Types of Moulding Process

Three types of moulding processes are available - compression, transfer and injection moulding. In compression moulding the rubber blank is placed directly into the cavity of the mould where it is heated by conduction which causes rubber flow by application of pressure. Transfer moulding uses prewarmed rubber which is heated during transfer and forced through small orifices into the mould cavities in a three-part mould. In the injection moulding process, the rubber compound is pushed under pressure from an injection head where it has been heated and plasticized into a closed heated mould where cure is completed. 

Apart from the above three types there are custom built rubber products such as expansion joints, flexible cell covers and large size rubber foils for the caustic soda industry, and many inflatables, fabric reinforced products and thick moulded sheets for specialty applications in certain process plants. These are all hand formed in aluminium or cast iron moulds or forms by laying up process and then cured in autoclave. Here the flow of the un-vulcanized rubber during cure is not very important as the shape is already formed rather the green strength and the stiffness of rubber stock with a low scorch time are the important requisites. A rubber expansion joint made by a hand layup method and cured in autoclave is shown in the following figure 14.1. 

---

Switchgear tends to be operated infrequently, whereas motor control centres operate frequently as required by the process that uses the motor. Apart from the incomers and busbar section circuit breakers, the motor control centres are designed with contactors and fuses (or some types of moulded case circuit breakers in low voltage equipment) that will interrupt fault currents within a fraction of a cycle of AC current. Circuit breakers need several cycles of fault current to flow before interruption is complete. Consequently the components within a circuit breaker must withstand the higher forces and heat produced when several complete cycles of fault current flow. 

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this document follow a process-flow approach to describe the various operations, from pattern making to finishing and heat treatment. Applied techniques are described, emission and consumption levels given and techniques to minimise the environmental impact are discussed. The structure of Chapter 5 is based on a distinction between the type of metal and the type of moulding. 

The effect of glass size causes a variation in property level, the extent of which will depend upon the type of size, process and property being measured. Tex is also important for spray mouldings with finer tex (40) giving better properties than a coarse tex (80) for a given level of reinforcement. 

Thermoplastics can be moulded into articles by injection moulding or blow moulding. In injection moulding high pressure is used to inject molten thermoplastic into a mould where it solidifies. Blow moulding is the most common process for making hollow articles such as bottles [75]. In this type of moulding, a molten tube of resin is extruded, a mould is closed around the tube, and air is fed into the tube to expand it into the mould. 

A third type of suspension is that in which polymer particles are suspended in monomer which is then polymerised. This is, however, rather more a variant of the casting process in which monomer or low molecular weight polymer is cast into a mould and then polymerised in situ. 

One of the most cotrunon processing methods for plastics is injection moulding. Nowadays every home, every vehicle, every office, every factory contains a multitude of different types of articles which have been injection moulded. These include such things as electric drill casings, yoghurt cartons, television... 

The basic RIM process is illustrated in Fig. 4.47. A range of plastics lend themselves to the type of fast polymerisation reaction which is required in this process - polyesters, epoxies, nylons and vinyl monomers. However, by far the most commonly used material is polyurethane. The components A and B are an isocyanate and a polyol and these are kept circulating in their separate systems until an injection shot is required. At this point the two reactants are brought together in the mixing head and injected into the mould. 

In some compositions the PIB is plasticized with ethyl oleate to improve low temp properties. .. Since the propint is a stiff paste it can be inserted into a rocket motor by a type of injection moulding process (Refs 3 5)... 

This review is concerned with the engineering thermoplastic uses of polyamide materials in injection moulding and extrusion applications. Types of polyamides are described, and their key properties are considered. Commercial applications in the automotive, electrical/ electronic, engineering and construction, and packaging industries are discussed. Polyamide processing is... 

These products are most usually formed by moulding or extrusion processes and have a solid outer skin around the cell structure. Organic blowing agents are used for this type of process. Extender... 

Frequent mould cleaning is essential in long-run production to ensure good product appearance. The cleaning frequency is dependent on the application of the components being manufactured, the type of compound being processed and the temperature of vulcanisation. 

Note 3 Reaction injection moulding and reinforced reaction injection moulding are types of reactive polymer processing. 

PE and EVA foams were manufactured by a two-stage heat and chill compression moulding technique, which allowed more efficient utilisation of the platen area than other compression moulding process variants and which was suited to low density foam production. The interrelationships of base polymer type, crosslinking and blowing agent concentrations and physical properties of resultant foams were investigated. 13 refs. 

A study was made of the thermal degradation behaviour of PS foams used as patterns in the lost foam process for metal casting. The data indicated that the thermal degradation of the pattern had a strong effect on mould filling and casting quality. The use of other types of foam such as PE, PP, PMMA and styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers to overcome problems encountered with PS foam patterns is discussed. 7 refs. 

---