Plastic injection molding touches our lives every day. But what is plastic injection molding? Why is it so popular? And is the process right for your manufacturing needs?

What is injection molding?

Injection molding is a common manufacturing process for producing large volumes of parts typically made out of metal, glass, rubber or plastic. Injection molding is a little like making Jello. The process involves injecting molten material into a mold and letting it cool to a solid state.

What is plastic injection molding?

Plastic injection molding is the process of producing plastic parts by injecting molten plastic into a metal mold.

The process began in 1872 when the American inventor John Wesley Hyatt patented the first plastic injection molding machine in an attempt to replace ivory billiard balls with plastic balls. While his product didn’t quite meet the needs of the market, his machine did. Since the machine’s inception, the plastic injection mold making industry evolved quickly from initially producing small and simple plastic parts like buttons to manufacturing intricate medical equipment today.

What products are made from injection molding?

Manufacturers all over the world use injection molding to mass-produce all kinds of goods. You can use injection molding machines to make anything from a large object like a garbage can to a small object like a mobile phone case.

The most widespread use of plastic injection molding is to make non-consumer parts used in situations where visual appeal doesn’t matter—like mechanical parts—because the injection molding process often leaves impurities behind on the plastic part. Why? Let’s look at the process to find out.