Injection molding is one of the most common ways to create high volume amounts of products used by multiple industries for varying applications. Injection molded housings are just one of those examples of products that hit the mark as a versatile, wide-ranging component.
Molded housings can be used for outdoor equipment in rigorous environments and tough industrial applications. But these housings can also be used in everyday consumer products where the demands of the product aren’t nearly as tough.
GAIM Plastics highlight some of the best applications of injection molded housings for these two industries and why injection molding makes sense from a manufacturing perspective.
Outdoor Equipment Applications
Outdoor equipment is a pretty general category when it comes to injection molded housings. This could range from numerous industries to different types of housings, all featuring different design considerations, material selections, value-added operations, and more.
The larger point at hand, however, is that all of these products can be made through injection molding. Let’s break it down even further.
Lawn and Garden
Mower shrouds, trimmer covers, battery-tool shells, sprinkler cases, and tool grips.
Agricultural Outdoor Equipment
Sensor and control box enclosures, seed monitor housings, pump covers, grain-handling guards, and irrigation controls.
Outdoor Power/HVAC
Generator panels, pressure washer housings, fan shrouds, and thermostat covers
Infrastructure
Telecom-node enclosures, smart meter covers, security camera housings, and solar junction box shells.
Consumer Products Applications
Injection molded housings extend into consumer products as well in multiple applications. One of the most common usages of injection molding for consumer product housings are in cordless power tools through a two-piece clamshell housing where screws, battery rails, switch pockets, wired routing, and overmold features can be integrated.
Plenty of smart devices such as weatherproofed cameras, doorbells, sensor and lighting housings, and lenses can feature injection molded housings. Additionally, portable electronics like radios, chargers, and bike accessories can feature injection molded housings.
Appliance covers, vacuum components, storage-product shells, and control parts are examples of kitchen and household products that feature molded housings.
Design Considerations and Material Selection
Not every housing is going to follow the exact same design or select the same materials as every housing is going to serve in a different environment and have a different application. But there are some general design considerations to follow along with material selection guides.
Housing designs should account for integration, mainly electronics integration with room for specific channels, thermal venting, and shielding provisions. Certainly core injection molding design principles such as uniform and consistent wall thickness, ribs, gates, and proper ejection and cooling times are important.
Most material choices for housings are going to have to account for difficult environmental conditions and a need for durability. That means selecting from a pool of common thermoplastics such as PP, HDPE, ASA, PC, ABS, glass-filled nylon, and TPO.
Partner With GAIM Plastics for Your Custom Injection Molded Housings
GAIM Plastics is one of Illinois’ most reliable and efficient custom injection molding manufacturers. Since 1989, our team has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of injection molding with modern capabilities and alternative material selections.
Injection molded housings are seen across numerous industries and in several applications, including outdoor equipment and consumer products. Our process starts with our development services where we can create rapid prototypes of your eventual manufactured component and then right into the injection molding process.
Our programs are backed by strong quality control and management procedures through in-process inspection, with parts checked throughout the day during every production run. This catches variation early and keeps parts within spec across long runs.
Contact GAIM Plastics today and jumpstart your injection molding housings program.