.

Compared to liquid silicone rubber (LSR), TPE is easier and less expensive to mold. Under sustained pressures, however, TPE is susceptible to creep, the tendency of a solid material to permanently deform. TPE also tends to lose its rubbery properties at higher temperatures and is significantly more expensive than other plastic injection molding materials.

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Polycarbonate is strong, lightweight, and naturally transparent. This plastic injection molding material has excellent optical properties to support light transmission, but maintains its color and retains its strength when pigmented. Although it isn’t scratch-resistant, polycarbonate is significantly stronger than glass and is extremely durable.

With so many choices, it’s daunting to choose the right material for your project. Whether your project involves medical plastic injection molding, molded plastic components for the automotive industry, or something else, Fictiv experts are ready to help you go from design to production quickly.

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The beginning expenses of molding die and equipment are rather expensive. Because of that, many people hesitate to start an injection molding business due to a lack of needed budget. Mold making is also another expensive task associated with injection molding. However, softer die substance is affordable but can not be used for large-scale production.

Seasky Medical serves you with medical injection molding solutions from design to tooling to material selection and manufacturing. Contact our specialized team and solve your problem now.

PE plastics come in numbered grades where higher numbers generally indicate higher densities. For example, HDPE 500 has a higher density than HDPE 300. Both grades have a higher density than LDPE, which also uses a numbering system for grades. BASF and DuPont are two of the leading suppliers of PE for engineering (as opposed to general-purpose) applications.

The injection molding business is a great way to become environmentally conscious. The injection molding procedure leaves less scrap, and it is environmentally friendly. Even the excess plastic substance can be recycled and reused for making other plastic products.

Applications for TPU injection molding include footwear, gaskets, caster wheels, and sporting goods along with cases or enclosures for electronics and medical devices. In medical applications, TPUs are sometimes used instead of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that may cause skin irritation.

SeaskyMedical uses reliable medical-grade raw materials to produce parts and inspect manufactured products. At SeaskyMedical, large orders are processed quickly for a lower price. Make sure to contact SeaskyMedical to get small-scale or large-scale injection molded products. They provide injection molding service to both domestic and worldwide clients, can be your reliable molding partners.

There are a wide variety of molding machines, such as CNC machining, EDMs, drilling and milling equipment, etc. The molding machines have different working mechanisms and are used for different purposes. Due to that, it is best to choose the proper machines that are compatible with the type of products the business will produce. Avoid picking cheaper molding machines, as they may stop working in a few months. Choose durable and good-quality equipment.

Estimate the entire costs of setting up the injection molding business, including the equipment cost, tooling cost, factory cost, labor cost, etc. After estimation, decide on the price of the injection molded products to ensure that the costs are recovered by the revenue.

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Polystyrene plastics are lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and resistant to moisture and bacterial growth. These commodity plastics also provide good chemical resistance to diluted acids and bases and have excellent resistance to gamma radiation, which is used to sterilize medical devices.

ABS is known for its strength and impact resistance, but it lacks strong resistance to sunlight (UV), water, and weather. Compared to acrylic, injection-molded ABS is not a good choice for outdoor applications. ABS also generates significant smoke when burned and, unlike nylon, provides poor resistance to high friction.

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Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic in the world and is a commercial polymer that can be selected according to its density. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) both provide chemical resistance, but they differ in terms of their hardness, flexibility, melting point, and optical transparency.

When compared to various manufacturing methods, injection molding is known best due to its consistency. Due to the high-quality mold tooling, it is possible for businesses to produce exact parts for thousands of production cycles. Regardless of the design complexity, the business will be able to maintain the injection molded product consistency.

This article discusses their properties, including comparisons to other materials, along with injection molding applications, grades, and brand names for each.

TPE is a blend of plastic and rubber materials. It is processed like plastic but has the properties and performance of rubber. Known also as thermoplastic rubber (TPR), TPE can be stretched to moderate elongations and, upon the removal of this stress, returns to the material’s original shape. TPE can also be recycled repeatedly.

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Injection molding businesses will ensure that the business owners get enough profits. Since the demand for these products is increasing, the injection molding business will have more than enough clients, so the manufacturing process runs throughout the year. This way, it will be easy to earn more revenue.

The lead time of the injection molding procedure is relatively higher in comparison to other procedures. From product development, part design, material selection, mold tooling, sampling, and finally, manufacturing the products, the entire process will take several months. Due to the relatively long lead time, some people do not prefer injection molding businesses.

Automotive applications include weather seals and shock dust boots. Medical applications include breathing tubes, valves, catheters, and ventilation masks.

There is evident growth in the global injection molding market that is linked to the growing demand for high-quality injection molded products. Acquiring the injection molded components from a reliable plastic injection molding manufacturer is highly beneficial due to the low cost and quick production.

Polycarbonate plastic can be filled with glass and is available in grades that contain a relatively small percentage of stainless steel fiber. Popular brands include SABIC Lexan®, which is available in flame-resistant versions, and Covestro Makrolon®, which has glass-like transparency.

Applications for acrylic injection molding include windows, greenhouses, solar panels, bathroom enclosures, and other transparent components for architectural, lighting, and outdoor applications.

We exist to eliminate bottlenecks in new product development by integrating the people, processes, and platform you need to source custom parts.

The plastics discussed in this article are the most common injection molding materials — including specialty plastics and polymer blends — that Fictiv can injection mold for you.

The injection molding procedure is only highly profitable in case of large-volume production. If the clients have ordered injection molding parts in small quantities, the molding business might not get much profit. This is because the mold design and tooling take up much of the budget.

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Compared to TPE, TPU has superior resistance to extreme temperatures and chemicals. TPUs may be too hard for some injection molded plastic parts, and tend to cost more, in part because drying is required before processing.

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is an engineering plastic that is also known as acetal. It combines excellent rigidity with thermal stability and has a low coefficient of friction. This plastic material has low water absorption and good chemical resistance. In terms of appearance, POM plastics are naturally opaque and white in color.

There are two main types of acetal plastics: homopolymers, which provide higher hardness and tensile strength, and POM copolymers. Neither type of material can be fire-rated to a standard such as UL 94, and both experience relatively high shrinkage during injection molding. Popular brand names for POM plastics include DuPont Delrin® and Ensinger TECAFORM®.

The manufacturing plant layout is vital to successfully start your molding business. The production factory should have enough space to fit all the injection molding equipment and a clean room injection molding facility as well. Make sure to design separate spaces for testing the molded products and storing the manufactured products.

Pure polypropylene is a commodity plastic with the lowest density, but high crystalline polypropylene (HcPP) is filled with glass fibers for rigidity. Semitron® from Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading brand.

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Seasky Medical serves you with medical injection molding solutions from design to tooling to material selection and manufacturing. Contact our specialized team and solve your problem now.

ISO 18064 defines generic classes of commercial TPEs. There are many different manufacturers and brand names, including Teknor Apex Telcar®, Kraiburg HIPEX®, and Dynaflex™ from Avient (formerly PolyOne). Healthcare-grade TPEs are available.

The injection molding procedure is compatible with various raw materials. The businesses can maintain stock of various substances, which makes it easier for material selection. There are many affordable and expensive raw materials as well.

There are many raw plastic materials that are compatible with the injection molding process, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, silicone, polypropylene, etc. However, it is better to only source medical-grade raw materials from reliable companies that guarantee the credibility of the materials.

Nylon is a synthetic polyamide (PA) that combines toughness and high heat resistance with high abrasion resistance, good fatigue resistance, and noise-dampening properties. Nylon isn’t inherently flame-resistant, but flame-retardant versions are available. Similarly, although nylon can be degraded by sunlight, a UV stabilizer can be added to improve outdoor performance.