How Automation in Injection Molding Improves Efficiency

Originally published on fastradius.com on July 7, 2021

Injection molding is a manufacturing process that enables you to quickly and consistently produce uniform parts at low costs. During the injection molding process, a highly pressurized nozzle fills a mold with molten material, which then cools and hardens in the mold. Afterward, the mold opens and the injection-molded part is safely ejected.

On its own, injection molding is a fast and efficient manufacturing process that is excellent for high-volume production runs of uniform, intricate parts. When combined with automation, product teams can take injection-molded components and procedures to the next level. Here’s everything you need to know about automation in the injection molding process.

An overview of automation in injection molding

Automated tools are used throughout manufacturing to increase the efficiency, speed, and precision at which tasks are completed. Some automation tools like collaborative robots (cobots) and robotic arms assist workers with their operations, while other automation tools complete tasks entirely on their own. Intelligent automation in manufacturing keeps engineers and machine operators safe during high volume, stress-heavy manufacturing processes.

Automation tools in the injection molding process also help ensure parts are properly made, accurately measured, and formed to completion. Manual injection molding usually yields natural variations, which can result in poorly built or non-functional components. By maintaining precision and handling fragile parts delicately, automation in injection molding can prevent cosmetic and structural defects. Also, many automated tools have built-in features that prevent damage to the injection molding machine.

Here are some specific ways automation tools can improve the injection molding process:

Machine tending

This includes standard procedures like heating up the injected material, pressurizing the molten material so it fills a cavity entirely, and ejecting a cooled part without damaging it.

Insert molding

Inserts increase the strength of a plastic injection-molded part. Automated tools can safely and precisely add inserts at various stages in the injection molding process.

Overmolding

Overmolding techniques are used to combine two parts together. Automation tools can safely move injection molded parts between machines in order to quickly perform these processes.

Handling post-processing tasks

This includes trimming away a part’s excess material, dispensing sealant or finishes evenly, and performing post-process quality checks. Automated tools can even assist with packaging and fulfillment, like sealing parts for shipment or moving them into containers.

Clean-up

Automated tools can clean up after an injection mold job by removing leftover solid material from various parts of the injection molding machine. This expedites clean-up and facilitates easy recycling, particularly with plastic injection molding. Also, the use of automation during the injection molding process produces less waste overall.

These are just a few examples of how automation in injection molding can speed up production times, improve part quality, and increase safety during the manufacturing process.

Benefits of automation tools in injection molding

Plastic parts — On its own, injection molding is a fast and efficient manufacturing process that is excellent for high-volume production runs of uniform, intricate parts. When combined with automation, product teams can take injection-molded components and procedures to the next level.

It’s incredibly beneficial to work with a manufacturing partner that uses automated processes for injection molding. Automated tools lower manufacturing costs for high-volume production runs, which means lower costs for you and your business. Also, automated tools dramatically speed up production times so you can get better products to market faster.

Automated tools also improve the accuracy and repeatability of individual components, which ensures consistency part-to-part and improves the overall quality of your production run. With automation, you’re less likely to have to go back and fix bad batches. Reducing inconsistencies also reduces material waste, which in turn increases material cost savings.

Automate your injection molding projects with SyBridge

Automation improves the injection molding process by making it easier to safely and accurately perform operations that ensure part consistency, precision, and functionality. It’s important for product teams to work with a manufacturing partner that uses the power of injection molding automation to make the best parts possible.

At SyBridge, we have the tools and expertise to help you create superior parts, reduce costs, expedite production runs, and reduce errors during the manufacturing process. If you have any questions or concerns, our team of experts will guide you through them. Contact us to get started.

Polyoxymethylene (POM), more commonly known as acetal or its branded name Delrin®, is an engineering plastic offering low friction, high stiffness, and excellent dimensional stability. Polyoxymethylene is a category of thermoplastics and includes many different formulations of the material, all of which vary slightly. As such, it’s important to learn as much as you can about each type before choosing one for your next project. Delrin® is a semi-crystalline engineering-grade thermoplastic widely used to create highly precise parts. In general, Delrin® provides impressive dimensional stability and sliding properties. It’s known for its high strength, wide operating temperature range (-40°C to 120°C), and excellent mechanical properties. Here’s everything you need to know about this material, from how it’s made to its best-fit applications. Inside the polyoxymethylene production process Acetal was first discovered by German chemist Hermann Staudinger in 1920 before it was commercially synthesized by research chemists at DuPont, the original manufacturers of Delrin® plastic, in 1956. Like all other plastics, acetal is created by distilling hydrocarbon fuels down into lighter groups called “fractions,” which can then be combined with other catalysts via polymerization or polycondensation to produce a finished plastic. To make an acetal homopolymer like Delrin®, anhydrous formaldehyde must be generated by causing a reaction between aqueous formaldehyde and alcohol to form a hemiformal. The hemiformal is then heated to release the formaldehyde, and the formaldehyde is polymerized by anionic catalysis. The resulting polymer is stabilized when it reacts with acetic anhydride, which creates polyoxymethylene homopolymer. Acetal comes in many different commercial varieties and formulations, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, Delrin® 500 is medium-viscosity, all-purpose polyoxymethylene that has a good balance of flow and physical properties. It can be used to produce parts via CNC machining and injection molding and is frequently used to manufacture mechanical parts, fuel systems, and fasteners. Delrin® 1700P, on the other hand, is a very low- viscosity, fast-molding resin that is best suited for parts with complex shapes, thin walls, long flow paths, or multi-cavity tools. It also offers the best molding thermal stability for deposit-free molding in demanding conditions. Since there are dozens of different formulations of acetal, it’s important to do your research and make sure your prospective plastic offers all of the properties you need for your application. Delrin® plastic properties and mechanical specifications small black Delrin pieces Delrin® can also be found in all-purpose industrial equipment like bearings, gears, pumps, and meters. Acetal’s excellent mechanical properties make it extremely versatile, offering a unique blend of properties that you won’t find in most metals or other plastics. Delrin® plastic is strong, rigid, and resistant to impact, creep, abrasion, friction, and fatigue. It’s also well known for its excellent dimensional stability during high-precision machining. Acetal can also stand up to moisture, gasoline, solvents, and a wide range of other neutral chemicals at room temperature. From a design standpoint, parts made with extruded POM naturally have a glossy surface finish. Since acetal is compatible with CNC machining, injection molding, extrusion, compression molding, rotational casting, and more, product teams are free to choose the manufacturing process that works best for their budget and their needs. However, it’s worth noting that Delrin® plastic is typically very challenging to bond. Acetal material properties vary by formulation, but the mechanical properties for Delrin® 100 NC010, one of the most popular formulations, include: Tensile modulus: 2900 MPa Yield stress: 71 MPa Yield strain: 26% Density: 1420 kg/m3 Charpy notched impact strength, +23°C: 15 kJ/m2 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, normal: 110 E-6/K Water absorption: 0.9% Delrin® does have a few limitations. For instance, even though Delrin® is resistant to many chemicals and solvents, it’s not very resistant to strong acids, oxidizing agents, or UV radiation. Prolonged exposure to radiation can warp the color and cause the part to lose its strength. Also, this material isn’t readily available in a flame-retardant grade, which limits its utility for certain high-temperature applications. Why choose Delrin® plastic? These limitations notwithstanding, there are many reasons to choose acetal over other materials. When compared to other plastics, acetal offers better creep, impact, and chemical resistance, better dimensional stability, and higher strength. It also has a lower coefficient of friction. Acetal outpaces certain metals as well. Parts built with this material have a higher strength-to-weight ratio, better corrosion resistance, and offer more opportunities for part consolidation. You can build thinner and lighter parts faster and at a lower price point with acetal than with a comparable metal. Delrin® plastic can be found in almost every major manufacturing sector. In the automotive industry, common applications include heavy load-bearing gears, fuel system components, loudspeaker grilles, and safety system components like seatbelt hardware. Delrin® can also be found in all-purpose industrial equipment like bearings, gears, pumps, and meters. In the consumer goods and appliances space, this material can be used to make anything from zippers and pens to knife handles and lawn sprinklers. Getting started with Delrin® There’s a lot for product teams to love about Delrin®. It’s strong, stable, versatile, and its excellent mechanical properties make it a good choice for a wide variety of applications in a number of industries. However, with dozens of different formulations of acetal on the market, it can be very challenging to determine which one might be the best fit for your unique project. A seasoned manufacturing partner can help demystify the material selection process. When you partner with Fast Radius, you partner with a team of on-demand manufacturing experts who have years of experience helping product teams navigate material selection. We’re well-versed in the wide range of materials that can be used for both traditional and additive manufacturing — including Delrin®. Once you’ve selected the Delrin® formulation that’s the right fit for your application, our team of experts can help facilitate the entire manufacturing process — from design and prototyping to production and fulfillment. With a full suite of manufacturing services including CNC machining and injection molding, Fast Radius can bring your vision to life quickly and easily. Contact us today to get started.

How Automation in Injection Molding Improves Efficiency