Injection moulding is the process of injecting molten—or liquified—material into a mould. The injected material is then cooled and solidified so that it retains the shape of the mould when removed.
The type of material injected into the moulds to create the desired end product varies; thermoplastics are the most common, but injection moulding can also be used to create products made of other materials, including glass and even confectionery. A similar process known as die-casting is used to make metal products.
The mould itself is usually custom-made from metal for a specific purpose. Thermoplastic pellets are then fed into the injection unit, which melts the plastic before injecting it into the mould. Next, coolant is applied to accelerate the cooling and solidifying of the plastic within the mould before the finished product is ejected.
Injection moulding minimises waste and allows for the rapid, large-scale production of parts and components. Said parts and components are used in lots of different places, including...
- Medical devices
- Electronics
- Packaging
- Consumer goods
- Vehicles
- Plumbing
- Musical instruments
...and so on. The list is virtually endless.
Because injection moulding is so widespread, injection moulding engineers are employed across all sorts of different industries, including the life sciences sector. In this blog post, we're going to take a look at this job and what it entails.
