Injection Molding Materials
Selecting the right material for your injection molded parts can dramatically impact their performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness. As a design engineer, you need injection molding materials that not only meet your technical specifications but also align with your production timelines and budget constraints.
At Fathom, we offer a comprehensive selection of injection molding materials that can be tailored to your specific application needs. Our engineering team will work with you to identify the optimal material based on your part’s requirements, helping you navigate the trade-offs between performance, cost and lead time.
How Can the Right Material Selection
Improve Your Project?
Meet Performance Requirements // Selecting the right injection molding material ensures your parts perform reliably under their intended use conditions. Most engineers start by designing a part. However, injection molding experts recommend starting with the environment in which the part will be used and letting that drive your material selection. That, in turn, will have a strong influence on your part design.
Whether you need high-temperature resistance, chemical compatibility or exceptional mechanical properties, our team can help you select the injection molding material that delivers optimal results.
Optimize for Manufacturability // Material selection impacts not just performance but also manufacturability. Our experts will help you select materials that flow properly, minimize warping, and reduce cycle times—creating parts that meet your specifications and produce consistent quality parts.
Control Costs // Material selection is a critical factor in determining your project’s overall cost. Our team will help you balance your part’s performance requirements with your budget, suggesting alternatives that meet your needs and fit within your budget.
Improve Time-to-Market // By selecting readily available materials and optimizing for manufacturability, we can help you accelerate your project timeline. For urgent needs, we can suggest materials that are in stock and ready to run.
Popular Injection Molding Materials
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
- Best For // ABS injection molding is well-suited to products requiring good impact resistance and dimensional stability.
- Common Applications // Automotive components, consumer electronics housings, appliance parts.
- Key Properties // Excellent impact strength, good rigidity, high dimensional stability, excellent surface finish.
Polycarbonate (PC)
- Best For // Polycarbonate injection molding is ideal for applications that require excellent optical clarity and impact resistance.
- Common Applications // Automotive headlamp lenses, protective eyewear, medical devices.
- Key Properties // Outstanding impact resistance, heat resistance, optical clarity, good dimensional stability.
Nylon (PA6, PA66)
- Best For // Nylon injection molding is best suited to parts that require high strength and wear resistance.
- Common Applications // Automotive under-hood components, industrial gears, bearings.
- Key Properties // High tensile strength, good chemical resistance, excellent wear resistance, self-lubricating properties.
Polypropylene (PP)
- Best For // Polypropylene injection molding is often used in applications that require chemical resistance and low cost.
- Common Applications // Consumer packaging, automotive interior components, medical devices.
- Key Properties // Good chemical resistance, excellent fatigue resistance, low density, cost-effective.
Acetal (POM)
- Best For // Acetal injection molding is well-suited for precision parts requiring high stiffness and low friction.
- Common Applications // Gears, bearings, automotive fuel systems, consumer electronics.
- Key Properties // Excellent dimensional stability, low friction, good wear resistance, moisture resistance.
TPE/TPU (Thermoplastic Elastomers)
- Best For // Thermoplastic elastomer injection molding is popular for applications that require rubber-like properties.
- Common Applications // Overmolded handles, seals, gaskets, soft-touch components.
- Key Properties // Flexibility, excellent impact resistance, abrasion resistance, wide hardness range.
Material Selection Considerations
What’s Your Performance Priority?
When selecting an injection molding material for your parts, consider the key factors that will impact success:
- Mechanical Requirements // What loads, stresses, or impacts will your part need to withstand?
- Environmental Factors // Will your part be exposed to chemicals, UV light, heat, or moisture?
- Regulatory Compliance // Does your application require FDA, UL, or other certifications?
- Cost Constraints // What’s your target piece price and how does material selection impact it?
A Fathom expert can help you navigate these considerations to select the optimal material for your application.
Material Selection Support
Our team provides comprehensive support throughout the material selection process, including:
- Material recommendation based on your specific application requirements.
- Side-by-side comparisons of material options with performance and cost trade-offs.
- Guidance on material availability to support your production timeline.
- Assistance with material testing and validation.
Standard vs. Engineered Materials
Depending on your application requirements, you may need to choose between:
- Standard Materials // Cost-effective options like ABS, PP and PC that offer good all-around performance for most applications.
- Engineered Materials // Specialty resins like PEEK, PPS or glass-filled nylons that offer enhanced performance characteristics for demanding applications.
A Fathom expert can help you determine whether a standard injection molding material will meet your needs or if an engineered material is required for your application.
Material Modifications
To enhance material performance, various additives and fillers can be incorporated into your injection molding material:
- Glass or Carbon Fiber // Increases stiffness and dimensional stability
- Impact Modifiers // Improve toughness and impact resistance
- UV Stabilizers // Enhance resistance to degradation from sunlight
- Flame Retardants // Improve fire safety ratings
- Colorants // Achieve specific aesthetic requirements
Our team can help you select the right additives to optimize injection molding material performance for your specific application.
Why Choose Fathom for Your Injection Molding Material Needs?
Fathom brings decades of experience in material selection and injection molding to every project.
Our engineering team will work with you to understand your design objectives, performance requirements and budget constraints before recommending materials that will ensure your project’s success. We maintain relationships with leading material suppliers. That means we can offer you access to a wide range of options for your application.
With Fathom, you’re not just selecting an injection molding material. You’re partnering with a team that understands the complex interplay between design, material and manufacturing process to deliver parts that perform.
Let’s get started on your injection molding project today!
