In the plastic industry, different materials (components) are used frequently to create parts with more functionality.
For example:
Components with a different material (e.g. metal) are inserted into the mold before injection molding.
This is done manually or with a robot.
It is important to hold the insert in the correct position until the plastic flows around and fixes the part.
The encapsulation allows a strong connection between insert and part, and both will be ejected as one.
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This glossary of plastic industry is provided by PLEXPERT Canada Inc.