What should I pay most attention to when buying an injection molding machine

1. Adaptability of production requirements
Before entering the market for the purchase of injection molding machines, companies must accurately anchor their own production needs.If it mainly produces small, precision electronic product accessories, such as mobile phone cato, micro speaker shell, etc., then the injection accuracy of the injection molding machine has become a key indicator.Such products have strict dimensional tolerance requirements, and the accuracy needs to be controlled at the micron level, which is difficult for ordinary precision injection molding machines to meet. This requires the selection of models with high-precision screws and advanced injection control systems that can stably achieve ultra-precision injection.On the contrary, if the main production of large-scale plastic trash cans, industrial plastic pallets and other large-scale products, the clamping force and template size of the injection molding machine will rise to the core focus.Large-scale products require a strong clamping force to ensure that the mold is tightly closed under high-pressure injection molding to prevent overflow. The size of the template should be large enough to adapt to the installation of large molds. Generally, the clamping force should reach thousands of tons, and the template area should be tens of square meters.
2. Equipment performance parameters
Injection system performance: The injection volume and injection speed are like the beating rhythm of the “heart” of an injection molding machine, which directly determines the production efficiency and product quality.The injection volume is in grams or cubic centimeters. It should be reasonably selected according to the weight of the product. For example, for the production of common disposable plastic water cups, a single product weighs about 10-15 grams. The injection volume of the injection molding machine needs to meet the material requirements for forming multiple water cups at a time. At the same time, the injection speed should be fast enough to ensure that the plastic melt is filled quickly and evenly in the mold cavity to avoid defects such as welding marks and bubbles. The injection speed of the high-performance injection molding machine can reach hundreds of cubic centimeters per second.
Mold opening and closing system: The speed and accuracy of mold opening and closing are related to the production cycle and mold life.Rapid mold opening and closing can shorten the molding cycle and increase the output per unit time. The mold opening and closing speed of advanced models can be completed within a few seconds, while poor accuracy can easily lead to mold wear, product flying edges and other problems. Injection molding machines equipped with high-precision guide rails and advanced hydraulic or servo drive systems need to be selected to ensure accurate and smooth mold opening and closing actions.
Plasticizing system: The design of the screw is the key to the plasticizing system. Different plastic raw materials have different characteristics. For example, engineering plastics with high melting point and high viscosity of PBT require screws with relatively large length and diameter, moderate groove depth and special mixing sections to achieve efficient plasticization and uniform mixing, ensure stable plastic melt quality, and lay the foundation for high-quality injection molding.
3. Energy consumption and cost
Energy consumption level: As energy prices fluctuate and rise, the energy consumption cost of long-term operation of injection molding machines cannot be underestimated.The energy-saving injection molding machine adopts servo motor drive, optimized hydraulic circuit and other technologies, which can significantly reduce power consumption compared to traditional models.Taking an injection molding machine that runs for 16 hours a day as an example, the monthly electricity bill for energy-saving models may be a few thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan higher than that of ordinary models. Long-term accumulation is a considerable cost savings. Companies must pay attention to the energy efficiency identification of the equipment and the actual energy consumption test data when purchasing.
Procurement cost and post-maintenance: The initial procurement cost is a large expense for the enterprise, but it cannot only look at the price tag, but also consider the cost performance comprehensively.Some low-cost injection molding machines may have shortcomings in parts quality and technical support, and frequent subsequent repairs and replacement of parts will not only increase costs, but also delay production.Although the price of high-quality brand injection molding machines is high, the parts are durable and the after-sales service is perfect, which can ensure long-term stable operation and reduce the total cost of ownership.
4. Brand and after-sales service
Brand reputation: Well-known brands have often undergone many years of testing in the market, and have accumulated rich experience in technology research and development and manufacturing, making product quality more reliable.For example, some of the world's well-known injection molding machine brands have a large number of successful application cases around the world, and they continue to invest in research and development to improve equipment performance. The injection molding machines they produce perform well in terms of stability and precision control, which can provide a solid backing for enterprise production.
After-sales service: As a complex mechanical equipment, injection molding machines will inevitably fail during operation. At this time, fast response, professional and efficient after-sales service are essential.High-quality brands usually have built an extensive after-sales network, which can send technical personnel to the site for investigation and maintenance in a short period of time, and also provide one-stop services such as regular equipment inspections, operation training, and the supply of wearing parts to ensure that the company's production does not stop and the equipment is always in the best operating condition.
V. Automation and intelligence potential
Degree of automation: At present, there is fierce competition in the manufacturing industry, and improving production efficiency and reducing labor costs have become the goals of enterprises.The highly automated injection molding function realizes a series of processes such as automatic feeding, mold release, product sorting and packaging, reducing manual intervention, reducing the probability of errors, and improving production efficiency.For example, after a toy manufacturer introduced a fully automated injection molding production line, the workshop that originally required dozens of workers was streamlined by more than half, but the output was greatly increased, and the efficiency of the enterprise was significantly improved.
Intelligent function: With the advancement of the wave of industry 4.0, injection molding machines with intelligent characteristics have emerged.Through built-in sensors and Internet of Things technology, the injection molding machine can collect operating data such as temperature, pressure, speed, etc. in real time, and upload it to the cloud for analysis and processing to provide a basis for production optimization and fault prediction.The operator can also remotely monitor the status of the equipment through the mobile PHONE APP, adjust the parameters anytime, anywhere, and realize intelligent and convenient production management.
Purchasing an injection molding machine is a major decision. Companies need to weigh the above points in all directions, and carefully select the most suitable injection molding machine based on their own actual situation, so as to pave a solid path for efficient and stable production in the future.