Injection Molding
Plastic injection molding is the process of directly injecting plastic into a specialized mold. Through a decade of trial and error, LXL Molding has perfected this technique, and helps a myriad of businesses in the process.
All-Around Injection Molding Company for Plastic Products
At LXL Molding , we offer a full range of injection molding services. Do you need a product design or a prototype produced to test for viability? We have what it takes to meet your needs.
You can count on us to deliver high-quality molds made to precision within turn-around times as short as 20 days. Are deadlines breathing down your neck? No need to worry. We are well-equipped with enough injection machines to fast-track your orders.
LXL Molding is also experienced in handling hundreds of resins. We offer a wide material selection and source unique alternatives for our clients on request.
Advantages of LXL Molding's Injection Molding
LXL Molding has been providing injection molding services to businesses for over 30 years. We combine this wealth of experience with the latest technology in the industry to offer you dynamic and cost-effective injection molding solutions. Further, we have a diverse team of designers and engineers that specialize in different sectors. This enables us to cater to the automotive, furniture, baby product, and warehousing industries among many others with great expertise.
Rapid Prototyping
Quick production of prototypes helps to shorten the time spent in developing part designs. It also gives you fast feedback on their viability. This is why we have invested in top-of-the-line 3D printers and CNC machines that enable us to deliver your prototypes within the shortest timelines possible.
Scalability
We have the capacity to produce over 600 set molds in a year. Additionally, we have cultivated a vetted network of partners that work with us and supplement our production scale. As such, no order is too big for us. We also accommodate low-volume orders because we understand that our clients serve different market sizes.
Outstanding Quality
We handle various materials sourced only from vetted suppliers. Each of these procedures is performed under the supervision of experts who are guided by our strict quality policies. Parts and prototypes are only dispatched to clients if they meet our quality management standards.
High Precision
Fortunately, as our client, you will never have to worry about precision. Our CNC machines have a tolerance of about +/-0.02mm while our high-speed CNC models have a tolerance of +/-0.002mm. This is in line with the recommended international industry standards.
Cost-Effectiveness
One injection mold can be used to make thousands of parts. Working with us would also give you access to a full array of injection molding services at affordable rates as opposed to engaging multiple service providers. Our precision and short turnaround times further help to keep production costs low.
High Efficiency
Based on your product quantity and delivery date, LXL Molding is able to deploy multiple injection machines to meet your demands. Our capabilities in injection molding ensures that your contract manufacturing for plastic parts can shorten your time to the market and meet your clients’ expectations.
Worry-Free Plastic Injection Molding Process
If you work with LXL Molding, you can be assured that you’ll have the best possible plastic injection molding products . We take each step of the plastic injection process very seriously. Before we start on the actual injection process, we take the time to double check that our materials are of the highest quality. We also make sure that we have all our client’s specifications up to scratch. As a precaution, we always ask our client’s whether the dimensions of our molds are up to their standards. We never start the actual plastic injection mold process, before we have your full confirmation. This allows us to make the necessary modifications, before we start manufacturing your products.
With our wide array of mold tooling capabilities, we are more than able to fulfill any design that our client’s ask for. We are fully equipped with the right tools and equipment, to give our client’s what they want.
Once we have your design and confirmation, we could start on the actual manufacturing process. We have a streamlined process that allows us to create thousands of copies from your molds. With these key advantages, you will be assured of a worry-free plastic injection.
Quality-Ensured Injection Molded Parts
A. Design-required appearance
Before we start on the actual manufacturing process, we always ask for a final design and confirmation from our clients.
B. High precision
All of our mold designs are made with high precision tools that allow us to get your specifications to the very last detail.
C. Custom-based Function/performance
We always strive to create products that not only look good, but function perfectly as well. This is an Immould guarantee.
About Injection Molding
What is Injection Molding
Injection molding is a production method used to manufacture plastic parts by injecting molten plastic into a preformed metal mold. The molten plastic is injected at a predetermined temperature and pressure and left to cool. When it has solidified and adapted the shape of the mold, it is ejected as a formed part.
Types of Injection Molding
The typical injection molding process can be used to produce a wide variety of parts. However, there are enhanced types of injection molding that can be used to add design features to a part.
1, Insert Molding
Insert molding involves placing an insert or substrate into the mold cavity before injecting it with molten plastic. The insert can be made of metal or any other material that can withstand the temperature and pressure used in injection molding.
When the molten plastic is injected into the cavity of the mold, it settles onto and around the substrate and bonds with it. The part formed would, therefore, comprise a fusion of plastic and metal. This type of injection molding is used to:
- Increase the weight of the part
- Achieve threads on a plastic part
- Add cosmetic or functional value
- Improve the IP rating of the part
Pros:
- Bonding the parts during injection molding yields neater structures than assembling them later when they are already formed
- It is cost-effective
- It is faster than separate assembly
Cons:
- It increases cycle times
- An insert slightly increases the odds of defective outcomes
2, Overmolding
Overmolding is done in two stages. It begins with the part being formed through the typical injection molding process. Once it is complete and has cooled, the core of the mold is placed over it one more time. Another layer of molten plastic is injected into the cavity. Depending on the intended design, the second layer of injected plastic may cover the whole or only specific areas of the part that has been returned into the mold.
The second layer of molten plastic injected during overmolding can be of a different grade and color from the one originally used to make the part. However, the materials need to be chosen carefully to ensure that they can bond well together. Different thermoplastics also require to be injected at specific temperatures and pressure from others. These parameters would, therefore, have to be adjusted during the second injection molding procedure.
This type of plastic injection molding is used to:
- Strengthen the structure of the original part
- Add flexibility to rigid areas
- Add functional features like grip
- Blend colors
- Encase one plastic part in another without using adhesives or connectors
Pros:
- It makes it easy to combine different materials
- It is faster, more convenient, and effective than manual two-step assembly
- Overmolding offers more seamless connectivity when encasing one part in another
Cons:
- It increases cycle times
- Multiple colors may not always blend with consistency
The Injection Molding Process
First, the part is designed in detail including precise dimensions and other structural specifications. Prototypes are then made to provide a more tangible sample of the part. The goal here is to examine the structure and test it for stability, functionality, and aesthetics. If there are any errors or modifications to be made to the design, the prototype would be reconfigured and printed for a second evaluation. This is done until the design is perfected.
Once the part design is complete and approved, mold-making which is also known as tooling can begin. A mold is a structure made of steel or aluminum. It has two parts: a core and a cavity; the core is solid but the cavity is hollow. Both are designed to match every detail of the part design. Their dimensions, curves/corners, rifts, or ridges are all made in likeness to the part that is to be manufactured. It takes high precision to make the perfect mold design and the process can take several tries.
When the mold is made, it is connected to an injection machine system, and the injection molding process proceeds as below:
- A hopper is loaded with thermoplastic material which is gradually loaded into a barrel and melted.
- Hydraulic or electric presses close the mold by pressing the core onto the cavity with great force.
- The nozzle of the injection machine injects the molten plastic into the mold cavity at a predetermined high pressure and temperature.
- After injection, the molten plastic cools and takes in the shape of the mold.
- When it achieves the right cooling temperature and solid form, the mold opens along the injection mold parting line and ejector pins carefully push out the formed part.
Injection Molding Material Options
Our team of staff is experienced and skilled at handling all kinds of injection molding materials. You are welcome to choose any of the polymers on our list of options which includes:
PP ABS PC PE PA6 Nylon POM PVC PS PMMA PLA
Additionally, we have established business relationships with verified suppliers of a diverse range of alternative resins. We would be glad to source them for you upon request.
Finish Options of Injection Molding
We offer different premium quality finishes to accommodate a variety of designs that our clients may present to us. They include:
- Mold Texturing
- Custom color-matching
- Threaded inserts
- Pad printing
- Laser engraving
- Basic assembly
- standard finish
- SPI finish
Some finishes are performed during the injection molding process while others are performed afterward. Our plastic molding injection factory is fitted with top-standard technology to handle both kinds.
Our Plastic Molding Plastic Molding Options Help You Save on Costs
LXL Molding services are tailored to ensure that we are a one-stop-shop for all your injection molding needs. We work with you right from designing the part and prototyping to creating the mold and forming the part. You no longer have to incur exorbitant costs paying individual firms for each procedure. Additionally, we capitalize on our massive economies of scale to offer you affordable prices while maintaining high standards of quality.
Further, our molds are made of premium steel and only high-grade resins are used in our injection molding processes. This makes our products durable and reduces your long-term costs.
Applications of Injection Molding
Medicine
The production of medical devices is complex and strictly controlled by regulatory authorities. Every proposed design for a medical device, therefore, has to be rigorously tested for functionality and safety. Often, multiple modifications also have to be made before the part is approved for production.
Injection molding is used to make accurate prototypes and preliminary samples of medical devices before they are approved. It is fast, affordable, and allows for modifications to be made over multiple tries until the design is perfected. We have in-house experts that are well-versed with medical device stipulations. Reach out to us and let us help you make your medical device the best it can be.
Bucket
For bucket molds, the most important factor to consider is the consistency of wall thickness because uneven wall thickness will result in molding injection failure after a certain period. This requires high accuracy tools throughout the manufacturing. FOW Mould’s tooling machines are of high precision which ensures the accuracy of the molds, thus lengthen the mold life.
Other than wall thickness, the cooling system also plays a vital role in the upcoming molding injection period. The cooling system must be designed based on the bucket specifically. Improper cooling water lines might affect the efficiency of the whole injection molding process. With FOW’s 10 years experience in bucket mold, we are able to avoid mistakes and offer you the most reliable mold-making service.
Warehouse & Storage
In Warehouse & Storage, crates and pallets are widely used. Molds for crates and pallets are relatively large, so the manufacturing cost might be higher. At FOW, when designing molds for these products, we conduct a MoldFlow analysis to predict any possible failures, which guarantees in the success of crate mould design and manufacturing. Over the years, FOW has gained rich experience in the design and manufacturing of moulds of crates and pallets, they now:
- Lighter in weight & smaller in size
- More compact in structure
- Have better usage for resins
- Reduce cycle time
Baby Product
Pediatric experts recommend that baby toys, furniture, and other equipment be made of smooth, non-corrosive, and lightweight materials. Plastic fits this bill perfectly and this is why it is used for most baby products. They are produced using injection molding because it makes it possible to reiterate one design countless times. Moreover, injection molding processes like overmolding make it possible for baby products to be made colorful and seamless without screws and other risky connectors.
We have a vast catalog of eye-catching designs and color combinations that would have babies cooing for your products. Our resin options can also be curated to achieve the highest standard of baby-friendly products.
Furniture
Plastic furnitures combine the features of comfort, cost-effectiveness and style. When designing a chair, for example, weight load is the first priority because this determines whether this is a safe and comfortable chair. To achieve this, our product designers must work closely with our clients to understand the needs of the target market and pass important information onto our mold designers. Besides weight load of the chair, we also need to consider whether each chair is stackable. This requires our product designers and mold designers to work together to develop a safe and comfortable that’s stackable.
Automobile
LXL Molding also has rich experience in automobile parts. For automobile molds, accuracy is the one thing that needs extra attention. All of our mold parts are processed by high precision machines, thus our injection molded parts are within a specific tolerance rate as our clients require.
Before proceeding to the mold-making period, our engineers run analysis on the product design and mold design, preventing any possible mistakes.
Home Appliance
Most home appliances are injection molded nowadays. To ensure a product’s quality, we need to put more attention to product design and mold trial in the final step. Product design is important because it has direct influence on product performance and the product life. Our product designers work closely with our client to confirm each functionality and detail, reducing the possibility of failures.
To further ensure product quality, we run mold trials for each project. We calibrate the mold until all the demands have been met.
