A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.
In materials science, a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained by irreversibly hardening ("curing") a soft solid or viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). Curing is induced by heat or suitable radiation and may be promoted by high pressure or mixing with a catalyst. Heat is not necessarily applied externally, and is often generated by the reaction of the resin with a curing agent. Curing results in chemical reactions that create extensive cross-linking between polymer chains to produce an infusible and insoluble polymer network.
Injection moulding is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals, glasses, elastomers, confections, and most commonly thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Material for the part is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and injected into a mould cavity, where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity. After a product is designed, usually by an industrial designer or an engineer, moulds are made by a mould-maker from metal, usually either steel or aluminium, and precision-machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection moulding is widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest components to entire body panels of cars. Advances in 3D printing technology, using photopolymers that do not melt during the injection moulding of some lower-temperature thermoplastics, can be used for some simple injection moulds.
A moldmaker or molder (moulder) is a skilled tradesperson who fabricates molds for use in casting metal products.
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix. This itself may have been made using a pattern or model of the final object.
Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. The sheet, or "film" when referring to thinner gauges and certain material types, is heated in an oven to a high-enough temperature that permits it to be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape. Its simplified version is vacuum forming.
Blow molding is a manufacturing process for forming hollow plastic parts. It is also used for forming glass bottles or other hollow shapes.
Microcellular plastics, otherwise known as microcellular foam, is a form of manufactured plastic fabricated to contain billions of tiny bubbles less than 50 microns wide. It is formed by dissolving gas under high pressure into various polymers, relying on the phenomenon of thermodynamic instability to cause the uniform arrangement of the gas bubbles, otherwise known as nucleation. Its main purpose was to reduce material usage while maintaining valuable mechanical properties. the density of the finished product is determined by the gas used. Depending on the gas, the foam's density can be between 5% and 99% of the pre-processed plastic. Design parameters, focused on the foam's final form and the molding process afterward, include the type of die or mold to be used, as well as the dimensions of the bubbles, or cells, that classify the material as a foam. Since the cells' size is close to the wavelength of light, to the casual observer the foam retains the appearance of a solid, light-colored plastic.
Rotational molding involves a heated mold which is filled with a charge or shot weight of the material. It is then slowly rotated, causing the softened material to disperse and stick to the walls of the mold forming a hollow part. In order to form an even thickness throughout the part, the mold rotates at all times during the heating phase, and then continues to rotate during the cooling phase to avoid sagging or deformation. The process was applied to plastics in the 1950s but in the early years was little used because it was a slow process restricted to a small number of plastics. Over time, improvements in process control and developments with plastic powders have resulted in increased use.
Metal injection molding (MIM) is a metalworking process in which finely-powdered metal is mixed with binder material to create a "feedstock" that is then shaped and solidified using injection molding. Metal injection molding combines the most useful characteristics of powder metallurgy and plastic injection molding to facilitate the production of small, complex-shaped metal components with outstanding mechanical properties. The molding process allows high volume, complex parts to be shaped in a single step. After molding, the part undergoes conditioning operations to remove the binder (debinding) and densify the powders. Finished products are small components used in many industries and applications.
In-mould labelling is the use of paper or plastic labels during the manufacturing of containers by blow molding, injection molding, or thermoforming processes. The label serves as the integral part of the final product, which is then delivered as pre-decorated item. Combining the decoration process with the moulding process cuts the total cost, but can increase the manufacturing time. The technology was first developed by Owens-Illinois in cooperation with Procter & Gamble to supply pre-labelled bottles that could be filled on the product filling line. This was first applied to Head & Shoulders shampoo bottles.
An injection molding machine, also known as an injection press, is a machine for manufacturing plastic products by the injection molding process. It consists of two main parts, an injection unit and a clamping unit.
Chen Hsong Holdings Limited is a manufacturer and supplier of plastic injection moulding equipment and systems. The company was established by Dr. Chiang Chen in a small village workshop in Hong Kong in 1958. The following half-century has been a period of growth and expansion both locally and internationally. Today Chen Hsong has a customer base covering more than 80 countries worldwide including China, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and most Southeast Asian countries.
HARBEC manufactures prototypes, highly toleranced tooling, machined components, and injection molded parts. They produce engineered custom plastic parts for customers in the medical, automotive, electronic, telecommunications, consumer goods, and other industries. HARBEC performs initial design and concept molding; production tooling; low and high volume production injection molding and secondary processes.
Merrick Machine Company is a U.S. manufacturer based out of Alda Nebraska that produces custom automated housing machinery, The Auto Dolly, and The Auto Dolly accessory products, Merrick Originals. Merrick Machine Co was the founding business under the parent name of Triad, which now includes five other companies, all owned by the Merrick family. These companies are structured as limited partnerships and include Triad Fastener, Denver Plastics Nebraska, Merrick Machine Company, Fu-Tek Tool, and Triad Products. Each business is a stand-alone company doing business in separate facilities with independent offices, manufacturing, and warehousing.
Thin wall injection molding is a specialized form of conventional injection molding that focuses on mass-producing plastic parts that are thin and light so that material cost savings can be made and cycle times can be as short as possible. Shorter cycle times means higher productivity and lower costs per part.
The Pyro Plastics Corporation was an American manufacturing company based in Union Township, NJ and popular during the 1950s and 1960s that produced toys and plastic model kits. Some of the scale models manufactured and commercialised by Pyro were cars, motorcycles, aircraft, ships, and military vehicles, and animal and human figures.
Solid Concepts, Inc. is a custom manufacturing company engaged in engineering, manufacturing, production, and prototyping. The company is headquartered in Valencia, California, in the Los Angeles County area, with six other facilities located around the United States. Solid Concepts is an additive manufacturing service provider as well as a major manufacturer of business products, aerospace, unmanned systems, medical equipment and devices, foundry cast patterns, industrial equipment and design, and transportation parts.
Core Molding Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1988 and now based in Columbus, Ohio. The company manufactures sheet molding compounds (SMC), and molds fiberglass reinforced plastics. It occupies over 1,000,000 square feet of manufacturing space and its main subsidiaries are in Matamoros, Mexico, Gaffney, South Carolina, and Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2011, Core Molding Technologies formed Core Specialty Composites, LLC.
The Ensinger Group is a manufacturer engaged in the development and manufacture of compounds, semi-finished products, technical parts, composite materials and profiles made of engineering and high-performance plastics. The family-owned enterprise is represented in major industrial regions with manufacturing facilities or sales offices. The main office is located in Nufringen/Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
