Structural Foam Injection Molding Large Parts: An Efficient Solution

Large parts can be time-consuming and costly to manufacture, and finding a manufacturing process that meets all of your needs without breaking the bank can be tricky. Fortunately, structural foam injection molding can be used to create large parts in a tight timeline and within budget. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of structural foam injection molding large parts.

What is Structural Foam Injection Molding?

The structural foam molding process starts by mixing a melted polymer with nitrogen gas and/or a chemical blowing agent. This mixture is then injected into the structural foam mold under low-pressure. As the polymer touches the walls of the mold it cools, forming a product with a solid exterior and a honeycombed interior. This process results in large, complex products that have a durable exterior layer, and a less dense inner layer that makes them lightweight compared to their straight injection molded counterparts.

There are two common polymers used in the structural foam molding process to create large parts: polyethylene and polypropylene. Both polymers have beneficial properties, but are often used for different applications. Polyethylene is resistant to chemicals and water, recyclable, has a high strength-to-weight ratio, exhibits low moisture absorption, and has a high impact strength. Polypropylene is rigid, lightweight, tough, and flexible, exhibiting good fatigue, chemical, and moisture resistance.

Benefits of Using Structural Foam Injection Molding for Large Parts

Design Flexibility

Since structural foam molding is a low-pressure process, it is easy to mold. Due to the low-pressure used in the process, the risk of damage to the product is greatly reduced, allowing you to design complex products that will maintain the desired shape in the finished product.

Reduced Risk of Damage and Warpage

As stated above, this process uses low pressure. This puts less stress on the product during the production process. With the reduced stress on the product, your risk of having a damaged or warped product coming out of production is greatly reduced. This will save you time and money in the long run, as you won’t have to worry about replacing or reproducing damaged or warped parts.

Multiple Molds Can Run at Once

During structural foam molding, multiple molds can run at once because the low-pressure process doesn’t put too much stress on the machines or the molds unlike in traditional injection molding. And, since you can run more than one mold at a time, you will be able to create more products in a shorter amount of time, saving you money on manufacturing and allowing for your products to get to market faster.

Advantageous Physical Properties

Structural foam molded products exhibit many desirable properties. Both polyethylene and polypropylene have advantageous properties, and they pass these on to your products. Some of the most beneficial properties this process offers include high strength-to-weight ratio, good thermal stability, and chemical and moisture resistance.

Use Structural Foam Injection Molding for Your Large Parts By Partnering with Port Erie

Port Erie Plastics has been in the injection and structural foam molding industry since 1953. In that time, we have honed our skills and abilities, allowing us to take on the most complex projects for a wide range of industries.

Our team is here to help make sure your project is a success from the start. Each of our clients is matched with a plastic engineer who works with you to understand the application and requirements of your projects so they can make sure the design and material you have chosen are right for you. We also have the ability to create all of our molds and tooling in-house, allowing us to ensure quality from the start.

We offer traditional and automated injection molding, as well as structural foam molding to make sure we can serve all of your needs. Once your product is manufactured, we offer assembly and finishing services as well as warehousing and distribution to make sure your project makes it to the end-user in perfect condition.

Are you ready to get started? Contact us today.