Injection Molding

Student working on injection molding machine
Injection molding is widely used in the manufacture of plastic parts ranging from simple, everyday items to complex products requiring precision tooling and process optimization equipment.  During a typical cycle, the plastics pellets are melted in an injection unit and then the molten polymer is forced into a mold which shapes and cools the material.  When the part is solid, it is removed from the mold and the next cycle begins.  
The Department of Plastics Engineering has laboratories containing nine machines for thermoplastics and two machines specifically designed thermoset elastomers. The laboratories also contain an inventory of injection molds and the Department has machine shop facilities to repair and maintain them.  Many of the molds are instrumented with sensors (temperature, pressure, force) and the labs are equipped with different acquisition units, which are frequently wired to machine signals. 

Engel Injection Molding Laboratory

Male student looking into Engel e-motion 85 injection molding machine. It is described as: The ENGEL e-motion is an all-electric injection moulding machine for high-end applications. The right choice when both precision and speed are essential.

Located in Ball Hall, Room 112, this laboratory is sponsored by Engel, an Austrian manufacturer of injection molding machines. The laboratory contains two state-of-the-art thermoplastic injection molding machines and a liquid injection molding (LIM) machine for processing thermoset liquid silicone rubber (LSR).

Equipment

  • Engel e-motion 170/85 TL US, All-electric machine with 85-ton clamp force and a robot
  • Sumitomo DEMAG 75 DUZ C250, All-electric machine with a 75-ton clamp force
  • RJG eDART® system, Connected to the Engel e-motion and Sumitomo DEMAG machines
  • Engel e-mac 55
    • LIM machine

Websites

Wittmann Precision Injection Molding Laboratory

This laboratory, which is located in Ball Hall, Room 114, is sponsored by Wittmann Battenfeld, a manufacturer of injection molding machines.  It contains four injection molding presses with clamp forces ranging from 3 tons to 90 tons. The presses are instrumented with state-of-the-art process monitoring and control systems. 

injection-molding-otherEquipment

  • Wittmann Battenfeld EcoPower 55
    • All electric machine with a clamp force of 55 tons, robot for part removal, and feeding system designed to mix virgin pellets with regrind  
  • Milacron 
    • Hydraulic machine with a clamp force of 90 tons
    • An iMFLUX controller is currently installed on this machine allowing constant pressure injection molding and process data acquisition
  • Milacron-FANUC ROBOSHOT α-SB130iB
    • All-electric machine with 130-ton clamp force
  • BOY 22A
    • All-electric micro injection molding machine with 24-ton clamp force

Websites

Other Injection Molding Machines

Arburg Allrounder 320C

  • Hydraulic machine with a clamp force of ~56 tons

This machine is located in Ball Hall, Room 116.

Krauss Maffei PX 121-380

  • Hydraulic machine with a clamp force of 135 tons
    Connected to the RJG eDART® system. 
This machine is located in the ETIC high bay.

L.W.B. Steinl 

  • Hydraulic machine with a vertical 50-ton clamp and a two-stage screw-plunger injection unit 
  • For molding thermoset rubber

This machine is located in the ETIC, Room 125B.

Wittmann Micromolding Work Cell

  • Cell includes a MicroPower 15 molding machine with two injection units, a two-shot mold, a robot, dryer, temperature control units, and feeders.
  • This machine was donated by Eli Lilly & Company and upgraded by Wittmann. 

It is located in the ETIC high bay.

Websites