Saturday, August 3, 2013

An In Depth Of Structural Foam Molding

By Cathy Mercer


The process of structural foam molding happens to be a mold one that involves low pressure injection in way that quite large structure parts can be produced. A molten material made of plastic is injected to make it a mold when it is mixed with either blowing agents or higher pressure gas. Once this is done, bubbles are produced in the plastic, leading it to foam. The foams that results has the properties of that plastic, only that it will weigh less since its density is reduced.

This type of foams mold has quite a number of similarities to the process of injection molds in that it is a lower pressure method of thermoplastics processing. The most popularly utilized resin in the process is higher density polyethylene, abbreviated as HDPE. Typically, end product are a rigid part having a relatively hard structure. However, structure foams should not be mistaken with EPS, which is expanded polystyrene. EPS can be likened to the disposable white foams blocks that protect and package new electronics and appliances.

The main element when it comes to structure foam molds is low pressure. Unlike convectional injections molds that force the material to a cavity of the mold with the use of high pressure, the process capitalizes on the configuration of a certain part. Typically, thick wall sections are formed so that they can act as runners.

The action of foaming is supplied by a chemical reaction that occurs in the resin blend, or by introduction of a compressed inert gas into the mold. This allows the resin blend in molten forms to flow a further distance. Whats more, it is capable of using much less pressure that an ordinary process of mold injection would require.

Typically, structure foams molds are produced in aluminum, with the foaming of plastic leading to a swirling finish on the plastic part. The forming agents do not undergo expansion when they are under pressure within the injection screw. Occurrence of foaming takes place when the cavity enters the mold cavity. In the course of foaming plastics filing the foam mold cavity, the part wall solidifies against the cold wall.

A thin plastic layer solidifies with no foaming along the wall of the molds. Such thins later creates a structure over the inter core that is foamed. The solid thin wall is supported with the help of interior foamed cellular structure. Parts that are produced in such a manner results in cellular structure that has similarity to wooden products.

Once molding has taken place, parts will shrink between 1.5% and 4% the molds size. During the first forty eight hours it will shrink further 5%. Such shrinkage sticks but will continue at miniature levels for a lifetime of the plastic. However, the size of the part is constant since chemicals, oils and changes in ambient temperatures act on such plastic. Expansion of vinyl siding needs expansion gaps of half an inch in order to accommodate movements since the size changes according to fluctuations in temperature.

In the course of structural foam molding, when plastic parts are injected into molds, they are at a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. They later cool rapidly up to 140 degrees. The cooling process is capable of deforming the parts to the shape of the mold as soon as they are released from the molds.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment