Molding (

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...

) or moulding ( British and Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix. This itself may have been made using a pattern or model of the final object. A mold or mould is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid or pliable material such as plastic, glass, metal, or ceramic raw material. The liquid hardens or sets inside the mold, adopting its shape. A mold is a counterpart to a cast. The very common bi-valve molding process uses two molds, one for each half of the object. Articulated molds have multiple pieces that come together to form the complete mold, and then disassemble to release the finished casting; they are expensive, but necessary when the casting shape has complex overhangs. Piece-molding uses a number of different molds, each creating a section of a complicated object. This is generally only used for larger and more valuable objects. Blow molding is a manufacturing process for forming and joining hollow plastic or glass parts. A manufacturer who makes molds is called a

moldmaker A moldmaker (mouldmaker in English-speaking countries other than the US) or molder is a skilled tradesperson who fabricates moulds for use in casting metal products. Moldmakers are generally employed in foundries, where molds are used to cast pro ...

. A release agent is typically used to make removal of the hardened/set substance from the mold more easily effected. Typical uses for molded plastics include molded

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...

, molded household goods, molded cases, and structural materials.

Types

There are several types of molding methods. These includes: * Casting, the oldest term, covering a wide range of materials, especially metals * Blow molding * Powder metallurgy plus sintering *

Compression molding Compression molding is a method of molding in which the molding material, generally preheated, is first placed in an open, heated mold cavity. The mold is closed with a top force or plug member, pressure is applied to force the material int ...

* Extrusion molding *

Injection molding Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for ...

* Laminating ** Reaction injection molding * Matrix molding * Rotational molding (or Rotomolding) * Spin casting *

Transfer molding Transfer molding (BrE: transfer moulding) is a manufacturing process in which casting material is forced into a mold. Transfer molding is different from compression molding in that the mold is enclosed rather than open to the fill plunger resul ...

* Thermoforming ** Vacuum forming, a simplified version of thermoforming * FRP moulding ** Hand lay up moulding **

Resin transfer moulding Resin transfer moulding is a process for producing high performance composite components. Procedure It is a process using a rigid two-sided mould set that forms both surfaces of the panel. Usually, the mould is formed from aluminum or steel, but ...

** Vacuum bag moulding ** Bladder moulding ** Spray up molding ** Reaction injection molding

Gallery

File:Injection molding die side A.JPG, "A" side of die for glass-filled acetal with 2 side pulls File:Injection molding die with insert.JPG, Close up of removable insert in "A" side File:Injection molding die B side.JPG, "B" side of die with side pull

actuator An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, for example by opening a valve. In simple terms, it is a "mover". An actuator requires a control device (controlled by control signal) a ...

s File:Injection molding die insert.JPG, Insert removed from die

Procedure

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Types

Gallery

See also

Procedure