Injection Molding

Aim of the Experiment:

• In this experiment we will learn how the manufacturing of polymer components using injection
molding is done.
Machinery used and their functions:
• We will learn about reciprocating screw type molding machine and ram type molding machine.
Using these machines, a polymer is heated to a highly plastic state and forced to flow under high
pressure into a mold cavity where it solidifies.
• A molding machine has two principal components- Injection unit and Clamping unit. The
injection unit melts and delivers polymer to the clamping unit which then opens and closes mold
each injection cycle. A typical molding machine looks like this:

• The polymer, whose granular form is chosen as a feed for the machine, is chosen such that it
undergoes only physical changes when heated, and no chemical reaction takes place.
• The platens of the molds usually have ejector pins to push the almost finished component out of
the mold after cooling.
Procedure:
1. The process starts with pellets of molding material being loaded into a hopper from where the
pellets are metered out into a heating cylinder by a feeding device. The amount of material that
is delivered to the cylinder is exactly the amount required to fill the mold completely.
2. The screw pushes the material in the heating cylinder forward and in doing so pushing injects a
small amount of heated material out of other end of cylinder through the nozzle into cavities of
the closed mold.
3. The metal is cooled in a rigid state in the mold. Then mold is opened after the piece’s
solidification and it is ejected out using the ejector pins. The material heating temperature is
usually between 180°- 280°C. Mold is cooled using external apparatus in order to cool the
mold’s articles.
Output:
 • We can create complex and intricate shapes using the injection molding process.
• We can create small pieces (~50g) such as pen caps, combs, etc. to huge components (~25kg)
such as automobile bumpers, containers, etc.
• The components created using the injection molding process are identifiable due to certain
distinguishing marks that are a result of the process by which they are made. One can identify
various marks such as the parting line, mark where gating system was cut off, etc.
• We can identify many household objects which were manufactured by the process of injection
molding. We can also predict the mold that must have been used while making it.
Lab Exercise:
The object found by me, which was created by injection molding, is a basket in my refrigerator. Its
approximate orthographic drawing is as follows:

The mold for this will be as follows:

Limitations of the process:

• Injection molding is feasible if and only if the quantity of the components to be created is very
high as the molds which are required to create these components are very costly.
• Injection molding usually works only for thermoplastics as they can easily be reshaped by
heating. Although due to technological advancements it is possible for us to injection mold
thermosetting plastics and even rubber compounds now, it is once an expensive endeavor.
• Components which are made using injection molding have to follow some design rules which
limits the number of things we can manufacture using the process. For example, in a plastic
component being made using injection molding the wall thickness must be uniform to prevent
inconsistencies in cooling which might result in structural flaws.
Injection Molding and Chemical Engineering:
• Injection molding is very closely related to chemical engineering as the raw material that is
required for injection molding is a very common commodity which is formed usually in the
petrochemical industries.
• Also since there are many routes that connect Chemical Engineering with Mechanical
Engineering one might find himself in a Mech engineer position if he is interested.
Conclusion:
• Injection Molding is a very useful process if you want to create complex and intricate shapes in
large quantities. One can have greater control over the color and shapes of the product, and the
• process has a really low scrap rate. This isn’t to say that this process doesn’t have any drawbacks
but the advantages of injection molding heavily outweigh its disadvantages.
Hand Layup of Composite Material.

Aim of the experiment:

• To learn how components are made by hand layup of polymer matrix composites.
Materials used and functions:
• The process is done by hand and is a labor-intensive process.
• For the primary phase, different sorts of resin are used. The resin should impregnate the fiber
properly for the component to maintain structural integrity.
• The secondary phase, also known as the reinforcing phase, consists of the fibers which are laid
upon the resins. They can also be in the form of particles and flakes.
Procedure:
• Mold is treated with mold release agent.
• Thin gel coat (resin, colored) is applied, to be the outside surface of molding.
• When gel coat has partially set, layers of resin and fiber are applied, the fiber is in the form of
mat or cloth. Each layer is rolled to impregnate the fiber with resin and remove air.
• Part is cured.
• Fully hardened part is removed from mold.

Lab exercise:
Describe briefly why you think automobile bumpers are made from PMCs and not from
metal?
Automobile bumpers are no longer made from metal and are made using PMCs for a variety of
reasons.
➢ Metals are more expensive than PMCs. Even the formation of bumpers using PMCs is
also a cheaper process than forming them with metal.
 ➢ Since PMC is lighter than metals, it makes the car lighter, thus reducing fuel
consumption.
➢ PMCs are easy to maintain as they are scratch resistant, easier to color and clean, also
they do not undergo corrosion.
➢ PMCs absorb the impact of an accident better than metals. Whenever a car hits
something/someone, the PMC bumper will absorb most of the impact as it is meant to
dent and break during an accident unlike a metal which will try to retain its shape. This
in turn will cause less damage to the car as well as the pedestrians.
Limitations of the Process:
• It is a very labor-intensive process and production in high numbers is not economical.
• Quality of product depends a lot on the skills of the person performing the hand layup process.
• There is always a risk to the person performing the layup due to direct and close contact with
resins.
Injection Molding and Chemical Engineering:
• Hand layup is very closely related to chemical engineering as the raw material that is required
for hand layups is a common commodity which is formed usually in the chemical industries
(fibers and resins).
• Also since there are many routes that connect Chemical Engineering with Mechanical
Engineering, one might find himself in a Mech engineer position if he is interested.
Conclusions:
• The hand lay-up of PMCs is a valuable production practice as it is relatively easier to learn than
other processes.
• The cost of production in this process is not very high and the components made have a long
life.