Polymer Testing Equipment

In today’s article, we will be discussing an important part of materials development and proper materials selection, i.e., testing and standardization of polymers with the Polymer Testing Equipment. The latter part of this article is therefore devoted to this aspect. It presents schematically (in simplified form) a number of standard test methods for plastics, highlighting the principles of the tests and the properties measured by them.

There are two stages in the process of becoming familiar with plastics. The first is rather general and involves an introduction to the unique molecular structures of polymers, their physical states, and transitions which have marked influence on their behavior. These have been dealt with in article “What is a Polymer”. The second stage, which will be treated in this article, is more specific in that it involves a study of the specific properties of plastics which dictate their applications.

Molding Plastic Components

A good knowledge of Plastic Injection Mold Design is undoubtedly the single most important factor in Molding Plastic Components. A lot of improvements have been made in the Molding processes over time, but the basics still remain the same. Mold design has been more of a technical trade than an engineering process. Traditionally, practitioners have shared standard practices and learned tricks of the trade to develop sophisticated molds that often exceed customer expectations.

However, the lack of fundamental engineering analysis during mold design frequently results in molds that may fail and require extensive rework, produce moldings of inferior quality, or are less cost effective than may have been possible. Indeed, it has been estimated that on average 49 out of 50 molds require some modifications during the mold start-up process. Many times, mold designers and end-users may not know how much money was “left on the table”.

The word“Injection Mold Engineering”in implies a methodical and analytical approach to thermoplastics mold design. The engineer who understands the causality between design decisions and mold performance has the ability to make better and more informed decisions on an application by application basis. Such decision making competence is a competitive enabler by supporting the development of custom mold designs that outperform molds developed according to standard practices. The proficient engineer also avoids the cost and time needed to delegate decision to other parties, who are not necessarily more competent.

This site is geared towards professionals working in a tightly integrated supply chain including product designers, mold designers, and injection molders. This site aims to provide working examples with rigorous analysis and detailed discussion of vital mold engineering concepts. It should be understood that this textbook purposefully  investigates the prevalent and fundamental aspects of injection mold engineering.

We will keep updating this article to include more information on both, resin and polymer parts and tool design. Meanwhile feel free to check out the Common Injection molding troubleshooting guide and other engineering plastics articles on our site.