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Break down several major trends in the injection molding industry, opening a new era of injection molding technology innovation and smart factory construction

Release time:

Aug 11,2021

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry will become an important theme. The promotion of technological innovation and digital transformation of the traditional manufacturing industry represented by the production of plastics and injection molding products will be the top priority. Guarantee is also the basis for the development of other industrial manufacturing industries. In addition, in order to implement the deployment requirements of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality", strengthen overall planning, explore paths and methods, and promote green and low-carbon transformation and industrial structure optimization and upgrading, the following trends will appear in the development of the injection molding industry. 　　 1. The functionalization and greening of raw materials and modified materials With the continuous implementation of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, the green production and processing technology of plastics is getting more and more attention, such as green additives, green flame retardants, green plasticizers, etc., are being researched and promoted more and more. . At the same time, the use of bio-based plastics with a wide range of sources, green, low-carbon, easily degradable, and easy to recycle is increasing, and will be widely used in packaging, tableware, household appliances, stationery, maternal and child products, electronic information and other industries. Although the planned production line, production capacity and output of PLA at home and abroad continue to hit new highs, it still cannot match the growth rate of the downstream market, and the supply of raw materials and modified materials has been in short supply for a long time. 　　Injection grade PLA resin (left) and PLA injection tableware 　　 2. High-end, precise, intelligent, and energy-saving injection molding equipment 　　In 2020, the import value of injection molding machines continued to decline, and the decline gradually narrowed. From January to December, the growth rate began to be positive. The growth rate of exports began to be positive from November, and the growth rate of exports from January to December increased by 4%. The export trend is better than imports. 　　 In recent years, breakthroughs have been made in key technologies in the industry, and the gap between the large-scale two-platen, all-electric injection molding machine and the developed countries has been narrowing. For example, the R&D and industrialization of green and intelligent large-scale pure two-plate plastic injection molding equipment, breaking the monopoly of Germany and Japan; solid waste polymer material online processing system, reducing energy consumption and improving economic benefits; integration based on terminal application requirements The intelligent production system realizes the intelligent unmanned production line of injection molding. In the future, domestic injection equipment needs to work hard in the following aspects. (1) For high-end complex applications, injection molding systems with high precision, stability and scalability, such as non-contact automatic molding systems for high cleanliness requirements such as medical applications; engineering plastic precision parts molding systems for 5G applications; Large-scale automatic molding system for automobiles; R&D and industrialization of all-electric injection molding machine basic systems for high-precision requirements such as electronic appliances and mobile communication industries. 　　(2) Develop an expandable injection molding system that meets the needs of composite material molding, and realizes high-efficiency and high-precision molding processing of composite materials. 　　(3) Develop special injection molding machines that meet the molding of special engineering plastics, such as PEEK, PI, PPS and other high-performance special engineering plastics, to meet the needs of cutting-edge applications (such as electronic information, aviation). (4) High-performance injection molding system combined with various advanced injection molding processes, such as high-volume high-speed hot runner preform machine, microcellular foam injection molding machine, customized touch multi-layer composite injection molding machine, thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite Molding machine, screwless ultrasonic plasticizing micro-injection molding machine, one-step injection molding machine with automatic clamping force compensation, intelligent molding integrated manufacturing system (3D copier), etc. 　　(5) High-precision lens optical injection molding machines with extremely high requirements for molding accuracy and stability are used in imaging monitoring fields such as mobile phones, automobiles, and security. 　　(6) The TPE joint angle intelligent injection molding machine, which is mainly used in the automotive sealing system, consolidates the leading position of the C-type injection molding machine in the industry.

　　 1. The functionalization and greening of raw materials and modified materials

With the continuous implementation of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, the green production and processing technology of plastics is getting more and more attention, such as green additives, green flame retardants, green plasticizers, etc., are being researched and promoted more and more. . At the same time, the use of bio-based plastics with a wide range of sources, green, low-carbon, easily degradable, and easy to recycle is increasing, and will be widely used in packaging, tableware, household appliances, stationery, maternal and child products, electronic information and other industries. Although the planned production line, production capacity and output of PLA at home and abroad continue to hit new highs, it still cannot match the growth rate of the downstream market, and the supply of raw materials and modified materials has been in short supply for a long time.

　　Injection grade PLA resin (left) and PLA injection tableware

　　 2. High-end, precise, intelligent, and energy-saving injection molding equipment

　　In 2020, the import value of injection molding machines continued to decline, and the decline gradually narrowed. From January to December, the growth rate began to be positive. The growth rate of exports began to be positive from November, and the growth rate of exports from January to December increased by 4%. The export trend is better than imports.

　　 In recent years, breakthroughs have been made in key technologies in the industry, and the gap between the large-scale two-platen, all-electric injection molding machine and the developed countries has been narrowing. For example, the R&D and industrialization of green and intelligent large-scale pure two-plate plastic injection molding equipment, breaking the monopoly of Germany and Japan; solid waste polymer material online processing system, reducing energy consumption and improving economic benefits; integration based on terminal application requirements The intelligent production system realizes the intelligent unmanned production line of injection molding. In the future, domestic injection equipment needs to work hard in the following aspects.

(1) For high-end complex applications, injection molding systems with high precision, stability and scalability, such as non-contact automatic molding systems for high cleanliness requirements such as medical applications; engineering plastic precision parts molding systems for 5G applications; Large-scale automatic molding system for automobiles; R&D and industrialization of all-electric injection molding machine basic systems for high-precision requirements such as electronic appliances and mobile communication industries.

　　(2) Develop an expandable injection molding system that meets the needs of composite material molding, and realizes high-efficiency and high-precision molding processing of composite materials.

　　(3) Develop special injection molding machines that meet the molding of special engineering plastics, such as PEEK, PI, PPS and other high-performance special engineering plastics, to meet the needs of cutting-edge applications (such as electronic information, aviation).

(4) High-performance injection molding system combined with various advanced injection molding processes, such as high-volume high-speed hot runner preform machine, microcellular foam injection molding machine, customized touch multi-layer composite injection molding machine, thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite Molding machine, screwless ultrasonic plasticizing micro-injection molding machine, one-step injection molding machine with automatic clamping force compensation, intelligent molding integrated manufacturing system (3D copier), etc.

　　(5) High-precision lens optical injection molding machines with extremely high requirements for molding accuracy and stability are used in imaging monitoring fields such as mobile phones, automobiles, and security.

　　(6) The TPE joint angle intelligent injection molding machine, which is mainly used in the automotive sealing system, consolidates the leading position of the C-type injection molding machine in the industry.

　　 (7) Energy-saving and environmentally friendly injection molding machines, such as recycling plastics online configuration remanufacturing green injection molding technology and equipment.

　　3. Product design is lightweight, concise, and integrated

　　 Many areas of injection molded products are closely related to household life, such as the field of small household appliances. There are many types of such products, high demand, frequent updates, high personalization and customization requirements, fierce market competition, and relatively thin profits. In order to reduce costs as much as possible, and promote low-carbon and green life, the products should meet the requirements of use. It tends to be lighter and lighter, reducing the amount of metal and plastic used, which has already begun to be reflected in the structural design and mold manufacturing links. At the same time, in order to meet the market demand for multiple varieties and small batches, many production links in the factory have gradually realized automation and intelligence, but the product assembly line still relies on a lot of manpower, which is not conducive to enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises and products. To solve the problem of low assembly efficiency, an important idea is to standardize, unify, simplify, and even form the injection molded parts to reduce the use of punching and screws, thereby simplifying the assembly steps.

　　4. Production, management and decision-making methods are digitized, networked, and intelligent

Injection molding companies improve quality (product quality, service quality), reduce costs (raw material purchase costs, inventory costs, personnel costs, production costs, management costs, service costs, etc.), increase efficiency (production efficiency, communication efficiency, collaborative efficiency, etc.), It is the main purpose of the traditional manufacturing industry to implement smart manufacturing and do a good job of digital transformation, and it is an important magic weapon to gain a foothold among fierce market competitors and reshape development momentum and advantages. With the help of a new generation of information technology and the industrial Internet, injection molding companies will gradually achieve optimized allocation of resources, increase total factor productivity, and realize business through new manufacturing modes such as intelligent production, digital management, networked collaboration, personalized customization, and service-oriented extension. , Management and business model in-depth transformation and reconstruction.

　　 5. Technological innovation and industrial development synergy, clustering and ecologicalization

　　 Since the United States started the trade war, the country has paid more attention to key technological innovation, advocated returning to the source of innovation, breaking through a series of stuck neck technologies, and completely breaking the US blockade. In the injection molding industry, continuous breakthroughs are needed in the synthesis technology, production technology, and modification technology of high-performance raw materials, the software and hardware technology of plastic machine equipment and accessories, the manufacturing technology of high-end equipment, and software technology. Judging from the papers issued by relevant national and local departments in recent years, innovation is the main driving force for development, among which technological innovation is the core, and the main body and methods of innovation will be more diversified. In addition to some traditional research institutes and key laboratories, there will also be There are various innovation centers, innovation service complexes, innovation communities, industrial development consortia, etc., and at the same time, with the help of networking and softwareization to accelerate the efficiency and quality of technological innovation, through platformization and synergy, the main body of innovation will be enriched, and the strengths of others will be fully absorbed. Create and share. At the same time, the development of the industry will gradually move from traditional agglomeration areas to cluster development. The majority of small and medium injection molding companies rely on the advantages of clusters, make full use of the Internet + manufacturing industry, continue to build chains, strengthen chains, and supplement chains, and build an ecological system for industrial development. Chinese characteristics and advantages. It is not difficult to see from this that the future collaboration is not only limited to the collaboration of various departments within the enterprise, the collaboration between the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, there will also be collaboration between individuals and platforms, collaboration between enterprises and platforms, and collaboration between platforms. At the same time, the model of enterprises going on their own will go further and further, requiring the establishment of their own ecological partners, and the development of enterprises will be ecological or integrated into the ecosystem.