Injection Moulding
In the injection moulding process TPE pellets are fed into the machine through a hopper and then into a heated barrel. The heat from the barrel turns the material into a liquid resin which is then injected into a closed mould under high pressure. After allowing the molten polymer to cool, the finished part can be removed from the mould.
Injection moulding is a high-volume, high tooling cost process, the advanced properties of our TPE compounds deliver short cycle times allowing parts to be produced at a rapid rate.
The information below is intended as a general overview, settings may vary depending on the specific grade selected. Please contact us for detailed processing information
Settings
Equipment | Conventional injection moulding machine |
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Compression set | At least 2:1. Special screws with short sections and higher compression ratios (3:1 to 4:1) may be good at low screw speeds |
Shrinkage | Between 1.0% and 2.5% depending on the grade, type of application and location of the gate
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Mould surface | Produced by EDM or shot blasted is recommended |
Ejection | Ejector plates are generally recommended for soft grades. If ejector pins are used, they should be as large as possible and act on sections of the part that are stiffest |
Gates | Diaphragm gate, fan gate, submarine gate, multiple-pinpoint gate |
Venting | A vent groove depth of 0.01 to 0.02 mm is generally sufficient |
SEBS based materials
Runner temperature | Depending on the grade of material, the lowest temperature of material in runner, during unloaded parts of cycle should be 170 – 240°C |
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Cylinder temperature | 190 – 245°C (260°C may be necessary for large parts) |
Mould temperature | 15 – 60°C |
Injection velocity | Due to the strong viscosity/shear rate relationship, a high injection velocity is desirable for SEBS based materials |
SBS based materials
Runner temperature | Depending on the grade of material, the lowest temperature of material in runner, during unloaded parts of cycle should be around 170 – 200°C |
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Cylinder temperature | 170 – 200°C, should not exceed 220°C |
Mould temperature | 15 – 60°C |
Injection velocity | SBS compounds should preferably be injected at moderate injection velocities |
Contact Our Experts
Drop an email to DEX and he’ll arrange for your local expert to contact you
DEX
Mr TPE
Processing guides
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