In this article we will talk about the main technologies for the manufacture of plastic products and we will help you choose the method most suitable for your purposes.
Today technology for the production of plastic products is available not only to large industrial companies with huge circulations, but also to ordinary people, inventors and businessmen. Production technologies allow you to create plastic parts or cases for any product in any quantity, which opens up new opportunities for invention, creativity or business. For example, in the last article we wrote about the production of housings for quadcopters as a ready-made business idea , which practically no one is involved in in Ukraine.
Exists three technologies for the manufacture of plastic products. All these technologies allow you to create high-quality plastic products, but they have some differences. … Let us consider in detail each of the technologies, its advantages, disadvantages and applications. Our article will help you choose a technology for the production of plastic products specifically for your case.
The production of the plastic case is preceded by the creation of 3 D-models … More about the service modeling of instrument cases You can find out here …
Technology for the production of plastic products using 3D printing
Today 3D printing technology has gained incredible popularity not only in the world, but also in Ukraine. Using a 3D printer, you can relatively get the finished product quickly and use it as a prototype, for an exhibition or presentation, in scientific activities when modeling various processes. Printed products allow fully appreciate the functionality of the future plastic case without significant costs for the launch of multi-batch production. From this point of view, the technology for the production of plastic products using 3D printing is an indispensable tool for assessing the profitability of a product. In addition, at this stage, you can easily notice flaws or shortcomings in the functionality of the item and redo the 3D model.
The most common 3D printing method is FDM technology … This method is used in almost all areas of production. Printing is carried out layer by layer by the flow of material (polymer thread) into the dispensing nozzle. FDM technology is limited by the size of the printer, but it is possible to create several parts of the product with their subsequent gluing. When using this technology, it is necessary to create special supports if the product has large angles of inclination. After printing, these props are removed. In addition, technologies are widely used SLS (laser powder sintering) and SLA (laser sintering of liquid photopolymer). Depending on the materials used, it is possible to obtain a case from different types of plastic in any color.
Contact KLONA per service 3 D-print … We will help you choose the most suitable 3D printing method, select the material that is suitable for your product, and equipment for the implementation of your project.
3D printing refers to piece production of plastic products, as it is an ideal option for the production of cases or parts in a small circulation (up to 20 pcs.).
Benefits of 3D Printing Products
- No preparatory steps : Immediately after receiving the 3D model, it can be sent to the printer for printing.
- A very simple method that does not require additional equipment.
- Lets achieve pretty high precision product depending on the printer used.
- Large selection of materials and printing methods allows you to implement any project.
Disadvantages of 3D printing technology
- poor performance : printing one product can take several hours, while in other methods of manufacturing plastic cases – from several seconds;
- limited size of the products obtained : If the case is very large and needs to be solid, then 3D printing may not be suitable for such a request due to the limited size of the printer.
When creating plastic enclosures, it is very important development of product industrial design. KLONA industrial designers create maximum comfortable and functional cases in terms of production technology and usability. For hull design recommendations, you can find out here …
Manufacturing technology of plastic products: silicone molding
This method refers to small-scale production and is best suited for the manufacture of a small batch of products (from 20 to 1000 pieces).
For the manufacture of silicone molds, it is necessary master model – a prototype of a future product. As a master model, you can use a ready-made plastic case or printed on a 3D printer.
After receiving the master model, you can proceed to making a reverse silicone mold … Use adhesive tape to mark the parting lines of the mold and close the holes. Inside there is a gating system for supplying silicone and the formwork is mounted. This technology for the production of a plastic product consists of casting high quality degassed silicone in the formwork , inside which the prototype is located. After that, the silicone solidifies and the mold can be used for serial production. The process of making a silicone mold takes about a day.
The heated plastic is poured into a silicone mold, where a vacuum environment removes gas and air bubbles that form when the plastic is mixed with a solvent. After the plastic has solidified, the mold is ready for the next casting. Possibly significant new cite performance due to the simultaneous use of several silicone molds.
Advantages of the silicone molding method
- Silicone perfectly follows the shape of the master model, which allows you to achieve high precision …
- The method differs comparatively low cost with small print runs.
Disadvantages of using silicone molds
- with one silicone mold you can get up to 20 finished products depending on its resistance;
- limited size the resulting products: silicone molds are used to obtain small and medium parts (up to 30-40 cm);
- low production speed (hardening of plastic can take several hours, which makes it possible to obtain only 5-10 items from one mold per day);
- limited design – the minimum thickness of plastic products should be 0.1 mm.
Technology for the production of plastic products using plastic injection molding
This method is suitable for serial production (from 1000 parts) plastic cases. When molding plastic under pressure, you can get products complex configuration from different materials (polymers, metal, etc.). The technology consists in casting a heated material under pressure into molds.
Press form Is a device that accurately repeats the design of the future product. High pressure is required for plastic or metal to fill all the small holes and depressions in the mold. An integral part of mold making is mold design. It is much more difficult than making a silicone mold.
Service mold design for your product you can order from KLONA. Our modelers are skilled in designing molds for complex body configurations. Read more about the service here …
Molds are made from high quality metal based 3 D-models. They are characterized by high durability, strength and precision. Molds are used in all types of industry for the production of plastic, metal and other molded products.
Advantages of Injection Molding Manufacturing
- Low cost of products for large circulations.
- No configuration restrictions plastic products.
- Identity of all products and a low percentage of defective products.
- Durability of molds (KLONA company provides a guarantee for molds for the entire period of cooperation).
- One mold can produce an unlimited number of products (any worn part can be replaced with a new one). In addition, there are multi-cavity molds that allow the production of dozens of products at a time (for example, pen caps).
- High performance : the formation and cooling of one body occurs in less than one minute (depending on the configuration, it can be from 5 seconds). Read more about the types of molds here …
Disadvantages of batch production technology in mold making
- the mold design process can take few weeks , which significantly delays the launch of production;
- making and designing a mold even for a small plastic body will require large costs at the start of production …
Summary
As a summary, we have compiled small test … It will help you to simply select the required technology for the production of plastic products. For detailed information, please contact our managers.
You can order the production of a plastic product in the KLONA company. We provide full range of services to create cases, parts and devices: from industrial design and cabinet modeling to mold production.
Contact Information:
+38 (044) 338 88 02
