Evaluation of which process should be used
While there is only 2 processes for Ceramic's, in my opinion the Injection Moulding would be more beneficial. The main reason I have chosen this over Powder Metallurgy, is that the Injection Moulding process offers a far higher hardness strength than the Powder Metallurgy version. This would be an excellent feature for us, as we do not want the product to wear down too soon after it has been installed. The Insulator Chair needs to be able to withstand many forces of weather, and trains running across it. Injection Moulding is also suitable because it is one of the processes which is best at …show more content…
Usually, tools are made out of aluminium (lower cost grades of steel can also be used, which can save cost), but any tool that is used must be able to of withstand the very high moulding pressures that will be used. There are generally lower costs when using Compression Moulding. These include the mould tools, the setting up a press, and the production of parts. This makes compression moulding one of the most cost effective methods of making smaller runs of parts, such as in batches. This could be suited to the Third Rail Insulator Chair, because they could be made them in batches, although they would need to be large …show more content…
Although most Polymers are recyclable, Compression Moulding has more waste than when compared to other processes. To achieve the desired finish with Compression Moulding, the mould cavity is overfilled to some degree, in order to achieve the correct pressure to form the part correctly. Sometimes, excess material is used to push unwanted air out of the cavity, in order to have a void-free part. Another downside to this method, is that Compression Moulding does require a lot more manpower than some other methods being used. Therefore, there is a cost involving employing these people. Compared to Injection