There are many different types of plastic molds on the market, and it can be difficult to determine which type best suits your needs. In this blog post, we will explore six of the most common types of plastic molds.

Plastic molds are the tools that are used in the plastic processing industry and plastic molding machines to give plastic products a complete configuration and precise dimensions. The different methods of molding can be divided into different types of molds.

Each type has its unique advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to carefully consider your needs before making a purchase. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at each type of plastic mold.

Injection mold

The plastic is firstly heated and melted in the barrel at the bottom of the injection molding machine, and then pushed by the screw or plunger of the injection molding machine, the plastic enters the mold cavity through the injection nozzle and the pouring system of the mold, the plastic is cooled and hardened, and the product is obtained by demolding.

The structure usually consists of molding parts, pouring system, guiding parts, pushing out the mechanism, temperature regulating system, exhaust system, supporting parts, and other parts, and the manufacturer uses plastic mold steel.

The injection molding processing method is usually only applicable to the production of thermoplastic products. Plastic products produced by the injection molding process are very wide, from daily necessities to all kinds of complex electrical appliances, auto parts, etc. are all formed by injection molds, and it is the most widely used processing method in the production of plastic products.

Blow mold

Used to mold plastic containers hollow products (such as beverage bottles, daily necessities, and other packaging containers) of a mold, blow molding form according to the process principle mainly extrusion blow molding hollow molding, injection molding form extrusion blow molding hollow molding, injection blow molding hollow molding, injection extension blow molding hollow molding (commonly known as injection pull blow), multi-layer blow molding hollow molding, sheet blow molding hollow molding, etc.

Blow molding of hollow products corresponding to the equipment is usually called a plastic blow molding machine, blow molding is only applicable to the production of thermoplastic varieties of products. Blow molding mold structure is relatively simple, and the materials used are mostly made of carbon.

Extrusion mold

Extrusion molds are used to mold and produce continuously shaped plastic products, also called extrusion molding heads, which are widely used for processing pipes, rods, monofilaments, plates, films, wire and cable cladding, profiles, and so on.

Its corresponding production equipment is a plastic extruder, whose principle is to melt and plasticize solid plastic under the conditions of heating and extruder’s screw rotation and pressure and make continuous plastic products with the same cross-section as the shape of the mouth mold through a specific shape of the mouth mold.

Its manufacturing materials are mainly carbon structural steel, alloy tools, etc. Some extrusion dies are also inlaid with wear-resistant materials such as a diamond in the parts that need to be wear-resistant. The extrusion process is usually only applicable to the production of thermoplastic products, its structure is different from the injection mold and compression mold.

Blister Mold

Blister Mould to a plastic plate, sheet as raw material molding some simpler plastic products of a mold, its principle is the use of vacuum blooming method or compressed air molding method to make fixed in the concave or convex mold of plastic plate, sheet, in the case of heating and softening deformation and paste in the cavity of the mold to get the desired.

It is mainly used in the production of daily necessities, food, and toy packaging products. Because the pressure of blister mold is low, so the mold material is mostly made of cast aluminum or non-metal material, and the structure is simple.

Compression mold

There are two types of structural molds, compression molding, and compression injection molding. They are mainly used to mold thermosetting plastics, and their corresponding equipment is a pressure molding machine.

The compression molding method is based on the characteristics of plastic, the mold is heated to the molding temperature (generally at 103°108°), and then the measured compression molding powder is put into the mold cavity and the filling chamber, and the mold is closed, and the plastic is softened and viscous under the action of high heat and pressure, and then cured and shaped into the desired product shape after a certain period.

The difference between compression molding and compression molding is that there is no separate filling chamber, the mold is closed before molding, the plastic is preheated in the filling chamber and is in a viscous flow state, then it is adjusted and squeezed into the mold cavity under pressure to harden and mold.

The compression molding mold is mainly composed of the cavity, filling chamber, guiding mechanism, pushing out parts, heating system, etc. Compression injection molds are widely used in encapsulating electrical components. The materials used in the manufacture of compression injection molds are the same as those used in injection molds.

Highly expanded polystyrene molding mold

It is the application of polystyrene (polystyrene and blowing agent composed of beads of material) raw materials to form a variety of foam packaging materials of the required shape of a mold.

The principle is that the EPS can be molded into steam in the mold, including simple hand-operated molds and hydraulic machine straight-through foam molds of two types, mainly for the production of industrial packaging products. The materials used to manufacture such molds are cast aluminum, stainless steel, bronze, etc.

Conclusion

While there are many different types of plastic molds on the market today, each has its specific purpose in the manufacturing process. If you are looking for high-quality plastic molds to help get your product just right, then contact us today for more information.