A lot is at stake when you create a new injection mold design. If you get the design just right, you will have a mold that cycles quickly, increases productivity, lasts the test of time, and, because it does all of these things, improves your bottom line. On the other hand, if your design is [...]
There are thousands of designers who design injection molded parts but there is an elite group within this large community who can actually design parts for injection molders. Injection molded product design evolves through many phases of development before all the parts are ultimately documented and released to a molder for production. This last step [...]
Proper mold venting is essential for producing quality parts. During the molding process, the air contained in the mold needs a way to escape, otherwise the melt will compress and trap that air in the cavity. A combination of melt pressure and high temperature will then ignite the oxygen (called the “diesel effect”), causing burnings [...]
Outsourcing has become a large part of reducing cost for manufactured goods. While it became a great way for consumers to buy lower priced products, the caveat to outsourcing is that foreign competitors don’t always follow the same work standards or use the same high quality materials to ensure high quality products. China has been [...]
The appeal of injection molding lies, in large part, because of its versatility and relative accessibility when compared with other manufacturing processes. This accessibility — which can sometimes be mistaken for ease of production — can serve to make in-house injection molding seem overly appealing — perhaps more than it should. In reality, in-house production [...]
Everyday mold builders face various challenges as they tackle each new mold project that enters the shop. Whether it involves engineering, building, maintaining, or repairing molds, this industry’s dedicated technology suppliers offer solutions. Here are some insights and instructions to help your team through four specific challenges. 1） How to Reduce Risk in Plastic Part [...]
During the coronavirus pandemic, the mold manufacturing industry stepped up, answered the call and assisted with ramping up production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in record lead times with utmost quality. Technology played a part, of course, but it was the people who got the job done. This time of crisis demanded a creative approach [...]
The workflow for low-volume injection molding includes the following seven steps: 1) Mold Design Design the mold for your part in the CAD software of your choice. Adhere to common design rules for additive manufacturing and injection mold design. Learn some Design recommendations specific to polymer 3D printed molds. Upload your design into 3D print [...]
While injection molding is traditionally considered a manufacturing process only for mass production due to its high tooling costs, leveraging 3D printing to fabricate injection molds can empower you to use this process to produce high-quality and repeatable parts for prototyping and low-volume production. In this comprehensive guide, learn how you can use 3D printed [...]
1. Control Your Molds Far too many companies that have their products made overseas wrongly assume they will own the molds and the accompanying IP used to make their products. If you do not pay for your molds upfront and have a contract that both works for the country in which your molds are being [...]