rapid molding,reaction injection molding

Reaction Injection Molding

Rapid Molding with Reaction Injection Molding

Reaction Injection Molding(RIM) is a type of rapid molding process for making unreinforced thermoset parts. Get a quote today for the one-stop RIM service.

Get the best reaction molding service on time with X Rapid Technologies

Reaction injection molding is one of the most popular and efficient rapid molding processes that allows manufacturers to create a large number of components efficiently. X Rapid Technologies offer this reaction injection molding technology so that you can have the most accurate outcomes.

What is Reaction injection molding? 

It is the most popular Rapid molding technology that allows manufacturers to develop unreinforced thermoset parts rapidly at low pressure and room temperature. This Rapid molding process uses a simple resin injection system with two pressurized chambers. 

There are several benefits of using reaction injection molding. Rapid molding is essential for the manufacturing industry as it allows you to understand your final product and its functionalities. With Rapid molding, you can correct or modify the drawbacks and launch a flawless product in the market to give tough competition to your competitors. But, for this, it is very important that the component that is produced by the molding reflects exactly the same as your thought or your design. That's why reaction injection molding is the most preferred option of rapid molding across the globe.

Benefits of reaction injection molding

This Rapid molding process comes with several advantages. Some of the key benefits are mentioned below.

This molding technology allows you to create large parts with even material distribution. This process can create parts that can't be created in other ways.

As reaction injection molding uses low injection pressures, manufacturers can use several low-cost molding materials such as steel, aluminum, Kirksite alloys, nickel, etc.

This molding process gives you the freedom to design as it can create the most complex designs with accuracy and detailing so that you don't have to compromise. This process can create Monolithic parts with varying walls with accuracy.

Reaction injection molding is perfect for shorter production runs of less than 5000. It is also much less expensive than traditional injection molding. This also allows manufacturers to undergo functionality and other tests before cutting actual high-pressure injection molding.

This molding process can deliver amazing finishing and smooth surfaces. Manufacturers can produce high-quality painted parts by using this rapid molding technology. 

The tooling of reaction injection molding is generally less than traditional injection molding technologies.

If compared to the resin transfer molding process, the labor requirement for this rapid molding technology is way less. You can save labor costs as it will lower the overall production cost. 

It requires less floor space compared to traditional injection molding technologies.

This rapid molding technology requires less energy to work compared to other traditional injection molding technology. 

So, we can say that reaction injection molding is not only the best option to create accurate prototypes, but it also can help to reduce the production cost. This can be the best option when you are looking for a rapid molding technology that can provide you with the accuracy you are looking for.

Where to get the best reaction injection molding service? 

We, X Rapid Technologies, offer one stop reaction injection molding solutions to our clients. We understand the importance of rapid molding in different industries. Whether it is rapid mold-making, surface treatment, parts machining, packing, assembly, or global shipping, we are here at your service to provide you with the best solutions on time. We believe in 100% professionalism, and all of our team members are highly experienced in the fields with great knowledge. We make sure to deliver you the hundred percent accurate service so that you can continue climbing the letter of success. No matter for which industrial use you need, our best-in-class rapid molding service is here to help you out.

Recommended reading

What is Reaction injection molding? 

It is the most popular Rapid molding technology that allows manufacturers to develop unreinforced thermoset parts rapidly at low pressure and room temperature. This Rapid molding process uses a simple resin injection system with two pressurized chambers.

Where to get the best plastic prototype manufacturing service? 

If you are looking for an efficient plastic prototype manufacturing service, we, X Rapid Technologies, are right here to provide you with that. We offer bespoke rapid prototyping and low volume production services, including vacuum casting, CNC machining, 3D printing, rapid tooling, sheet metal fabrication, surface finishing, and reaction injection molding service to our clients. We are the one-stop solution for your prototype manufacturing related issues. Whether you need a service with CNC machining, 3D printing, Vacuum casting, Sheet metal fabrication, rapid tooling, or reaction injection molding, we are here to provide you with our high-quality services. We understand the importance of plastic prototype manufacturing, and we aim to provide you with our high-quality service on time and at a reasonable price. Contact us today for further discussions.

Where to go for low volume injection molding?

If you are thinking about using the low volume injection molding technology for your products, X Rapid Technologies is at your service to provide you with the most advanced tools and equipment for this process. We have a highly knowledgeable and skilled team that can manufacture the products by using low volume reaction injection molding process precisely without any flaws. They know how to turn a design into a real product without bothering a single part of the design. We use this amazing technology for manufacturing car bumper parts. We use aluminum to make these bumper parts as aluminum is the best material that can be used for this purpose. With heat resistance and flexibility, aluminum offers an appreciable outcome that can satisfy anyone. These bumper parts are made in ABS-like PU material with just one layer of paint.

Reaction Injection Molding Cases - X Rapid Technologies (Shenzhen) Limited

Reaction injection molding is an economical way to produce short-run large-sized plastic products, particularly in the automotive and medical device industries. With our excellent surface treatment work, the products are of high quality in the market.

Reaction Injection Molding for Plastic Prototypes

Vacuum casting and reaction injection molding in prototype plastic molding are some of the expertise of X Rapid Technologies. Contact our experts today.

Reaction injection molding (RIM) is a rapid molding process for making unreinforced thermoset parts rapidly in an environment of low pressure and room temperature. It uses a simple resin injection system with two pressurized chambers. The tools can usually last for up to 100 shots, and molded components can be solid like an injection-molded ABS, PP, structural foam, or rubber.

X Rapid Technologies offers a one-stop rapid reaction injection molding service from rapid mold-making, parts machining, surface treatment, assembly, and packing to global shipping. With over a decade of experience, we are your trusted reaction injection molding partner to fulfill all your rapid molding needs.

Advantages of reaction injection molding

·  Cost-effective: low mold costs and assembly costs can be reduced.

·  Products enjoy durable and long-lasting, good structural stability.

·  Fast molding processes and shortened lead time.

·  Suitable for small and medium-sized production, trial products, etc.

·  Fewer design limitations. The wall thickness of parts is not limited. Different wall thicknesses can be used on the same part.

·  Able to meet different requirements, various product density, hardness, and bending modulus can be adjusted as required.

How does reaction injection molding work?

Initially, the monomer or prepolymer is mixed in a liquid state with a metering pump at a certain ratio into the mixing head. After the mixture is injected into the mold, it reacts rapidly and is cross-linked and cured in the mold. Then, after demolding, the part is complete. Finally, the RIM parts will be post-finished. Nearly all surface treatments are available, including painting, plating, screen printing, hand transfer printing, etc.

Differences between reaction injection molding and plastic injection molding

1.  Different raw materials. Reaction injection molding uses two polymers that react in the mold and cure at room temperature. Plastic injection molding uses thermoset material which must be hot before being injected into the mold and cured by heating instead of cooling.

2.  Different processing environments. The machine temperatures of reaction injection molding are less extreme than that of plastic injection molding.

3.  Different costs. The cost of reaction injection molding is much lower than that of plastic injection molding. The main reason is the low mold costs.

4.  Different lead times. Reaction injection molding is a kind of rapid molding process because the molds can be ready within a few days. The time is much shorter than that of plastic injection molding.

5.  Different product features. RIM parts are lighter and can be ununiform-walled. Plastic-injected parts must have uniform wall thickness.

6.  Different product applications. Parts by reaction injection molding are usually used for prototyping or small or medium-volume products. The minimum order quantity of plastic injection molding is very high and it is just for mass production.

When do I need reaction injection molding?

When you need a small batch of large-sized plastic parts with uneven wall thicknesses, rapid reaction injection molding is the most suitable manufacturing solution. The parts can be used as prototypes for testing in new product development, or for end-use products to be put on the market.

Get an instant reaction injection molding quote
rapid molding,reaction injection molding
Making Large Parts at Low Cost

We produce large, light-weight,
and thin-walled complex items by rapid molding process
at a cost lower than mass production.

rapid molding,reaction injection molding
Different Wall Thickness Within One Part Available

The wall thickness can vary from 4 mm to
30 mm within the same part without distortion.

rapid molding,reaction injection molding
Low Production Runs

Perfect, cost-effective low volume annual production from a few hundred to thousands of parts.

Material Options

The material for RIM is called polyurethane, PU in short. It can be divided into three types.
· Foamed PU. They can be soft foam and dense foam, which are used to make sound insulation covers, heat insulation layers, etc.
· Micro-foaming PU. Its density is generally 0.6-0.7 kg/m³. They can be applied to thick-walled and high-strength products.
· Non-foaming PU. The material performance is similar to PP or ABS with a density of about 1.1-1.2 kg/m³. They are suitable for various thin-walled shell products, with aging resistance, strong impact resistance, high cohesion, easy to load and unload, etc.
X Rapid Technologies usually use HD RIM4210/1100 PU, YU-Heng RIM5236 PU, and AXSON RIM875/900 PU. The properties of RIM parts are usually ABS-like or PP-like.
Let us know your needs, and we will help you choose the appropriate material.

Reaction Injection Molding FAQs

The lead time is usually 7 to 30 days mainly depending on the quantities and finishings. X Rapid Technologies will calculate the expected lead time while quoting. If you have a tight time range, let us know.

We don’t have a minimum order quantity for RIM. However, if you only want a one-off prototype, RIM is not economical. CNC machining is a better choice.

Sure, you can use RIM to make prototype plastic parts. Instead of low volume production, it is a rapid prototype injection molding process to create plastic parts. In the automotive industry, for example, one test often requires hundreds of prototypes during rapid prototyping. In this case, RIM is more cost-effective and faster than traditional plastic injection molding. 

You may notice that the material used for RIM and vacuum casting is both called PU. Their main difference is that the part sizes are different. RIM is used to make larger plastic enclosures for low-volume manufacturing, such as automotive bumpers, medical device cases, and large-sized robots. Vacuum casting is primarily used in low-volume manufacturing of relatively small plastic (ABS, PC, acrylic, etc.) and soft rubber components.  For more detailed information, you can go to our blog.

Sure. Rapid tooling is also another rapid molding service we offer. For some special materials like carbon fiber, we will use vacuum infusion processing which also involves a rapid molding process.