Do you or your company depend on structurally unique parts to perform work? Are you looking for a lower-cost alternative to substances like glass, metals, plastics, and even porcelain? You’ve come to the right place. Reaction injection molding, or RIM molding, offers multiple advantages that other structural materials and processes cannot. Read about the benefits of reaction injection molding vs. injection molding below.
What’s the Difference Between the Two?
While similar, plastic injection molding and RIM molding involve different substances that yield varying results. Plastic injection molding involves injecting a substance that looks like peanut butter into a mold, which is pressed and then rapidly cooled. This allows the plastic to achieve the engineer’s desired shape without a curing agent.
RIM molding has essential differences to plastic injection molding. RIM molding involves a thermosetting polymer—a resin that undergoes a curing reaction inside of a mold. Two elements of the given polymer are injected together into the mold, allowing the elements to react to each other—hence the name. Then, the third element is injected into the mold, usually close to room temperature. Next, heat is applied to the mold so the final product can harden.
Benefits of Reaction Injection Molding
One of the main reasons RIM molding is used so frequently is because a sweeping range of products can be made with it. Engineers can produce hard and durable products just as easily as pliant and soft ones. RIM molded products are virtually limitless when it comes to size, as well—being nearly as large as vehicles or as small as ancillary parts.
Depending on a company’s needs, the right combination of polymers can be used to create products with seemingly disparate characteristics, as well. Because of the low cost of materials involved in RIM molding, this makes it easy to produce a part on a limited budget.
Thank you for reading our resource page on the benefits of reaction injection molding vs. injection molding. Still curious about RIM molding’s unmatched advantages? Read about RIM overmolding and encapsulation here. If you want to get started on a project with us as soon as possible, upload your CAD file here! If you have any other questions about our process, feel free to contact us.