One of the first steps in creating a molded plastic product is to decide on a manufacturing technique. Blow molding and injection molding are two popular processes with unique advantages and drawbacks. It's important to develop a good understanding of both methods before you can determine which one is most suitable for your company's needs. This blog post will discuss the difference between a blow mold and an injection mold, and the most common types of products made using each technique.
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Blow Molding vs. Injection Molding
While blow molding and injection molding both involve filling molds with melted plastic, their processes and the types of objects they can create are very different. Let's take a look at each method.
What is Blow Molding?
Blow molding creates hollow products from thermoplastic materials. Technicians create performs, or parisons, by heating and expanding plastic tubes. The preform is placed between two dies that contain the final product's desired shape. Next, air is supplied into the tube, causing it to gradually expand and conform to the mold's shape.
After the blowing process is complete, the product is cooled and then ejected from the mold. It is then trimmed of any excess material and prepared for secondary processes.
Blow Molding Advantages
Blow molding allows manufacturers to create high quantities of hollow plastic products in a short period of time. Some of the benefits blow molding delivers include:
- Low machinery costs
- Automated production
- High product variety
- Many production methods, such as extrusion blow molding, stretch blow molding, and others
Blow Molding Products
Blow molding has become a very popular manufacturing process. Many industries use it to create containers or other products. Some of the most common applications for blow molding products are:
- Automotive components
- Appliance parts
- Children's toys
- Industrial bulk containers
- Medical supplies
- Marine products
- Lawn and garden items
- Product packaging
- Sporting goods
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What you need to know before selecting a molder for your project
Download our eBook, 10 Must-Ask Questions When Choosing a Plastic Injection Molder. Inside, we cover key questions like:
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- Does the molder guarantee the molds for the life of a project?
- How many molding machines do they have and what are their capabilities?
- Is their pricing competitive, even when comparing with offshore molders?
Download Your Free CopyWhat is Injection Molding?
Injection molding is the process of creating solid plastic parts using precision molds and tooling. It involves using a machine to inject molten plastic materials into a custom-developed mold to produce a product. Injection molding is an excellent way to economically mass produce custom, solid plastic products.
Injection Molding Advantages
Injection molding is an excellent method for producing high-precision, highly repeatable plastic parts at a minimal cost per unit. Some key advantages of injection molding include:
- Fast and efficient production
- Low labor expenses
- Exceptional design flexibility
- Compatible with a wide range of materials
Injection Molding Products
In applications where a high degree of design intricacy is required or where high-volume production runs are needed, injection molding provides an effective solution. This versatile process creates a wide variety of products, including:
- Agricultural components
- Automotive components
- Electronic housings
- Toys
- Plastic bottles
- Healthcare products
- Construction products
Custom Plastic Injection Molding From The Rodon Group
Blow molding and injection molding are two popular methods for creating plastic parts. At The Rodon Group, we offer custom plastic injection molding solutions developed with quality and efficiency in mind. As an ISO :-certified manufacturer, we specialize in high-precision plastic parts that adhere to tight tolerances. If you think injection molding might be a good solution for your next project, get in touch with our team or request a quote today.
The world is full of creative people with creative ideas, but sometimes they lack the knowledge needed to bring those ideas to fruition. New crowd sourcing websites like Kickstarter and Quirky can help entrepreneurs refine their products and raise capital but what happens when these designers and engineers want to take their ideas to market? They need to determine the processes required to manufacturer their invention.
If the project requires plastic parts, they may be a good fit for the injection molding process. Known for its ability to mold large quantities to exacting standards, injection molding is the choice of many entrepreneurs and OEMs.
Getting an injection molding quote is the first step in determining feasibility; however there are many questions that should be answered before an accurate quote can be supplied. Here are the top five questions you should able to provide answers to:
- Are there CAD drawings and or samples of the part to be quoted? To begin to form an accurate quote, the molder needs to know what you are asking them to make. Detailed dimensional drawings provide information on the size and complexity of the part. A sample or prototype can help the molder begin to determine how to maximize the design for manufacturability.
- What is the part intended to do? Are there chemical or environmental issues the part will be exposed to? The injection molder you are working with needs to understand the end-use application of the part. This explanation will help the manufacturer determine how sturdy the part needs to be and what the wear and tear will be over time. The information you provide will help your molder make recommendations on the resins and/or additives needed for your project.
- What quantities are needed? All injection molds are not made alike. If you are interested in smaller quantities or a shorter production run, an aluminum mold might be the best option. If your project requires large quantities over a longer time span, then a hardened steel mold would be the best choice. The upfront cost of the latter option is much greater; however it pays for itself over the life of the tool. Large-volume, precision molders like The Rodon Group specialize in building tools with hardened steel.
- What is the size and complexity of the part? While many plastic parts are made through injection molding, there are other molding processes that can be used to produce a part. You can read about them in a related article. Briefly, smaller parts that are more complex are ideally suited to the injection molding process. Larger parts may be produced with injection molding or compression molding. Very large parts lend themselves to rotational molding while hollow objects, like bottles, are made with blow molding.
- What types of polymers or resins are required for the part? You may need to do some initial fact finding, but having an understanding of the type of plastic material you feel best suits your project gives the molder a starting reference point. In the long-run, a qualified molder will recommend the resin and or additives they feel will provide the best result.
If your project requires manufacturing plastic parts, you need to do a bit of homework prior to getting an accurate quote. By answering these five questions, you should be well on your way to establishing mutually beneficial vendor contacts that can help move your project along. To find a U.S. plastic injection molder, we suggest searching the supplier database on Thomasnet.com. You can search by geography and large-volume versus prototype molding.
For more information, please visit Automa Blow Molding Machine.
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