| An industrial process in which plastic, in the form of raw copolymer pellets, is melted in an injection tube through a combination of direct heat and pressure, and injected into a mold, where it is cooled by circulating water and removed, typically by a robot. The cycle time of this process is typically 30 to 120 seconds, and requires little human assistance, making injection molding an inexpensive means of mass production. The process is environmentally friendly, since no waste is produced (the plastic undergoes a state change in the machine, rather than a chemical change, making it reusable in the same process). The plastics used are not environmentally friendly, requiring millenia to decompose. |
