Solid Injection Molding
SABIC Innovative Plastics has been a leader in advancing new process technologies to expand the range of manufacturing and design options for Engineering Thermoplastic parts. Our Polymer Processing Development Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts is a 96,000 square foot facility that continues to develop new processes for the applications of the future.
SABIC Innovative Plastics Overview
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ resins are converted into final parts by a melt process. Generally this is the injection molding process where a plastic melt is injected at high pressures into a precision mold. In addition to this being a high pressure process, it is also a high temperature process. SABIC Innovative resins can be processed at temperatures ranging from 425°F (CYCOLAC® resin) to 800°F (ULTEM® resin). SABIC Innovative Plastics’ resins have outstanding processing characteristics and many were especially designed for injection molding.
Solid Injection Molding offers:
> High Productivity
> Excellent Reproducibility
> Integrated Design Capability
> Complex Geometries
Product Guides:
Cycoloy* Resin Guide with Processing Information
Valox* Resin Guide with Processing Information
Xenoy* Resin Guide with Processing Information
Thinwall Injection Molding
Thinwall Technology gets its name from one of the end results that it provides, a thin wall section. The difficulty is deciding a wall section at which a part goes from being “standard” or “conventional” wall thickness to “Thinwall.” Hand Held Electronics parts may have wall thicknesses less than one half of a millimeter. There is no question that these applications qualify as Thinwall. Parts that have different geometries, materials, and longer flow lengths, may not be able to be manufactured at these low wall thicknesses, even with current Thinwall technology. However, the benefits associated with decreasing wall thicknesses below their current values are still measurable and desired even if the final wall thickness is nowhere near those of the portable electronics industry.
Gas Assist Injection Molding
Gas assist injection molding is a variation of conventional injection molding that can be easily retrofitted to an existing injection press by the addition of an auxiliary gas unit. The usual injection of molten plastic is assisted by the introduction of pressurized gas (usually nitrogen) into the mold. The gas produces a bubble which pushes the plastic into the extremities of the mold creating hollow sections as the bubble propagates. Several variations of gas assist molding are used by the plastics industry. They are differentiated by the method and location of the gas injection into the polymer melt. The gas can be injected through the machine nozzle, runner system, sprue, or directly into the mold cavity under a constant pressure or a constant volume. Some gas injection methods are covered by one or more process patents. An appropriate licensing agreement must be obtained prior to utilizing a specific type of gas assist molding process.
Structural Foam Molding
A form of injection molding, the structural foam process offers an efficient and economical way to gain high strength and rigidity required for structural parts. An alternative to metal, the combination of performance properties and process features deliver high strength and rigidity per unit weight. In addition to the increased stiffness to weight ratio, structural foam parts enjoy better heat insulation, improved electrical and acoustical characteristics, and increased chemical resistance when compared to conventional injection molded parts. Structural foam parts have a foam core between two dense skins. The foam core is achieved by dissolving an inert gas into the molten resin. The gas expands when the plastic/gas solution is injected into
the mold cavity.
