Insert molding refers to the encapsulation of inserts during molding. There are a great variety of inserts including cables, plugs, springs, screw nuts etc. For information on back molding of labels (In-Mold Labeling) with film or textiles (In-Mold-Decoration), please see IML / IMD.
Machine, Mold and Automation Working as One System
With insert molding technology the injection-molding machine is often only a part of the whole system. The inserts usually have to be orientated first. Vibrating tables can be used for this. End-of-Arm tooling systems place the inserts in the mold – often via a pre-positioning device – to the mold. Exact positioning is of the utmost importance for the finished part at this stage. The repeatability of the opening movement of the injection molding machine is critical. The inserts are shut into the mold and held with a vacuum or by mechanical means (for example, sliders). While insertion is taking place the finished parts are extracted. The demands which the encapsulation process places on the machine are no greater than those of conventional injection molding. Of course our mold making and automation partners play a key role in this technology.
A Sound Basis
Insert molding technology is available with all our machines including the MAXIMA, ELEKTRA and K-TEC series. The key technologies here are in mold design and automation technology. Our partners can offer expert advice and support. With complex and time-consuming insertion and extraction processes our stack-turning mold technology can also be used to reduce part costs, and not only for multi-component technology. With cube molds the free sides are used for simultaneous placement of inserts and the extraction of the finished parts – without affecting the cycle time. Our applications team will be pleased to help you find the right machine configuration for your production needs.
