injection molding shop
FMS Molding Team Is Your Trusted Partner for Precision Mold & Injection Molding Since 2009
For nearly two decades, FMS has delivered world-class tooling and turnkey injection molding solutions to a global clientele. We specialize in custom plastic injection molding across highly demanding industries, including Medical, Automotive, Electronics, Packaging, Food & Beverage, and Outdoor Sports/Hunting.
Why Global Brands Choose FMS:
• Advanced Automation & Speed: 100% of our injection molding machines are integrated with high-speed robotics, ensuring consistent high quality, flawless precision, and minimized cycle times.
• High-Capacity 24/5 Operations: Operating on a 3-shift, 5-day schedule (with scalable weekend overtime), our workshop ensures your mass production deadlines are always met, no matter the volume.
• Engineering Excellence: Our veteran mold and design engineers bring deep cross-industry expertise, helping you optimize complex geometries for manufacturability (DFM) and cost efficiency.
• End-to-End Control: From initial tool design and steel/aluminum mold machining to final parts production, every step is managed entirely in-house by the FMS team for strict quality assurance.
Partner with FMS today to transform your complex designs into high-quality, cost-effective realities.
8500-Ton Super-Large Injection Molding Machine
How Does Injection Molding Work?
A special-purpose injection molding machine carries out injection molding. The manufacturing process is divided into the various steps listed below:
Step 1 – Creation of the Mold
The first step in injection molding is mold creation. The mold for the part to be manufactured is designed according to the specifications of the part’s 3D model, using computer-aided design, following several injection molding guidelines. It is then manufactured in two parts, usually using CNC machining. Molds are made from metals (mainly steel or aluminium).
Step 2 – Injection
The separate halves of the mold are placed in and held together tightly by the clamping unit of the injection molding machine. In the form of granules or pellets, the raw material is introduced into a barrel where it is heated at a high temperature and pressure till it melts. Now in molten form, the material is immediately injected into the mold cavity, filling the entire space in the mold. It then cools down and solidifies, forming the shape of the mold.
Step 3 – Ejection and Finishing
After the material has completely cooled and solidified, the mold is opened by the clamping unit and the solidified finished part is ejected. The finished part is subjected to some post-processing operations. These operations include removing excessive material and support structure, surface finishing, and, if required, painting, electroplating, heat treatment, etc.
Other Injection Molding Processes:
Over Molding
Over molding is an injection molding process that allows a part to be created from two different materials. The first material is molded and, before cooling down, the overmolding material is introduced, creating strong bonds between the substrate and the overmolding material. This technique is used to create multi-material objects with improved aesthetics and functionality, while eliminating the need for secondary operations.
Insert Molding
Insert molding is similar to over molding. In this injection molding technique a preformed object is inserted into the mold before the molten material is poured. With the point being to have the preformed material inserted into the molded object. An application of insert molding is inserting metal screw holes into plastic parts.
Metal Injection Molding
In this process, finely powdered metal is combined with wax, polypropylene binders, or other polymers to form a feedstock mix. It is then injected into the mold and left to cool. Once it solidifies, a portion of the blinder is removed using methods such as the catalytic process and the use of solvents.
Die Casting
The die casting process, also known as high-pressure die casting, is the forcing of molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. The process is as follows:
First is the preparation of the dies (molds), which entails the lubricating of the mold cavity to facilitate the easy removal of the casting and to control the temperature.
After that, the cast is closed and injected with molten metals under relatively high pressure between 1500 psi and 25400 psi.
Die casting products are made from nonferrous metals such as copper, zinc, aluminium, and lead.
Thin-wall Injection
This injection molding process is used to create plastic parts with very thin walls such as food packaging, parts of equipment, and lab apparatus. The sizes of these parts are larger than their thickness. This process of creating thin walls is more difficult than other processes.
Micro Injection Molding
Just as the name implies, “micro injection molding” is a molding process used to produce tiny plastic parts with weights of about 1 to 0.1 grams. This facilitates the manufacture of micro parts of various complicated geometries with maximum precision and accuracy.
Gas-assisted Injection Molding
In the production of thick plastic parts with injection molding, there’s the risk of distorted parts caused during the cooling process of the molten plastic. This is prevented from happening in gas-assisted injection. As the molten plastics solidifies, gas is introduced into the mold by gas channels, producing smooth surfaces.
The Future of Plastic Injection Molding
The future is bright for the plastic injection molding industry, with several new technologies showing a great degree of promise.
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies like sensors and automation solutions, for instance, allow for increased connectivity across the entire production system. This provides better visibility into the status of the injection molding process while also better positioning manufacturers to produce higher-quality parts at reduced costs. Automated solutions like robotic unloaders that can stack and unstack parts more efficiently can use programmable setups, sensors, and other IoT features to help shorten production timelines without sacrificing part quality.
Micro-injection molding is another emerging process that applies the mechanisms of injection molding at a microscopic scale. This is especially of interest in medical device manufacturing circles, where the technology could allow product teams to design smaller device assemblies capable of performing potentially life-saving procedures using less-invasive methods and tools.
Eco-friendly injection molding materials are increasingly in demand. While most thermoplastics can be reclaimed and reused simply by melting and re-integrating them, sustainability advocates are pushing for more ambitious goals. Out-of-the-box thinking is leading manufacturers to develop and use materials with less or no thermoplastic content, including next-generation, plant-based materials like corn- and flax-based plastics.
The Development and Emergence of Plastic Manufacturing. The history of plastic injection molding begins in 1868 when inventor John W. Hyatt patented the process of creating celluloid, a material originally intended to replace the ivory used in billiard balls. In 1872, Hyatt and his brother Isaiah patented the first injection molding machine, which used a simple plunger mechanism to push celluloid through a heated cylinder and into a mold. The device led to the development of a booming manufacturing industry that produced buttons, combs, collar stays, and other items from celluloid.
Soluble forms of cellulose acetate became available in the early 1900s, offering a much less flammable substitute for previous materials. In the lead-up to World War II, many of the thermoplastics commonly used today — including polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — were developed.
The Impact of World War II on Plastics Manufacturing
Developments in warfare technology, including aircraft, marine battleships, tanks, and other forms of weaponry, consumed vast amounts of raw materials during the course of the Second World War. The post-war industrial boom experienced by many developed Western countries coincided with skyrocketing demand for affordable materials that could be used to mass-produce parts. This was due in large part to how the war disrupted global shipping lanes and required the extraction of huge amounts of natural resources to manufacture tanks, ships, and other war-time products, leading to worldwide shortages of rubber and metal.
Thermoplastics presented affordable options capable of filling many of the market gaps created by these material shortages. Injection molding made it possible for manufacturers to quickly and cost-effectively manufacture parts in large volumes. As markets and supply chains worldwide shifted toward plastic, injection molding emerged as a mainstay and fixture for modern manufacturing companies.
In 1946, James Watson Hendry’s extrusion screw injection machine revolutionized the modern plastic injection molding field. The machine’s rotating screw gave the operator better control over the production process, resulting in significant improvements to the quality of the injection-molded parts. Hendry also pioneered the gas-assisted injection molding process, which made it possible to manufacture long and complex hollow parts.
During the latter half of the twentieth century, plastic materials became more advanced and competitive, offering comparable strength to some metals but at a greatly reduced weight.
Plastic production overtook steel production in terms of market share by the 1970s, and the introduction of lightweight aluminum molds in the 1990s offered a faster, more cost-effective substitute to steel tooling in some instances.
There are thousands of designers who design injection molded parts but there is an elite group within this large community who can actually design parts for injection molders. Injection molded product design evolves through many phases of development before all the parts are ultimately documented and released to a molder for production. This last step in the development process is the most critical, since design changes or corrections can no longer be made without significantly adding cost or project delays.Unfortunately, plastic part design mistakes will be uncovered only after first article parts are inspected and evaluated by the project team. Even with today’s sophisticated mold flow simulation, 3D CAD interference checks, rapid prototyping and numerous other development tools, it is impossible for anyone to predict every potential problem for an injection molded part. However, there is a very simple, low-cost method for minimizing potential problems and virtually ensuring perfect parts. It’s called partnering with your molder.
It doesn’t matter how well you think you know how to properly design parts for injection molding—you should always form a close partnership with your preferred molder as early in the design process as possible. Every molder has his or her own tooling preferences and techniques for molding parts, which can have a significant effect on part design. These subjective preferences can influence any of the following major design-related parameters affecting an injection molded part.
Before you endeavor to produce a part via injection molding consider a few of the following things:
Financial Considerations
Entry Cost: Preparing a product for injection molded manufacturing requires a large initial investment. Make sure you understand this crucial point up front.
Production Quantity
Determine the number of parts produced at which injection molding becomes the most cost effective method of manufacturing
Determine the number of parts produced at which you expect to break even on your investment (consider the costs of design, testing, production, assembly, marketing, and distribution as well as the expected price point for sales). Build in a conservative margin.
Design Considerations
Part Design: You want to design the part from day one with injection molding in mind. Simplifying geometry and minimizing the number of parts early on will pay dividends down the road.
Tool Design: Make sure to design the mold tool to prevent defects during production. For a list of 10 common injection molding defects and how to fix or prevent them read here. Consider gate locations and run simulations using moldflow software like Solidworks Plastics.
Production Considerations
Cycle Time: Minimize cycle time in as much as it is possible. Using machines with hot runner technology will help as will well-thought-out tooling. Small changes can make a big difference and cutting a few seconds from your cycle time can translate into big savings when you’re producing millions of parts.
Assembly: Design your part to minimize assembly. Much of the reason injection molding is done in southeast Asia is the cost of assembling simple parts during an injection molding run. To the extent that you can design assembly out of the process you will save significant money on the cost of labor.
Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for which the process is called die-casting), glasses, elastomers, confections, and most commonly thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Material for the part is fed into a heated barrel, mixed (using a helical shaped screw), and injected into a mould cavity, where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity. After a product is designed, usually by an industrial designer or an engineer, moulds are made by a mould-maker (or toolmaker) from metal, usually either steel or aluminium, and precision-machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection moulding is widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest components to entire body panels of cars. Advances in 3D printing technology, using photopolymers that do not melt during the injection moulding of some lower temperature thermoplastics, can be used for some simple injection moulds.
The plastic injection molding process is generally dated back to 1868, when John Wesley Hyatt of billiard ball maker Phelan and Collander was searching for a suitable replacement material for the ivory in billiard balls. Hyatt invented a way to inject celluloid into a mould that processed it into a finished form. In 1872 John and his brother Isaiah patented the first injection molding machine. This machine was relatively simple compared to the complex machines used by today’s injection molding companies. It consisted of a basic plunger to inject the plastic into a mold through a heated cylinder. The industry was slow to adopt the injection molding process, eventually beginning to produce plastic items such as collar stays, buttons and hair combs. Not until the 1940s did the concept of injection molding really grow in popularity because World War II created a huge demand for inexpensive, mass-produced products.
Although the manufacturing of plastic products using an injection mould may seem quite simple at first (the plastic material is injected into a mould, left to cool, then removed when ready) there are however more complex steps involved in order for this seemingly simple process to occur. The six main steps are as follows:
Clamping – the clamp unit consists of metal plates (or platen). The process begins with the mould being clamped together under pressure to accommodate the injection and cooling processes.
Injection – the molten thermoplastic material, which has been melted by pellet form in the barrel of the machine, is injected under pressure into the mould through either a screw or ramming device.
Dwelling – once the molten plastic is injected into the mould, more pressure is exerted to make sure all the mould’s cavities are filled, using hydraulic or mechanical pressure.
Cooling – the plastic is left to cool and solidify within the mould.
Opening – the movable platen is separated from the fixed platen to separate the mould.
Ejection – ejection is completed by the use of rods, a plate or an air blast to remove the plastic component completely from the mould.
When looking for a company to assist you with your plastics manufacturing, make sure you understand the processes they use so you can get a better idea of how they operate and what you can expect from the finished product. Some manufacturers will allow you to take a tour of their facility and many will have videos and other useful production information posted on their website.
Don’t be afraid to ask your manufacturer about the injection moulding process – a few questions at the start will go a long way towards ensuring you get the best results.
The biggest advantage of injection molding has to be its low production costs as plastic product designs created this way have very low price per unit compared to other plastic production following a different type of manufacturing technology. Its ability for mass production defeats the costs of materials since everything is in a lump amount making it cheaper overall. However, be reminded of the setup’s cost and tooling as well to balance its cost effectiveness.
Injection molding is a manufacturing process used on a wide variety of products from tiny components up to large items. It is popularly used in the plastics manufacturing industry. The process uses a granular plastic gravity fed from a hopper which is dumped into a heated chamber through a screw-type plunger. The plastic is melted while pressed against the mold. The object is allowed to cool and is removed as a solid product. In some aspects of manufacturing, aluminum molds are also being used since they are quick to mass produce while other large manufacturing companies use steel molds of various kinds. It depends on for how long or better for how many pieces the mold has to last.
Most traditional plastic manufacturing processes cut out a substantial part of its plastic sheet during production. With injection molding, scraps and wastes only come from overflows in the mold and leaks from runners and sprue. Injection molding follows cuts accurately keeping wastes at an all-time low in plastics manufacturing.
Injection molding makes it possible to produce plastic product designs in large volumes which is why it is popularly used in large-scale plastic custom manufacturing. Thousands of plastic part designs can quickly be manufactured after several hours of work in a manufacturing production line. The main disadvantage of injection molding is that the process is not suitable for very small-scale production given the setup costs and equipment needed for this type of technology.
When you use a project broker, you will find that you save a lot of time and money when you look at the cost of the entire project, for example, you can free up time to develop other projects and reduce unnecessary travel expenses. Everything is so easy, if you want to choose a direct supplier, there are a lot of things you can’t know, because no one will tell you about the real situation of your project. I have a deep understanding of this, and since I worked with First-rate mold solution company, I really appreciate the benefits of using a project broker.