Injection Moulding

 
Rudransh Khera Aayush 

2K20/A18/80 2K20/A18/77 
07.03.2021 

MTE PROJECT REPORT 

 
 
 
 

 
 

OBJECTIVES 
1. To study the process of injection moulding.
2. To understand the functioning semantics of the machine involved.
3. To learn of the various pros and cons of the operation.
4. To understand the reasoning behind mould selection.
5. To explore the various applications of injection moulding.

INTRODUCTION  
Injection moulding is a process in which raw material in the form of granules is
feeded into the hopper and plasticized by a reciprocating screw with heat and
injected into the close mould to get the optimum shape of the required part.
Materials such as polystyrene, nylon, polypropylene and polythene are commonly
used in this process.

INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE 

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Injection moulding machine is separated into two units namely.

Injection unit :-

Injection unit can be described in four general steps regardless of the type of
machine used.

1. Powder or pelletized polymer is loaded and heated to the molten state.

2. Under pressure, the molten polymer is forced into a mould through an opening
called a sprue mould.

3. The pressurized material is held in the mould until it solidifies.

4. The mould is opened and the part removed by ejector pins.

Clamping unit :-

The clamping unit must be able to keep the mould halves closed during the
pressurized injection of plastic and not allow flashing. Common clamping
mechanisms are direct hydraulic clamping and mechanical toggle clamps.

PROCESS INVOLVED 
 
The process is used to produce large quantities of identical plastic items. One of the
most common types of thermoplastics used in injection moulding is polypropylene.

Injection moulding is the most important plastics manufacturing process. It

produces such small products as bottle top; sink plugs, cosmetic products,&
pharmaceutical products. It is also used to manufacture larger items such as
buckets & milk crates. Familiar products manufactured by injection moulding
include cosmetic products.The process can even mould relatively larger items.

Injection moulding used to be operated by people on the factory floor but these
days it is a form of highly automated form of production. The whole process is
controlled by a central processing unit.

Stage 1:-

Granulated or powdered thermoplastic is fed from a hopper into the injection

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moulding machine.

Stage 2:-

The injection moulding machine consists of a hollow steel barrel, containing a

rotating screw. The screw carries the plastic along the barrel to the mould. Heaters
surround the barrel melt the plastic as it travels along the barrel.

Stage 3:-

The screw is forced back as the melted plastic collects at the end of the barrel.
Once enough plastic has collected a hydraulic ram pushes the screw forward
injecting the plastic through a sprue into a mould cavity . The mould is warmed
before injecting and the plastic is injected quickly to prevent it from hardening
before the mould is full.

Stage 4:-

Pressure is maintained for a short time (dwell time) to prevent the material
creeping back during setting. This prevents shrinkage and hollows, therefore giving
a better quality product. The moulding is left to cool before removing (ejected) from
the mould. The moulding takes on the shape of the mould cavity. The image below
shows an injection moulding machine.

A mould used for injection moulding may cost thousands of moulding can be
produced from a single mould. This results in the low cost of each moulding.

It used to be the case that when a new type of casting was needed a brand new die
heads to be made. Modern dies and moulds are made from a number of
interchangeable parts. This allows the shape of the mould to be altered.

The dies or moulds used in the process are made from ally stainless steel. These
special alloy steel moulds are made in a number of parts to allow the mouldings to
be easily removed. Plastics that are used in injection moulding include low density
polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene, Polypropylene (PP). 

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ADVANTAGES  
● High production rates
● Low Power Consumption
● Good Accuracy
● Low Maintenance Charge
● High tolerances are repeatable
● Wide range of materials can be used
● Low labour costs
● Minimal scrap losses
● Little need to finish parts after mouldin​g

DISADVANTAGES 
● Expensive equipments investment
● Running cost may be high
● Parts must be designed with moulding consideration

THE MOULD 

A mould used for Injection Moulding may ostensibly seem to be of exorbitant costs
to produce however it does turn out to be economical as many thousands of
iterations can be produced from a single mould.. This results in the equivocal low
cost of individual mouldings. Initially, a brand new die was a prerequisite for
subsequent castings, but modern dies and moulds are made from a number of
interchangeable parts. This allows the shape of the mould to be altered even more
easily. The dies or moulds used in this process are made from stainless steel alloy.
These special alloy steel moulds are made in a number of parts to allow the
mouldings to be easily removed. These steel moulds are initially very expensive to
make and are suited to production in quantity where accuracy of size, shape and
surface finish is essential.

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APPLICATIONS 
The Injection moulding process is used to produce parts shaped via injecting
material into a mould. It can be done with different materials but is most often
done with thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. A material to manufacture a
part will be fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and then forced into a mould where it
cools and hardens to the shape of the cavity.

Injection moulding is used to create a variety of parts, from small pieces to car
body panels. 3D printing technology is starting to be used for the process as well
since photopolymers can be used in simple injection moulds.

Parts that are to be moulded have to be designed very carefully to make the
moulding process possible. Particular attention must be paid to the material used
for the part, the shape and features of the part, the material of the mould, and the
properties of the moulding machine.

Many things are created using injection moulding. Wire spools, packaging, bottle
caps, automotive parts and components are among some of the things
manufactured using the process. It is the most common method used to
manufacture plastic parts as high volumes of the same object can be made.

Injection moulding has its benefits as a wide range of materials can be used and
the labor costs remain low. Not a lot of scrap material is produced during the
manufacture of parts and there is usually no need to do any finishing work to the
parts.

Injection moulding startup can be expensive to start because of the high cost of
equipment and the running costs. moulds may cost a fair amount as well. But once
a business is established the costs later on remain low.

There are many polymers that can be used for injection moulding. In 1995,
approximately 18,000 materials were available for use in injection moulding. That
number was growing at a rate of approximately 750 per year. This allows product
designers to choose a material that will specifically suit their needs. They will be
able to find something that has exactly the right properties. Materials are generally
chosen based on strength and function for the final product but each material’s
moulding parameters must also be considered.

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Automotive Parts

Vehicles are full of plastic components manufactured by injection moulding. For

example, the dashboard is, in all probability, made from plastic injection moulding.
Radio controls, window buttons, cup holders – they are all made using the injection
moulding process. There are exterior pieces of vehicles manufactured using the
process as well.

Lids

All kinds of lids are made from plastic injection moulding. Plastic bottle caps, plastic
cup lids, pill bottle lids – all of these are made with injection moulding.

Electrical Switches

Things we use every day, such as our light switch, have been made with injection
moulding. The whole electrical system in your home relies on plastic injection
moulding for consistently designed plastic components.

DVDs and CDs

Many discs are made through the process of injection moulding. As well as the discs
themselves, the cases are made via the process as well. Of course, the plastic
storage stand was also mass produced using injection moulding.

Medical Devices

Plastics are versatile, lightweight, sanitary, and replaceable so the healthcare

industry relies heavily on the use of them. There are many medical devices that are
manufactured using injection moulding. Plastic syringes and some other medical
implements can be produced using this process.

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CONCLUSION 
In summation, we can deduce that injection moulding is a very imperative part of
the manufacturing process. The conjecture that it is only applicable to moulding of
merely thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers has also been refuted with its
use being ubiquitous in the respective processes for various metals, elastomers,
confections etc. and continual development of a wider selection of materials and
plastics suitable to the procedure. The intricacy of the operation, as explained in the
report, allows moulding to utmost accuracy while being relatively inexpensive. It
also proves to be a sustainable process with bearing prospective for relative energy
conservation against its alternatives.Thus, injection moulding has great potential for
innovation and implementation in the near future.

REFERENCES 
1. Mould Engineering, Herbert Rees; 1995.
2. www.monroeengineering.com
3. www.productiveplastics.com
4. Hot Runner Technology, Peter Unger; 2004.
5. www.nobleprecision.com

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