The mold consists of two primary components, the core side (fixed mold) and the cavity side (moving mold). Plastic material enters the mold through a sprue or gate in the injection mold; the sprue bushing is to seal tightly against the nozzle of the injection barrel of the molding machine and to allow molten plastic to flow from the barrel into the cavity. As the material cools, it will solidify into the shape of the cavity and become the desired part. When the mold is opened, the cavity side and the core side are separated to take out the plastic products.

The injection molding process requires the use of an ”injection molding machine”, ”raw plastic material”, and a ”mold”. The plastic is melted in the injection molding machine and then injected into the mold, where it cools and solidifies into the final part. The steps in this process are described in greater detail in the next section.