Plastic Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling Services

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Advantages of Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling

High precision and repeatability: Both processes use advanced technologies such as 3D printing and CAD/CAM software to produce high-quality, precise parts with consistent results.

Speed and efficiency: Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling are both highly efficient processes that can produce parts quickly and with minimal material waste and labor.

Versatility: These processes can be used to produce a wide range of parts with different shapes, sizes, and materials, making them highly versatile.

Cost-effective: Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling can often produce parts at a lower cost than traditional manufacturing methods due to their efficiency and reduced material waste.

Customization: These processes allow for greater customization and flexibility in part design, enabling businesses to create unique and innovative products.

The Ultimate Guide to Injection Molding

What is plastic molding process?

Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling are two distinct advanced manufacturing processes that utilize different technologies to produce high-quality, precision parts.

Injection Molding involves melting plastic pellets and injecting the molten material into a mold under high pressure. The mold is then cooled and opened to reveal the finished part. This process is highly automated and can produce a large quantity of parts in a short amount of time. Injection Molding can be used to produce parts of varying sizes, shapes, and complexities, making it a versatile manufacturing process.

Rapid Tooling, on the other hand, utilizes 3D printing or traditional machining techniques to produce molds or tooling quickly and cost-effectively. The molds are then used in Injection Molding to produce high-quality parts with precision and accuracy. Rapid Tooling can produce complex and detailed molds that are difficult or impossible to produce with traditional manufacturing methods.

Both Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling offer a range of benefits to businesses, including high precision, repeatability, and efficiency. By utilizing advanced technologies and innovative techniques, these processes enable businesses to produce high-quality parts that meet specific requirements and achieve greater success in their respective industries.

Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling Success Cases

How does it improve production efficiency and reduce costs？

Reduced material waste: Both Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling use advanced technologies to produce parts with minimal material waste, which can help reduce costs and improve sustainability.

Faster production times: These processes can produce parts more quickly and with greater precision than traditional manufacturing methods, reducing production times and increasing output.

Increased automation: Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling are highly automated processes that require less manual labor, reducing the costs associated with hiring and training personnel.

Design optimization: The flexibility of Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling allows for greater design optimization, enabling businesses to create parts that are more efficient and cost-effective to produce.

Tooling longevity: Rapid Tooling, in particular, can provide significant cost savings by prolonging the life of tooling molds, reducing the need for frequent replacement.

Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling Application

Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling have a wide range of applications across various industries. They are used to produce parts for consumer products, medical devices, automotive components, and electronic devices, among others.

Injection Molding is commonly used to produce high-volume parts, such as bottle caps, medical syringes, and automotive interior components. The process can also produce intricate and complex parts, such as gears and housings for electronics.

Rapid Tooling is used to produce molds or tooling quickly and cost-effectively, making it ideal for short production runs and prototyping. This process is commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, and medical device industries to produce parts with complex geometries and tight tolerances.

Both Injection Molding and Rapid Tooling offer businesses a range of benefits, including high precision, repeatability, and efficiency. By utilizing advanced technologies and innovative techniques, these processes enable businesses to produce high-quality parts that meet specific requirements and achieve greater success in their respective industries.

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Injection Molding Materials

ABS	Acetal/POM (Delrin)	HDPE
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)	LDPE	Nylon – Glass Filled & 6/6
PBT	PC/ABS	PEEK
PEI (Ultem)	PET	PMMA (Acrylic)
PBT Glass-Filled	PEEK Glass-Filled	Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate Glass-Filled	Polyethylene	Polypropylene
PPA	PPO	PPS
PPSU	PVC	Rubber
SAN (AS)	Silicone	Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)
TPU	VAT

Injection Molding Part Finishes

injection molding part surface finish prototype

Glossy	Semi-Glossy	Matte	Textured
SPI-A2	SPI-B1	SPI-C1	MT (Moldtech)
SPI-A3	SPI-B2	SPI-C2	VDI (Association of German Engineers)
	SPI-B3	SPI-C3	YS (Yick Sang)

Heat Staking

The process of locally heating a plastic component in order to insert another metal component (usually called threaded insert).

Ultrasonic Plastic Welding

A high frequency welder generates heat to join or reform thermoplastics.

Painting

Primer and top coat; standard colors or Pantone matching; masking available; EMI (copper) paint.

Laser Engraving

Engraving text or a design with the use of a laser.

Pad Printing

A process to apply an ink-based, 2D design to a 3D surface.

Design suggestions of injection molding/Rapid tooling parts

Wall thickness

Designers can decrease the maximum wall thickness of your product to shorten the cycle time (injection time and cooling time specifically) and reduce the part volume. To put it simply, part redesigned with thin walls.
If would be prefer if you uniform wall thickness, as it ensure uniform cooling and reduce defects.

Threads

Modo Rapid knows how to reduce cost for you, so features with external threads should be oriented perpendicular to the parting direction when you design. Because it will increase the tooling cost and require an unscrewing device if threaded features that are parallel to the parting direction.

Corners

If you want to reduce stress concentrations and fracture, design round corners. In addition, inner radius should be at least the thickness of the walls.

Bosses

It should be supported by gussets at the base or by ribs that connect to adjacent walls. Wall thickness of bosses should be no more than 60% of the main wall thickness. Designers should also make sure that radius at the base should be at least 25% of the main wall thickness. If you want to place a boss near a corner, the boss should be isolated using ribs.

Ribs

For structural support, designers should add ribs, rather than increasing the wall thickness. Generally, thickness of ribs should be 50-60% of the walls to which they are attached. Height of ribs should be less than 3 times the wall thickness. Therefore, designers should apply a draft angle of at least 0.25°

Undercuts

Designers should try your best to minimize the number of external undercuts. As external undercuts require side-cores which would add to the tooling cost. Though some simple external undercuts can be molded by relocating the parting line, which is a piece of cake of Modo Rapid.
Adding an opening in the side of a part can allow a side-core to form an internal undercut. You also need to minimize the number of side-action directions.

What are the 4 stages of injection moulding?

The four stages of injection molding are: injection, packing, cooling, and ejection. In the injection stage, molten material is injected into a pre-made mold cavity. During the packing stage, the material fills out the complex shape of the part before being allowed to cool. Once it has cooled, the part is ejected from its mold in the ejection stage. Finally, post-processing treatments such as painting or polishing can be done as necessary.

Material Guide for Injection Molded Parts – Pros and Cons

The outline of injection molding

injection molding otline

Type of injection molding

Single or multiple cavities

Modo Rapid can make single or multiple cavities. Multiple cavity moulds can have the same part in each cavity or can be unique to create parts of different geometries.

Aluminium moulds & steel moulds

Aluminium moulds are not suitable to high volume production or parts with narrow dimensional tolerances as they have inferior mechanical properties and can be prone to wear, deformation and damage due to clamping forces and the injection. While steel moulds are more durable but, they are also more expensive than aluminium moulds.

Why Use Modo Rapid Injection Mold Services?

There are several reasons why choosing our Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling solutions is a wise decision. First and foremost, we utilize advanced technologies and innovative techniques to produce high-quality parts with precision and accuracy. Our team of experts has extensive experience in the industry, ensuring that every project is completed efficiently and effectively.

We also offer a range of services, including rapid prototyping, design for manufacturability, and tooling production, which enables us to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Additionally, our solutions are cost-effective and offer fast turnaround times, making them ideal for businesses looking to streamline their production processes and reduce costs.

In addition to the aforementioned reasons, we offer several other advantages that make our Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling solutions stand out from the competition.

Firstly, we have a dedicated team of engineers and designers who work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and requirements. This ensures that every project is tailored to the client’s specifications and achieves the desired outcome.

Secondly, we utilize state-of-the-art equipment and software to optimize our manufacturing processes, resulting in faster turnaround times, increased efficiency, and higher precision.

Thirdly, we offer a range of materials to choose from, including various types of plastics, metals, and composites, which enables us to produce parts that meet specific performance requirements.

Finally, we pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service and support, ensuring that our clients are informed and involved throughout every step of the project.

Overall, our commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction sets us apart as a leader in the Injection Molding/Rapid Tooling industry.

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FAQs of Injection Molding

What is injection molding?

Injection molding is a manufacturing process in which molten material is injected into a mold and then cooled and solidified to create a part or product.

What factors affect the quality of injection-molded parts?

Several factors can affect the quality of injection-molded parts, including the design of the mold, the properties of the material, the processing parameters, and the overall manufacturing environment.

What is the typical cycle time for an injection molding process?

The cycle time for an injection molding process can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size and complexity of the part, the material being used, and the specific molding machine being used. In general, however, cycle times can range from a few seconds to several minutes.

What is the difference between injection molding and blow molding?

Injection molding and blow molding are both processes used to produce plastic products, but they differ in how the plastic is shaped. Injection molding involves injecting molten plastic into a mold cavity, while blow molding involves inflating a hollow tube of plastic to create the desired shape.

What materials can be used in injection molding?

Injection molding is a popular manufacturing process used to produce a wide range of plastic products. Some of the most commonly used materials in injection molding include:

Thermoplastics: These are the most common type of materials used in injection molding, and they can be melted and re-melted multiple times without degrading their properties. Examples of thermoplastics include polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Thermosetting plastics: Unlike thermoplastics, these materials cannot be re-melted after they are cured. Examples of thermosetting plastics include epoxy, phenolic, and melamine.
Elastomers: These materials have elastic properties and can be stretched and returned to their original shape. Examples of elastomers include natural rubber, silicone rubber, and polyurethane.
Composites: These materials are made by combining two or more different types of materials to create a new material with unique properties. Examples of composites used in injection molding include fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar.
Metals: Some metals, such as aluminum and zinc, can also be used in injection molding. These materials are usually used for producing small parts with intricate shapes.

What are the common defects of injection molded parts?

Click the blog Top 5 Common Defects of Injection Molded Parts

Injection molding is a crucial step towards large-scale production of your product, and choosing a professional manufacturer is of utmost importance. Contact us today to analyze the production feasibility of your product together.

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