Wednesday, March 20, 2024

When Was Injection Molding Invented

What Is Injection Molding

Made in the Northwest Reiff Injection Molding

Injection molding is a manufacturing process that works by injecting polymers, like molten plastic, into a premade mold. Injection molding creates parts quickly, efficiently, and at a low cost.

It was invented by John and Isaiah Hyatt in 1872 when they patented a device for heating and injecting celluloid into molds with a plunger. Back then, it was used to produce hair combs, buttons, and collar stays.

Molding Defects Often Caused By Process Problems

Some molding defects may be difficult or costly to address. Others can be prevented by adjusting the molding process, without the need to redesign the mold tooling or replace other production equipment. You can typically avoid these defects relatively easily simply by adjusting the flow rate, temperature or pressure of your mold.

The Original History Of Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding, thermoset molds and die casting tooling,mold& tool components machining

I read it from Wikipedia:American inventor John Wesley Hyatt, together with his brother Isaiah, patented the first injection moulding machine in 1872. This machine was relatively simple compared to machines in use today: it worked like a large hypodermic needle, using a plunger to inject plastic through a heated cylinder into a mould. The industry progressed slowly over the years, producing products such as collar stays, buttons, and hair combs.

The German chemists Arthur Eichengrün and Theodore Becker invented the first soluble forms of cellulose acetate in 1903, which was much less flammable than cellulose nitrate. It was eventually made available in a powder form from which it was readily injection moulded. Arthur Eichengrün developed the first injection moulding press in 1919. In 1939, Arthur Eichengrün patented the injection moulding of plasticised cellulose acetate.

The plastic injection moulding industry has evolved over the years from producing combs and buttons to producing a vast array of products for many industries including automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer products, toys, plumbing, packaging, and construction.:12

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A Brief History Of Injection Molding Machines

The history of injection moulding machine for plastic parts is quite long. Plastic injection moulding machines have been around for a long time. First invented back in 1872 by Isaiah and John Hyatt . These first machines would have been used to mould buttons, combs and billiard balls. The initial molding machine was very basic. These machines were essentially a piston ram inside a heated barrel. However, the moulding machine evolved a lot during the 1930s and post WW2. The invention of the current screw & check ring by James Watson Hendry, allowed for greater control over the injection process.

The Injection molding cycle is quite straight forward. The moulding machines are used to perform the following steps within the molding cycle

  • Mold close
  • Ejection

Make Your Own Injection Molding Machine

Mold

Tried, true, and totally doable. Start cranking out solid thermoplastic parts.

Sometimes theres a tool you want to buy, but you cant justify the cost. In that case, why not make it? For me, a plastic injection molding machine fell into that category and it turns out theyre not hard to make.

I wanted to make solid plastic parts for some of my amateur science experiments. There are a number of ways to make things out of plastic, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Often just cutting raw material to the desired shape works best. Some plastics can be cast by pouring a liquid resin with hardener into a mold . Vacuum forming works well for making things out of thin sheets of plastic . I considered making a 3D printer, but for the few plastic parts I envisioned needing, it wasnt worth the time and money.

Plastic injection molding has been around since thermoplastics were invented. Its a great way to make many copies of a part quickly, and what I like best is that its easy to reuse old plastic objects to make new ones.

So I built an injection molder based on the plans in Vincent R. Gingerys book Secrets of Building a Plastic Injection Molding Machine. David Gingery could be considered a forerunner of the Maker Movement he and his son Vincent have written a whole series of books on building tools for the machine shop.

My Build

Temperature Control Upgrade

Using the Injection Molder

Some Tips

Making Molds

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The First Artificial Commercial Plastic

Alexander Parkes registered the patent for the first thermoplastic in 1856 in the United Kingdom. He called the material Parkesine. This transparent material was produced by treating cellulose in nitric acid and then dissolving it in alcohol. The process resulted in a flexible material that could be molded into any shape when hot and would harden as it cools down.

As Parkesine became more popular, so did its uses. Its popularity also grew because it was cheaper and easier to work with than ivory, bone, and wood, which had been the primary materials for making such items as buttons, combs, and piano keys in the past.

The Plastics Hall of Fame reports that Parkes earlier work in natural rubber compounding was helpful in his later efforts to develop a plasticizer for cellulose nitrate. The same source adds, He used a variety of solvents as well as camphor.

About four years after Parkes patent registration, John Wesley Hyatt perfected the Celluloid. The Plastic Hall of Firm suggests that Although Parkesine and its successors were never commercially successful, Parkes work provided the path for Hyatt to make his breakthrough with plasticized cellulose nitrate as a substitute for ivory billiard balls and other groundbreaking applications.

Introducing The Gas Plastic Injection Process

When Hendry invented the first extrusion screw injection machine in 1946, he did not go home to bask in the glory of his efforts. He continued his work in the plastic molding field.

In the 1970s, Hendrys efforts resulted in the introduction of gas in plastic molding, making it possible to create more complex plastic products. The stronger products that could be made using this process led to plastic taking over many of the roles previously played by other materials like steel.

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Providing Value To Various Markets

The need for efficient low pressure encapsulation of electronics has never been as great as it is today. The Internet of Things and Industrial Internet of Things depends on a foundation of sensors and associated electronic connections and components to support all sorts of devices in the home, at work, and on the move. This trend has also lead to increased network connectivity demands for data and power cables and connectors that function in the harshest environments. In the world of healthcare, patient diagnostics and sensing in real time require new electronic devices like wearable devices that are used in and outside of controlled medical environments. Technomelt Low Pressure Molding responds to all of these trends.

Jason Spencer, Henkels Medical Market Segment Manager, notes: Patient diagnostics and sensing in real time require new electronic devices that are worn in and outside of a controlled medical environment. Wearables for vital sign monitoring are becoming more important in patients everyday lives as healthcare becomes more digitally connected.

Basics Of Injection Molding

Made in the Northwest: Reiff Injection Molding

Injection molding is an ancient technology that has been used since the late 1800s. Injection molding machines incorporate a huge screw to force molten plastic into the mold at high pressure. This screw drive method was invented in 1946 and is still the method used today.

Injection molding machines definitely do not have the modern, high-tech feel of 3D printing technology. There is really nothing cool about injection molding, but nonetheless it is a requirement for most hardware products.

Pictorial of an injection molding machine .

An injection mold consists of two halves that are forced together to form a cavity in the shape of the part to be produced. Hot, liquid plastic is then injected at high pressure into this cavity.

The high pressure is needed to ensure that the plastic resin fills in every crook and cranny of the mold cavity.

Once the plastic has had time to cool, the two halves of the mold are pulled apart, and the part is ejected.

Although designing for injection molding can be quite complicated, and the cost of the molds themselves are incredibly expensive, there is one huge reason why injection molding is still used today.

No technology can beat injection molding when it comes to producing millions of identical copies of a part at an incredibly low price.

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What The Future Holds

The possibilities in National Molding are endless. Even the advent of 3D printing will make things more interesting. Innovation on replacing petroleum-based raw materials into cornstarch is already being worked on. Even plastic molds are improved to make cycle and cooling times a lot faster.

With all the creative minds working on the advancement of plastic injection molding, the future is indeed exciting!

How Are Keychains Customized

After a keychain has been made, it can be customized with a message, logo, or name. Custom keychains are often ordered in bulk by realtors, car dealerships, and many other companies as theyre great advertising items. The design is added to the keychain by the following:

Screen Printing This is the most common way to decorate promotional products. A thick green goo called an emulsion is spread over a screen and the design is transferred over to your keychain.

Pad Printing Pad printing is the best option for layering colors. Each stamp is covered with a different ink and then applied directly to your keychain.

Digital Printing Your logo or design will be in full color at no additional cost. The end result is a super colorful, eye-catching design.

Laser Engraving The best part about laser engraving is the imprint wont chip or fade. Its slightly more expensive, but results in a super clean, polished look.

Debossing A debossed keychain has a raised, three dimensional look. This is a good choice for keychains made from leather or suede.

Hot Stamping Back in the day, cowboys used to mark their cattle with a hot iron. This process works the same way, only using a hot stamp to create a design on your keychain.

At the end of the day, custom keychains are an awesome addition to any event. Theyre super affordable and easy to store, making them an especially great choice for trade shows and fundraisers.

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Liquid Silicone Rubber Advances In Liquid Injection Molding

Product designers, engineers, and managers have the challenge of choosing a high-quality elastomer for a variety of critical applications, including medical devices, aerospace, and automotive components. These professionals must make a critical assessment of an array of material properties and processing capabilities to best determine which options meet their demanding performance specifications and budget requirements.

The repercussions of choosing the wrong material can cost time, market share, and money. To make the best decision, management must gather as much information as possible about each material, including whether the application requires a solid or liquid silicone rubber.

LSR contains polymers with lower molecular weight, which means shorter chains and better flow. It has become the go-to material for a variety of applications since the 1960s, including:

Although users may test and consider a variety of biomaterials, silicone has a unique combination of biocompatibility and performance characteristics necessary for a variety of uses.

  • Its tasteless, odorless, stainless, and chemically inert.
  • Its bacterial resistant and easy to clean and sterilize.
  • Silicone is biocompatible and short/long-term implantable.
  • Its lubricious for less invasive biological applications.
  • It can withstand temperature extremes .
  • Silicone is resistant to fatigue and compression set.

Whats In Store For Plastic Injection Molding

Micro Injection Mold : Machinists

In todays society, plastic injection molding is applied in numerous industries, offering an array of benefits including cost-efficiency, resilience, and dependability. Of course, now this process incorporates technological advancements and computer processes that have enabled the production of more precise plastic molds.

The only thing left is to anticipate future advancements in plastic injection molding as this manufacturing process is here to stay.

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Thermoforming And Cold Molding

When a sheet of thermoplastic is heated above its Tg or Tm, it may be capable of forming a free, flexible membrane as long as the molecular weight is high enough to support the stretching. In this heated state, the sheet can be pulled by vacuum into contact with the cold surface of a mold, where it cools to below Tg or Tm and becomes dimensionally stable in the shape of the mold. Cups for cold drinks are formed in this way from polystyrene or PET.

Vacuum forming is only one variation of sheet thermoforming. The blow molding of bottles described above differs from thermoforming only in that a tube rather than a sheet is the starting form.

Even without heating, some thermoplastics can be formed into new shapes by the application of sufficient pressure. This technique, called cold molding, has been used to make margarine cups and other refrigerated food containers from sheets of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer.

Were Your Trusted Plastic Injection Molding Manufacturers

Wunder-Mold has been perfecting custom plastic injection molding practices and incorporating industry advancements for years. Were a trusted company serving both national and international markets, having the resources to produce plastic components on a large scale.

Having a team of experienced engineers, designers, and molding technicians, were uniquely positioned to produce both plastic and ceramic products to exact client specifications. Therefore, if youre looking for a trusted plastic injection molding company, Wunder-Mold is your top choice. Dial 448-2349 or contact us at !

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Injection Molding Defects Caused By Poor Mold Design Or Maintenance

Defects can be introduced into molded products by issues with the mold tooling itself. Certain defects are likely to occur when the mold is poorly maintained or designed. Especially in the latter case, these defects can be difficult or costly to address in future production runs when its necessary to completely overhaul the mold.

Definition And History Of Thermoplastic Injection

How Are Plastic Water Bottles Made?

The thermoplastic injection molding industry has evolved over the years: initially focused on the production of combs and buttons, it has evolved to the production of a wide range of products for many industries including automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer products, toys, plumbing, packaging, and construction.

Thermoplastic injection, or injection molding, use the thermoplastic properties of certain materials to inject a softened plastic into a mold to create an impression from it. This technique provides the best quality for your productions of large and very large series.

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Variations And Similar Processes

Gas assist injection molding is another variation of plastic molding, which involves the use of an inert gas material, such as nitrogen, to hollow out the mold and assist in filling the mold cavity with molten plastic.

Reaction injection molding is a second injection molding variation. It requires an additional step during which a reaction injection molding machine adds a curing agent to the mold cavity. The curing agent ensures that the product material maintains its shape and strength upon removal from the mold cavity.

Swedish Chemists Played A Part In The History Of Plastic And Injection Molding

Some innovations are impacting the world better, smarter, and even a bit more fun, and when a Nordic company, organization, or individual plays an important role its important to highlight that.

In December 2020, ScandAsia shared how Finnish innovations OURA and Solar Foods were selected by TIME among the top 100 innovations changing how we live but another important innovation has also changed how we live. It was the creation of plastics and 174 years ago, a Swedish chemist played a part in the history of plastic and injection molding.

If you want to know more about the history, in this article Modeling USA follows the history of plastic and injection molding, it focuses on the invention of the first plastic molding machine and how the technology has progressed since then. It describes how our fellow Nordic countryman, Swedish chemist Jacob Berzelius in 1847 paved the way for developing artificial commercial plastic with his development of the first condensation polymer.

And looking back, when Alexander Parkes 15 years later in 1856 invented the first thermoplastic, he probably had no idea how pervasive his invention would become in the centuries that followed. Today, thanks to the invention of injection molding, plastic is used in almost any industry you can imagine, including manufacturing, packaging, construction, education, transportation, and healthcare.

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Unless Your Electronic Product Will Be Marketed Solely To Diyers And Electronics Hobbyists Its Going To Need An Enclosure Most Likely

Unless your electronic product will be marketed solely to DIYers and electronics hobbyists its going to need an enclosure. Most likely this enclosure will be made of plastic.

Although 3D printing is the technology used for prototyping plastic parts, injection molding is the technology used for manufacturing.

This article was originally published on Predictable Designs . Download their free cheat sheet 15 Steps to Develop Your New Electronic Hardware Product.

Injection molding is going be a big part of your journey to market. Regardless of your technical background you at least need to understand injection molding at a basic level.

Many entrepreneurs are surprised to learn that while the electronics will likely be the most expensive to develop, the plastic enclosure will be the most expensive to scale to manufacturing.

This is primarily due to the high cost of the injection molds. In fact, mold cost is one of the biggest expenses when taking a product from concept to market.

NOTE: This is a long, very detailed article so heres a free PDF version of it for easy reading and future reference.

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