Dip Moulding

Dip moulding is a process in which a heated mandrel (mold) is dipped in melted plastics. When the mandrel is raised, there is a layer of hardened plastic covering it. After the mold has cooled down, the component can be taken off the mandrel.

The first part of the dip moulding process is to manufacture a mandrel. Usually it is made out of aluminium and machined to a specific shape. Then, the mandrel is heated and dipped into a molten polymer resin. When the mandrel is taken out of the resin, there is a thin layer of hardened plastic material that can be taken off the mandrel. As the plastic is usually elastic, removing the component from the mandrel is usually quite easy despite complex shapes.

Dip moulding has relatively low set-up costs, compared to other moulding processes. However, external tolerances are higher. Improvements in recent years has made dip moulding comparable to injection moulding when it comes to design possibilities.

Picture: Plastic Mouldings Ltd