What are the two common injection molding processes?

1, Injection molding (conventional injection molding)
Injection molding, also known as injection molding, is one of the most basic and widely used processes in plastic processing. The principle is to add granular or powdered plastic raw materials into the hopper of the injection machine, and the raw materials are heated and melted into a flowing state. Then, under the push of the screw or piston of the injection machine, they enter the mold cavity through the nozzle and the pouring system of the mold, and finally harden and shape in the mold cavity to obtain the desired shape of plastic products.
Process characteristics:
High production efficiency: The injection molding cycle is short, which can quickly produce a large number of plastic products to meet the needs of large-scale production.
Low cost: Although the initial investment in injection molding equipment and molds is relatively large, the unit product cost is relatively low due to high production efficiency.
Wide applicability: Injection molding can produce plastic products with complex shapes and precise dimensions, and has a wide range of material choices, including thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics.
High degree of automation: The injection molding process is easy to achieve automation, reducing labor costs and improving production efficiency.
Application areas:
Injection molding is widely used in fields such as automotive parts, household appliances, daily necessities, medical equipment, toys, etc. For example, components such as car dashboards, bumpers, door interior panels, as well as household appliance casings, kitchen appliances, toys, etc., are typical applications of injection molding technology.
Advantages:
Complex shapes: Injection molding can produce plastic products with complex shapes and precise dimensions, meeting diverse product needs.
Production efficiency: The injection molding cycle is short, the production efficiency is high, and it can quickly respond to market demand.
Material selection: Injection molding materials have a wide range of choices, and suitable plastic raw materials can be selected according to product requirements.
2, Insert injection molding
Insert injection molding is a process in which metal, plastic, or other materials are placed into a mold during the injection molding process and injected together with plastic to form a mold. This process can achieve a tight bond between plastic and metal or other materials, improving the strength and durability of the product.
Process characteristics:
Integrated assembly: Embedded injection molding can achieve integrated assembly of plastic products with other materials, without the need for subsequent assembly processes, reducing production and labor costs.
Improving performance: Insert injection molding can utilize the performance advantages of different materials, such as the rigidity, strength, and heat resistance of metals, combined with the ease of molding and bending of plastics, to create complex and exquisite metal plastic integrated products.
Material saving: Injection molding of inserts can fully utilize the shape and size of the inserts, reduce the amount of plastic used, and lower material costs.
High precision: Embedded injection molding requires high precision for molds and equipment, and can produce plastic products with precise dimensions and stable quality.
Application areas:
Insert injection molding is widely used in the field of plastic products that require high strength and durability, such as automotive parts, electronic product casings, mechanical equipment components, etc. For example, automotive engine components, gearbox casings, as well as electronic products such as mobile phone casings and laptop casings, are typical applications of insert injection molding technology.
Advantages:
Combined strength: Injection molding can achieve a tight bond between plastic and metal or other materials, improving the overall strength and durability of the product.
Cost saving: Injection molding can reduce subsequent assembly processes, lower production and labor costs.
Improving performance: Insert injection molding can utilize the performance advantages of different materials to enhance the overall performance of the product.
3, Comparison of Two Injection Molding Processes
There are significant differences between injection molding and insert injection molding in terms of principles, characteristics, applications, and advantages. Injection molding is mainly used for producing plastic products with complex shapes and precise dimensions, and has a wide range of material choices, making it suitable for large-scale production. And insert injection molding can achieve a tight bond between plastic and metal or other materials, improving the strength and durability of the product, suitable for the field of plastic products that require high strength and durability.
In terms of production efficiency, injection molding has higher production efficiency and can quickly respond to market demand. However, insert injection molding has relatively low production efficiency due to the need for precise control of the position and shape of the insert. In terms of cost, the unit product cost of injection molding is relatively low, but the investment in molds and equipment is relatively high. Although the investment in molds and equipment is relatively large, insert injection molding can reduce subsequent assembly processes, lower production costs, and labor costs.