Liquid Silicone Injection Molding

Injection molding is a common method of producing intricate plastic components in high volume. Injection molds are made from hardened tool steel, although aluminum may be used for some low volume applications of injection molding. Injection molds can vary from simple open-shut injection molds, single cavity injection molds to complex multi-cavity injection molds with moving cores, stepped shut-offs, unscrewing devices. Due to the tonnage used in this high pressure process, proper materials, supports, parting line locks etc. must used to ensure the life of the mold. Cavities may be polished or textured to achieve a desired finish on the injection molded part.

Purchasing the box, some assorted socket rails, and some additional clips for the socket rails, I took the box home with me to see how well it would stand up as a replacement. The box is quite simple in construction. It's a plastic injection molding case made of a very thick plastic. The case consists of a flip open lid (with two latches that are padlock compatible) covering a deep top storage area, and three drawers that are very similar to the large rolling tool chests that many professionals and advanced amateur home mechanics have in their garages. When you flip the lid open, the lid will immediately release the latching mechanism for the three drawers. Unfortunately, the lid does not contain any hinges or tethering that prevent it from flopping open and hitting itself on the back of the tool box. This was my only gripe involving the tool box.

The 2-shot injection molding process creates the first plastic component, and the material molded round it, liquid using a single mold and a 2-shot injection molding machine. 2-shot machines have two-barrels (one for each material) and they have the ability to rotate the mold. The machine injects the first shot material into cavities on one side of the mold, rotates the mold 180 degrees, and then injects the second shot material onto the first shot. The first and second shots occur at the same time. When the mold opens, it ejects the completed parts from the second shot cavities and it rotates the mold to position the first shot for the second shot. This is accomplished in a machine running in an automatic cycle. Because the 2-shot injection molding process is fast and highly repeatable, silicone the shrinkage of the first shot is very consistent and two materials can be molded together with virtually no flash. 2-shot molding is the process of choice when molded-in graphics or other fine details are required. The elimination of the shrinkage variable allows 2-shot molding to produce details impossible to achieve with over-mold injection molding.

Injection Molding is the most advanced typical method of molding rubber products. Injection molding produces the most consistent results by automating all aspects of how the rubber gets into the mold. In injection molding, the rubber is worked and warmed and then squirted into the mold at controlled speeds, pressures and temperatures. Advantages of Injection Molding are: Provides the maximum product consistency, Allows the most control of flash, Because the rubber is warmed before going into the mold, fastest cycle times, Disadvantages of Injection Molding.