- Improved bonding
- Reduced cycle times
- Improved quality
- Cost reductions
- Complex mouldings
Advantage
Double injection moulding is the ability to produce complex mouldings from two different polymers at the same time during one machine cycle. This has the benefits of creating mouldings with more than one colour, or with different materials combined in one moulding. The joins between the separate colours or materials are very strongly joined through the forming process when the second material is injected into the mould. Taking advantage of these elements allows designers to create complicated mouldings very easily, with a high level of accuracy and moulded to a high level of repeatability.
Double Injection
- Reduced production time when vertical moulding machines, that are equipped with a rotary table, are used for production there is the opportunity to have two halves of the lower part of the tool. This means that production is almost constant with mouldings being formed at the same time as fresh inserts are being loaded into the second half of the tool. This lowers overall production times and can also reduce the amount of labor needed.
- Ease of assembly Due to inserts being incorporated into parts during the moulding stage this eases the assembly of the part. Instead of having to place fittings to attach parts fittings can be incorporated during the moulding stage so that parts can be simply clipped together.
- Increased part consistency Insert Moulding has major benefits in the consistency of parts produced. As the inserts are placed in the same locations in tools for every cycle each of the mouldings produced will be exactly the same. This helps reduce costs, as rejected parts will be kept to a minimum.
- Reduced post-moulding operations Within mould insert moulding the need for post moulding operations is greatly reduced. This helps with ease of assembly and reduces the labor necessary for products.
Advantage
When inserts are used during the moulding stage standard moulding machines can make it difficult for operators to put inserts into their correct place in the tool. For this process vertical press machines and vertical machines with a rotary table are most effective.
With in mould insert moulding the inserts will be very strongly attached to the rest of the component. This happens because strong mechanical bonds are created between the inserts and the mouldings. Inserts are designed so that when the polymer is moulded around it, it will be securely fastened in place. This can be achieved by incorporating plates that stick out from inserts, threads on the sides of the inserts or by the overall shape of the insert. By calculating the degree of shrinkage that will occur during the cooling cycle designers can ensure there is a very tight fit of polymer around the insert and give the strongest possible join.
In mould insert moulding is the process by which a metal, or preformed plastic, insert is incorporated in to the component during the moulding stage.
Insert Moulding