• Clamping: Injection molds are typically made in two, clamshell-style pieces. In the clamping phase, the two metal plates of the mold are pushed up against each other in a machine press.
• Injection: When the two plates of the mold are clamped together, injection can begin. The plastic, which is typically in the form of granules or pellets, is first melted down into a complete liquid. Then, that liquid is injected into the mold.
• Dwelling: In the dwelling phase, the melted plastic fills the entirety of the mold. Pressure is applied directly to the mold to ensure the liquid fills every cavity and the product comes out identical to the mold.
• Cooling: In the cooling stage, the mold should be left alone so the hot plastic inside can cool and solidify into a usable product that can be safely removed from the mold.
• Mold opening: In this step, a clamping motor will slowly open the two parts of the mold to make for a safe and simple removal of the final product.
• Ejection: With the mold open, an ejector bar will slowly push the solidified product out of the open mold cavity. The fabricator should then use cutters to eliminate any waste material and perfect the final product for customer use.