What Is Two Shot Injection Molding?

If your product design requires complicated components and mixed materials, you may be concerned about the multi-step manufacturing and assembly, not only the costs and time involved, but also whether the materials will bond properly and create a long-lasting result. The more steps required, the more time it takes and the more it costs, but with two-shot injection molding, this can streamline manufacturing and improve the results. To help you better understand this method of manufacturing plastics, our injection molding company in North Carolina is taking a closer look at two-shot injection molding.

What Is Two Shot Injection Molding?

Also called double injection molding, this is a method of manufacture where the goal is to form a part or a product made from two different materials or the same materials with different texture or color in one step, rather than forming them separately and fusing them together.

The process begins similarly to traditional injection molding in which the liquid polymer is injected into a mold and is then cooled, but before it is a solid. Next, the component is robotically or automatically transferred into a new mold where the second material, color, or texture is added, and as it cools, it forms a molecular bond to the first material. The end result is a more completed, highly durable component, part, or product.

The Benefits of Double Injection Molding

While the two-shot molding method may seem more complicated and time-consuming than traditional injection molding, the reality is that from start to finish, it offers several advantages when you need something that is more assembled or consists of multiple components or materials. Benefits include:

Reduced Costs

You won’t need a more complex mold for the process, and because the parts are manufactured all-in-one, there is no need to weld or join components together. This saves time and minimizes labor, which will save money on overall manufacturing costs.

Enhanced Quality

Because there is a molecular bond of the materials, there’s minimal risk of the materials separating or coming apart.

Minimal Waste and Scrap

When two materials are joined, there’s often trimming and scrap, but when they are molded together, we can minimize the waste and reduce the materials used. Again, this lowers costs, but it also improves the sustainability of the product.

Improved Efficiency

By saving time, minimizing costs, and reducing the steps involved in going from start to finish, you can get your product on the shelves or finish the overall project more quickly. Efficiency in manufacturing leads to overall improvements in operation and reduced costs.

Applications of Double Shot Molding

Double shot injection molding is used in a wide variety of applications. In automotive injection molding, one example is molded-in buttons on a steering wheel that are a softer texture than the rest of the wheel. In medical injection molding, you’ll see that dental mouth guards are often made through double molding where the “frame” is a harder plastic while the bite area is softer.

Additional applications include:

• Adding soft touch grips for power tools;
• Including moving components or living hinges on caps and lids;
• Adding texture to surfaces;
• Adding different colors to a component.

Get a Quote on Custom Plastics Today

Since 1988, Advanced Plastiform, Inc. has been a leading plastics manufacturer in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, using thermoforming and injection molding to design and create durable, high-quality products at a low per-unit cost and fast lead time. To learn more about how we can help you reduce your costs and improve your quality, schedule a quote. We work with all types of industries in  North Carolina, South Carolina,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia.