Molding in Manufacturing

- If the products you’re creating start out as liquid, chances are the manufacturer uses
molding. One popular type of molding is casting, which involves heating plastic until it
becomes liquid, then pouring it into a mold. Once the plastic cools, the mold is
removed, giving you the desired shape. You can also use casting to make plastic
sheeting, which has a wide variety of applications. There are four other types of
molding: injection molding, which melts plastic to create 3-D materials such as butter
tubs and toys; blow molding, used to make piping and milk bottles; compression
molding, used for large-scale products like car tires; and rotational molding, used for
furniture and shipping drums.

Equipment:

Thermoforming

- involves sheets of thin thermoset or thermoplastic plastic that are pressed into the mold
through the use of a vacuum. Machines that perform thermoforming generally move a
sheet of plastic over a mold so the plastic hermetically seals to the pattern. The plastic is
heated until it is malleable. Then, a vacuum is applied, which sucks the plastic into the
mold. Cutting devices trim excess plastic around the mold edges and the plastic is
removed from the mold. The molded plastic is distributed down the line as a fresh sheet
of plastic moves into position.

Vacuum forming,

- a type of thermoforming for thermoplastics that differs in the gauge capability and
application. Vacuforming is typically only used for thin plastic sheets, or “film.” The film
is stretched over a mold, the inverse of thermoforming, and then the vacuum is applied to
suck the film around it.

Injection molding

- can use thermosets or thermoplastics. A machine heats and mixes the plastic until it is in
a pliable molten shape, then a screw device turns to force the plastic into an outlet that
leads to the mold. Once the plastic sets, the mold opens to eject the product.

Reaction injection molding

- uses only thermosets and involves a special curing operation that takes place within the
mold. It is also slightly slower than standard injection molding.
Compression molding

- the opposite of injection molding. The molten plastic is deposited into a mold, which then
closes. There is an inlet hole somewhere in the mold through which another device
applies pressure. The pressure forces the plastic outward into the hollow cavity of the
mold, achieving the final shape. Compression molding often produces items that feature a
great deal of “flashing,” or excess plastic, that must be trimmed off. Compression
molding can also be used to form rubber items.

Transfer molding

- is similar to compression molding but involves a metal plunger to apply pressure. The
molten material is deposited into the mold and sealed within. A metal plunger, which is
like a large shaft, is pressed deep into the mold, forcing the material to spread outwards
and fill in the geometry of the mold. Transfer molding can be used on plastics or rubber.

Extrusion

- is one of the few molding methods that can be performed on hot or cold material. In
extrusion processes, a die is used as opposed to a three-dimensional mold. A die is a two-
dimensional hole with a defined geometry through which a material is forced, or
extruded. The extruded material, usually metal like aluminum or a plastic, takes on the
shape of the die geometry. Continuous extrusion involves the production of very long
extruded pieces, while semi-continuous extrusion produces several similarly-sized pieces.

Blow molding

- resembles compression molding but involves the use of pressurized gas to pressure the
plastic into the geometry of the mold. A mold is filled with molten plastic and sealed. The
sealed mold has a small hole, into which the pressurized gas is pumped. Although the gas
compresses, it eventually creates so much outward pressure that the plastic fills in the
geometry of the mold.

Rotational molding

- involves rotational motion to affect the pressure needed to fill the mold. Molten plastic is
poured into a mold and sealed. The mold then rotates, allowing the molten plastic to drip
down the sides and fill in all the crevices and patterns of the mold.

Hydroforming

- a metal-specific molding technique that uses water pressure to force metal into a dye or
mold. The metal, which is heated to a pliable temperature but is not molten, is inserted
into the mold or dye machine and sealed within.
Laminating

- a simple type of plastic molding that exerts pressure on a sheet of plastic, specifically a
laminate, onto a substrate. Sometimes the laminate overlaps the substrate and a second
sheet of laminate on the opposite side is forced to adhere to the first sheet. The force to
adhere the plastic to the substrate is either provided by heat or physical pressure from a
block.

Application:

Injection Molding

- a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mold.
Injection molding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for
which the process is called die-casting), glasses, elastomers, confections, and most
commonly thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Material for the part is fed into a
heated barrel, mixed (Using a helical shaped screw), and injected (Forced) into a mold
cavity, where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity

Machining in Manufacturing

- It would be difficult to make products like metal parts without the use of some type of
machine. Manufacturers use tools like saws, sheers and rotating wheels to achieve the
desired result. There are also tools that use heat to shape items. Laser machines can cut
a piece of metal using a high-energy light beam, and plasma torches can turn gas into
plasma using electricity. Erosion machines apply a similar principle using water or
electricity, and computer numerical control machines introduce computer programming
into the manufacturing mix.

Equipment:

Column
- This is the most common milling machine, which has 5 basic components, They are the
work table, saddle, head, knee, and over arm. Considered as the simplest machine type,
its cutting device is vertically suspended to allow drilling of metals. This is typically used
when creating car parts because it is small and handy.

Turret
- The turret is also known as the Bridgeport-type and can be repositioned anytime you
want making this machine very functional. Its versatility makes it more practical since a
variety of products can be made in addition to car parts.
C-frame
- Because it is sturdier than a turret, this type is popular in industrial settings. It comes with
a hydraulic motor, which makes it very powerful.

Horizontal
- This machine runs parallel to the ground. The table from which the object to be worked
on is placed moves sideways while the cutting device goes up and down.

Bed type
- The worktable is located on the bed itself, instead of being paced on top, its usual
position. The knee part of the machine is omitted to allow movement in a longitudinal
direction.

Planer-style
- This machine type is basically the same as the bed mill. However, the planner-style
includes cutters and heads that allow for a wider range of milling actions.

Tracer controlled
- This type of machine has the ability to reproduce parts based on a master model. Most of
the industrial sectors, especially the automotive industry, choose this type of machine
because it make production and specialization of machine parts easier. With the vast
classifications of milling machines, you need to choose the one you need according to
how you intend to use it.

Application:

Milling (Machining)

- removes material by performing many separate, small cuts is the process of machining
using rotary cutters to remove material by advancing a cutter into a work piece. This may
be done varying direction on one or several axes, cutter head speed, and pressure. Milling
covers a wide variety of different operations and machines, on scales from small
individual parts to large, heavy-duty gang milling operations. It is one of the most
commonly used processes for machining custom parts to precise tolerances.
Joining in Manufacturing

- You can only get so far with molds and machines. At some point you need to be able to
put multiple parts together to make one piece. Otherwise, just about all you can create
is like furniture that needs to be assembled, part by part. Joining uses processes like
welding and soldering to apply heat to combine materials. Pieces can also be joined
using adhesive bonding or fasteners.

Equipment:

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

- With this particular type of welding, the welder follows a manual process of stick
welding. The stick uses an electric current to form an electric arc between the stick and
the metals to be joined. This type is often used in the construction of steel structures and
in industrial fabrication to weld iron and steel.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG)

- This style of welding is also referred to as Metal Inert Gas (MIG). It uses a shielding gas
along the wire electrode, which heats up the two metals to be joined. This method
requires a constant voltage and direct-current power source, and is the most common
industrial welding process. It has four primary methods of metal transfer: globular,
short-circuiting, spray and pulsed-spray.

Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

- This was developed as an alternative to shield welding. The semi-automatic arc weld is
often used in construction projects, thanks to its high welding speed and portability.

Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (GTAW/TIG)

- Welding together thick sections of stainless steel or non-ferrous metals is the most
common use for this method. It is also an arc-welding process that uses a tungsten
electrode to produce the weld.

Application:

Projection Welding (Joining)

- typically used when welding particular types of sheet metal, welded wire mesh or wire
mesh. Thicker stock is more difficult to spot weld because the heat flows into the
surrounding metal more easily. Spot welding can be easily identified on many sheet metal
goods, such as metal buckets. Aluminium alloys can be spot welded, but their much
higher thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity requires higher welding currents.
This requires larger, more powerful, and more expensive welding transformers.
Shearing and Forming in Manufacturing

- When dealing with sheet metal, shearing comes into play. Shearing uses cutting blades
to make straight cuts into a piece of metal. Also known as die cutting, you’ll often see
shearing used on aluminum, brass, bronze and stainless steel. Another metal-shaping
process is forming, which uses compression or another type of stress to move materials
into a desired shape. Although forming is often used with metal, it also can be used on
other materials, including plastic.

Equipment:

Alligator shear
- This has a hinged jaw to cut metal and hence it is named as alligator shear. It is powered
with the help of hydraulic cylinder and mainly comes in use for cutting long metal stock.
This includes angle, iron, pipes, l-beams, etc.
Bench shear
- The bench mounted shear is ideal for cutting rough shapes from a medium sized sheet metal
to offer an additional mechanical advantage via a compound mechanism. Hence larger the
machine, greater is the stress withstanding power to produce a better burrs free cuts.
Guillotine
- A guillotine is a machine that consists of a shear table, a work holding device as well as a
gauging device along with upper and lower shears. This can be either mechanical or
hydraulic and even powered by foot. The moving blade is kept straight or can even be set
on an angle. The aim of getting the setting right is to reduce the amount of force required
to cut a large metal piece.
Power shears
- The power shear is the optimal selection of machine for blanking large piece of sheet metal.
It can be operated both electrically and pneumatically. It can cut in straight lines or large
radius curves and are more flexible, efficient, accurate, and durable with better finish
quality.
Throat-less shear
- This type of sheer is the best one to use to make a straight, intricate curved or irregular cuts
as well as throat less sheer. The main difference being that its design allows it to move
round freely.
Snips
- This is a type of hand too that can cut sheet metal and is of few different types like snips,
tinner snips, compound action snips. The tin snips have a circular pattern, the hawks bill
pattern can cut radii on the inside and outside of circles but require sharp turns when
cutting.
Nibblers
- The nibbler also works like tin snips that work of a punch and die formation. The main
benefit being it is robust and durable and has an ability to produce distortion free cuts, it is
fast and has a low force feed.
Application:

Shearing

- a process which cuts stock without the formation of chips or the use of burning or
melting. Strictly speaking, if the cutting blades are straight the process is called shearing;
if the cutting blades are curved then they are shearing-type operations. The most
commonly sheared materials are in the form of sheet metalor plates, however rods can
also be sheared. Shearing-type operations include: blanking, piercing, roll slitting, and
trimming. It is used in metalworking and also with paper and plastics.