Plastic overmolding is perhaps one of the most popular processes in plastic injection molding. The term overmolding refers to the process where a thermoplastic material is molded over another plastic material (also known as insert) to form a new component.Generally, the thermoplastic is an elastomer that can easily melt and be processed.
The second plastic material, which acts as the insert, is more rigid in its composition. Examples of the soft plastic include TPE and urethanes, while rigid plastics like nylon or polycarbonate are used as the insert.
The ability to create a new unique product makes plastic overmolding a popular method for creating custom components. The right combination of two plastic materials can result in the manufacturing of a strong and durable product; one that has an aesthetic appeal, and provides efficient performance.
Advantages of Custom Plastic Overmolding
As one can imagine, there are a number of benefits that clients from numerous industries can avail by choosing custom plastic overmolding for new product creation.
- Improved Design Variations: The use of two different plastic materials allows for the design of plastic components in various shapes and sizes depending on the requirement.
- Enhanced Structure: The combination of the two plastics provides a stronger product base in terms of structure and strength. This also leads to higher component reliability.
- Elimination of Bonding and Adhesives: Advanced tools and injection molding machines are used to facilitate the overmolding process. The use of compatible materials and the ability of the molding machine to create the product with tight tolerances eliminates the need for adhesives or even bonding of the two materials.
- Multiple Part Manufacturing: With custom plastic overmolding, one can mass produce components made from two or more materials.
- Reduction in Expenditure: The molding process reduces an immense amount of expenditure in terms of operations, labor, product assembly, and inspection. The combination of the plastic materials and the overmolding process ensures that the component will maintain its integrity during testing and inspection, and use in an application.
Custom Plastic Overmolding Applications
The aforementioned advantages makes overmolded components the perfect choice for specific applications in a variety of technical industries.
- Plastic housings for various electrical devices
- Custom handle grips for mobile industrial equipment
- Small components like control knobs and buttons for various types of appliances
- Plastic components for medical instruments and devices
From the above information, one can clearly see how custom plastic overmolding can be advantageous for many industries.
