Injection Molding Supply, Mold-Building, and Maintenance

Injection molding is the name of a production process of making parts using thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic or from metal and glass. These raw materials are dumped into a heated barrel, where all materials are combined and put into a mold, where it becomes solid according to the shape of the mold.

Injection molding process are using to make many objects like bottle caps, single piece tables and chairs, storage containers, and many objects for daily usage.

There are benefits to injection molding, like minimal raw material wastage, high amount of production, cheap labor costs, and there is reduced necessity to finish the end product after production. One must also list some drawbacks in injection molding - expensive machinery is initially needed, there are high running costs, and there is a requirement to design appropriate molds.

Injection molding supply can be done by a variety of distributors and providers. For the maintenance of all Injection molding machinery, visit www.heattechsystems.com. Virtually all products related to injection molding and all spare parts for maintenance are available at Heat Tech Systems Inc. The supply of spare parts for the above production process must be reliable and fast in order to maintain the high efficiency and the fast pace of production.

Dies or molds are used in the process of producing plastic parts. Normally molds are made of hardened steel, aluminum alloy or beryllium copper alloy. Steel molds are costly to build, but their longevity is impressive. The hardness is normally 38-45 in the Rockwell C-Scale, for steel molds. The mold consists of two main parts, the injection mold and the ejector mold.

Aluminum molds are typically cheaper to make but cannot create as many parts before needing replacement. Beryllium copper is nowadays using in the injection molding production for faster heat removal from the end product.

All polymers, also called resins, including all thermoplastics, thermosets, and elastomers, can be used in this process. There are over 18,000 different materials available for injection molding, and that list is growing at a fast pace.

There are some parts commonly required for the repair of injection molding process machinery. The four parts related to injection molding are heater bands, transducers, hydraulics and filtration. All the equipment required for injection molding repair can be purchased from Heat Tech systems Inc. PVC material hose, barrel blankets, thermocouples, oil filters, mold shields, chutes and drum covers, which are required for periodic maintenance and repair, are readily available.

Shopping around for an Injection Molding Supplier

Looking for the best injection molding companies in the industry does not have to be a daunting task. Fortunately, there are many suppliers available online that a company representative can choose from. However, here is a list of things that one can look for in companies like Heat Tech Systems.

One of the first things that these representatives should look for in a supply company is a way to evaluate the differences between each plastic injection molding company (i.e. Heat Tech Systems vs. competitors). For instance, the representative should make a 3D Model of the plastic component that the company makes. The representative should also request an engineering drawing of this same mold as well. These drafts should contain a surface textures and draft angles. In addition to these 3D models and engineering drawings, it is also essential to specify other features, like the maximum allowable flash.

The next step in this process is to look for companies with affordable pricing, since most companies will be looking to increase bottom line profits by reducing the company’s expenses. However, the company should not compromise quality for the lower cost estimates. For instance, even though some overseas companies in China and Korea can offer lower prices per piece, there are advantages that override the low cost. Sometimes when a company chooses a supplier that is in the United States that get better services. Therefore, by dealing with suppliers within the states, the company can avoid unnecessary and expensive delays. The price of suppliers based on the quality of product they can supply is only one of the factors that should be considered when making a final decision (i.e. the ultimate cost per molded part can easily offset any delays from the supplier).

Another way to choosing an injection molding supplier is to base the cost on a specific project. By choosing suppliers based on a specific project, the company’s representative can find the best prices for that project and they can shop around knowing exactly what is needed. When the company shops around, they can also negotiate lower prices by having between the best suppliers in the industry compete for their business.

In addition to choosing a supplier based on a specific kind of project, the representative should also research the history of the company, along with their capabilities. For instance, the company’s representative will need to know how long the supplier has been in business as well as what industries that they have molded parts for.