In the field of optical lens manufacturing, injection molding technology has become the core process of lens barrel production. According to statistics, more than 95% of lens manufacturers and injection mold factories choose injection molded lens cartridges, which is not only a reflection of technological maturity, but also a comprehensive consideration of efficiency, accuracy and cost. This paper will analyze this phenomenon from multiple dimensions such as technical advantages, industry trends and practical cases.
First, the technical advantages of injection molding
1. High efficiency and large-scale production
The injection molding technology can realize the mass production of the mirror cylinder through the mold. For example, the "multi-mold groove synchronous injection molding tool" developed by Suzhou Xinfai Company can form multiple mirror cylinders at a single time, and the production efficiency is more than 3 times higher than that of the traditional single mold. Moreover, the cooling and demolding process is fully automated to reduce manual intervention.
In addition, the injection cycle is short (usually only a few seconds to tens of seconds), combined with rapid mold change technology, can flexibly respond to different specifications of the order needs.
2. Precision control and high consistency
The optical cylinder requires high dimensional accuracy (the error should be controlled in the micron level). Through precision molds and parameter adjustment (such as pressure and temperature), injection molding can stably realize the complex structure of the inner wall of the mirror cylinder. For example, the positioning accuracy of the thread and insert of the mobile phone camera lens cylinder can reach ±0.01mm.
In the production of intelligent traffic lenses, injection molding technology ensures a stable output of 1 million lenses per month, and the assembly accuracy error is less than 1/50 of a hair.
3. Material suitability and function optimization
Injection materials can be flexibly selected according to requirements, such as:
Optical grade plastics (such as PC, PMMA) have high light transmittance and are suitable for imaging lenses;
The metal insert composite material enhances the structural strength to meet the anti-vibration requirements of the vehicle lens;
Extinction materials can reduce stray light interference and improve imaging quality through special processes such as MIM-blackening technology.
Ii. Industry demand drives technology iteration
1. The explosion of consumer electronics and smart devices
With the surging demand for miniaturized lenses in smartphones and AR/VR devices, traditional metal processing is difficult to meet the requirements of complex structures and rapid iteration in small batches. Injection molding through mold design optimization (such as rotary release, direct gate), can quickly adapt to the new cylinder design.
2. Rigid demand for cost control
Compared with CNC machining or glass mirror cylinder, the cost of injection molding can be reduced by more than 60%. In the case of Fortco, its monthly output of 8 million glasses of scale advantage, greatly diluted mold and raw material costs.
3. Promotion of intelligent manufacturing and Industry 4.0
The combination of injection molding process and digital technology (such as mold flow analysis software, AI real-time pressure curve control) has significantly improved the yield. For example, KunshandongZhuo's stable pressure injection molding process, which monitors pressure changes in real time through sensors, has reduced the product defect rate from 5% to 0.3%.
3. Typical cases and technological breakthroughs
1. Injection molding process of mobile phone camera lens cylinder
Through pre-heating metal inserts (50-60℃) and precise pressure retention control, the wrinkle problem caused by the difference in shrinkage rate between inserts and plastics in low temperature environment was solved, and the yield was increased to more than 99%.
2. High-end application of MIM-blackening technology
Using metal powder injection molding (MIM) combined with chemical oxidation blackening treatment, the surface of the mirror cylinder forms a fine pore structure, and the extinction performance is 40% higher than that of the traditional laser treatment, with uniform density and strong corrosion resistance.
3. Versatility of multi-industry penetration
From medical endoscopes to astronomical telescopes, injection molded mirror cartridges have covered more than 90% of the optical scene. For example, Suzhou Xinfalid's patented tooling is widely used in the electronics, communications and automotive industries, and a single mold life can reach millions of times.
Fourth, future trends and challenges
Despite the dominance of injection molding, the industry faces two major challenges:
The research and development cost of ultra-precision mold: the processing of nano-scale mirror barrel mold depends on imported equipment, and the localization process needs to be accelerated;
Popularization of environmentally friendly materials: The properties of bio-based plastics and biodegradable materials need to be further optimized to accommodate optical requirements.
With its efficiency, precision and cost advantages, injection molded mirror cylinders have become the "gold standard" in the field of optical manufacturing. With the progress of intelligent manufacturing and material science, this process will further push the lens industry towards high integration and low cost.
ZIBO HUIWEN Plastics offers a full range of plastic molding capabilities to efficiently mass-produce parts specializing in injection molding and have served customers in variety of industries such as medical, automotive, packaging, construction, home appliances , and agriculture. The company has two factories which occupy a total area of more than 18,000 square meters, and a total of 102 sets of injection molding machines .
3.500+ Material Choices Custom Injection Molding
