ABS injection molding has widely used in the electronics, like the shell of the auto parts, household electrical appliances and electronics products, sports equipment and the other products.
What is ABS Plastic? ABS is short for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, an amorphous thermoplastic that is opaque and can resist impacts. It is one of the most popular material options for injection molding, and it is a polymer made of three monomers, as illustrated in its name. Since it is an amorphous material, it has no true melting point.
The styrene gives the plastic a shiny, impervious surface. On the other hand, the polybutadiene content offers excellent toughness at a wide range of temperatures. It is also possible to modify the chemical structure of ABS. Consequently, the modification improves various characteristics of the plastic-based on specific applications.
ABS plastics are thermoplastics and have applications in many industries requiring strong and impact-resistant materials manufacturing. As a thermoplastic material, ABS does not burn upon heating. Instead, it becomes liquid during the ABS molding process to ensure easy injection molding and recycling.
The most common applications of ABS plastic are seen in keys of computer keyboards, plastic protective coverings, power-tool housing, LEGO toys, and more.
Properties of Plastic ABS The common properties of ABS plastic include the following:
· It has a chemical formula of (C8H8) x· (C4H6) y· (C3H3N) z)
· Heat and chemical resistance
· Resistance to impact, abrasion, and stain
· The typical temperature is 204 – 238 °C
· ABS liquefying temperature is 105 °C
· Tensile strength = 46 MPa (6600 PSI)
· Specific gravity = 1.06
· Shrink rate = 0.5-0.7%
Advantages of ABS Injection Molding There are many benefits derived from ABS plastic molding, so several industries find it very useful. Some of the advantages of the material include:
Energy Efficiency The machines used for ABS plastic molding deliver excellent performance in the processing of these thermoplastics. Their dynamics and strength ensure continuous and repeatable production performance. The energy-saving system also helps you reduce energy demand and overall cycle times.
Variety of Applications ABS plastic molding also ensures very versatile applications. This process is adapted to work with ABS resins of various sizes with excellent integration capabilities. This flexibility ensures the production of components for various industries.
Accurate Reproducibility The ABS injection molding process produces complex parts for complex applications. This is often limited to other injection molding processes. The ability to use complementary techniques and regulated injection molding ensures the reproducible creation of shapes and quality molded parts. Moreover, this material can maintain its characteristics and performance after subjection to drastic temperatures.
Other Advantages Other notable benefits of ABS molding include:
· Stable under load
· High impact strength and dimensional stability
· High tensile strength
· Recyclability
