Injection moulding

<p>Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a <a href="/facts/Manufacturing/3qW7bcdy">manufacturing</a> process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a <a href="/facts/Molding_(process)/1GkAeyCx">mould, or mold</a>. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including <a href="/facts/Metal/PT8hNX6R">metals</a> (for which the process is called <a href="/facts/Die-casting/9bdIWfoe">die-casting</a>), <a href="/facts/Glass/hezRsAGf">glasses</a>, <a href="/facts/Elastomer/kCSD0udN">elastomers</a>, <a href="/facts/Confectionery/7h760gLH">confections</a>, and most commonly <a href="/facts/Thermoplastic/5KJB8dwN">thermoplastic</a> and <a href="/facts/Thermosetting/EagnsydT">thermosetting</a> polymers. Material for the part is fed into a heated barrel, mixed (using a helical screw), and injected into a <a href="/facts/Mould_cavity/7mMSBWTs">mould cavity</a>, where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity.: 240  After a product is designed, usually by an <a href="/facts/Industrial_design/6oBprKds">industrial designer</a> or an <a href="/facts/Engineer/ph4TnHnG">engineer</a>, moulds are made by a mould-maker (or toolmaker) from <a href="/facts/3D_Metal_Moulding/0JoevqKG">metal</a>, usually either <a href="/facts/Steel/aN6qWo4H">steel</a> or <a href="/facts/Aluminium/7wmR8jYE">aluminium</a>, and <a href="/facts/Machining/Yrjfj6IV">precision-machined</a> 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 <a href="/facts/3D_printing/lbvWU3t0">3D printing</a> technology, using <a href="/facts/Photopolymer/oFUeEMfE">photopolymers</a> that do not melt during the injection moulding of some lower-temperature thermoplastics, can be used for some simple injection moulds.
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<p>Injection moulding uses a special-purpose machine that has three parts: the injection unit, the mould and the clamp. Parts to be injection-moulded must be very carefully designed to facilitate the moulding process; the material used for the part, the desired shape and features of the part, the material of the mould, and the properties of the moulding machine must all be taken into account. The versatility of injection moulding is facilitated by this breadth of design considerations and possibilities.
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Injection moulding open-in-new

Injection moulding