PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING

Why Choose Atlantis Industries for Your Plastic Mold Injection Needs?

Atlantis Industries is certified precision injection molder and mold maker, offering custom injection services for customers including automotive, medical, military, and other markets for nearly 60 years.  Our facility houses 16 injection molding presses that range from 85T to 787T.

Atlantis Industries holds the following certifications:

  • ISO 9001 – 2015 (International Standards Organization)

  • IATF 16949 – 2016 (International Automotive Task Force) Compliant

  • IMS (International Milk Standard)

  • ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)

  • JCP (Joint Certification Program – DoD)

  • SAM (System for Award Management) Registration

  • CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code

What Is Plastic Injection Molding?

Used to create large quantities of plastic parts in succession, plastic injection molding is a manufacturing process that produces molds from thermoplastic and thermosetting materials.

These plastic materials are placed into a hot barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity by a ram injector or reciprocating screw.  Then, the materials cool and harden to the configuration of the mold cavity, creating the finished injection-molded parts.  The time it takes to produce a finished part depends on its size and complexity, and can range from mere seconds to a few minutes.

By taking advantage of custom automation using robotic parts handling, automatic and semi-automatic runner systems, and robotic delegating, Atlantis Industries eliminates the typical sources of product variation.

When considering plastic injection molding for your needs, there are many advantages to factor in.  One of the biggest advantages is repeatability.  After your particular mold is created, every single part it produces is exactly the same.

Our Quality Management System ensures all processes are:

  • Documented

  • Repeatable

  • Statistically Capable
  • Controlled

Other advantages of plastic injection molding include tight tolerances, low labor costs, broad range of material selection, marginal waste and in most cases no finishing required.

Plastic mold injection research
Plastic mold injection analysis

Common Applications and Materials In Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding techniques can create countless parts, from miniature components to whole body panels of vehicles.  Atlantis Industries produces complex parts and assemblies in the defense, medical, automotive, consumer, commercial firearms, pharmaceutical, fringe medical, and industrial markets.

 Materials Used By Atlantis Industries Include the Following:

  • ABS

  • ACETAL

  • PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)

  • PVC (Polyvinylchloride)

  • PPE (Polyphenylene Ether)

  • 70G33L (Glass Filled Nylons)

  • Nylon 6/6-PA (Polyamide)

  • Acrylic PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate)

  • PE (Polyethylene)

  • PP (Polypropylene)

  • SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile)

 Plastic Injection Molding Cost Concerns and Common Variations

When evaluating the cost of manufacturing, you must consider the size and complexity of the mold and parts produced, as well as the number of cavities in the mold.  Initially, the manufacturing cost may seem high, but the individual price per piece is comparatively low.  The cost is relative – the larger quantities produced means the price overall decreases.

Most plastic injection molding processes are created by using the methods described above.  However, there are several important molding variations to consider:

  • Co-Injection Molding

  • Thin-Wall Molding

  • Rubber Injection

  • Low-Pressure Plastic Injection Molding

  • Inset and Outset Plastic Molding

Plastic mold injection
Plastic mold injection testing

Common Finishes in Plastic Injection Molding

The finished look of a product greatly affects its market success.  The outward attractiveness and appeal of the part, the quality of the surface’s appearance, and the texture are all crucial factors that influence a customer choosing your product instead of another.  One way to make your product unique is by choosing a creative surface finish.

During the design stage, the surface finish of your custom plastic injection molded parts can be determined.  Atlantic Industries has many surfaces finishes for you to consider.  Using both aluminum and steel molds offers more choices.

When compared to P-20 steel:

  • Aluminum has much better thermal heat transfer.  The ejector pins can be placed as needed due to the position and number of water lines being less critical.

  • Aluminum has exceptional machining and polishing characteristics, as high as eight times faster than steel, depending on the type of aluminum alloy used.

  • Aluminum has shown more than a 20% improvement in cycle time productivity savings.

  • Aluminum cuts down on processing time as it is treated for heat and stress during the manufacturing process.

Atlantis Industries offers the following finishes for your plastic injection molded custom parts:

  • SPI-A2                      Grade #6 Diamond                  High Polish Parts
  • SPI-A1                      Grade #3                                Lens or Mirror
  • SPI B-1                     600 Grit Paper                        Typical Application: Medium polish parts.
  • SPI B-                       400 Grit Paper                         Typical Application: Medium polish parts.
  • SPI B-3                      320 Grit Paper                       Typical Application: Medium- Low polish parts.
  • SPI C-1                      600 Stone.                             Typical Application: Low polish parts.
  • SPI C-2                      400 Stone                              Typical Application: Low polish parts.
  • SPI C-3                      320 Stone                              Typical Application: Low polish parts.
  • SPI D-1                      Dry Blast Glass Bead             Typical Application: Satin Finish
  • SPI D-2                      Dry Blast #240 Oxide           Typical Application: Dull Finish
  • SPI D-3                      Dry Blast #24 Oxide             Typical Application: Dull Finish
  • AS MACHINED        No secondary polishing or grinding.  Part will show tooling marks.