Harting
Harting

Do you want to advertise here? Contact us

LMW
LMW

Do you want to advertise here? Contact us

Injection moulding: Finding its rightful place in manufacturing
.

Injection moulding: Finding its rightful place in manufacturing

By OEM Update Editorial April 1, 2020 6:45 pm

Injection moulding is carving a niche for itself in manufacturing and is being increasingly seen as a modern, cost-effective technique for manufacturing plastics in bulk. We take a look at this important process and analyse how it is set to impact manufacturing in coming years.

Injection moulding as an industrial manufacturing process is growing in its applications and significance. From automotive to construction to pharmaceuticals, it is used in different industries as a more economical means of mass production to meet the rapidly rising market demand of plastic gearing in various applications.

The injection moulding machine market is reported to grow from $17.1 billion in 2018 to $22.1 billion by 2027. According to Ninad Deshpande, Head – Marketing & Corporate Communication, B&R Industrial Automation, injection moulding is the process to manufacture parts by injecting molten material into a mould. Usually, thermoplastics are most commonly used for this process; thus, its most common applications are for the plastics and automotive industry. Use of such plastic parts is on the rise, making injection moulding a modern manufacturing technique for manufacturing plastic products. This is a relatively a cost-effective method of manufacturing large quantities of the same product.

Manufacturing of plastic gears
Plastic gears can be produced by hobbing or shaping, likewise to metal gears or alternatively by injection moulding. Gears have been in use for more than 3,000 years and are commonly utilised in power and motion transmission under different loads and speeds. Due to the fiscal and practical advantages, the demand of using plastics in the gearing sector has significantly increased and will undoubtedly continue in the future. In comparison with metal gears, plastic gears have several advantages such as light weight, noiseless running, resistance to corrosion, lower coefficients of friction, and ability to run under zero lubricated conditions.

Challenges in injection moulding

Advertising

OEM Android App

Your future advertising space? Our media data

Need for eco-friendly manufacturing of plastic injection moulds
Not all parts manufactured in the injection moulding process are good products. Many products could be rejected on the grounds of quality. However, reusing these waste products again for the purpose of manufacturing of new parts could enable reducing or even eliminating waste generated out of rejections. Deshpande shares, “One of our customers has effectively put into use this technique and has saved raw materials and managed to reduce waste.” Reducing injection moulding cycle times by opening moulds and ejecting high-quality parts in as short a time as possible is critically important. With the most advanced set of capabilities, plastic injection moulding simulation helps injection mould specialists achieve the optimal balance between fast cycle times and high-quality production. This supports the design and simulation of injection-mould cooling line layouts, the development of conformal cooling channel systems, the exploration of different types of materials and the optimisation of processing parameters to reduce or eliminate moulded-part warpage.

The future demand for injection moulds
Additive manufacturing has been around for quite some time; however, it has grown in prominence in recent years. Using 3D printing techniques reduces waste as well as provides effective utilisation of raw materials. Nonetheless, as Deshpande explained, “Today, we do not see 3D printing affecting the demand of injection moulding machines owing to several factors such as costs involved, design and financial constraints, technology complexity and capability. However, unfortunately, we would be unable to comment on the long-term future.”

New kinds of software that aid plastic injection moulding too enable designers to simulate the mould-filling stage, not so much for the purpose of developing actual tooling, but for understanding whether design modifications prior to mould development will speed tooling design, accelerate production and shorten time-to-market. To sum up, new innovations in this space will continue to complement the injection moulding process and help it develop into an important, pervasive manufacturing process that helps manufacturers reduce costs while improving moulding quality.

Cookie Consent

We use cookies to personalize your experience. By continuing to visit this website you agree to our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Webinar
Webinar

Do you want to advertise here? Contact us

OEM Update QR Code
OEM Update QR Code

Events

World of Photonics India
World of Photonics India
IFFE Expo
IFFE Expo
Clean India Show
Clean India Show
Factory Automation Expo
Factory Automation Expo
India Essen Welding and Cutting Expo
India Essen Welding and Cutting Expo
Logimat India
Logimat India
Metal Forming Expo
Metal Forming Expo

eMagazine October 2024

eMagazine October 2024
eMagazine October 2024

Do you want to advertise here? Contact us

Our Sponsors

DIRAK
DIRAK
Pragati Gears
Pragati Gears
Carl Zeiss India
Carl Zeiss India
STMCNC
STMCNC
Nord
Nord
Messer Cutting
Messer Cutting
Atos Profilo
Atos Profilo
Fronius
Fronius
SCHMALZ
SCHMALZ
Sigma-Weild
Sigma-Weild
Mallcom
Mallcom
igus
igus
DH Secheron Electrodes
DH Secheron Electrodes
Timken India
Timken India
UNP Polyvalves India Pvt Ltd
UNP Polyvalves India Pvt Ltd
ENS Oils & Lubricants
ENS Oils & Lubricants
Super Slides
Super Slides
Autonics
Autonics
Fuel Instruments  Engineers
Fuel Instruments  Engineers
Velvex
Velvex
Universal Orbital
Universal Orbital
Chicago Pneumatic Tools
Chicago Pneumatic Tools
MMC Hardmetal Pvt Ltd
MMC Hardmetal Pvt Ltd
Mennekes
Mennekes
ACD Machines
ACD Machines
TruCut
TruCut
tectyl
tectyl
BKT Tires
BKT Tires
Fibro India
Fibro India
Deceler
Deceler
Balluff
Balluff
Urgo Capital
Urgo Capital
Amsak Cranes
Amsak Cranes
Molygraph
Molygraph
SKS Welding
SKS Welding
pioneer Cranes
pioneer Cranes
Exorint
Exorint
Schmersal India
Schmersal India
Exon mobil
Exon mobil