Whether you’re looking for a specific tactile feel in the surface texture, insulation, damping, or improved sealing of your components in a hard-soft combination using two-component injection molding—plastic injection molding offers virtually every conceivable design option. It’s also possible to match the appearance and color of different materials to create a cohesive design. All in all, this manufacturing process also reduces material and energy consumption, making it more environmentally friendly than, for example, working with rubber or steel.
One or two injection molding machines? Advantages and applications
The entire process can generally be carried out using one or two injection molding machines. When using a single machine, the base part is first injection-molded as the first component, the part is repositioned, and then the second material is added by the same machine.
In the other variant, the base component is manufactured in Machine 1 and then transferred by a handling system or a robot to Machine 2, where the second component is injected. Both methods are suitable depending on customer specifications and are offered by us. But what are the specific advantages?
Using a single machine is highly efficient and can be automated, which is particularly beneficial for series production of plastic parts. The same applies to standard parts, which can be manufactured in a single machine due to the repetitive nature of the production steps.
For large parts, using two machines makes sense, as the dimensions of the finished part may exceed the capacity of a single injection molding machine. Many special applications are also difficult to implement with a single machine; in these cases, two machines are appropriate.