Injection Molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts in large volume. It is most typically used in mass-production processes where the same part is being created thousands or even millions of times in succession.
Injection molding generally has lower scrap rates compared to traditional methods like CNC machining, which removes significant portions from a plastic block or sheet. However, it has higher scrap rates compared to additive manufacturing processes like 3D printing, which produce even less waste. Waste from injection molding typically originates from the sprue, runners, gate locations, and overflow material known as "flash."
The principal advantage of injection molding is the ability to scale production en masse. Once the initial costs have been paid the price per unit during injection molded manufacturing is extremely low. The price also tends to drop drastically as more parts are produced. Other advantages include the following:
