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Understanding Injection Molding and Custom Machining

Every year, younger generations entering the workforce are faced with ever-changing technology and processes, especially if they look to enter the blue-collar workforce right out of high school or college. This is why it is important to us here at Molded Products to educate the public about who we are and what we do!

Unless you work in a manufacturing setting, the terms ‘injection molding’ and ‘custom manufacturing’ likely sound incredibly in-depth. While these assumptions are not entirely false, the objectives that these processes fulfill and the mechanics behind them are actually quite simple.

How simple? Let’s explore each of these processes individually and uncover some of the basics that are involved in these contemporary manufacturing processes and what industries we serve at Molded Products

Injection Molding

Industries such as healthcare and automotive often demand the mass production of plastic parts. While the sheer volume of these integral parts and the speed at which they can be produced is vital in our society, quality must remain paramount.

The plastic material utilized in injection molding starts in granular form, funneled into the barrel from the hopper on the machine. This plastic material is heated while in the barrel, which melts it before being injected into a mold; a portion referred to as a ‘shot.’ Once the part cools and is removed from the mold, the process repeats.

Injection molding not only speeds up the process way beyond older, antiquated methods but the accuracy and quality of the products produced are also streamlined as well. This level of quality is possible because the parts being produced are simple enough to replicate thousands of times a day. As an injection molding machine works, an operator is capable of noting any variances or discrepancies.

Custom Machining

To simplify, custom machining is exactly as it sounds: the machining of custom, complex-shaped parts that often require speciality tooling and fixturing. Custom machining can be combined with injection molding, as it essentially takes metal parts or molded shapes and machines features that would be impossible to accomplish during the injection molding process.

The reason this process is so beneficial, especially in mass production, is that the technology involved has the capability of holding close tolerances in extremely difficult-to-machine products. When combining both injection molding and custom machining, manufacturing extraordinary, innovative products are never out of the question.

Injection molding focuses solely on plastics, whereas custom machining can handle a variety of ‘exotic’ materials. For example, our custom machining process here at Molded Products has the capability of working with nylon, polycarbonate, stainless steel, acrylic, and more!

A Leader in Precision Machining 

Molded Products was founded in 1986, specializing in producing parts for hemodialysis equipment. Over the years, the company has evolved into a streamlined custom machining and injection molding company that services both the veterinary and laboratory spaces.

Visit our website to learn more about our contract manufacturing services and to explore what we can do for your organization!