When designing your plastic project, it is important to choose the right manufacturing process. Ensuring you take your product’s application, size, and material into consideration before starting the manufacturing process will save you time and money while yielding a higher-quality product. Deciding on what process is best for your application can be tricky, so if you are wondering which is better for you — structural foam molding vs injection molding — we have outlined each below.
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Structural foam molding is done by mixing a melted polymer with nitrogen gas and/or a chemical blowing agent. This mixture is then injected into a mold under low pressure and, as the polymer mixture touches the walls of the mold, it cools, forming a solid outer layer with a honeycomb interior.
Since structural foam molding is a low-pressure process the materials used to create the tooling and molds do not need to be as durable as those for injection molding. This lowers the cost of your tooling production. Additionally, less raw materials are used in the process since the product isn’t entirely solid resin.
The low-pressure process of structural foam molding puts significantly less stress on the parts during the molding process. This leads to less warping and damage during manufacturing, which saves you time and money.
The honeycomb-like interior of structural foam molded products reduces their weight when compared to their injection-molded counterparts, allowing them to be used in a wide range of industries and applications.
Structural foam molding is the ideal manufacturing process for creating large, thick-walled parts and products. The low-pressure process allows these large parts to be created in a single cycle and prevents damage and warpage during the process.
The solid exterior of the product gives it durability and strength while the honeycomb interior makes these products more lightweight than their injection molded counterparts. This is especially advantageous for large parts.
During the injection molding process, a polymer is melted inside the injection molding machine’s heated barrel. The machine is then closed and the mold halves close together and are held together under high clamp pressure. The screw in the barrel then pushes the molten polymer under very high pressure into the mold. Once all material is in the mold, the screw pulls back and starts cooling. When it is cooled entirely, the product is released from the mold.
Injection molding is one of the fastest plastic manufacturing processes available. It is possible to create many parts in a short period of time through the injection molding process, allowing the manufacturing process to be completed faster.
Because injection molded parts are completely solid they are very durable. This also gives them uniform strength throughout the product.
Many times parts come out of the injection mold with good aesthetics and will require little to no finishing. Since you won’t need hardly any finishing services, you will save money on your manufacturing costs.
The injection molding process is high-pressure which allows the molten polymer to get into all of the nooks of the mold. This pressure allows for the creation of products with highly detailed and complex designs.
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With over 70 years of experience, Port Erie Plastics has the expertise needed to create high-quality, large parts through both low-pressure structural foam molding and high-pressure injection molding. Our structural foam molding machines go up to 500 tons and our injection molding machines can go up to tons.
Our engineers will work with you and your design to decide which process is best for your application — structural foam molding or injection molding. Since both processes happen under the same roof, there is no difference in start time regardless of what process is chosen for your part.
Structural foam molding is a plastic manufacturing method that is used to create cost-effective, large-tonnage plastic products. During this process, nitrogen gas or a chemical blowing agent is mixed in with a melting polymer. This polymer mixture is then injected into a mold under low pressure. As the plastic touches the walls of the mold, it cools and solidifies, creating a product with a solid outer layer and a honeycomb-like interior.
The process of structural foam molding yields many benefits to both the manufacturer and the customer, including saving time and money on the process. Read on to explore many of the benefits this manufacturing process can offer if you need a large-tonnage plastic product.
If you have a large-tonnage plastic part or product that needs to be manufactured, the structural foam molding process may be the best option for you. Since the process is a low-pressure process, it requires less clamping force, allowing you to create tooling and molds from more cost-effective materials, such as aluminum. Additionally, the low-pressure process leads to less damage, meaning you don’t have to spend more time or money on rerunning machines.
The low-pressure characteristic of the process makes the structural foam very easy to mold. Structural foam molding puts less stress on the product during its production, so it experiences significantly less damage than parts created through straight injection molding. With the reduced risk of damage, you can easily design and create a more complex mold that will maintain the desired shape of the finished product.
The low-pressure process also prevents warpage. There is less stress on the product during the production process, so it is less likely to warp or become damaged while being manufactured.
In addition to its ability to produce very large parts with ease, it is also possible to run multiple molds at the same time on the same machine with structural foam molding. Since it is a low-pressure process, these molds can run simultaneously without putting too much stress on the machines or the molds. Being able to run multiple molds at one time can save you both time and money on your manufacturing process.
Structural foam molded products have many desirable physical properties that make them ideal for use in many industries. These products have a high-strength-to-weight ratio, meaning they are lighter weight than straight injection molded, solid plastic products while still maintaining their strength and durability. They also exhibit good thermal stability and are able to withstand thermal expansion so they will not warp or lose their properties when exposed to extreme temperatures, making them ideal for hot and cold environments.
At Port Erie Plastics, we have been manufacturing high-quality plastic products and parts for various industries for more than 70 years. With our combined 615,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space, we have the ability to take on any of your plastic manufacturing projects.
Our structural foam molding capabilities allow us to produce polyethylene or polypropylene parts up to 7.5 feet in length and with a wall thickness from 0.200 inches to 0.500 inches. In addition to our structural foam molding capabilities, we also have the equipment needed to complete custom injection molding and automated injection molding, allowing us to take on all of your plastic manufacturing needs.
We don’t stop there, either. Our in-house team of engineers can help you make sure that your design is optimized for manufacturability. We also offer in-house mold and tool building so you can easily alter your design to make your production more efficient. Once your project is complete, we can warehouse your finished product if needed.