If you think about how many plastic products we use on a daily basis, you will see why the plastic injection molding process is such an important one. Whether it is domestic use around a home (everything from baby bottles to plates to toothbrushes) or the plastic body panels we have on our cars, plastic has become an indispensable part of our lives.

One excellent example of this is the medical field in general. From IV tubing to oxygen hoses and other medical equipment, plastic injection molding is utilized in different areas of medicine including treatment, surgery and general patient care.

The process itself is very simple. Plastic granules are used as a base material. These granules may be made up of only one type of plastic or they may be made up of a mixture. The granules may also include other materials that will give the finished products specific properties or qualities. These products are fed from a hopper into a heated chamber that melts the plastic down so that it becomes moldable. After the plastic has melted in the barrel, it is pushed by a plunger through a nozzle and into a mold.

One part of a basic mold is the injection mold and the second is the ejector mold. The parts are generally formed in a cavity in the injector mold and the ejector mold plays an important role in ejecting the finished product that has cooled and solidified. Very fine details can be worked into the molds so that they are transferred to the final product. This can be done in a number of ways but the process has become much simpler now that computers can play a role in designing and manufacturing the molds.

There are many products that are produced using various types of plastic injection molding techniques. These can include household items such as combs, hair barrettes and toothbrushes. Many plastic toys are made using plastic injection molding. The automotive industry also tends to use plastic injection molding in order to create automotive parts including body panels. The medical industry also often uses products created using plastic injection molding. Tubes and piping are made using this process and these are used in many different areas including diagnostics, surgery and general medicine.

Additional expert technical information including producing a mold for your product is available from the engineering department at Trademark Plastics, Inc. The methods for plastic injection molding are available in the Knowledge Base at the Trademark Plastics website.