Injection moulding

Injection moulding is the process of injecting molten thermoplastic polymer into a cavity in a hardened steel mould tool which opens on a split line (following rapid cooling) to reveal a plastic moulding.

Typically this process is used to produce plastic mouldings where the relatively high tooling cost can be justified by low unit costs and tolerances which cannot be achieved by other moulding processes.

At AKI, we specialise in the production of demanding customer products which may require any combination of close tolerances, aesthetic external finishes and engineering polymers coloured to a match specification.

Our current machine line-up ranges from 60-550 tonne clamp force and we're capable of taking tools with widths from 75-920mm and weights of up to 3.2 tonnes. All of our machines are microprocessor controlled and capable of exacting tolerances with a high level of repeatability. Our machines are also monitored through our Mattec process monitoring system within a fully closed process-controlled loop.

We're pleased to have built up a close relationship with our primary machine supplier, Arburg, over two decades. 

Automated de-moulding from the press - using robots such as sprue pickers, cartescians, three axis and six axis robotics - is used extensively in our machine cycles to maintain consistency and increase value-added work.

At AKI we have over more than 40 years' experience in processing all different kinds of engineering polymers, from commodity to high end and low density polyethelene to PEEK. Close relationships with our material suppliers mean we're among the first to learn about new and exciting polymers or innovative creations on the market. We're considered to be market leaders in metal replacement and highly skilled at working with thermosetting polymers - read more about us.