The structure of an injection mould:
Injection molding is a widely used manufacturing method for the production of plastic parts in industry. The key to the success of this process lies in the injection mold, also known as a mold or tool. It is the heart of the injection molding process and is responsible for the precision and quality of the manufactured parts.
An injection mold consists of several components that work together to produce the desired plastic part. Here’s a breakdown of the main components:
Mold cavity (mold cavity): This is the main area of the tool where the plastic material is injected to produce the desired part. The mold cavity has the exact shape of the final product and is usually made of hardened steel or aluminum.
Mold Core: The mold core is the counterpart to the mold cavity and extends into it. It is used to create cavities in the plastic part, e.g. for threads or cavities. The mold core usually moves to facilitate the demolding of the part.
Guide elements: These components help align and move the mold cavity and mold core. They ensure that both parts fit together precisely and do not shift during the injection molding process.
Sprue and demolding system: The sprue is the channel through which the liquid plastic material is directed into the mold cavity. The demolding system makes it easy to remove the part from the mold after the injection molding process.
Cooling channels: To cool the material and speed up the molding process, cooling channels are integrated into the mold. They extract heat from the plastic, allowing the part to solidify and demould more quickly.
The high acquisition costs of injection molding tools are due to several factors:
Precision and material: The tooling must be manufactured with extreme precision in order to produce accurate and repeatable parts. This requires high-quality materials such as hardened steel or aluminum, which are expensive.
Complexity of the part: The more complex the part to be produced, the more complex and expensive the tool. Producing tooling for parts with complicated geometries requires more time and resources.
Tolerances and surface quality: Many industrial applications require tight tolerances and high surface quality. The production of tools that meet such requirements requires additional machining steps and tests.
Service life and maintenance: An injection mold must withstand thousands or even millions of cycles without losing quality. This requires regular maintenance and repairs, which increases operating costs.
Design and Engineering: The development of a tailor-made tool requires extensive design and engineering work. This includes simulating the molding process to identify and avoid problems in advance.
Size and weight: Larger and heavier tools are more expensive due to their more complex production. They also require special machinery and equipment.
Overall, injection molding tools are expensive, but they are a crucial investment for companies that produce plastic parts in large quantities. The quality and precision of the tools have a significant influence on the quality of the end products, which ultimately justifies the costs.
