Development of 2K injection moulding products and processes of rubbers with thermoplastics

Two component (2K) injection moulding is a production process that combines two polymers in one production process without assembly. Two component injection moulding using thermoplastics is commonly used in industry. The combination of a soft rubber like material and a stiffer material is frequently used in products like toothbrushes or tools. Often a thermoplastic elastomer is used as rubber like material. Thermoplastic elastomers are not acceptable for high quality applications which require chemical resistance, long-term use or specific mechanical properties. Rubber can be a solution for these high quality applications. Currently little research has been done on two component injection moulding of thermoplastics with rubbers. The goal of this research is the development of a two component injection moulding process that combines thermoplastics and rubbers. The developed process will be used to produce products This should result in a validated design methodology for this type of two component products.