Monday, April 8, 2013

The Basics of Plastic Injection Moulding

plastic injection moulding, NSW

Plastic injection moulding is a thriving industry in Australia. It is an old industry that dates back to the late 19th century and has since produced products and applications that people use in every aspect of their lives. As far as companies that specialise in plastic injection moulding, NSW has some really good ones. If you live in the state and you need a supplier of your plastic products, you have really good options of finding a good plastic manufacturer.

Before you start your search, it would not heart to learn a little bit more about the industry. Injection moulding is actually one part of a manufacturing process for creating plastic parts made from thermosetting plastic and thermoplastic materials. What happens is that the material is mixed and heated before being poured into a mould cavity. The machinery involved here is called a ram injector or a reciprocating screw. Once placed into the mould the material is allowed to harden and cool following the form of the mould.

The mould is designed by an industrial engineer or designer and is typically made from aluminium or steel. The mould is then precision-machined to the features of the design. Injection moulding finds wide application in the manufacture of a wide variety of parts and products, from the tiniest component to huge panels. It is hands down the most common and the most popular production method for anything from computer parts and components to garden furniture.

It was John Wesley Hyatt, owner of billiard ball manufacturer Phelan and Collander, who found a way to produce billiard balls with the use of a mould where celluloid is injected. This discovery happened in 1868. The first injection moulding machine to be patented belonged to Hyatt in 1872. It is a crude version of what companies use nowadays of course. It had a basic plunger that injects the material onto the mould passing through a hot cylinder.

Little did Hyatt know that he has started the huge industry of plastic injection moulding then. The process first produced products like collar stays, hair combs, and buttons. But the industry really took off in the Second World War which brought on a huge clamour for cheap products that are produced in large scale. The plastics industry will be revolutionized in the mid-1940s by James Hendry who created the very first screw injection plastic moulding machine.

Author: Todd Johnson
Email: Todd@australianwebsitedevelopment.com.au
Mobile: 0449 041 815


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