The characteristics of insert molding technology

The characteristics of insert molding technology

Insert molding is a process of inserting an article, such as metal, into the mold before the plastic injection process. After cooling and shaping, the plastic and metal will then be a unit as one collective part.

Optimized insert molding has the following advantages:

1. 1. The combination of properties of plastic (easy formation, flexible) and metal (rigidity, strong, heat resistant) means complex and exquisite parts can be produced by integrating plastic and metal
      
   2. The combination of plastic’s insulation and metal’s electrical conductivity can achieve the basic functions of electrical products
      
   3. The advanced combination of multi-components makes the whole production process more logical
      
   4. Insert technology is not limited to metal but also cloth, paper, wire, plastic, glass, wood, wire harness, electrical parts etc.
      
   5. Compared to compression molding methods, the gap to the metal insert can be narrower, and the reliability of the composite product forming is higher,  thanks to the joining of the molten material and the metal insert
      
   6. By choosing appropriate plastic and forming conditions, even parts that are prone to deformation and damage (glass, wire harness, electrical parts etc.) can be sealed and fixed by plastic.
      
   7. The insert can be completely sealed into the plastic by selecting a proper mold structure
      
   8. After insert molding, the part can also be made into products with hollow grooves after core removal
      
   9. Automated production is possible with insert molding through the combination of vertical injection molding machines, robotic hand machinery, and an array of other high-tech mechanical parts 

When designing and applying a project for automatic insert molding there are numerous aspects to consider: 

1. Metal insert molding is easy to mold, however, shrinkage is uneven. So the size of important parts and the dimensional accuracy of the limit test should be determined in advance
   
2. During the injection process metal can deform and shift, so the composition of the mold and the design of the mold shape should be planned to make it easy to contain the metal injection shape. For products with embedded shapes that cannot be changed, prior testing before production is a top priority.
   
3. The arrangement and separation of metal inserts can be affected by the use of conveyors, with the contact between metal inserts, inserts, and the vibrating ball able to cause subtle damage to the surface of the inserts. The allowable quality limits must be confirmed in advance.
   
4. The zigzag, warpage, material thickness difference, diameter and thickness difference caused by metal insert processing should all be measured in advance. Only then can you move on to selecting the corresponding automatic device for your design and mold structure.
   
5. It is certainly possible to solve the mold gate position, mode, molding cycle and other constraints of the mold structure in advance, or to have the corresponding improvement measures.
   
6. To ensure product quality and forming stability, checks should be conducted to see if the metal inserts need to be preheated or dried.
7. Various sensors in the mold should be considered and used to ensure the stability of the molding action under influences of heat, force, vibration, and other environmental conditions.
   
8. It is possible to avoid metal inserts by molding pieces of fine accumulation in the mold cavity, that can be assembled using air blowing devices if necessary.
   
9. It is necessary to consider whether the production capacity can be ensured before adoption, due to high equipment costs. When a dedicated machine is used, it is vital to ensure that the product is a viable form that can be produced continuously for several years.
   
10. For general machines, it is necessary to confirm how many combinations of embedded parts and batches are produced, as it is difficult to recover the fixed assets of each product if mass production cannot be guaranteed as a whole. In the case of insert molding, it’s possible to replace part of the device that can be adapted to the requirements of variety renewal within a certain range.
    
11. The factors and techniques that determine the molding rate, production and molding cost are the precision of the metal insert, the shape of the insert, and whether the mold is conducive to the mold insert and mold product shape, etc.
    
12. The key factors to determine the automatic insert molding system performance are the effective combination of the injection machine, the mold, the automatic device, and the know-how to produce short cycle times. Manufacturers with bountiful years of experience and accolades can provide 

Immetech is a leading enterprise for injection molding manufacturing and is a one-stop-shop for all your plastics tooling needs. 

Our services as a company include:

Mold making and injection molding processing, integrated product design, mold development, manufacturing, molding, coating, electroplating, printing, silk-screen printing, assembly and logistics.

We provide customers with integrated solutions ranging from product design all the way to product assembly and delivery. Should you require any of our services or if you have any design questions for your project don’t hesitate to get in touch! 

Tel：0769-81872700

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