The advantages of injection molding: what it delivers for your product

You have a plastic product or part that needs to be made in series. The question of how to approach that soon follows. Plastic injection molding is the most widely used technique for this, and not without reason. A large share of the plastic products around you comes out of an injection molding machine.

In this blog you’ll read what the advantages of injection molding mean for your product, when to choose this technique and what to consider beforehand.

Table of contents

In short: how does plastic injection molding work?

Small plastic pellets go into the machine and melt into a liquid mass. That mass is injected under high pressure into a metal mold, the mould. Once the plastic has cooled, the mold opens and the product drops out. Then the next cycle begins.

Want to learn more about the process? In our blog ‘The steps of the injection molding process‘ we explain every step.

The main advantages of plastic injection molding

Choosing plastic injection molding means choosing an efficient process specifically designed for scalability, precision and consistent quality. Below we list the main advantages that make a difference for your project.

You produce large series in a short time

A cycle often takes just a few seconds to half a minute. If the mold has room for multiple products at once, each cycle also produces multiple products at the same time. Once production is running, it moves fast.

This advantage really adds up with large-series injection molding. And it doesn’t come at the cost of quality: the last product in a run of ten thousand is just as good as the first.

Cost per piece drops with larger quantities

The mold is a one-time investment. You then spread that cost over all the products that come out of it. Make a hundred, and the mold weighs heavily on the injection molding cost per piece. Make ten thousand, and you barely notice it.

For a repeat order you use the same mold again. The cost price drops even further, while you spend nothing extra upfront. With proper maintenance, a mold lasts hundreds of thousands of products.

Complex plastic parts can be made well too

We make the mold specifically for your product. That means almost any shape is possible. Think of sharp details, ribs for extra rigidity, snap-fit connections, a built-in hinge or threads in the part. A logo or text can be incorporated just as easily.

That also means parts you would otherwise make separately can be combined into a single product. With 2K injection molding you even combine two plastics in the same part. That saves on assembly and usually money too.

Another handy feature: the plastic flows into the mold as a single mass and cools as a single mass. So there’s no weak direction in the product. That matters for parts that need to bear load, click together often or flex regularly.

Do you have a complex product and want to know the options? Ask our engineers about the possibilities for your complex product.

An example of a custom complex injection-molded product for one of our clients.

You can choose from virtually any plastic

The material determines what your product can do. Does it need to withstand impact, heat, chemicals or everyday use in the kitchen? There’s a suitable plastic for almost every requirement. So you can determine shape and function independently of each other.

At Orange Plastics you can work with, among others:

• ABS: Impact-resistant and scratch-resistant (e.g. for rugged housings).
• Polypropylene (PP): Tough, flexible and chemically resistant.
• Polycarbonate (PC): Extremely strong and transparent (glass substitute).
• POM: Wear-resistant and dimensionally stable (ideal for gears and moving parts).
• PVC: Chemically resistant, dimensionally stable and highly resistant to wear and moisture.
• Recycled plastics and bioplastics: Environmentally friendly alternatives that directly lower your product’s CO2 footprint.

Injection molding is also a very economical process with hardly any waste. We grind down the leftover material and reuse it straight away. Together with recycled granulate and fully electric machines, we make the injection molding process as sustainable as possible.

Every product is exactly the same and comes out of the mold fully finished

All products from a single mold have the same dimensions, accurate to within tenths of a millimeter (and for precision work even 0.05 mm). Does your part need to fit into a larger assembly or meet a certification? Then that certainty is worth a lot.

You determine the finish in advance. Color is built into the material and the texture is built into the mold, whether you want high-gloss, matte or a leather-like look. Sanding, painting or coating is therefore usually unnecessary. That saves time and cost in the process.

The main advantages of injection molding.

When do you choose injection molding?

Injection molding delivers the most when your design is finalized. If you’re certain the shape won’t change anymore, you quickly recoup the investment in the mold.

Injection molding also delivers the most benefit with repeat orders. If you order a few hundred pieces every year, you use the same mold time and again. Over five years, that math looks very different than after a single order.

The technique is also strong for large series, when all products need to be identical, and when the part really needs to be able to do something: bear load, click together, flex or stay sealed.

What should you consider beforehand?

At the start of an injection molding project, two preconditions matter. First, you invest in a mold upfront. Making this steel mold takes several weeks of lead time. Once the mold is ready, production runs extremely fast and the cost per piece drops with every repeat order.

Second, your product design needs to be suitable for injection molding. Even wall thicknesses prevent warping, and with the right draft angles the product will come out of the mold effortlessly.

In our blog about design considerations for injection molding you’ll read what to pay attention to.

Curious what injection molding delivers for your product?

Every product is different, and so is the answer to the question of exactly what injection molding delivers for you. That depends on your design, the quantities and the requirements you set for the end product.

Do you have a sketch or a 3D drawing? Our specialists will take a free look with you at manufacturability, material and cost.

Request a free consultation