How to Inject Silicone Molds

How to Inject Silicone Molds

·      Often castings of an object are made by injecting material into a mold. The mold may be made up of two or more pieces, which are closed before injection begins. The main benefits of this process are reduced seam lines in the product as well as allowing you to use only as much casting material as you need with little waste. When injecting material into a closed silicone mold, it is essential to take several steps to insure that the casting comes out right. If your mold was designed for this purpose with the holes already in place, begin at Step 6. 

1

Determine the best injection point in your mold. Ideally, this should be a place that is not easily seen on the cast, such as the back or bottom. Mark the point with a marker.

2

Determine the highest points in the cast. Mark these with the marker.

3

Drill a hole in the silicone at the injection point. The drill bit should be the same diameter as the tip of the syringe. Use an extremely sharp drill bit to prevent the rubber from grabbing onto the bit. It's a good idea to have a friend hold the mold in place just in case the bit grabs the silicone; otherwise the entire mold will spin and could cause injuries.

4

Drill small holes in the highest points. Use the smallest bit you have for these as they are simply to allow air to escape as you inject the casting material.

5

Mark the holes in the mold shell and drill it out as well.

6

Apply a thin coat of silicone mold release or hand soap to the entire inner mold surface with a paintbrush. Allow it to dry and buff out the excess with a paper towel.

7

Close the mold and strap or clamp it shut tightly.

8

Mix the casting material according to its instructions.

9

Pour the casting material into the syringe.

10

Insert the tip of the syringe into the injection hole and inject the casting material.

11

Allow the casting material to run out of the air release holes for a few seconds before plugging each one with a bit of clay. This allows any air bubbles in the casting material to escape the mold.

12

Once the mold is filled, remove the syringe and plug the injection hole with clay.

13

Allow the casting material to cure and dry.

14

Remove the cast from the mold.

15

Remove the knobs left by the holes with a razor blade and sandpaper if needed.

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Chrome Vs. Nickel Plating

Chrome and nickel are metals used to plate machine parts, such as rollers and cylinders, with a scratch-resistant surface that protects them from wear and tear. They are also used on bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

1.                            Chrome

Chrome comes in standard and hard versions. It is applied in varying thicknesses according to the required purpose. Thinner coatings are used on objects that are not exposed to much abrasion. Thicker coatings offer more protection from abrasion and corrosion. If a machine part is frequently exposed to water, experts at Phoenix Electroplating recommend an undercoat of nickel plating, as chrome is porous.

Nickel

Nickel is used to prevent corrosion, particularly when applied prior to chrome plating on objects. It is also hard-wearing and is widely used on machine parts in the oil and gas industry, the automotive industry, in making molds for plastics and in food processing machines.

Bathroom and Kitchen Fixtures

According to Rejuvenation, suppliers of home fixtures, nickel was the standard finish for kitchen and bathroom fixtures made from the 1800s until the 1930s. Chrome then overtook nickel in popularity. Nickel is warmer in appearance and creates a more authentic, antique look, but Rejuvenation says the two finishes blend harmoniously in one room.

How to Clean Chrome Plated Plastic

Any chrome surfaces actually consist of an extremely thin layer of chrome plated onto another material. Regardless of what that other material is, from plastic to steel to aluminum, this chrome plated is what needs to be addressed when the time comes to clean it. You can always buy a special chrome cleaner, but there are several items in your home that work just as well and are far less expensive.

1.                            Toothpaste Method

1

Spread a thin layer of toothpaste on the surface of the chrome plating. Use the opaque white toothpaste, not one of the gel varieties.

2

Rub the toothpaste-covered chrome plating with a soft, clean cloth in small circular and swirling patterns. There is no need to apply a lot of force.

3

Take a fresh cloth and wipe away the toothpaste, revealing a shining, clean surface.

2.                            Vinegar Method

4

Pour undiluted distilled white vinegar into a spray bottle.

5

Spray the surface of the chrome plating with the undiluted vinegar.

6

Wipe down the surface with a clean cloth.

3.                            Baby Oil Method

7

Dampen a portion of a soft cloth with baby oil.

8

Rub the baby oil into the chrome plating in the same manner as you did with the toothpaste.

9

Wipe off excess baby oil with a fresh cloth or a still fresh portion of the same cloth.

10

Wipe down the newly cleaned area with soapy water to remove any greasy feeling from the baby oil, if desired.

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How to Chrome Plastic Parts

How to Chrome Plastic Parts

1

Take the part down to the bare plastic. You can do this by etching the parts with strong chromic acid, according to Atlas Chrome. This will give you a basic surface to begin working on.

2

Repair any cracks or splits in the plastic part. You can do this by using epoxy glue purchased at your local auto supply store.

3

Dip the plastic parts with silver so that that they will conduct electricity.

4

Layer a conventional plating process such as copper, nickel or chrome onto the plastic parts in several layers. You will most likely need to lightly sand and buff the plastic parts prior this process as well.

5

Apply the chrome plating to the plastic parts for the final revamp. Do this by soaking them in a chrome plating solution for about five minutes

What Is the Blow Molding Process?

Blow molding is used to produce plastic bottles.

Blow molding is a method for making a variety of hollow plastic products. Molten plastic is extruded, in a tube shape, from a die, then a mold closes around it. The plastic is then inflated.

History

Blow molding first appeared late in the 1800s, but modern polyethylene bottle production did not commence until the early 1940s.

Types

The blow molding process can take four forms: reheat and blow molding, injection blow molding, stretch blow molding and extrusion blow molding. The machinery can vary significantly, though the major difference tends to be the point of plastic inflation.

Uses

The various processes are used to create a range of products, including bleach and milk bottles. Stretch blow molding is used in the production of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, which are widely employed for carbonated beverages.

Plastics

The plastics used in the various blow molding processes can include HDPE (high density polyethylene), LDPE (low density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

The Stages of Blow Moulding

today virtually all cast plastic parts are manufactured using blow molding technology.

Blow molding is a process used to cast plastic parts that are hollow. Since 1942 when the first polyethylene bottle was produced using blow molding technology, blow molding has become the standard manufacturing process for making cast plastic parts. Blow molding involves the fabrication of a tube made of molten plastic called parison. The next stage of the process is to shape the tube into the desired form using one of several blow molding processes.

Heating The Resin

The first step in any blow molding process is to heat the resin. Thermoplastic resin is heated to about 400 degrees. Once the resin reaches its molten state, it is extruded over a die head. The die head forces the thermoplastic resin to flow around it, thus creating a hollow center in the resin. The resin has now formed a tube called parison.

Molding

The parison is then placed inside a pre-determined mold. The interior shape of the mold cavity is what will ultimately determine the shape of the finished casting. The mold is then closed around the parison. At this point in the process, the parison is still very warm. The mold however, is cooled with water.

Inflation

Compressed air is then blown into the mold. The air fills the center of the parison tube and forces the sides to expand, thus conforming to the shape of the mold interior. The parison is still very warm at this point to allow it to expand without breaking. As the warm parison expands to meet the cold walls of the mold, it freezes off and becomes rigid.

Cooling

Once the warm parison has cooled off, it solidifies inside the mold. Once properly cooled, the parison will maintain the form in which it was cast. The mold can now be opened and the finished plastic component removed.

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How to Generate Runner Sizes for Plastic Injection Mold Design

The runner feeds the molten plastic from an injection machine into the mold to form the desired plastic part. The length of the runner is completely dependent on the part design, so there are no specific rules regarding overall length. It is the diameter of the runner that impacts part quality and cost and therefore it should be sized with some care. Once the runner freezes, no more plastic can be injected into the part. The runner should be sized to make sure that part receives sufficient plastic without excessive fractional heating, while freezing quickly enough to minimize cycle time.

Instructions

1.                            Calculating Runner Diameter

1

Determine thickest cross-section of the desired part.

2

Where part design allows, locate runner nearest to the thickest cross section of the part. If the part is of a uniform thickness, locate the runner near the center or along the longest edge, as part design allows.

3

Runner diameter should be between 75% to 100% of the part thickness where the runner is located.

4

Based on your injection machine type, determine the acceptable pressure drop for an injection cycle.

2.                            Calculate Injection Pressure Drop

5

Calculate runner volume. V = pi x r^2 x L, where pi = 3.14159, r = runner radius and L = runner length.

6

Calculate volumetric flow rate (Q) based upon your pre-determined fill time. The fill time is a function of material type, part thickness, and desired cycle time. The molder must know this independent of this exercise. Q = V/t, where t = seconds of fill time.

7

Calculate shear rate (S). S = 4Q/(pi x r^3)

8

Calculate the pressure drop (P). P = (S x m x 2L)/r, where m = melt viscosity of the plastic. The melt viscosity is a function of S, melt temperature, and the material. The molder must know this independent of this exercise, although many plastic suppliers can help with this.

9

Compare pressure drop to predetermined acceptable pressure drop. If improvement is desired, change the runner diameter and repeat the exercise. Repeat calculation until an acceptable runner diameter is found.

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How to Clean Injection Molds

Injection molding is an industrial plastic-making process.

Injection molding is a production process in which plastics are heated until liquid and sprayed into a mold where they cool and are given the final shape of the manufactured product. As the project cools, it shrinks away from the mold walls, allowing it to be ejected. To keep this process working efficiently, molds need to be systematically and regularly cleaned. Although most molds are cleaned haphazardly and by hand, there are also a number of technological solutions available.

 

Instructions

1.                            Cleaning Molds by Hand

1

Disassemble the mold using a screwdriver to disconnect the parts. Separate the parts that are most susceptible to corrosion and contaminate build-up. These include the front and rear clamp plates, bubbler plates, bushings, water lines and wear plate grease grooves.

2

Spray the pieces of the mold with a cleaning spray, or place them in a solvent bath. More abrasive cleaning chemicals may work more quickly, but they will also cause wear and tear on the mold that can shorten its life.

3

Scrub the mold with a stiff brush to remove the contaminants, then wipe dry.

2.                            Cleaning With Dry Ice Pellets

4

Connect a dry-ice pellet blasting system to an air line near your mold. A double-line system introduces the pellets at the spray nozzle, while single-line systems introduce them at the hopper and offer a more powerful spray.

5

Disassemble the mold and strongly secure the parts to be cleaned. The force of the dry-ice pellet impacts can easily knock over unsecured parts, possibly damaging them.

6

Ensure the area is clear. These guns spray dry ice at 900 feet per second, which can cause severe injury.

7

Put on safety gear. This includes a face mask, gloves and an apron as well as ear protection that can block the 102-decibel noise produced by the sprayer.

8

Turn on the air line and squeeze the trigger to spray the parts. The dry ice will dissolve on impact, taking residue with it. This method, however, may not be very effective at rust removal.

3.                            Cleaning Molds Ultrasonically

9

Disassemble the mold and immerse the parts in a detergent solution. The exact type of detergent depends on what kind of contamination is to be removed. Heavily alkaline solutions like sodium hydroxide are very effective with most contaminants, but are dangerously caustic. Mildly acidic solutions are better for rust, but will turn steel gray.

10

Connect an ultrasonic generator to a shop power line. This generator transforms regular current into the very high frequencies necessary for ultrasonic cleaning.

11

Attach transducers to the bottom and sides of the tank. These transducers will vibrate at the high frequencies coming in from the generator, which produces tiny bubbles in the water that impact the mold pieces with force enough to strip away contaminants, while leaving the metal mold undamaged.

12

Set the timer on the generator, and walk away. The cleaning process will proceed on its own.

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How to Find Quafiyied Plastic Injection Molding Companies

How to Find Qualified Plastic Injection Molding Companies

Selecting the best plastic injection molding company from the suppliers out there can be a difficult task. Let's take a look at how to find the best molding company for you budget by following these steps.

Instructions

1

First, in order to begin evaluating plastic injection molding companies, it is important to know what you need them to mold for you. Specifically, you will need to have a fully defined 3D Model and engineering drawing of the plastic component you wish to have molded. Be sure to fully specify draft angles and surface textures in drawing.

It is important to also specify things like maximum allowable flash.

2

Next, it is critical to realize that for most companies seeking an injection molding supplier, for right or wrong, the largest factor tends to be cost. Going oversees to places like China or Korea usually results in a lower piece cost than staying in the United States. However, this savings in cost per molded part can be offset by delays in getting the product to market.

Based on the project your company is working on, determine if there are absolute restrictions on price as this will be important to know.

3

Next, when evaluating a potential injection molding company, it is very important to learn about the history of the company and their capabilities. How long have they been in business and what industries do they typically mold parts for?

If you have a part that requires extremely tight tolerances, an injection molding company in the health or aeronautics industry may work out better than a company that molds toys.

4

After you learn about the background of the company, investigate their capabilities. What type of molding capabilities do they have? Do they have any specialties such as 2-shot molding or insert molding?

What type of presses do they use and how old are they? Are they able to handle the volumes or quantities that you require?

As alluded to earlier, lower molded component cost does not always translate to an overall savings. Depending on the quality control of the molder, their quality may be sub par resulting in delays in the schedule or worse...returned product from the customer.

Take some time to understand how the plastic injection molding company monitors and ensures quality. Do they do control charting? Are they ISO certified? Ask to see examples of quality records/documentation for some of their recent projects.

If some unacceptable product is found during an audit, what is their corrective action plan? Do they quarantine the last X hours of product?

5

Lastly, the location of the supplier can also be very important. Where are they located and how will this impact your working relationship? Having an injection molding supplier "right in your backyard" so to speak is great as it allows you to make day trips to the supplier when issues arise. Contrast this to going overseas to an Asian supplier where it will cost thousands of dollars per person per trip to visit.

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Advantages of Injection Molding

Injection molding is a method of creating plastic products. Most plastic products are made using injection molding. This process is attractive to manufacturers because of multiple advantages it provides over other plastic molding methods. Overall, injection molding is simpler, more reliable, more versatile and more efficient than most other types of injection molding.

High Pressure

Plastic injection molding operates at a very high pressure, meaning that the melted plastic is pressed harder against the mold than in other molding processes. This provides the advantage of a greater amount of detail in the design of the piece being molded, included complex geometry or detailed features.

Speed

The injection molding process is also very fast compared to other molding processes. A full injection molding process takes very little time, which allows for far more products to be generated from the same mold. Therefore, you get a lot more mileage out of a single mold. Injection molding is highly efficient.

Automation

Injection molding is a highly automated process. Most injection molding is done by machines that a single operator can run. Therefore, very little overhead will have to go into paying the labor force in a plastic injection molding process.

Monomer-Free

Injection molding is a monomer-free process. Monomers are a type of plastic that create a lot of fumes, which many people have a negative physical reaction to. Therefore, any molding process that employs monomers require a good deal of ventilation. If you use injection molding, you will not have to worry about these problems.

Multiple Plastic Types

When you use injection molding, you have the option of molding two different types of plastic at once. This process is called co-injection molding. Therefore, you do not have to worry about access to a particular type of plastic.

Thermoplastics

Injection molding makes use of thermoplastics. Thermoplastics can be injected into the mold, then the excess can be remelted and used again. Therefore, injection molding can save you on materials. Thermoplastics can also come in a wide variety of densities or strengths.

Fillers

Injection molding provides you with the option of using fillers in your molds. Fillers are used to reduce the density of the plastic as it is molded as well as provide greater strength to the product once it is molded. This is another method of reducing the total cost of the process.

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