Precision injection mold: the crystallization of technology and art!
Publish Time: 2025-03-12
Precision injection mold is an important part of modern manufacturing industry and is widely used in various industrial fields. It injects molten plastic into the mold cavity through high-precision and high-complexity mold design, and forms the required plastic products after cooling and solidification. With the advancement of transformation and upgrading such as "plastic instead of steel" and "plastic instead of wood", the requirements for mold manufacturing products are gradually increasing, the proportion of high-end products is gradually expanding, and supporting services are constantly improving. The precision injection mold market will usher in a new growth point.
Principles and characteristics of precision injection molds
The principle of precision injection molds is to use high pressure to inject molten plastic into the mold cavity, and form the required plastic products after cooling and solidification. Injection molds are usually composed of upper and lower molds, and the cavity between the upper and lower molds is the shape of the required plastic product. During the injection molding process, after the plastic particles are heated and melted, the molten plastic is injected into the mold cavity through the injection device, and then cooled, and finally the molded plastic products are taken out.
The characteristics of precision injection molds mainly include the following aspects:
High precision: Precision injection molds need to have high precision to ensure that the size and shape of the molded product meet the requirements. This requires strict control of various parameters during mold design and manufacturing, such as the thermal expansion coefficient and shrinkage rate of mold materials.
Complexity: As the shape and structure of plastic products become more and more complex, the design and manufacture of precision injection molds are becoming more and more complex. This requires mold designers to have rich experience and skills and be able to make reasonable designs according to product requirements.
Wear resistance: Precision injection molds need to withstand high temperature, high pressure and friction during use, so they need to have good wear resistance. This requires optimization in the selection of mold materials and surface treatment to increase the service life of the mold.
High production efficiency: Precision injection molds can achieve fast and efficient production and can meet the needs of large-scale production. This requires full consideration of production efficiency factors during mold design and manufacturing, such as the use of advanced processing technology and equipment to improve the processing accuracy and surface quality of the mold.
Design requirements for precision injection molds
Precision engineers should pay attention to the following points when designing high-precision plastic molds:
Determine the process: Before confirming the start of work, all processes must be determined to avoid problems during the processing. This includes selecting appropriate mold materials, processing technology, injection parameters, etc. to ensure that the accuracy and performance of the mold meet the design requirements.
Consider the flow characteristics of plastic materials: The flow characteristics of plastic materials have a great influence on the molding quality. Therefore, when designing molds, factors such as the fluidity and shrinkage of plastic materials should be fully considered. For example, for plastic materials with poor fluidity, the gate size should be appropriately increased to ensure that the plastic can fully fill the mold cavity.
Reasonably design the mold structure: The structural design of the mold should be as simple and reasonable as possible to facilitate processing and maintenance. At the same time, the strength and rigidity of the mold should be taken into account to avoid deformation or damage during the injection process.
Optimize the gating system: The gating system is the channel through which the molten plastic enters the mold cavity from the injection machine nozzle, and its design directly affects the quality of the molded product. Therefore, the pouring system should be reasonably designed, such as selecting the appropriate gate position, number and shape, to ensure that the plastic can evenly fill the mold cavity.
Consider the ejection mechanism: The ejection mechanism is a device that pushes the plastic out of the cavity after the mold is parted. Its design should take into account the structural characteristics and demolding requirements of the molded product to ensure that the molded product can be demolded smoothly without damage.
Temperature control system: In order to meet the requirements of the injection process for mold temperature, a temperature control system should be set in the mold. By adjusting the temperature of the mold, the cooling rate of the plastic can be controlled, thereby affecting the performance and quality of the molded product.
Guide components: The function of the guide components is to enable the mold to be accurately aligned when the mold is closed, ensuring the accuracy and quality of the molded product. Therefore, the position and number of the guide components should be reasonably set when designing the mold.
Manufacturing process of precision injection molds
The manufacturing process of precision injection molds mainly includes the following steps:
CNC machining: Use CNC machine tools to process mold materials to obtain the required mold parts. CNC machining has the advantages of high precision and high efficiency, which can greatly improve the manufacturing accuracy and efficiency of molds.
EDM: EDM is a processing method that uses the high temperature generated by spark discharge between electrodes to corrode the metal surface. It can be used to process materials with high hardness and complex curved shapes, and is suitable for the manufacture of precision injection molds.
Wire cutting: Wire cutting is a processing method that uses molybdenum wire or copper wire as an electrode to corrode the metal surface through pulse discharge. It can be used to process materials of various hardness and complex curved shapes, and is also a commonly used processing method in the manufacture of precision injection molds.
Grinding: Grinding is a processing method that uses abrasives to cut and trim the metal surface. It can be used to improve the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of mold parts, and is an indispensable process in the manufacture of precision injection molds.
Assembly and debugging: Assemble and debug the processed mold parts to ensure that the accuracy and performance of the mold meet the design requirements. During the assembly process, it is necessary to pay attention to the accuracy of the matching clearance and relative position between the components, and make necessary adjustments and corrections.
Market prospects and development trends of precision injection molds
With the steady advancement of transformation and upgrading such as "plastic replacing steel" and "plastic replacing wood", the requirements for mold manufacturing products are gradually increasing, the proportion of high-end products is gradually expanding, and supporting services are constantly improving. The precision injection mold market will usher in new growth points. Especially in the context of the "turning point moment" in the downstream automotive field or the arrival of the "turning point moment", the market demand is expected to expand further. In addition, a series of relevant policies and regulations issued by the state continue to regulate and guide the precision injection mold industry market to move towards high-end, providing strong support for the development of the industry.
In the future, the precision injection mold industry will develop in the following directions:
High precision: With the continuous advancement of science and technology and the continuous improvement of the development needs of the manufacturing industry, the precision of precision injection molds will become higher and higher. This will require mold manufacturers to continuously improve their technical level and equipment capabilities to meet market demand.
Complexity: As the shape and structure of plastic products become more and more complex, the design and manufacture of precision injection molds are also becoming more and more complex. This will require mold designers to have more experience and skills to cope with various complex design challenges.
Intelligence: With the continuous development and application of artificial intelligence technology, the production of precision injection molds will gradually become intelligent. For example, by introducing intelligent robots and automated production lines to improve production efficiency and product quality; using big data analysis technology to optimize production processes and quality control.
Green and environmental protection: With the continuous improvement of environmental awareness and the in-depth promotion of sustainable development strategies, the production of precision injection molds will also pay more attention to environmental protection and energy conservation and consumption reduction. For example, using environmentally friendly materials to replace traditional materials; promoting energy-saving and emission reduction technologies and the application of clean energy.
Precision injection molds are an important part of modern manufacturing, and their development prospects are broad and their potential is huge. In order to adapt to market demand and development changes, mold manufacturers need to continuously improve their technical level and innovation capabilities, strengthen R&D efforts and technological transformation investment; at the same time, they also need to actively expand market channels and strengthen brand building efforts to better cope with future challenges and seize opportunities to achieve sustainable development goals!
