Injection Moulding
Design Processes
Forcing molten plastic into a steel mould to make identical parts by the million.
In practice
Injection moulding melts plastic pellets and injects them under pressure into a precision-machined mould, which cools and ejects a finished part every few seconds. The tooling costs tens of thousands and takes weeks; the parts then cost pennies. It is how nearly every plastic object around you was made, and its rules — draft angles, uniform walls, parting lines — shape what mass-produced things look like.
Questions
What is Injection Moulding?
Injection moulding is a manufacturing process that produces plastic parts by injecting molten polymer into a mould cavity, cooling it and ejecting the solidified part.
Why do you use Injection Moulding?
Unmatched cost per part at volume, excellent repeatability and surface finish, and a huge range of materials.
How do you use/apply Injection Moulding?
Design for the process — draft, consistent wall thickness, radii, no undercuts without side actions — prototype and validate, commit to tooling, sample, tune, then run.
When do you use Injection Moulding?
Once the design is frozen and volumes justify the tool. Before that, 3D print or cast.
Who uses Injection Moulding?
Industrial designers and mechanical engineers taking a product to mass production.
