The injection molding process

The injection molding process itself can be a difficult one depending upon a number of factors. These
major factors include material and machine characteristics as well as the design of the part. The process can
be described as one that discontinuously produces three dimensional parts from polymeric materials,
although other materials are injection molded. The production of parts is accomplished by first melting the
material (generally referred to as plasticating) and then injecting the material under pressure into a mold
where it solidifies in the form of the cavity. The history of injection molding dates back to 1872 when a
U.S. patent was issued for a machine design that used a plunger (ref. 2). TPETPE Thermoplastic Elastomer
TPE Terminal de Paiement Electronique (French)
TPE Total Power Exchange
TPE Twisted Pair Ethernet
TPE Tampines Expressway (Singapore)
TPE Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
..... Click the link for more information. materials may be molded on plunger machines today, however, melt
homogenizationhomogenization (həmŏj'ənəzā`shən), process in which a mixture is made uniform
throughout. Generally this procedure involves reducing the size of the particles of one component of the
mixture and dispersing them evenly
..... Click the link for more information. is much better utilizing reciprocating screw type machines. It was not
until 1956 that the first reciprocating screw machineOne of a series of machines employed in the
manufacture of wood screws.
A machine tool resembling a lathe, having a number of cutting tools that can be caused to act on the work
successively, for making screws and other turned pieces from metal rods.

See also: Screw Screw

..... Click the link for more information. became available and are the machines of choice today.

Generally, the machine can be broken down into three pieces. These three pieces consist of an injection
unit, the mold, and the process control system. The polymer, either in pellet or powder form, is supplied to
the machine through a hopper. It is essential that the material feeds continuously through the hopper and
down into the injection unit. As the screw rotates, the material is conveyed through the barrel to the front of
the screw. As it moves along, the material is heated by a series of heater bands found on the outside of the
barrel. A combination of heat and shear should develop a homogeneous melt. As the material is conveyed,
pressure builds in front of the screw tip. This pressure forces the screw back until a
predeterminedpre·de·ter·mine
v. pre·de·ter·mined, pre·de·ter·min·ing, pre·de·ter·mines

v.tr.
1. To determine, decide, or establish in advance:
..... Click the link for more information. amount of material is developed. The screw will stop momentarily (the
amount of time depends upon the cooling time(Law) such a lapse of time as ought, taking all the
circumstances of the case in view, to produce a subsiding of passion previously provoked.
- Wharton.

See also: Cooling

..... Click the link for more information.) and then will come forward (non-rotating) forcing the material into the
mold cavity. The material then cools under decreasing internal pressure. When the part has solidified
enough, the clamping unit will open and the part will fall out. Figure 1 follows the cavity pressure profile
over time during the molding process.

Molding thermoplastic elastomers

The molding of the five different classes of TPEs can be relatively easy if you follow a few simple
guidelines. First, the rheological properties of almost all of the TPEs are different than most
thermoplastic materials thermoplastic materials

materials used in making casts for broken limbs. Malleable when warmed in hot water or heated
with a hairdrier, very quick setting and very strong, e.g. Hexcelite. . Since all of the TPEs are quite
rubbery in nature, the viscosity of the materials are generally more affected by shear than by
temperature (figure 2). As the material experiences higher shear rates, the viscosity decrease
becomes more dramatic. Because of this, reciprocating type injection molding machines Injection
molding machine (also known as injection press) - a machine for making plastic parts.
Manufacturing products by injection molding process. Consist of two main parts, an injection unit
and a clamping unit. should be utilized whenever possible since shear rates can be more easily
controlled.

The styrenic TPEs are commercially available as two different classes, depending upon the midblock
composition. Table 1 compares the differences between these two classes. Generally, the unsaturated
unsaturated /un·sat·u·rat·ed/ (un-sach´ur-at?ed)
1. not holding all of a solute which can be held in solution by the solvent.

2. denoting compounds in which two or more atoms are united by double or triple bonds. styrenic
materials (styrenebutadiene-styrene) do not require and should not experience high shear rates.
However, the saturated midblock types (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) do require higher shear
rates to insure adequate surface appearance and good physical properties. The cylinder temperatures
for the unsaturated materials should range from 280 [degrees] F - 400 [degrees] F, depending upon
the grade of material. Generally, higher mold temperatures will result in a better surface appearance.
The injection pressures for the unsaturated styrenics can range from as little as 3,000 psi to 20,000
psi depending upon the surface area of the part and processing conditions. The injection pressure
time should be as short as possible so that overpacking of the part will not occur. The rate of
injection should be from slow to moderate depending upon runner lengths and part size. Normal
screw speeds of 30-80 rpm should be used so that the screw will stop just prior to the next injection
shot. Back pressures of 25-50 psi should be sufficient for developing a homogeneous melt.

The saturated styrenics have somewhat more processing stability and therefore are more forgiving.
The cylinder temperatures for these materials are generally from 380 [degrees] F - 500 [degrees] F
with mold temperatures of 80 [degrees] F - 175 [degrees] F. The injection rate should be fast so that
freeze-off will not occur and surface appearance will be optimized. The screw speed and back
pressure can be somewhat higher than the unsaturated styrenics, depending upon the compound.
Table 2 gives a more complete breakdown on the preferred processing conditions for these two
classes of styrenic materials.

The polyolefin elastomers or TPOs can be separated into three distinct classes depending upon their
particular morphology. Originally, TPOs were prepared by mechanically blending olefinic type
materials together, particularly polyethylene, polypropylene and EPDMEPDM Ethylene-Propylene-
Diene-Monomer
EPDM Enterprise Product Data Management
EPDM Ethylene Propylene Dimonomer (industrial/commercial piping/plumbing components)
EPDM Engineering Product Data Management
..... Click the link for more information.. Another type of TPO (Twisted Pair Only) Refers to the use of
twisted pair wire when other options are available. For example, a TPO suffix at the end of 3com
Ethernet adapter model numbers indicates the card has only an RJ45 connector. , called a
thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV TPV Temporary Protection Visa (Australia)
TPV Terminal Punto Venta
TPV Third-Party Verification
TPV Thermophotovoltaic
TPV Thermoplastic Vulcanizate (thermoplastic elastomer)
TPV Total Payment Volume ), consists of a compounding process that partially cures the
elastomeric phase within a thermoplastic carrier. And finally, a single phase olefinic elastomer has
been introduced recently (melt processible rubber - MPR (MultiProtocol Router) Software from
 Novell that provides router capabilities for its NetWare servers. It supports IPX, IP, AppleTalk and
OSI protocols as well as all the major LANs and WANs. ) that has been reported to exhibit a single
glass transition temperature The glass transition temperature is the temperature below which the
physical properties of amorphous materials vary in a manner similar to those of a solid phase (glassy
state), and above which amorphous materials behave like liquids (rubbery state). (ref. 3). However,
these three classes of materials do behave somewhat similar during the molding process. The
cylinder temperatures should vary from 375 [degrees] F to a high of 450 [degrees] F, depending
upon the grade of material. The mold temperatures can be run from as low as 35 [degrees] F for
some grades to as high as 175 [degrees] F. The injection rates should be from moderate to fast to
insure adequate filling. The TPOs do not readily absorb water, but they should be stored in a
relatively dry area. If the materials do become wet, they should be dried at 200 [degrees] F for 1-3
hours. Table 3 reports the preferred conditions for this rapidly growing class of materials.

The copolyester elastomers must be dry before molding for optimum properties ([is less than] 0.1%).
In general, the copolyesters are not as shear sensitive as some of the other classes of TPEs. Their
viscosity can be controlled by increasing or decreasing barrel temperatures. Injection pressures as
low as 3,000 psi can be used when mold temperatures are hot enough (150 [degrees] F). Higher
pressures will reduce shrinkage because of the higher packing that will result. The injection rates
should be high for thin walled moldings, while a moderate rate for thicker sections will be sufficient.
Table 4 suggests proper molding conditions for copolyester TPEs.

The polyurethane TPEs (or TPUs) are generally thought of as being commercially available in two
classes. The polyester based TPUs have higher tensile strength tensile strength

Ratio of the maximum load a material can support without fracture when being stretched to the
original area of a cross section of the material. When stresses less than the tensile strength are
removed, a material completely or partially returns to its , better ozone, oxygen, oil and solvent
resistance, than the polyether pol·y·e·ther
n.
A polymer in which the repeating unit contains two carbon atoms linked by an oxygen atom. type
TPEs. However, the ether-based TPEs have better low temperature properties and better resistance to
hydrolysis hydrolysis (hīdrŏl`ĭsĭs), chemical reaction of a compound with water, usually resulting in
the formation of one or more new compounds. and microbial microbial

pertaining to or emanating from a microbe.

microbial digestion
the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms. attack. Both
classes do have similar processing conditions. The material is hygroscopic
hygroscopic /hy·gro·scop·ic/ (hi?gro-skop´ik) readily absorbing moisture.

hy·gro·scop·ic
adj.
Readily absorbing moisture, as from the atmosphere. , and must be dried prior to processing ([is less than] .
05%). A mold temperature of between 90 [degrees] F - 150 [degrees] F is sufficient for optimum surface
appearance and physical properties. When the material is processed correctly, the melt should appear
slightly off-white to a very light yellow color. If the melt contains bubbles, then moisture is probably
present. Excessive melt temperatures will result in a "very transparent" purge shot. During shutdown, the
barrel should be purged clean with a material such as polyethylene or polystyrene to prevent degradation of
the material. Table 5 reports on the recommended processing conditions for the TPUs.