For large-scale manufacturing projects, engineers are always looking for ways to simplify the process and obtain the most effective results for the project. As time passed, different production techniques and materials were used, because other production methods produce different results, usually dependent on the team at work and the materials they used. One such mass production process is injection molding.

Over the years, injection molding has become a staple of mass production of plastic products, two main types of polymers are used in injection molding: thermoplastics and thermosets. Even though they sound alike and share similarities, they have very different properties and are used in a variety of unique applications.

The main difference between thermoplastics and thermosets
The main difference between thermoplastics and thermosets is the way they react to heat. Thermoset plastics strengthen when heated, however, once they are heated, they cannot be reshaped or subjected to additional heat to change their structure again. This results in thermoset plastics that can withstand higher temperatures without losing their integrity. Thermoset plastics maintain their overall strength and shape when exposed to high temperatures. Think of thermoplastics like cheese and thermoset plastics like a burger patty. Cheese comes in a variety of different shapes but when melted it can take on a new form. Once cooked, a burger patty can’t be melted to take on a new form – it can only be further charred, which can ruin the quality of the burger. This property of thermoset materials proves to be beneficial in the manufacture of large permanent parts and assemblies. They can withstand multiple uses and extreme conditions well; however, high melting points are not necessarily suitable for injection molding.

In addition, not all thermosets have the same melting point. Each material reacts differently to heat, and special machines are required to correctly use specific thermosetting materials in injection molding. Therefore, an injection molding machine used for one type of thermosets may not be suitable for another type.

On the other hand, thermoplastics can be heated, cooled, and reheated multiple times to form and form different shapes, structures, and uses without changing the basic chemical structure. Compared with thermosets, thermoplastics have a lower melting point. For injection molding, thermoplastics have obvious advantages and can create a wider range of products on a large-scale production scale. Further decomposing thermoplastics, various types can be used in injection molding.

Thermoplastics provide manufacturers with additional materials that they can use in their injection molding projects. Production materials that can be quickly heated, cooled and reheated without losing their chemical properties enable manufacturers to complete various projects that other materials simply cannot.

In the process of mass injection molding, the use of materials with molecular structure can be continuously heated and cooled to adapt to a specific mold, which is critical to the success of the project. With a manufacturing engineering team like OmkBoxes by your side, we have the expertise and the capabilities in injection molding manufacturing to help you choose the perfect thermoplastic polymer for your product.