Reducing Plastic Waste Starts with Efficient Horizontal Injection Molding

The global challenge of plastic waste

In today's world, plastics have penetrated every corner of human life and industrial production. From food packaging, electrical housings, to medical devices and auto parts, plastics have become an indispensable material for modern manufacturing due to their light weight, durability, strong processability and low cost. However, the widespread use of plastics has also brought huge environmental costs, especially in the context of lagging waste management and an imperfect recycling system, which poses a serious threat to natural ecology and human health.

The irreplaceability of plastic products in industrial production

Although the pollution problem caused by plastics is becoming increasingly serious, it is undeniable that its position in modern industry is difficult to be completely replaced in the short term. Plastics not only have excellent physical properties (such as high strength, corrosion resistance, and easy molding), but also can be quickly and in large quantities through processing methods such as injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding to produce complex product shapes. This makes it a "basic material" for industries such as electronics, electrical appliances, automobiles, medical care, packaging, and construction.

Especially in the medical field, many disposable devices must be made of sterile plastics, which not only ensures safety but also avoids the risk of cross-infection caused by repeated use. In the automotive and aviation fields, the use of lightweight plastic parts can effectively reduce the weight of the entire vehicle, thereby reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. It can be seen that a "one-size-fits-all" plastic ban is not realistic, and is more likely to have a negative impact on some high-precision, high-performance industrial manufacturing.

Waste reduction cannot rely solely on banning, but must start from the production end

Facing the complex and multi-dimensional problem of plastic pollution, it is far from enough to rely solely on policy measures such as plastic restrictions and bans. In fact, reducing plastic waste from the source and achieving "less use, no waste, and recyclable" in the production and manufacturing links is a more scientific and sustainable solution. Among them, injection molding machines, especially Horizontal Injection Molding Machines, as key equipment for plastic product manufacturing, play a pivotal role.

Injection molding machines are core equipment that determines the quality, precision and raw material utilization of plastic products. Its energy consumption level, process stability and mold compatibility directly affect the amount of resources consumed and the scrap rate of each product unit. In traditional injection molding processes, common defects such as flash, shrinkage, and water inclusions not only cause a large number of waste products, but also increase the waste of raw materials and the human resources required for subsequent repairs. Therefore, improving the efficiency and accuracy of injection molding equipment and reducing the defective rate and scraps are the "first line of defense" for plastic waste reduction.

Overview of horizontal injection molding technology

In the modern plastic molding industry, injection molding technology, as the most commonly used and mature thermoplastic processing method, is widely used in electronics, automobiles, medical treatment, home appliances, packaging and many other fields. Among many injection molding equipment, horizontal injection molding machine has long occupied the mainstream position of industrial injection molding production due to its structural stability, convenient operation and high efficiency. In order to improve the quality of plastic products from the source, reduce scrap rate and material waste, it is particularly important to understand the principles and advantages of horizontal injection molding machines.

What is a horizontal injection molding machine?

A horizontal injection molding machine is a device that injects heated and melted plastic melt into the mold cavity through a screw. Its core feature is that the injection device and the clamping device are arranged in the horizontal direction. The whole machine is mainly composed of five systems: clamping system, injection system, hydraulic system, electrical control system and heating and cooling system. Among them, the injection device is generally located at one end of the equipment, and the mold is opened and closed horizontally, and the cycle of filling, holding pressure, cooling and demolding is continuously carried out during the molding cycle.

The workflow is briefly described as follows:

1. Plastic particles enter the barrel from the hopper and are heated and softened;
2. The screw rotates and moves forward to push the melt evenly into the closed mold cavity;
3. The melt is cooled and shaped in the mold;
4. The mold is opened and the product is ejected through the ejection system;
5. The mold is closed again and enters the next cycle.

This horizontal structural design not only ensures the stable transmission of injection force, but also facilitates the integration of multi-cavity mold synchronous molding and automation systems, and is an ideal choice for large-scale production.

Advantages of horizontal injection molding in mass production

The reason why horizontal injection molding machines have become the mainstream of the industry is that they have excellent efficiency, stability and compatibility. They have the following five advantages in mass production:

1. High automation capability, adaptable to intelligent manufacturing

The horizontal structure is easy to carry robotic arms, conveyor belts, and stacking systems;

It can realize full process automation from injection molding, cooling, demolding to packaging;

It supports MES system and industrial Internet access, which is conducive to quality tracking and remote monitoring.

2. Multi-cavity molds have strong compatibility and increase the output per unit time

The horizontal template is evenly stressed, which is convenient for using 4-cavity, 8-cavity or even 16-cavity molds;

Multiple products can be molded at one time, greatly improving production efficiency and capacity.

3. Good product dimensional stability and low scrap rate

The closed-loop control system accurately adjusts the injection pressure and speed;

The clamping force is uniform to avoid flash and shrinkage;

Suitable for products with high requirements for dimensional accuracy and surface quality.

4. Flexible adaptation to a variety of plastic materials

Supports a variety of thermoplastic materials such as ABS, PP, PC, PA, PET, etc.;

The melt temperature and screw structure can be adjusted to adapt to the viscosity and fluidity of different materials;

Can cooperate with the hot runner system to reduce the loss of the material head and save raw materials.

5. Conducive to scale expansion and production layout optimization

Horizontal injection molding production lines are easy to expand in series;

Centralized feeding and centralized control can be used to uniformly manage energy consumption and emissions;

More suitable for building intelligent manufacturing units such as "unmanned workshops" and "dark factories".

Common sources of plastic waste in injection molding

Although injection molding is an efficient and precise plastic processing technology, in actual production, if the control is not in place, the mold does not match or the process parameters are set unreasonably, it is very easy to cause plastic waste. According to industry research and production practice, common material waste in injection molding workshops mainly comes from the following three aspects: excessive filling and flash of raw materials, defective product rate caused by uneven mold cooling, and repeated mold opening and waste accumulation caused by setting errors. These problems not only reduce the utilization rate of raw materials, but also increase energy consumption and labor costs, which are the main bottlenecks for enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency and achieve green production.

Excessive filling and flash of raw materials

In the injection molding process, the filling amount control of raw materials is very important. Insufficient injection volume will cause the product to shrink and be insufficient in size; while excessive filling volume will easily cause flash phenomenon, that is, the plastic melt overflows the mold parting line, the slider gap or the ejector position under high pressure, forming excess corner waste.

Flash not only causes direct material waste, but also may affect the assembly accuracy and aesthetics of the product, and even lead to scrapping. In addition, overfilling will also bring the following negative effects:

Increased risk of mold damage: Continuous high-pressure filling can easily cause mold deformation or damage;

Increased difficulty in demolding: The product adheres to the mold cavity, increasing the burden of the robot arm or manual ejection;

Increased post-processing procedures: The flash must be trimmed manually or mechanically, increasing labor and time.

The root causes of flash and overfilling are mostly improper injection parameter settings, mold structure aging, or raw material fluidity fluctuations. This requires that in the selection of injection molding equipment and mold design stages, material properties and molding complexity must be fully considered to ensure that the filling process is stable, uniform, and controllable.

Defective product rate caused by uneven mold cooling

Cooling is the longest stage in the entire injection molding cycle, accounting for about 60% to 80% of the entire molding cycle. The efficiency and uniformity of the cooling system directly affect the dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and internal stress distribution of the product. If the mold cooling channel is not designed properly and the local temperature difference is too large, it is very easy to cause the following quality problems:

Warping deformation: The cooling speed on both sides of the mold is different, resulting in uneven stress;

Shrinkage marks: The local thick wall area cools slowly and shrinks significantly;

Surface defects such as silver streaks and gas marks: Volatile gases or flow marks are generated in the overheated area;

Mold sticking and ejection difficulties: Demolding before complete cooling will damage the product or cavity surface.

These defective products often have to be scrapped or reworked in the end, resulting in a large amount of raw materials and energy waste. Especially when producing high-precision parts, a slight deformation may cause the entire batch of products to be unqualified.

In addition to unreasonable mold design, the fundamental problems that lead to uneven cooling include:

Insufficient cooling water flow rate, flow path blockage or bubble accumulation;

Inadequate maintenance of the cooling system (such as scale accumulation);

Low precision or slow response of the equipment temperature control system.

Therefore, in order to reduce the scrap rate in the injection molding process, it is necessary to pay attention to the thermal management design and periodic maintenance of the mold, and select advanced injection molding equipment with a high-precision temperature control system. 

Repeated mold opening and waste accumulation caused by setting errors

In the injection molding process, machine operating parameters such as melt temperature, injection speed, holding time, cooling time, clamping force, etc. jointly determine whether the product is qualified. If the initial setting is inaccurate or not optimized and adjusted in the middle, it is very easy to cause the product to be scrapped continuously in multiple cycles, resulting in serious "batch waste".

Typical setting errors and their consequences include:

The melt temperature is too high or too low: it causes unstable melt flow, affecting the filling and bonding line strength;

Insufficient holding time: the interior is not completely dense, and internal pores or shrinkage appear;

Too short cooling time: the product is demolded before it is finalized, and collapse and warping occur;

Insufficient clamping force setting: the mold opens and the flash is serious;

Mold temperature adjustment is delayed: alternating between hot and cold, and the product size is inconsistent.

In addition, some improper manual operations will also lead to waste in several cycles, forming "systematic waste". Since these setting problems are not easy to be discovered in the first cycle, they are often identified by quality inspection after mass production, resulting in greater material and time losses.

The key to solving such problems is:

Establish a standardized process parameter library to achieve rapid call of formula data;

Adopt an intelligent control system with self-learning capabilities to optimize parameters through AI;

Equip with sensors and data recording equipment to achieve real-time monitoring and traceability of the production process;

Establish a strict first-piece inspection mechanism to prevent small problems from causing batch waste.

Efficiency and precision: how to affect the amount of plastic used

In the mass production process of plastic products, material utilization is directly related to the company's cost control and environmental performance. Many people mistakenly believe that plastic waste mainly occurs at the consumer end. In fact, in the production process, the material loss caused by low efficiency, poor precision and unstable process is far beyond expectations. Therefore, improving the efficiency and precision of injection molding is not only a technical choice to increase production capacity, but also one of the most effective and realistic ways to promote "plastic reduction at the source".

High-precision molding significantly reduces scraps and rework

In traditional production, many plastic parts often adopt a conservative strategy of "over-injection" to ensure the integrity of the finished product: even if there is a slight waste of material, it is necessary to ensure that the filling is sufficient, the surface is full, and the structural strength is sufficient. However, this method is very likely to cause flash, burrs and material waste. If secondary trimming is required later, not only will there be an extra process, but secondary waste may also be generated.

High-precision injection molding technology can change this situation at the source:

Closed-loop control system: Through servo controller and pressure sensor, millisecond-level adjustment of injection speed, pressure and time can be achieved;

Precision mold matching: mold gap accuracy reaches micron level, effectively preventing melt leakage;

Micro injection molding technology: without affecting the performance of the product, the injection volume is controlled to the smallest unit, which is widely used in medical devices, electronic connectors and other fields;

Intelligent pressure compensation system: according to the volume change during the cooling process of the product, the pressure is automatically compensated to reduce shrinkage and defective product rate.

Taking high-precision automotive parts as an example, the traditional process consumes about 3~~5 grams of raw materials for each piece of flash processing, and the annual production of one million products means 3~~5 tons of material waste. After high-precision injection molding, the flash phenomenon can be almost eliminated, significantly reducing the loss of raw materials.

2. Stable production process improves the yield rate

Every instability of the injection molding process will be converted into material waste in the form of scrap or rework. Including:

Large fluctuations in mold temperature lead to dimensional deviations;

Poor mold clamping leads to missing product structure;

Unstable screw and uneven melt density;

Poor exhaust, bubbles and burning of products.

Even if such problems do not produce scraps, they will cause hidden waste due to product scrapping, remelting and re-injection, including secondary use of raw materials, electricity, cooling water, labor and other resources.

Key measures to improve the stability of the production process include:

Digital monitoring system: quickly find the source of fluctuations by real-time collection of parameters such as injection temperature, pressure, speed, screw position, etc.;

Regular calibration and maintenance of equipment: prevent parameter drift caused by hydraulic system pressure relief, transmission system jamming, etc.;

Intelligent mold temperature control system: adopt dynamic temperature control technology, set cooling strategy according to regional differences, and avoid overall overcooling or overheating;

Use constant raw material batch and drying management system: prevent foaming and brittle cracking of products due to changes in moisture content.

When the entire process is stable, the yield rate can be increased from 85% to more than 98%, which is directly reflected in the saving of raw materials and the release of production capacity.

Automation and digitalization reduce waste caused by human errors

In many traditional injection molding workshops, product parameter setting, mold replacement, and first-piece inspection often rely on manual experience, which can easily lead to continuous batch scrapping due to improper operation. With the development of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, automation and digitalization technologies provide more accurate and efficient solutions for plastic molding:

Automatic batching system: realize accurate proportioning of different raw materials (main material, masterbatch, return material) to avoid manual weighing errors;

Mold identification system: automatically read mold ID, load historical optimal parameter templates accordingly, and prevent setting errors;

Automatic first-piece inspection: detect product appearance and dimensional deviations through CCD visual system, and quickly feedback problems;

Data traceability system: once defective products are found, the equipment number, batch parameters, and raw material source can be quickly located to achieve full-chain traceability and correction;

Digital twin technology: virtual simulation of the entire injection molding cycle, predicting and optimizing possible error points in advance.

In addition, after adopting the MES system, the capacity utilization, downtime reasons, and scrap rate of each injection molding machine can be presented digitally, making it easier for managers to carry out refined management and optimization.

Energy saving and waste control technology of modern horizontal injection molding machine

In the plastic molding industry, the advancement of injection molding equipment directly determines the production efficiency, energy consumption level and material waste control ability. Traditional injection molding machines are prone to excessive consumption and plastic waste due to their extensive control methods, low energy efficiency ratio and poor metering accuracy. Modern horizontal injection molding machines are leading the industry to transform towards high efficiency, energy saving and green by integrating servo hydraulic technology, closed-loop control system, high-precision metering unit and hot runner mold technology. 

Energy efficiency advantage of servo hydraulic system

Traditional hydraulic injection molding machines use a constant speed motor to drive the hydraulic pump. Regardless of whether there is an injection action, the hydraulic pump always keeps running. This "continuous operation" method causes a lot of energy to be wasted under invalid working conditions, especially during the pressure holding, cooling or waiting period, and the energy consumption is extremely high.

Modern servo hydraulic injection molding machines use variable frequency servo motors to accurately adjust the oil pump speed and pressure output according to the real-time needs of the process, and only start energy consumption when the action occurs. This control method greatly reduces no-load energy consumption and improves the overall energy efficiency of the system.

The advantages are reflected in the following aspects:

Energy saving can reach 30%~80%: Actual operation data shows that compared with traditional hydraulic systems, the overall energy consumption of servo hydraulic systems can be reduced by more than 30%, and the energy saving efficiency is higher when running at low load;

Faster response speed: The servo system has more precise control of pressure and flow, and the molding cycle is shortened by 3~5%;

Lower system temperature rise: Due to the reduction of invalid oil circulation, the hydraulic oil temperature rises slowly, reducing the load of the cooling system;

Lower maintenance cost: Due to reduced wear, the frequency of hydraulic oil replacement is reduced, and the life of pumps and valves is longer.

Through the improvement of this system, the energy consumption per unit product of the injection molding workshop has been significantly reduced, indirectly reducing the carbon footprint and the waste of raw materials.

Precision metering and closed-loop control system

Modern horizontal injection molding machine has entered the "closed-loop era" in terms of precision control. Traditional equipment relies more on open-loop control during metering, injection, and pressure holding, with large parameter fluctuations and poor molding repeatability. The new generation of equipment achieves precise adjustment of the entire injection process through closed-loop control, which is mainly manifested in:

Screw position closed-loop feedback: Real-time detection of the screw advancement position to ensure accurate control of the injection volume and prevent "over-injection" and "under-injection";

Pressure and speed closed-loop adjustment: Combined with pressure sensors and servo control, avoid flash caused by excessive pressure and shrinkage caused by insufficient filling;

Dynamic control of melt temperature: Use thermocouples and infrared probes to detect melt temperature, automatically adjust the heating belt and back pressure to avoid uneven melting;

Intelligent segmented control of injection stage: According to the cavity filling progress, the injection speed is adjusted in stages to achieve smooth melt filling and no turbulence.

These high-precision control methods not only improve product consistency, but more importantly, reduce the scrap rate caused by unstable molding, and indirectly save a lot of plastic raw materials. 

Reusable hot runner mold technology

In terms of mold systems, Hot Runner technology is an important breakthrough in saving materials and reducing consumption in the injection molding industry in recent years. In the traditional cold runner system, the plastic in the runner is cooled into a solid after each injection and must be cut off, forming a large amount of scraps. Although it can be recycled, repeated melting will reduce the physical properties and consume a lot of energy.

Hot runner technology keeps the runner system at room temperature so that the plastic is always in a molten state. Each injection only fills the mold cavity part, without cooling and cutting the runner part, thus achieving "runner-free injection molding" or "zero cold material molding".

Its advantages include:

5%~20% raw material saving: In medium and large products, runner waste can account for more than 15% of the total material usage, and hot runner can almost completely eliminate it;

Improve product quality: The melt temperature is more balanced and the pressure is more consistent, avoiding short shots or pores at the end of the injection;

Shorten cycle time: No need to wait for the runner to cool, the cooling time is shorter, and the efficiency is higher;

High degree of automation: No need for cold material shearing equipment or manual cleaning, which is conducive to automated production;

Applicable to multi-cavity molds: Each gate can independently control the flow and temperature to achieve multi-cavity balanced mold filling.

At present, intelligent collaboration between hot runner systems and modern injection molding machines is becoming mainstream, and even an intelligent control platform of thermoelectric regulation + flow balancing + AI optimization has been developed to further improve material utilization efficiency and product quality.  

Compatibility of horizontal injection molding machines with recyclable materials

With the increasing global concern about plastic pollution, promoting the recycling of plastic products has become an inevitable trend in the development of the industry. PCR and PIR plastics, as the two main types of recycled materials, are being increasingly used in packaging, home appliances, automobiles, building materials and other fields.

Due to the complex sources, large fluctuations in physical properties and high impurity content, recycled materials often put forward higher process and structural requirements for injection molding equipment. Horizontal injection molding machine is providing technical support for the large-scale and stable application of recyclable materials through highly adaptable design and intelligent control systems. 

Technical parameters and equipment requirements supporting PCR/PIR molding

Compared with new materials, recycled plastics often show lower stability and predictability. This includes:

The melt index fluctuates greatly;

Uneven moisture content and impurity levels;

The thermal degradation point is lower, and bubbles and decomposition are prone to occur;

Insufficient fluidity leads to difficulty in filling the mold.

Therefore, when using PCR or PIR materials, the injection molding machine needs to meet the following technical conditions:

Strong screw shearing and mixing capabilities: Recycled materials are often mixed with fillers, pigments, and impurities, which require higher shearing and dispersion efficiency. To this end, modern injection molding machines are generally equipped with a screw design with a special mixing section structure to optimize the screw groove depth and length ratio to improve the plasticization effect and reduce bubbles and black spots.

Precise temperature control system: Due to the poor thermal stability of recycled materials, too high or too low temperatures will lead to a decrease in melt performance. Horizontal injection molding machines use zone heating, screw temperature feedback, mold precision cooling and other means to achieve fine-tuning of the temperature at each stage to ensure melt quality.

Enhanced melt system and back pressure control: Reasonable back pressure can promote melt homogenization and exhaust gas, but too high back pressure will lead to degradation. Modern injection molding equipment adjusts back pressure through closed-loop feedback to adapt to the rheological properties of different batches of recycled materials.

Self-cleaning and wear-resistant structure design: In order to deal with the hard impurities (such as metal fragments and glass fiber residues) that may exist in the recycled materials, the barrel and screw are often made of high-hardness alloy materials or nitrided to improve their wear resistance and corrosion resistance, extend the life of the equipment and maintain molding accuracy.

Mold adaptation requirements for wear resistance and thermal stability

The use of recycled materials not only puts forward requirements for the injection molding machine body, but also challenges the adaptability of the mold:

Mold cavity and gate material reinforcement: Inorganic filler particles and incompletely melted plastic residues in recycled materials are easy to cause erosion and wear to the mold under high-pressure injection. Therefore, the mold cavity surface is mostly strengthened by PVD coating, hard chrome treatment, ceramic coating, etc. to improve wear resistance.

Gas emission design optimization: Since recycled materials are more likely to produce volatiles and residual gases during the melting process, the mold needs to be designed with a good exhaust channel (such as an exhaust groove or an exhaust needle) to prevent gas from gathering in the mold cavity, resulting in defects such as bubbles, burning or short shots.

High-precision temperature control system: The mold temperature has a great influence on the molding window of recycled materials. Modern horizontal injection molding machines are often equipped with multi-point temperature control molds or integrated temperature control devices to achieve a control accuracy of less than ±1°C in temperature difference and maintain the consistency of the finished product.

Compatibility modular design: Some injection molding projects switch between different levels of recycled materials between different batches. The mold system adopts replaceable hot nozzles or adjustable gates to improve overall flexibility and maintenance convenience. 

Facing the future: From "waste reduction" to "zero waste" production

The plastics industry is undergoing a profound transformation from "waste reduction" to "zero waste". Driven by the "dual carbon" goal, tightening environmental regulations and increasing consumer green awareness, the traditional industrial model that relies on the idea of  "production first, governance later" is no longer sustainable. Instead, a new paradigm with Closed Loop Manufacturing as the core pursues the full life cycle recycling and zero emissions of plastic materials.

In this system, modern horizontal injection molding machine is leaping from traditional "molding equipment" to "green manufacturing platform". Through intelligent control, modular integration, and coordinated application of biodegradable materials and other advanced technologies, it has become a key tool for the plastics industry to move towards "zero waste production".

Transformation of the role of injection molding machine under the closed-loop manufacturing concept

Closed-loop manufacturing refers to the maximum recycling and reuse of ** raw materials, feedback closed loop between product design and manufacturing, and real-time analysis and correction of process data in the production process, thereby forming a low-waste, low-energy, and sustainable manufacturing system.

In a closed-loop system, the injection molding machine is no longer a single processing node, but has the following key functions:

Raw material tracking and recycling interface: Modern injection molding machines can be integrated with raw material pretreatment systems (such as granulation, drying, and batching devices) to achieve the ratio control of recycled materials and new materials and traceable feeding, avoid material waste and ensure product consistency.

Product quality feedback mechanism: Through the cavity embedded sensor, AI image recognition, and pressure-temperature data acquisition system, the injection molding machine can achieve instant feedback and data upload of product quality, providing support for closed-loop quality control.

Parameter self-learning and self-optimization function: With the help of machine learning algorithms, the equipment can analyze historical working condition data, dynamically optimize injection molding parameters (such as screw speed, injection speed, and holding time), improve yield rate, and reduce material waste.

Interconnection with MES/ERP system: The equipment can be connected to the factory-level manufacturing execution system (MES), upload the material, energy consumption, and quality data of each batch of products, form a complete life cycle record, and realize production closed-loop management.

Deep integration of modular reuse and injection molding process

With the rise of the concept of "modular manufacturing", future plastic products will tend to be more disassembled, replaceable and remanufacturable. Under this trend, the reprocessing capability of horizontal injection molding machines is particularly critical.

High-precision secondary injection molding (Insert/Over Molding): Modern injection molding machines support coating and embedded injection molding on existing parts. Through the precise positioning system and the rapid switching of mold modules, the equipment can replace and update the functional areas of waste parts without scrapping the entire part, which helps the modular upgrade of products.

Compatible with multi-material composite molding: Horizontal injection molding machines with dual barrels/multi-group injection units can achieve multi-color, multi-hardness, and multi-level composite injection molding of multiple materials (such as recycled materials + functional materials), providing highly flexible process support for remanufacturing scenarios.

One machine with multiple molds and flexible switching production: In the future, factories will tend to produce in "small batches and diversification". Horizontal injection molding machines can achieve rapid switching between different products and materials through template quick-change systems and intelligent mold recognition control, effectively reducing downtime losses and mold change waste.

Supporting edge material recovery system: Some equipment also integrates edge material crushing and re-feeding systems, which can immediately crush and return flash and overflow materials to the hopper, forming an internal cycle of "instant recovery and instant re-injection", truly realizing "zero edge material discharge".

Exploration path for integration with biodegradable materials

On the road to "zero waste" production, the physical cycle of traditional plastic materials still has problems of decreasing quality and energy consumption. Biodegradable plastics (such as PLA, PHA, PBS) are regarded as an important direction for alternative materials due to their natural degradability. However, this type of material has higher requirements for injection molding technology.

Modern horizontal injection molding machines are gradually achieving process adaptation with biodegradable plastics:

Precision temperature control system adapts to degradation points: Biodegradable plastics have poor thermal stability and a narrow temperature control window. The new generation of injection molding machines are equipped with multi-zone independent temperature control modules and melt protection programs to avoid carbonization or degradation of materials and improve the yield rate.

Screw structure optimization: The short compression ratio and low shear screw designed specifically for PLA materials are used to reduce heat accumulation during physical shearing, reduce the risk of molecular chain breakage, and ensure material properties.

Cooperate with degradable mold release agent and exhaust design: The supporting mold system has also made adjustments in surface treatment and exhaust groove design to ensure that no residue or flash is generated during the injection molding process, which is conducive to the natural degradation performance of the finished product.

Collaborative application of green raw materials and recycled materials: Some equipment has supported "partially degradable materials + PCR recycled materials" co-blended injection molding, taking into account the balance between degradability and strength cost, and opening up the application space of "transitional" green materials. 

Taking "efficiency" as the first step of green manufacturing: the strategic role of horizontal injection molding machine

Against the current global "dual carbon" goals and the background of stricter environmental protection regulations, "green manufacturing" has become the consensus direction of industrial transformation. However, green should not only stay at the end of material replacement or emission management, but also return to the essence of manufacturing - efficiency.

Efficiency is the starting point of green manufacturing. Only by using every gram of raw materials, every kilowatt-hour of electricity, and every minute of production time to the extreme can we achieve a truly sustainable industrial path. In the field of plastic molding, horizontal injection molding machine is transforming efficiency into a dual driving force of environmental friendliness and economic returns through technological evolution and system integration.

Efficiency is green: systematic realization of energy saving, emission reduction, and consumption reduction

The essence of green manufacturing is to maximize the output of unit resources. Modern horizontal injection molding machines have achieved a closed-loop process of "high production capacity, low energy consumption, and low waste" through in-depth improvement of energy consumption control, process optimization, and material utilization:

Full electric drive or servo hydraulic drive system reduces energy consumption by 30%-70%: Traditional hydraulic injection molding machines generally have problems such as high system standby energy consumption and low energy conversion efficiency. Most modern horizontal injection molding machines use full electric drive or servo hydraulic hybrid systems, which output on demand and respond dynamically. There is almost no energy consumption when idling, which greatly reduces the total energy consumption of the equipment.

Precise injection molding control, reducing defective product rate and avoiding raw material waste: Through three-dimensional closed-loop control of pressure, temperature, and flow, horizontal injection molding machines can achieve extremely high molding stability, and the quality rate is generally above 98%, significantly reducing raw material loss and waste treatment burden, and reducing carbon footprint from the source.

Fast cycle design, improve production capacity density, reduce unit energy consumption: high response motor and optimized mold closing system greatly shorten the single cycle of horizontal injection molding machine (some products are reduced from the original 30s to 10-15s), and the unit output energy consumption is reduced by more than double, while releasing higher single machine capacity value.

Edge material recovery and intelligent feeding work together to achieve a closed loop of raw materials: the equipment can integrate a crushing recovery system and a weighing and fine matching device to timely recover the edge materials and gate materials and intelligently match them with new materials, greatly improve the material utilization rate, and achieve the goal of "zero raw material waste".

Efficiency is profit: economic returns brought by technical optimization

Green manufacturing does not mean sacrificing profits. On the contrary, efficiency optimization itself represents a cost advantage. The green production line based on high-efficiency horizontal injection molding machines not only meets environmental protection standards, but also brings long-term and stable economic benefits to enterprises.

Energy saving means saving money: Taking the injection molding production line of 20,000 pieces of packaging boxes per day as an example, the annual energy consumption of each ordinary hydraulic injection molding machine is about 120,000 kWh, while the energy consumption of the servo horizontal injection molding machine is about 50,000 kWh. The energy consumption alone can save 40,000-50,000 yuan per year.

Saving materials means increasing revenue: In the traditional process, the waste of raw materials caused by flash, short shots and bubbles accounts for 5%-10%, while high-precision injection molding technology can control the loss to less than 1%. For example, when using PCR materials, high-efficiency equipment can stably control the fluctuation of melt viscosity and avoid waste caused by carbonization and degradation, thereby increasing the proportion of recyclable materials and further reducing material costs.

Improving efficiency means controlling costs: Rapid mold change and intelligent mold adjustment systems reduce manual intervention time and improve equipment utilization rate. For example, small and medium-sized enterprises use intelligent mold recognition and one-button start systems, which can save 30-40 hours of downtime per month, equivalent to 1-2 days of additional production capacity, directly creating revenue.

Automation means improved labor efficiency: Horizontal injection molding machines widely integrate automatic pickup, stacking, packaging, quality inspection and other post-automatic devices. Frontline employees can monitor multiple devices at the same time, and the per capita output value increases by 2-3 times, alleviating the pressure of "labor shortage" and reducing labor costs.

Efficient injection molding is not only equipment, but also a sustainable strategy

As the core of the molding process, the horizontal injection molding machine is not only a high-performance machine, but also gradually becomes a strategic carrier of the green manufacturing system, representing the future direction of green, intelligent and lean plastics industry.

Equipment data and energy management system are connected to realize carbon emission visualization: high-end injection molding machines have generally supported docking with MES (manufacturing execution system) and EMS (energy management system), real-time collection of energy consumption data, equipment status, and material usage during the injection molding process, providing underlying data support for the factory's carbon emission management, ESG audit, and carbon neutrality path planning.

Working in coordination with green materials and recycling systems to build a closed-loop factory: High-efficiency injection molding equipment can be compatible with the stable molding of various recycled materials and degradable materials, and has a high degree of process tolerance, becoming an important support point for the real implementation of green materials.

Assisting the implementation of smart factories and digital twin applications: Through the integration of sensors, edge computing, and industrial Internet of Things modules, horizontal injection molding machines are transforming from "processing units" to "smart nodes", participating in the dynamic optimization of the entire smart manufacturing network, and realizing lean management of energy, process, quality, maintenance and other dimensions.