With filling a greater number of cavities for moulding, transfer moulding process becomes a more productive procedure for manufacturing. It is often seen in the light of compression moulding. However, it is advanced and more beneficial in terms of flexibility and productivity. Let’s understand transfer moulding better by looking at its crucial aspects.
Defining Transfer Moulding
As the name defines it, transfer moulding transfers the pre-form to a transfer chamber before entering the moulds for the next process. In other words, a transferring mechanism compresses the preform into the cavity or cavities. Once the raw material, which is introduced to the moulds, solidifies then it is removed. The moulded material could be a part of a whole product or it could be a complete object in itself.
Basic Outline of the Procedure
Transfer moulding process somewhat bears similarity to compression moulding. Although a transfer chamber becomes crucial in the process of transfer moulding, unlike compression moulding. Like compression moulding, thermosets are heated through cross-linking. The transfer moulding method helps in filling up multiple cavities at once.
A shear is created due to the runners and sprues present in the machine. The shear ensures that the heat is received by the material. As the material is heated through crosslinking, it reaches the cavities where the final moulding is achieved. The moulds are set vertically in the transfer moulding machines.
The pre-clamping of the moulds in the procedure plays another important role. The moulds are clamped, therefore, the presence of flash is rare in the transfer moulding. The final products are, thus, more accurate in dimension.
In transfer moulding, either multiple objects can be created of the same dimension and type or different parts of diverse objects can be created. The raw material that goes into the moulds creates a casting. Once the product receives the actual shape, they are ejected for further processing.
How Transfer Moulding is Different from Compression Moulding?
In compression moulding, raw material is added to a heated mould i.e. the cavity inside the mould is filled with the moulding material. Now, the pressure would be applied from the top part of the cavity with a closure. The pressure spreads out the molten material evenly inside the cavity of the mould. As the process goes on, the apt temperature along with the correct pressure is applied to the mould. It is continued to the point when the material of moulding is completely cured. Owing to this technique, the method receives the name compression moulding.
However, one can simply observe that preheated material is introduced to the mould cavity during transfer moulding process. Since the molten material is being transferred for shaping and cooling in the moulds, the process is popularly known as transfer moulding. However, transfer moulding appears to be sharing the principles of both, compression as well as injection moulding.
Advantages of Transfer Moulding
The process of transfer moulding has many advantages. These include many things such as more capacity and lesser scope of flashes. Some of the most obvious advantages of transfer moulding are mentioned below.
- Enhanced Uniformity: Unlike compression moulding, transfer moulding has closed moulds when the raw material is injected into them. Therefore, the dimension is more uniform in the moulding. Owing to the pot and the plunger layout, the design is more uniform. Besides, the process offers better consistency.
- Robust Dimensional Tolerance: The method of transfer moulding facilitates tighter tolerance. It leads to more numbers of complex parts. There is a lesser chance of flash over the completed product owing to the open design of the moulds. In the pot and plunger layout, any excess material holds onto the plunger. Thus, it does not impact the progress of making the moulds.
- Production Cycles become Shorter: In comparison to conventional moulding techniques, like compression moulding, transfer moulding helps in shortening the production cycles. The timeframe for getting the compound ready along with finishing time for the product are significantly reduced. Owing to this, the requirement for flash and cutting becomes less. As a greater and uniform temperature is applied to the mould cavity, the cure time reduces.
Conclusion
Transfer moulding is an advanced version of moulding that helps in providing greater efficiency to the process. The productivity becomes better as a large number of cavities can be filled at once with the preform. Therefore, a massive chunk of time can be saved during the production cycle. As one preform is enough to fill around hundred cavities, transfer moulding is the process that gives manufacturers an edge over the methods of compression and injection moulding.
Acme Drinktec Solutions or ADS, established almost two decades back, is a leading name in the industry of mould manufacturing. ADS is known for its prowess in developing high-quality one-stage moulds including molds for one step ISBM.
