The global injection moulding market size was estimated at USD 285.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9 percent in the period from 2024 to 2030. This growth is a result of the rising need for lightweight materials in fields like the automobile industry, packaging and the healthcare sector. Injection moulding remains one of the most important processes in the manufacture of plastics because of the flexibility and high accuracy in shaping of the components. Nevertheless, the need to increase the efficiency of production without compromising the quality of the products has been the greatest challenge that has forced manufacturers to look for ways of enhancing their efficiency. It is crucial to examine the approaches that can be used to enhance the productivity of the injection moulding process.
The first and the most obvious method of increasing the efficiency of the injection moulding process is tuning the parameters of the machine, namely temperature, pressure, and injections rate. Each of the plastic materials has its most preferred processing conditions and any variation from these conditions may result in formation of defects, scrap or cycle time. Through the use of more accurate controls, the operator can be able to maintain the moulding process in an optimal state that will not lead to wastage of products and hence increased productivity.
Toyota’s example of lean manufacturing is perhaps one of the most famous cases when the company applied lean manufacturing techniques to its plastic parts production line. With an eye on real-time machine parameters, Toyota was able to establish automated systems that helped to decrease cycle times considerably and minimize material wastage. It also helped them to enhance their efficiency while at the same time cutting down their emission of carbon.
It is also important to increase machine efficiency by maintaining machines in the best way possible and reducing their working time as much as possible. The predictive maintenance systems involve the use of sensors and analysis techniques to check on the status of moulding machines. These systems can also forecast possible breakdowns or inefficiencies with real time data so that operators can make repairs before the breakdowns become more severe. This way we avoid situations when the equipment fails when we least expect it, hence causing more time wastage and scrapping of material.
This best practice has been adopted by German automotive supplier Bosch in its injection moulding activities to enhance its reliability and cut on its maintenance expenses. This way, Bosch used data analytics to determine how long each piece of machinery would last and thus extend the equipment’s life and reduce the time usually taken in conventional maintenance. Such a course of action proved to be useful since it allowed the company to reduce the maintenance costs and improve productivity.
The selection of material is another aspect which, if optimized, will lead to increased efficiency. These include components that can undergo processing at lower temperatures and those that can cool faster and therefore decrease cycle time and energy used. Further, lightweighting can enhance the quality of the part and subsequently decrease the quantity of the plastic required per part. It not only helps in reducing cost of materials but also helps in reducing energy consumption in heating the mould and cooling the part.
One example comes from the Lego firm, which has been trying to find out which other material could replace traditional plastics for manufacture of its popular building blocks. Lego has been able to reduce the material price for the plastics as well as the energy used in the moulding process by using the bio-based plastics. The new material also gets cooled faster plus it shortens the cycle time thus increasing throughput.
Automation is another area through which manufacturers can gain efficiencies. Repetitive tasks such as part removal, inspection and packaging can be done by the automated system with a minimal interference of human beings to avoid making mistakes. Robots are faster and more accurate than humans; therefore, productivity can be improved by having them on the team. For instance, automation can be applied to improve the management of moulded parts where cycle time can be reduced by increasing the rate of post-moulding processes such as trimming or assembly.
A contract manufacturer for medical devices, Phillips-Medisize, has implemented robots to perform all the tasks right from part removal to packaging of injection moulded parts. Through this level of automation, they were able to cut on the cost of labor and minimize on human interferences while at the same time ensuring that the products had the best quality. Therefore the company was able to achieve significant increase in production capacity without having to hire more employees.
Electricity is one of the main expenses that are associated with injection moulding processes. Electric injection moulding machines or hybrid systems can significantly reduce energy consumption. Electric machines are more accurate, take a shorter time to complete a cycle and are more energy efficient as compared to hydraulic machines. Furthermore, increasing the efficiency of the cooling system for the mold can also result in a reduction in energy consumption. For instance, employing sophisticated mould temperature control units can reduce the cooling time and therefore enhance the cycle time.
At several of its plants, Whirlpool Corporation replaced its injection moulding machines with electric ones that are energy efficient. These machines used less energy than the hydraulic machines that were used before and helped Whirlpool reduce energy use and at the same time increase production. Also, it was established that the machines had a shorter cycle time, which enabled Whirlpool to make more parts within a given period of time without having to sacrifice the quality of the parts being made.
S Narayana Prasad, Triveni Turbine, CEO says "energy-efficient technologies can result in significant long-term cost savings, making manufacturing more competitive on a global scale"
By adopting these approaches, manufacturers not only increase their revenue but also enhance sustainability in the production processes. In the future as the industry grows, those who will focus on the process improvements will generate enough profits to compete with the global market.
