Monthly Archives: December 2013

What is Foam Injection Molding?

Transcript: Foam injection molding is a process in which we take thermoplastic material and induce a colorant as well as a blowing agent in there to expand the material out. What we do is we bring in the material in from a hopper or a gondola, come into a process in which we blend it with that colorant and with that blowing agent into a hopper feeder. It then goes into a screw that is then fed the material into an accumulator. From that accumulator, then feeds into our injection process. The accumulator then feeds in through injection process into an aluminum mold. That’s the nice thing about our process is that we use less expensive molds. We don’t use steel ones. We use aluminum ones. By having that it’s a major advantage. The material is then through multiple ports injected into usually a single cavity tool. We may put more than one cavity into a press, but it’s multiple ports coming into one cavity.

What are Characteristics of Gas Assist Molded Parts?

Transcription: A gas assisted injection molded part is going to have a little more of a look like a high pressure injection molded product. There won’t be a lot of swirls. It’ll be more of a solid look, but still, won’t be a perfect class A surface. Adequate for most applications, it still is a very structural product. It has the gas channels but will look a lot like injection molding.