Page 65 - Plastic News Issue August 2025

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Reimagining Plastic Part Design mold. This does not only save on materials but
also on the duration of time the plastic is already
The design consequences are tremendous in supposed to have cooled and solidified. Addi-
the field of plastic parts. Designers are not limit- tionally, the gas pressure produces dimensional
ed anymore by the complexity of parts or thick- stability, which eliminates costly errors or repairs.
ness. It is now possible that hollow sections can
be made without secondary process of coring Such time and materials savings hold the pros-
or drilling. It is a game changer to industries that pect of bottom line profits in larger and mass
require ergonomic, lightweight and mechanically production environments and particularly the
strong parts. automotive, appliance and consumer goods in-
dustries. Effective molding systems are able to
As another example, thin sections allowing ribs pump thousands of flawless complex pieces of
and supports to be concealed can be used in plastics and provide repeatability and precision
the furniture or electronics industries, and made with a single product range.
by gas-assisted (or passive) injection molding. In
automotive complex molding, at the same time, No wonder, therefore, that companies which as-
the dashboards, handles, and bulky parts and pire sustainable practices and lean manufactur-
supports are reduced in weight and would have ing are spending many dollars in such advanced
the same strength throughout the part. molding techniques.

With the development of new and improved Table: Traditional Injection Molding vs. Gas-
molding techniques, design teams are allowed Assisted Injection Molding
to go to the extremes. Structurally solid parts
that are thick? Achievable. Surfaces that are Feature Traditional Injection Gas-Assisted Injection
Molding
Molding
beautiful, unblemished, and not warped? Ex- Wall Thick- High risk of sink marks Uniform wall thickness with
ness Limita-
reduced warping
pected. The combination of gas technology and tions
the mold engineering industry has made avail- Cooling Time Longer due to full mate- Shorter as gas displaces
rial fill
plastic
able things that the traditional plastic injection Design Flex- Restricted for intricate Perfect for items that are
innovations could never even cover. ibility geometries hollow and complicated
Material Us- Higher Reduced by up to 30%
age
The Science behind Efficiency: Efficient Mold- Production Higher due to rework, Lower due to fewer
ing Systems Cost scrap defects
Surface Potential imperfections Enhanced aesthetics with
The development of effective molding equip- Finish fewer blemishes
Structural Varies Hollowed yet strong
ment is intimately related to the introduction of Integrity designs
gas-assisted injection molding. But what does
this mean by an efficient system? Such a comparison shows that gas-assisted
injection molding is manifestly profitable in re-
The ability to have increased efficiency is made spect to flexibility, cost, and efficiency, which are
up of minimized material wastage, cycle time re- the three foundations of the modern-day pro-
duction, and energy saving. Less resin is needed duction.
because gas displaces some of the plastic in the

August 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 65