Injection moulding has grown in popularity to produce components and products throughout the year.
Injection moulding large plastic products’ multiple advantages can be attributable to manufacturers’ widespread use of the technology. Some of these advantages include the ability to develop a wide range of parts quickly and in large quantities.
What is structural foam moulding?
Low-pressure injection moulding is called structural foam moulding. An inert gas is pumped into a melted polymer mixture before it is put into the mould.
The gas drives the polymer into the mould and equally distributes its thickness across the mould, allowing it to take the shape of the equipment. The gas’s other aim is to reduce the completed product’s density and weight while also increasing its strength.
When the polymer cools inside the mould, it forms a solid skin against the walls, and a honeycomb structure forms the inner structure. This honeycomb structure allows for product weight reduction without sacrificing structural integrity. It also aids in the prevention of shrinking.
Advantages of Structural foam moulding
1. Better Aesthetics
Structural foam moulding has aided in the fabrication of thick and intricate parts and products that are free of depressions and sink marks.
Parts made using structural foam moulding, on the other hand, have a considerably more polished, uniform surface quality and, as a result, can have any texture you choose. Because this is a low-pressure moulding method, it also aids in the reduction of stress and warpage.
Thus, in some circumstances, this is a procedure that can be used to create items of superior quality to standard injection moulding. There is also the fact that products made with this technology have better acoustic and thermal insulation properties than those made with other methods.
2. Strength Improvement
The honeycomb structure created by structural foam moulding has renewed strength. As a result, it produces parts and products that have a high strength-to-weight ratio, even higher than those produced by standard injection moulding.
These parts are larger and more durable than those made with traditional moulding. Parts with structural foam moulding, on the other hand, are more impact-resistant. They can be employed in a wide range of applications, and the goods created using this method can be used to replace sheet metal, concrete, fibreglass, or wood.
It is worth mentioning, however, that the ultimate product produced via structural foam moulding is often lightweight and robust, with a somewhat hard surface.
3. Multiple Mould Options
Unlike standard injection moulding large plastic products, structural foam moulding uses less pressure. Low pressure and forces enable the use of less expensive moulding equipment and tools, resulting in the mass manufacture of very large or multiple pieces from a single machine.
In addition, the production is completed in a single cycle at a cheaper cost than traditional injection moulding. Aluminium moulds, for example, can be utilized in the technique, although the identical moulds would not be acceptable for standard injection moulding.
Moulds made of aluminium, on the other hand, can endure longer because they are not subjected to tremendous pressure during the moulding process.
4. Low Initial Costs
Another benefit of structural foam moulding is that it eliminates the need for a steel mould. This means that less expensive and lighter materials can be utilized for moulding.
As a result, compared to traditional injection moulding, it has a cheaper initial cost, making it a desirable solution for lower volume applications.
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