Plastic injection molds cost anywhere between $100 for a 3D printed low-volume injection mold to $100,000+ for a complex multi-cavity steel mold for high-volume production, which generally represents the most significant fixed start-up cost in injection molding. However, as these costs get distributed among hundreds or thousands of parts, injection molding is an ideal process [...]
There is no doubt about it: More and more molds are being designed to include hot runner systems or hot sprue bushings. For those who build and run hot runner molds, it is not hard to see the reasons why. While expensive to build, hot runner molds can be more economical in the long run [...]
Every company is based on a foundation of knowledge. That knowledge is often taught from a senior mold builder to a junior mold builder. Sadly, that knowledge can be lost over time. Here we’ll focus on taking a real-world look at capturing and reusing company know-how. By using software automation, mold builders can instill company [...]
Ten years ago, there was a broadly accepted and well-defined route that a product developer might travel to take a product from concept to actual part. Generally, that path would include 2D and 3D drawings of the components and their assembly, which would go through various prototyping stages in low-cost, low-volume manufacturing methods such as [...]
There’s a lot of room for expensive errors when it comes to injection molding. Quality issues in injection-molded products can range from minor surface defects to more serious problems that can affect the safety, performance and function of the product. They can be caused by problems related to the molding process, material use, tooling design [...]
When considering an actuator for an injection molding application, review three positions to determine the impact on cylinder type and capacity: initial breakaway, movement through the stroke, and final positioning. Physical force requirements for each (both set and pull) will provide insight into the most limiting conditions and direct selection of the most appropriate product [...]
Additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming a growing priority for many mold companies. This is happening because of decreasing cycle times made available by new tool design capabilities made possible by AM, like conformal cooling. As recently as three years ago, moldmakers might have felt that customers were unwilling to pay the extra cost associated with [...]
Every company is based on a foundation of knowledge. That knowledge is often taught from a senior mold builder to a junior mold builder. Sadly, that knowledge can be lost over time. Here we’ll focus on taking a real-world look at capturing and reusing company know-how. By using software automation, mold builders can instill company [...]
A fully described plastic part is the most crucial information for a mold build project. An incomplete part drawing can create countless problems in the mold design process, waste a lot of precious time and cause numerous issues when the mold is completed and commissioned at the customer’s facility. Spending extra time at the beginning [...]
While creating the plastic part drawing, the designer has the best opportunity to decide on the most suitable design for the mold and/or to make suggestions on how the product design might be modified to improve productivity and simplify the mold design; in turn, simplifying the mold design reduces mold costs. Once the mold design [...]