High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) Injection Molding Service

Designing parts for HIPS injection molding involves several key considerations to ensure optimal performance and manufacturability. Uniform wall thickness is crucial to prevent warpage and provide consistent cooling. Adding draft angles to the design facilitates easy ejection from the mold. Proper rib and boss design can enhance structural integrity without adding excessive weight. It’s also important to incorporate adequate radii in corners to reduce stress concentrations. Additionally, the placement of gates, runners, and vents should be optimized to ensure smooth material flow and minimize defects such as sink marks and air traps.

Processing HIPS in injection molding differs from other thermoplastics primarily due to its lower melting point and higher impact resistance. HIPS requires lower processing temperatures, typically 180°C to 230°C, which can reduce energy consumption and wear on molding equipment. The material’s high impact strength can withstand more significant mechanical stress during processing. Also, HIPS’s lower shrinkage rate, around 0.4% to 0.7%, helps achieve precise dimensions and consistent part quality. However, HIPS’s poor UV resistance necessitates using additives or coatings for outdoor applications to prevent degradation.