Copyright Alpine Mold Engineering Limited(Alpine Mold) All rights reserved.
2023-02-22
In the plastic injection molding industry, choosing materials is a very critical step. Here we will talk about how to choose the right plastic injection molding material. As a manufacturer, you must know how to choose the most suitable injection molding material according to the product characteristics.
1. What are the different types of plastic injection materials and what are their characteristics?
2. What factors should you consider when choosing the right plastic injection material?
3. How can you be sure that the material you choose will meet all your requirements for quality, performance and durability?
4. If you need help deciding which materials to use - who can you turn to for advice?
5. Are there any other points to note when choosing plastic injection materials?
Amorphous/Amorphous Thermoplastics
-No fixed melting point, the heated material gradually softens and flows over a wide range of temperatures
-Easy to process and shape
-native transparent
-Poor chemical resistance
-Easily bonded with adhesives or solvents - Prone to stress cracking
-Poor fatigue resistance
For structural parts, not for load-bearing or wear-resistant parts such as bearings
Optional Materials
-ABS
-Polystyrene (HIPS)
-PMMA
- PSU
-PPO/PPE
.PVC
-PETG
-PPSU
-PC
-PEI
Semi-crystalline thermoplastics
Has a fixed melting point, when heated to the melting point the material liquefies and flows -Not easy to process and shape.
-Opaque
-Good chemical resistance
-Harder to bond with adhesives or solvents - less prone to stress cracking
-Good fatigue resistance
-Applicable to load wear and structural parts
Optional Materials
- POM
-PET
HDPE
-PP
- LDPE
-PPS
- Nylon
-PTFE
-PBT
UHMW-PE
-PEEK
You must consider where your parts will be placed, whether outside, inside, under the hood, in a dark, wet environment, or elsewhere?
Consider the temperature when choosing materials. Will the product end up in a refrigerator, or a very warm or hot place?
How long do you want the part to last, 5 years, 25 years, or more?
Consider the warranty. Especially for the automotive industry, you must consider how much the warranty will cost for parts that may break in a few years.
There are two different types of materials. You can obtain a commodity plastic (such as HDPE or polypropylene), which are usually high density, low heat, easily available and relatively inexpensive.
The second category is engineering plastics, which include materials such as PEEK and PEI. They are very expensive and much harder to find, but they are heat resistant and hard.
Does the part need to be completely transparent, or a certain color? If your part needs to match other parts in the assembly, it may need to be color matched.
Consider the mechanical engineering aspects of the part. Does it need to be flexible, compressible, bondable, etc.? Does it need tensile strength (meaning it can't be pulled apart)?
Adding certain compliance may quickly increase the cost of parts, which is why it is important to evaluate what is needed and what may be redundant.
Does your part need to be food safe? Does it needs to meet FDA requirements? Or does it need to be medical grade, ISO, electrical compliance, etc.?
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The professional manufacturer will provide the customer with the physical properties table of the corresponding material and give the customer the most professional advice.
Below we will introduce the mechanical properties of commonly used materials: tensile strength.
Amorphous/Amorphous Thermoplastics Tensile strength/drawing force (Mpa)- -PEI 104.8 -PSU 70.3 - PPSU 69.6 -PMMA 69.0 - PPO/PPE 66.2 -PC 65.5 -PETG 53.2 - PVC 51.7 -ABS 28.3 -Polystyrene (HIPS) 24.1 Semi-crystalline thermoplastics Tensile strength/drawing force (Mpa) -PEEK 96.5 -Nylon(6 cast) 69.0-93.1 -PPS 86.2 -Nylon (6/6 extruded) 85.5 -PET 79.3 - POM (Homopolymer) 69.0 - POM (Copolymer) 67.6 -PBT 59.9 - PVDF 53.8 PP (Homopolymer) 57.2 - HDPE 27.6 -PP (Copolymer) 26.2 - UHMW-PE 21.4 -PTFE 10.3-20.7 -LDPE 9.7 4. If you need help deciding which materials to use - who can you turn to for advice? The answer is your injection molding processing factory. Injection molding processors have years of experience in advising customers on the right plastic materials. They can help customers choose the right material based on their needs, product requirements, manufacturing process, cost and other factors. Also, you can consult us, we are experts in this industry and will help you choose the best material by providing accurate advice based on your product needs. 
First, the performance requirements of the product should be taken into account. Various materials have different performance characteristics, such as strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, density and flexibility, so the right material can be selected according to the specific requirements of the product.
Secondly, the shaping cost should be taken into consideration. Different materials have different prices, so the cost needs to be taken into consideration when choosing materials to ensure the profitability of the product.
Finally, when using treated materials, the availability and environmental friendliness of the material also needs to be taken into consideration. Some materials produce harmful emissions when used, so consideration should be given to whether the material can be produced using environmentally friendly treatment methods.
In conclusion, when selecting the right plastic injection molding material, the performance requirements of the product, cost factors as well as availability and environmental friendliness should be taken into consideration. Only by meeting these factors can we ensure the production of high-quality products.
Copyright Alpine Mold Engineering Limited(Alpine Mold) All rights reserved.