Think about injection molding and your mind immediately goes to plastic army men and other tiny toys and accessories that toddlers love to cram in their ears, nose, throat, etc. The process, injecting fluid material into a mold, applies to all sorts of other materials, too. Metals, glass, confections, polymers and elastomers can all be molded and then custom machined to produce everything from a jelly snakes to car doors.
Mobile phone covers, toy bricks, plastic forks, styrofoam cups, metal scissors and the fans that go inside computers to keep them from overheating while you are playing Candy Crusher, all of these items are fashioned using IM technology. The process, which was first used in the mid-19th century, is amazingly versatile and yields gizmos and widgets for everything from kitchen gadgets to the International Space Station.
One application for the art is in the manufacture of collectible toy soldiers and military miniatures. If there was a war, chances are there are miniature toy soldiers for some enthusiast to recreate it. A horseback-mounted Duke of Wellington can set a collector back in the realm of $200. Intricately detailed and meticulously painted, lesser soldiers can be acquired for a much more reasonable price. Of course, when you are purchasing hundreds of the brave soldiers, it adds up pretty fast.
Electric train enthusiasts are another market for this genre of art and technology. Along with little engineers and little villagers, trees and parts of buildings can be manufactured in this manner. The level of detail and authenticity can be very impressive. These are usually the product of a metalworking process.
The starting material, whether polymer, metal or thermoplastic, is pulverized into a fine dust and, in the case of metal, mixed with what is called a binder to produce what is called feedstock. The feedstock is fed through a hopper and passed through a heater while being fed through a tube by a linear actuator. The material is melted into a liquid and then fed into a mold and then cooled.
The variety of items that can be produced via IM is mind-boggling. It is worth doing an image search on the Internet just to get an idea of the scope of work that this simple process is capable of giving rise to. Even the machines that produce the items have moving parts that have themselves been manufactured this way.
The industry relies on a vast number of other industries for its survival. Software, polymers, additives and the molding machines themselves are all related industries. It is going to be fascinating to see how this industry stands up to new developments in 3D printing technology.
Mobile phone covers, toy bricks, plastic forks, styrofoam cups, metal scissors and the fans that go inside computers to keep them from overheating while you are playing Candy Crusher, all of these items are fashioned using IM technology. The process, which was first used in the mid-19th century, is amazingly versatile and yields gizmos and widgets for everything from kitchen gadgets to the International Space Station.
One application for the art is in the manufacture of collectible toy soldiers and military miniatures. If there was a war, chances are there are miniature toy soldiers for some enthusiast to recreate it. A horseback-mounted Duke of Wellington can set a collector back in the realm of $200. Intricately detailed and meticulously painted, lesser soldiers can be acquired for a much more reasonable price. Of course, when you are purchasing hundreds of the brave soldiers, it adds up pretty fast.
Electric train enthusiasts are another market for this genre of art and technology. Along with little engineers and little villagers, trees and parts of buildings can be manufactured in this manner. The level of detail and authenticity can be very impressive. These are usually the product of a metalworking process.
The starting material, whether polymer, metal or thermoplastic, is pulverized into a fine dust and, in the case of metal, mixed with what is called a binder to produce what is called feedstock. The feedstock is fed through a hopper and passed through a heater while being fed through a tube by a linear actuator. The material is melted into a liquid and then fed into a mold and then cooled.
The variety of items that can be produced via IM is mind-boggling. It is worth doing an image search on the Internet just to get an idea of the scope of work that this simple process is capable of giving rise to. Even the machines that produce the items have moving parts that have themselves been manufactured this way.
The industry relies on a vast number of other industries for its survival. Software, polymers, additives and the molding machines themselves are all related industries. It is going to be fascinating to see how this industry stands up to new developments in 3D printing technology.
About the Author:
Henry A. Parker has taught plastics molding techniques for over 15 years. He specializes in injection molding and thermoforming. If you are interested in learning more about custom plastic pallets then he recommends you visit his friends at PTM: Custom Plastics Injection Molding Company.
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