| First off you may be thinking what is | | | | material due to its properties of strength, |
| ABS is (Acrylonitrile Butadiene) is a common | | | | durability and rigidness. The ABS is fed into a |
| thermoplastic used to make rigid, light, moulded | | | | heated barrel where it is mixed up and forced into |
| products such as: | | | | a mould cavity, here it cools down and hardens to |
| - Golf club heads (ABS is used as it gives good | | | | the properties of the mould cavity. |
| shock absorbance). | | | | The moulds used are made by a mouldmaker or |
| - Piping (like Plastic Pressure Pipe Systems). | | | | a toolmaker, they are based on the designs or an |
| - Musical Instruments (mainly plastic clarinets and | | | | industrial designer or at times an engineer. The |
| recorders being the most common). | | | | moulds are precision machined and made from |
| - Toys (famously Lego Bricks). | | | | metal, usually aluminium or steel. |
| - Automotive Body Parts | | | | The Characteristics of Injection Moulding |
| - Protective Head Gear | | | | - Produces on open ended or solid shape which |
| - Wheel Covers | | | | conforms to the properties of the mould in place. |
| A strange one you would not think of is ABS | | | | - Used Thermoset or Thermoplastic Materials |
| Plastic Ground to a diameter of less than 1 | | | | (ABS being a material that can be used) |
| micrometer is commonly used in the inks for | | | | - Produces gate marks, a parting line and sprue. |
| tattooists, it acts as a colorant and tattoo inks | | | | - A screw type or ram plunger is used to force |
| that do use ABS are extremely vivid. | | | | the molten plastic into the desired mould. |
| Properties of ABS | | | | - Usually present on the completed product are |
| The advantages of ABS are that being derived | | | | ejector pin marks. |
| from Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene it | | | | Injection moulding is used to manufacture many |
| combines the rigidity and strength of the | | | | common products you will use everyday. Some |
| Acrylonitrile and Styrene Polymers along with the | | | | of these products include: |
| toughness of the Polybutadiene Rubber. The most | | | | - Bottle Caps |
| important properties of ABS are the toughness | | | | - Milk Cartons |
| of the material and the resistance. | | | | - Pocket Combs |
| If during manufacture you increase the | | | | - Containers |
| proportions of Polybutadiene in relation to | | | | - Automotive Dashboards |
| Acrylonitrile and Styrene the impact resistance of | | | | - And most other plastic products that are |
| the material will be amplified however this does | | | | available in the market today. |
| cause changes in the properties. | | | | It is an ideal method if you wish to produce the |
| Now you know about ABS onto the Injection | | | | same product in high volumes, the high production |
| Moulding Side of things. | | | | rate of injection moulding, low labour costs, high |
| ABS Injection Moulding | | | | tolerances, wide range of materials that can be |
| Thermoplastics and Thermosetting Plastics | | | | used, little need to finish the product after |
| materials are the materials used in the process of | | | | completion and minimal scrap losses are the main |
| Injection Moulding. ABS is a very popular choice of | | | | advantages of Injection Moulding. |