Werner Systems is always looking to expand our service offerings for our customers, which is why we added plastic injection molding capabilities to our shop. We have a large injection molding press of up to 175 ton that can accommodate a wide range of different thermoplastic materials.
Plastic Injection Molding
Injection molding is a complex manufacturing process that melts and sets plastic into a specific shape within a predetermined mold. However, despite its complexity, plastic injection molding is also one of the most flexible methods of shaping plastic materials. It can produce a wide range of geometries, features, and unique shapes while still holding incredibly tight tolerances. So long as the molds are properly maintained, injection molding is also a highly consistent process as well, able to produce thousands of plastic components, even very complex ones, with little to no variation between them.
The Injection Molding Process
- Getting the Right Mold
Mold design is a large chunk of the effort involved in injection molding. A good mold design will save time, money, and stress, ensuring the mold performs optimally for a long time. Once the design is perfect, the mold is manufactured and sent to our facility.
- Melting and Injecting the Plastic
Once the mold is in place, we can start the actual manufacturing process. Plastic pellets are melted within a carefully maintained temperature and then transferred and injected into the mold itself. The two halves of the mold close together and hold the molten plastic under high pressure to ensure the material fills all crevices and doesn’t escape.
- Holding and Cooling
Once the mold is closed, the plastic is held under extremely high pressure for a set amount of time, depending on the thermoplastic being molded and the complexity of the part. At the end of that period, the pressure is released, and the plastic is allowed to cool within the mold.
- Part Ejection and Finishing
After the plastic has cooled, the part is carefully ejected from the mold, and the molding process can begin again. If required, the plastic component may undergo some secondary processing, such as surface finishing or minor machining, to ensure it meets dimensional tolerances.
Partner with Werner for Quality Injection Molding
Werner Systems has been a trusted partner for a wide range of manufacturing services for several decades, both as the engineering department of Woodbridge Glass and across many industries, such as construction, industrial equipment manufacturing, and more. For more information, don’t hesitate to request a quote today!