•

Injection Molding
Injection molding is the most important process used to manufacture
plastic products. It is ideally suited to manufacture mass produced
parts of complex shapes requiring precise dimensions.
• It is used for numerous products, ranging from boat hulls and lawn
chairs, to bottle cups. Car parts, TV and computer housings are
injection molded.

Injection Molding Chee 490 26.1

 The Injection Molding Machine
The injection molding machine is comprised of:
• The plasticating and injection unit: The major tasks of the plasticating
unit are to melt the polymer, to accumulate the melt in the screw
chamber, to inject the melt into the cavity and to maintain the holding
pressure during cooling.

• The clamping unit: It’s role is to open and close the mold, and hold the
mold tightly to avoid flash during the filling and holding. Clamping can
be mechanical and hydraulic

• The mold cavity: The mold is the central point in an injection molding
machine. Each mold can contain multiple cavities. It distributes
polymer melt into and throughout the the cavities, shapes the part,
cools the melt and ejects the finished product.

Injection Molding Chee 490 26.2

 The Injection Molding Machine

Injection molding machines are classified by an international convention:

Manufacturer T/P
where T is the clamping force in metric tons, and P is defined as:
ν max p max
P
1000
Where max is the maximum injection volume (cm3) and pmax is the
maximum injection pressure (bar).
Injection Molding Chee 490 26.3
 The Injection Molding Machine
There are quite a few things to consider when developing an injection
molding process:
A. Machine parameters
Shot size (cm3)
Injection pressure and temperature
Clamping pressure
Mold temperature
Hold time

B. Polymer compound properties

Viscosity - temperature and shear rate
Thermal diffusivity and heat of fusion (if semi-crystalline)
Density versus temperature profile

C. Mold design
Cavity, gate and runner dimensions and layouts
Injection Molding Chee 490 26.4
 The Plasticating Unit
The plasticating unit is designed to
– melt the polymer pellets,
– accumulate the melt in the screw chamber,
– inject the melt into the cavity,
– and maintain the holding pressure during cooling.

Injection Molding Chee 490 26.5

 The Clamping Unit
The clamping unit is designed to
– open and close the mold,
– generate enough pressure to prevent flash during mold filling and
holding.

Injection Molding Chee 490 26.6

 The
The mold is designed to
Injection Mold
– Distribute the polymer melt into and throughout the cavities
– Shape the part
– Solidify the part by cooling / reaction
– Eject the finished product

Injection Molding Chee 490 26.7

 The Injection Mold
Whereas extrusion shapes the material prior to stabilization through
crystallization and/or vitrification, injection molding performs these two
processes simultaneously.
– Contact between the hot polymer melt and mold surfaces cools the
material throughout the injection process.
– Viscosities increase with temperature, creating unusual velocity
gradients at cooled surfaces.
– Chain mobility is completely lost at Tg+25oC, and once the
crystallization temperature is crossed.
– You don’t have forever to get the mold filled – inject too slowly and
your material may not get past the sprue!

The fundamental principles of polymer flow through channels are

applicable to injection molding, except one should recognize that the
flows are not well-developed (non-steady state), nor are they isothermal.
Injection Molding Chee 490 26.8