Clear plastic molding parts manufacturing solution
Plastic molding process is the most reasonable process to make high quality clear plastic parts.
Clear plastic resin for injection molding
There are a few clear resin for plastic injection molding such as clear PMMA ( acrylic), clear polycarbonate, clear ABS, clear PVC and polypropylene etc.
Thereinto the acrylic and polycarbonate is light transmission quality is the best. PMMA is better than polycarbonate as well, but the polycarbonate is engineering resin have very good impact performance, PMMA is not. Normally PMMA and polycarbonate is used for the plastic lens. Sure polycarbonate is used for transparent plastic product as well such as transparent plastic cup, transparent electronic product enclosure and transparent plastic container etc.
There is transparent ABS and opaque ABS, opaque molding ABS raw material color is light yellow color. Clear ABS molding resin is commonly used for electronic product enclosures and clear plastic bottle cap etc as the ABS resin cost is cheaper than the polycarbonate resin.
Clear PVC is commonly used for the transparent plastic pipe, pipe connector and industry plastic product what request the transparent color, the PVC environmental performance is less than the other resin.
Polypropylene is just the semitransparent plastic resin, it is common used for semitransparent plastic cup. The resin is a little bit softer than the polycarbonate resin.
Plastic mold making for clear plastic molding product or part
Core and cavity steel for clear plastic molding and polishing
For the mold manufacturing for clear plastic molding, the core and cavity steel is very important and the transparent quality depends on the steel selection and polishing.
For the high quality clear plastic molding lens and the surface finishing above SPI A3 , you should choose the ASSAB S136 through hardness steel with mirror polishing. If the mold life is lower than 500,000shots, you can choose the NAK80 as well.
Regarding the clear plastic molding lens equal to SPI A3 and you purchase, you can choose 420, 2083, Formadur 2083 etc. If it is low volume production, you can choose the prehard steel such as 420H and 2083H.
For the PVC resin, you have to choose the 420 series stainless steel for core and cavity all the time such as 420, 2083 and 2316 etc. Sure you can choose the 420 series prehard steel as well.
Normally the transparent plastic parts mold surface finishing should be above or equal to SPI A3.
What you should pay attention for clear plastic injection mold manufacturing?
No welding all the time for the mirror polishing steel. If you need to weld, you had better to change the steel to remake new core and cavity except for that you do not mind the surface quality. The reason is that if there is welding on the steel, there will be mark on the clear plastic product. This is one of the important reason why the plastic molds used for clear plastic molding are more expensive.
High polishing for the core and cavity, specify the the polishing for the mold surface finishing for your mold maker as different polishing standard request different steel and polishing, these will affect the mould cost.
Cover the core and cavity after polishing with clean plastic sheet or clear cardboard etc.
Never touch the core and cavity with your dirty fingers even if you think your finger is clean, never do this.
What we should pay attention for clear plastic molding production?
Make sure your mold is clean including the mold base.
Clean the additional oil in the mold otherwise there will be more and more transparent part with this kind of oil. You will feel painful to waste resin and your labor.
Use the clean plastic injection machine to injection the clear plastic part. Never use the injection machine just shot the black parts. The most cost saving solution is to have injection machine just shot the transparent parts, compromise solution is to use the machine just shot the white color. Otherwise you probably face to clean the barrel screw to save resin waste.
Dry the clear plastic resin as per the resin specification to make the moisture out, otherwise you will face the white mark etc. different trouble.
Make sure your injection molding room and working table is clean. Prepare the clean box to storage the clear plastic products. Have the clean plastic sheet to cover the plastic product, please let your plastic sheet supplier know you will use these to cover the clear part and resin type, never use the PVC sheet to cover the plastic lens or high quality transparent parts.
How to clean the high quality clear plastic molding product ?
If it is small spot on the clear product, you just need to have the small toothpick wrapped with 3M adhesive to stick the spot out.
If it is fingerprint, you should use the clearning room wiper fetching aether petrolei to clean the clear plastic molding lens or clear plastic product. Please gently wipe the clear plastic parts from one side to another side, never wipe back and forth.
Clear plastic molding parts manufacturing solution
