Injection molding is the process of producing custom products made of plastic. Molds are constructed out of either aluminum or steel, then melted plastic is placed inside the mold. The plastic cools and takes the form of the metal. Injection molding is typically a large manufacturing process that has the ability to replicate and produce the same product millions of times over.
Many different products are produced through this plastic molding process, but some of the most common products include plastic bottles, toys, auto parts, medical devices, and construction items.
Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are the most widely produced object that uses the plastic injection molding process. Bottles made with this process come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s a water bottle, shampoo bottle, spray bottle, or something else, the process remains the same. If a company decides to design their own bottle designs, then those creations can be sent in and mass-produced.
Toys
The majority of children’s toys are made from plastic since the material is durable, lightweight, cheap, and easy to clean. This makes children’s toys one of the top products for plastic injection molding. The molds are perfect for toys like legos that need to fit an exact shape and form. With the precision provided in this process, it ensures each lego piece will fit the way it’s intended to.
Auto-Parts
The idea of plastic auto-parts was once laughable compared to metal that was mostly used. Today, car components are comprised of about 20% plastic. Plastic is a great alternative mostly because it is lightweight, but it also acts as an insulator, absorbs vibration, and runs smoother on the road. Most of these plastic components are located in the interior of the car.
Next time you’re sitting in your car, take a look around at all the different pieces that are made from plastic. Door handles, dashboards, and even radio buttons are all made from plastic.
Medical Devices
The medical healthcare industry relies on plastic injection molding for a lot of their tools and devices–especially the single-use, disposable ones. Medical facilities order single-use tools like syringes in bulk to ensure they are clean and sterile for each patient.
Construction
Like the medical field, construction businesses rely on the use of plastic injection molding, however, they use it for very different tools; for commercial construction, injection molding produces parts used for insulation and piping, as well as structural construction on walls and floors. This type of manufacturing is great for construction because many of the materials can be recycled.
Plastic injection molding is an excellent choice for both simple and complex designs. The precise manufacturing of plastic molding creates billions of exact replicas of the same products. Plastic is a durable, cheap, and lightweight material, which makes it a perfect choice for toys, car components, bottles, single-uses medical tools, and construction parts. Take a look around and see if you can guess which items were most likely produced with plastic injection molding.
