Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Thermoset Molding for High Temperature Applications
Thermosets are used in molding applications requiring an end-part or product assembly to remain stable within challenging environments. These environments may include exposure to high temperatures, corrosion, or chemicals. Molded thermoset parts exhibit very good dimensional stability, even in high heat and operating temperatures. Thermosets have heat resistance up to 400-500F depending on the material formulation, whereas thermoplastic molding materials such as a nylon or ABS can disfigure, melt, or carbonize and jeopardize the integrity of a product. Parts molded from a thermoset remain dimensionally stable, allowing the molded component or assembly to remain durable over the lifespan of a product. If your part or product assembly must withstand high operating temperatures and aggressive end-use elements, choosing a thermoset as your molding material may help keep your product assembly remain safe and functioning as intended. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on What Materials are Thermosets?
Thermoset Plastics are a niche grade of molding material compared to common engineered thermoplastics such as PA66 (nylons), ABS, Polypropylene. While thermosets are much less known, they have actually been around much longer. The first plastic material created, bakelite, created by Leo Baekeland in 1907 was a type of thermoset composite. Despite use dating back a century ago, thermosets are much less widely used in molding applications. For applications that do not require stringent material properties, many designers and OEMs look to thermoplastics, which are commodity grades that can be remelted and remolded. Using thermosets on the other hand require an application needing a material with much stronger properties such as temperature and corrosion resistance, high electrical strength, and low deflection properties. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Gate Types in Thermoset Injection Molding
In an injection molding process, material flows from the molding machine into the mold cavity with a sprue or runner channel system. The area where the runner meets the molded part is called the gate. In thermoset injection molding, mold designers and processors have various gate options at their disposal to mold acceptable parts with as little waste. One variable in a mold design is the gating including gate types, locations, and gate sizes. Different gate types include edge gates, sub-gates, and center sprue gates. Even among different gate types, the geometry and size of the gates can be modified based on the molded part, its drawing specifications, and requirements to properly fill the part in the mold. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Inserts in Thermoset Molding
Molded thermoset composites provide end products and assemblies with excellent material performance in dimensional stability, heat resistance, and electrical properties. With it’s dimensional stability and stiffness to molded parts, manufacturers generally utilize inserts as fastening mechanisms to mate multiple parts in an assembly. Whereas thermoplastics can be designed with locking mechanisms and snap fits, thermosets stiffness do not allow for these details to be designed into a part and require a secondary fastening option. Threaded inserts are one of the most common fastening mechanisms used in thermoset assemblies due to their ability to be molded into the part or tapped in a secondary operation. Depending on the part and assembly requirements, each option has its own benefits and advantages. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Using Molded Thermosets for Outdoor Applications
As a performance-based material, thermoset molded parts are resistant to heat up to 400-500F, corrosion, and chemicals. These properties lend thermosets to be used in a variety of end markets. One market using thermosets is outdoor applications. Components and products that live, or are used, in the outdoors must stand up to aggressive weather elements throughout various climates. Whether a part is used in the deserts of Arizona, or in cold weather in Canada, molded parts must not degrade when exposed to weatherability. Whether a part has an aesthetic look, protects internal components, or a combination of aesthetics and performance; using thermosets as a molding material helps products remain durable over its lifecycle. Applications including outdoor grill components, light housings, enclosures, and infrastructure, utility, and energy components all live outside and are exposed to varying weather elements. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Deflashing Thermosets
One of the main differences between molding thermosets and thermoplastics is that thermoset molded parts must be deflashed after they are formed, whereas thermoplastics are molded without flash. Flash is excess material from the material needed to form a full part. In order to mold a full part, thermosets must be molded with flash, otherwise the part integrity may be jeopardized by shorts, burns or other molding defects. Regardless of whether a molded thermoset part is molded into basic or complex geometries, it will always require a secondary deflash operation. Removing the excess flash can be done in a variety of ways, depending on what is most suitable to the part and volume requirements. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Using Molded Thermosets in Automotive
As a performance-based material, thermosets offer molded components with corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, and durability within high heat and operating temperatures. This durability allows thermosets to be used in applications exposed to tough environments where thermoplastic components could degrade or compromise the safety and performance of a product assembly. Industries such as the automotive, electrical, appliance, and energy markets all take advantage of these material benefits to utilize thermoset plastics within their product offerings. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Thermoset Molding for Corrosive Environments
A big difference between molded thermoplastic (nylon, ABS, polypropylene, etc.) parts and thermoset (BMC, phenolic) parts is the performance properties the molding material provides a part with. Whereas thermoplastics can be remelted and remolded, a molded thermoset part cannot be remelted and re-molded a second time. This is due to the chemistry composition thermosets exude. This unique chemistry composition not only creates permanent molecular bonds in a thermoset molded part, but protects parts from corrosion in moist, damp, condensation, steam, or water-based environments. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Injection Molding with Thermosets
With history dating back to the original Bakelite plastic in the 1900s, thermoset plastics have been molded into parts and components for many decades. While thermosets have historically been formed with a compression molding process, thermoset production has evolved as new molding technologies have been discovered and advanced over the years. Currently, thermoset materials can be injection, compression, injection-compression hybrid, insert, and transfer molded into complex shapes and geometries. Each process offers its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the part or assemblies end performance requirements, geometries, and volume throughput required. (more…)
Posted by Woodland Plastics on | Comments Off on Why Flash is Required in Thermoset Molding
One major difference between thermoset molding and thermoplastic molding is the appearance of parts coming out of the press. While both thermoset and thermoplastic materials may be formed using similar molding processes (injection, compression, or insert molded), thermoset molded parts must be molded with excess flash, or plastic material, around the parts in order to be fully molded, or cured. (more…)
