Tag: Plastic Injection Mold

Typical Plastic Injection Molded Parts

Posted on January 22, 2018 by - Blog

Typical Plastic Injection Molded Parts

Plastic injection molding technology consists of feeding plastic material into a heated barrel. The material is mixed and then led into a mold cavity, where it takes shape and hardens into the final product.

What you might not know is that plastic injection molding has a bevy of advantages and benefits over comparative plastic processing and manufacturing methods. Plastic injection molding is such a precise method that it can fabricate nearly any type of plastic part. There are certain design restrictions, but the molds that are made allow the finished product to be very precise. This makes it a very widely used production method. With such accuracy and precision, plastic injection molding is used in almost everything you touch in some form or another.

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The History of Plastic Injection Molding

When you really stop to think about it, it’s hard to imagine a world without plastic. Plastic is used in such a wide variety of products. Its versatility makes it perfect for anything from simple lunch boxes to more complex things.

But before plastic and injection molding were discovered, mankind had to make do with more natural materials, like wood ivory and metal.

The rise of plastic injection molding started with Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization. After this, various contributions to the development of plastic were made by scientists and inventors through the 19th century, making plastic a common material used to mass produce household items by the mid 20th century.

Plastic Injection Molded Parts in Different Industries

It’s easy to think of things like containers, bottles and other common plastic goods. But plastic injection molded parts are required for most industries nowadays. Examples of industries that need plastic injection molded parts include:

Technology

While things like cellphones, computers, televisions and even USB memory sticks need a lot of parts made with metals, these items always feature some plastic molded parts too. Phone and computer covers, or often times even screens, are made from injection molded plastic.

Medicine

Medicine is a lot like another branch of technology, and so many things doctors use on a daily basis (even in surgical theaters) are made of plastic.

Automotive industry

While the engine, doors and wheels of a car aren’t made of plastic, the interior of most vehicles are filled with plastic molded parts.

Construction

Once again, barely anyone thinks about plastic molded parts used to build, but plastic is used to make things like plumbing pipes and electrical switches, for instance.

Fashion

In the fashion industry, injection molded plastic parts are often used for items such as buttons and buckles. And while polyester material isn’t injection molded, it’s worth mentioning that even a lot of materials used to make garments are made from plastic.

In reality, it’s hard to think of an industry that doesn’t use plastic molded items for some purpose. Even CD’s and DVD’s are made from injection molded plastic. And before CD’s and DVD’s cassettes were made from plastic too!

Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding Parts

When you stop to take a look at the plastic injection molding process, it’s no wonder plastic is such a commonly used material in the 21st century. There are multiple benefits to plastic and the injection molding process that aren’t possible when using a different process or material:

  • Flexibility: Because there’s such a wide variety of different plastics available, injection molding is a good process to produce products with different qualities regarding durability, resistance to temperatures and hardness.
  • Production speed: Plastic injection mold cycle times make it easy to mass produce products and create hundreds of plastic injection molded parts every day.
  • Precision: With a good mold, every plastic injection molded part will be an exact duplicate of the previous. Molds can also be designed to create highly detailed parts that can be easily mass produced.
  • Cost effectiveness: Compared to other production processes, plastic injection molding is by far the most cost effective for mass producing parts.

Although other materials and production processes will never become redundant, it’s clear to see why plastic has become one of the most commonly used materials in the 21st century.

Producing Quality Injection Molded Parts

Plastic injection molding by far outperforms a process like 3D printing for mass producing parts. But even though plastic injection molding may seem easy, it’s not. Producing plastic molded parts requires knowledge about different plastics, their melting points and how the injection molding process works.

A high quality plastic injection mold is also an essential part of molding parts that are free of defects, such as flow lines or surface delamination. Because of this, it’s worth investing in a high quality plastic injection mold.

Too many plastic injection molders try to save on a mold by importing from abroad, but this is rarely worthwhile. When you buy from an American injection mold manufacturer, you can usually count on better quality and mold design. Because your injection mold manufacturer is closer, it’s also easier to arrange for molds to be regularly maintained, so ensuring you get the most out of every mold!

Tips for Designing Plastic Injection Molded Parts

Posted on January 16, 2018 by - Blog

Tips for Designing Plastic Injection Molded Parts

Injection molded plastic parts have some magnificent advantages including versatility, the capacity to make simple to super complex parts, and consistency, the capacity to make hundreds of thousands of parts. Be that as it may, the building and keeping up of injection molding instruments can be costly and rolling out device improvements can be testing. The following are some plan tips to augment the advantages:

Consistency is ideal. Steady wall thicknesses all through your part will give the best stream. Typical wall thickness ought to be between 2-3mm. The least recommended is 1mm and the greatest is 4mm for customary plastic injection molded parts.

Smooth trumps sharp. Utilize radii when conceivable and stay away from sharp changes between wall segments.

Draft is your “frenemy.” Adding a draft edge to the faces of your part is useful to discharge it from the apparatus, yet it can cause configuration challenges particularly to parts that are meant to fit together. Recommend minimum draft angles are one degree on untextured center and no less than three degrees on textured faces.

Keep away from surfaces with zero draft unless it’s vital. In the event that you do require a zero-draft zone to guarantee appropriate part mating and resiliences, attempt to limit it to only a bit of the face, not the entire surface.

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Less complex is better. Stay away from undermines (territories that can’t be framed by means of the straightforward open/close bearing of a device). When simple won’t work, lifter and slides enable highlights to be formed that are undercuts in the main pull direction. Assuming this is the case, leave no less than 2 to 3 times the width of the component to enable the lifter or slide to movement.

Change from thick to thin. Parts will form better if plastic moves through highlights moving from more prominent to less wall thickness beginning from the gate(s) (where the plastic first streams in to fill the part).

Sink (a nearby surface mark on a section because of thicker segments of plastic cooling slowly) is awful. To diminish or kill the visibility of imperfections on restorative surfaces it is vital to take after some prescribed rules:

  • Try to maintain a strategic distance from entryways, ribs, screw bosses, etc. on the back side of important cosmetic surfaces;
  • Rib height ought to be 3x or less than the wall thickness;
  • Rib bases ought to be 60% or less of the wall thickness.

Datums define an area. Utilize datums (features that are utilized as reference focuses to characterize each part) to build up part interfaces and interactions to the general framework. Using a datum structure that matches the design intent of the assembly can mean the difference between a product functioning well or not.

Cross examination is great. Take DFM (Design for Manufacturing) reports truly since they pass on tool molder’s understanding of the design like ejector pin areas, gate areas and parting line area. Use inspection reports to interrogate the design.

Model early and frequently. Current prototyping strategies, including 3D printing takes into account early testing of outline ideas where bits of or potentially the entire part can be molded before building costly injection molding tooling.

The Top Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding

Posted on January 8, 2018 by - Blog

The Top Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding

You might already know some things about plastic injection molding, a standout amongst the most well known strategies for mass creating plastic parts. However to review, this technology comprises of pushing plastic material into a warmed barrel. The material is blended and afterward driven into a mold depression, where it solidifies into the final item. Here’s a gander at the best 10 advantages of plastic injection molding:

Plastics and Their Qualities

Posted on December 25, 2017 by - Blog

Plastics and Their Qualities

Getting a custom plastic part made is no easy task, especially not if you’re planning to have a plastic injection mold made especially for your design. When that’s the case, getting to the point where you can finally start to produce your part will not only be hard work, but it will also be costly. After all plastic injection molds don’t come cheap! So where can you start in the process?

One thing that definitely helps is to know what kind of plastic you’ll be using and how that plastic will be applied to the mold. Knowing this can help move the process of designing a mold for your product. Plastic is a very versatile material, and so there’s a large variety of plastics available for you to choose from. Each plastic has its own unique set of advantages and drawbacks, meaning the plastic you use will depend largely on what properties you require for your part to function properly. By doing the necessary research, you’ll be able to find the perfect plastic for you.

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Prototyping Your Part With 3D Printing

Before investing in a plastic injection mold to mass produce your product, it’s always best to look into prototyping options. Making a prototype might help you spot possible flaws in your design before it’s too late. By making a prototype, you can get an idea of how the final product will function. You’ll also get a feel for how strong every component (or plastic molded part) in your final product needs to be.

3D printing is an affordable option for prototyping. Although it’s not nearly as versatile as working with injection molded plastic, it can be a reliable way to produce many of the prototype parts you need for your final product design.

Consider the Properties of Your Plastic Molded Part

Once you’re satisfied that your design lives up to your expectation, you’ll want to explore different plastics you can use to manufacture each part. After all, one of the biggest advantages of injection molded plastic over other manufacturing methods is its versatility, especially when it comes to your choice of what material to use.

To get you started on choosing a plastic for your injection molded parts, here’s a list of things you’ll need to consider beforehand:

  • Transparency/translucency: If you need a part that’s transparent or see-through like glass, you’ll immediately eliminate a large amount of plastics that are available for injection molding.
  • Elasticity: While plastic is known for being more elastic than glass and other more organic materials, not all plastics will be a good match for molding parts that have to be bendable. Some plastics are surprisingly brittle, while others are made for strength and durability and purposefully aren’t meant to bend too easily.
  • Durability: Some products are made to last, while others are made for using only once or twice. Durable plastics used in the automotive and technology industries tend to be more expensive than plastics used for disposable goods, so using the toughest plastic for a cheap product usually isn’t a very practical choice.
  • Recycling: If your plastic molded part will be disposable, choosing a plastic that can be recycled easily is definitely recommended.
  • Health safety: Some plastics are known to gradually release toxins. However, the release of these toxins only become a potential health concern if your product will come into direct contact with foods or drinks, like food containers and kitchen equipment.

Remember, your part will end up having the same qualities as the plastic you choose to mold it with. If you don’t consider what qualities you want for your final part carefully, you could end up choosing the wrong plastic to mold it with.

The way molten plastic will move through your injection molds once you start mass producing the part with a specially designed mold will play a big role in the quality of your part. To ensure there aren’t flow lines or other manufacturing defects in your plastic molded parts, your plastic injection mold manufacturer will design the mold with your specific plastic of choice in mind.

Different Types of Plastics and Their Functions

Currently there are so many varieties of plastics available, it would be nearly impossible to list them all in a single article. However, despite the wide variety of plastics available, most plastic molded parts are still produced from only a few basic types of plastics:

  • Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE/PET): PET is the most widely used plastic in the world. It’s recyclable, shatterproof, versatile and cheap enough to make it a practical choice for even disposable items.
  • Polyethylene (PE): Once again, we’re looking at a very versatile plastic variety. Polyethylene comes in different varieties. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is commonly used for things like plastic bags at the grocery store, while high density polyethylene (HDPE) is used for more sturdy items, such as shampoo bottles, food containers and even waste bins.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): PVC is known for being particularly durable. This makes it a popular choice for products such as plumbing pipes and insulation of electrical wiring. However, while PVC is known for being very durable, it’s not known for being recyclable, This plastic also isn’t considered a good choice for plastic products that will come into foods, as it’s considered to be toxic.
  • Polypropylene (PP): Polypropylene is most popularly used to mold plastic parts with living hinges. Unfortunately, however, polypropylene isn’t a popular plastic for recycling in the US.
  • Polylactic Acid(PLA): Unlike most other plastic varieties, polylactic acid is unique in that it’s produced from biomass rather than petroleum. The major benefit of PLA is that it’s more biodegradable than other options, making it an excellent choice for disposable items.
  • Polycarbonate (PC): Polycarbonate is known for being a strong, transparent plastic. This makes it a popular choice for greenhouses.

Once you’re ready to work on creating a plastic injection mold for your product, feel free to call Quality Mold Shop. We specialize in custom made precision molds for almost any industry you can think of.

Take a look at common plastics in injection molding. Looking for a plastic molder?

Types of Plastic Blow and Injection Molding Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2017 by - Blog

Types of Plastic Blow and Injection Molding Part 1

Every plastic part requires a particular assembling process which can be quite unique one item to another. Injection molding is utilized to fabricate solid parts while blow forming is utilized to make plastic items with empty regions, for example, jugs and bottles.

Injection molding and blow forming are two main procedures in plastic assembling. Items made through these procedures are utilized as a part of an extensive variety of ventures, for example, car, food industries, gadgets, medical equipment, water systems, dental, guns, energy and environment enterprises.

To enable you to better comprehend the diverse assembling strategies accessible for your venture, we have put together a two section arrangement of the primary kinds of injection and blow molding methods used by plastics manufacturers.

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The Injection Molding Process

Injection molding is utilized to fabricate higher volume amounts of plastic items extending in estimates from huge parts to little segments requiring smaller scale exactness precision.

There are many kinds of assembling strategies ordered under injection molding, for example, thermoplastic injection molding, over molding, insert molding, cold runner molding and hot runner molding.

Thermoplastic Injection Molding

Thermoplastic injection molding utilizes thermoplastic polymer, which means it changes to a fluid state when warmed. Not at all like thermoset plastics that cool into perpetual strong, thermoplastics can be reheated to a liquid after cooling into a solid.

Overmolding

Overmolding, or two shot molding, is a procedure that covers an injection mold over another substance, for example, metal, to enhance the execution or strength of an item. An elastic like compound, called thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), is a utilized overmold material. A case of a TPE overmold application is the handles on a toothbrush. Overmolds can likewise be utilized to seal items with parts produced using a few injection molds.

Insert Molding

Like overmolding, insert molding is an injection molding process that joins at least two parts into a solitary completed item. Insert injection molding embeds a part into the injection mold and plastic material is filled around the insert. Inserts can add quality to an item and dispose of the requirement for extra parts to decrease the item weight.

Cold Runner Injection Molding

Cold runner molds utilize a sprue to fill the runners that infuse plastic resin into the mold. In 2 plate molds, the runner framework and parts are appended, and a discharge framework might be utilized to isolate the part from the mold. The cold runner can decrease waste by reusing and regrinding the material, yet this can likewise build the full process duration. Cold runner frameworks can be utilized for a wide assortment of polymers and can take into consideration simple shading changes.

Hot Runner Molds

Hot runner molds utilize a system to melt softened plastics and after that send the material through a door to fill the mold depression. The two principle sorts of hot runner molds are eternally heated and inside heated. The externally warmed molds can be utilized with polymer that is less touchy to warm while inside warmed hot runner molds take into consideration better control of material stream.

Since hot runner molding does not require the utilization of runners, potential waste material is reduced and the recycling and regrind and process of virgin plastic does not impact the total run cycle time.

In the next part we will go over the blow molding processes in plastic injection molding. If you have any questions feel free to give Quality Mold Shop a call or comment down below. Our engineers have decades of experience and understand what type of material and mold is right for you. Contact us to discuss your new plastic design or product idea today and we will walk you through the manufacturing process that is best for your project needs.

Most Common Thermoplastics Used in Injection Molding

Posted on December 18, 2017 by - Blog

Most Common Thermoplastics Used in Injection Molding

Thermoplastic injection molding is the most well-known approach to make parts. Thermoplastics are polymers that can be heated to a liquid repeatedly or relaxed by warming and set by cooling—as a physical change as opposed to a chemical change that happens amid the formation of thermoset materials. It is imperative to recognize what sort of thermoplastic ought to be utilized for the kind of item you need to make. The following are the most widely recognized thermoplastics utilized as a part of injection molding.

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Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), it is a dark thermoplastic and amorphous polymer. It is a terpolymer (copolymer comprising of three unmistakable monomers) of Acrylonitrile, Butadiene, and Styrene. Together they make an item that is adaptable and light in weight that can be shaped into numerous things that we use in our regular day to day existences.

The benefit of ABS is that an assortment of changes can be had to enhance impact protection, sturdiness, and heat protection. Molding at a high temperature enhances the gleam and heat protection of the item while molding at a low temperature is where the highest impact resistance and strength are obtained.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer with variable crystalline structure and a huge scope of uses relying upon the type. It is a standout amongst the most adaptable and most famous plastics on the planet since the 1950s when it was produced by German and Italian researchers. The two most regular kinds of this plastic are high-thickness polyethylene (HDPE) and low-thickness polyethylene (LDPE).

The upsides of polyethylene are abnormal amounts of pliability, rigidity, impact protection, protection from dampness, and recyclability. The higher the thickness of the polyethylene material utilized the more grounded, more unbending, and more heat safe the plastic is. The essential employments of polyethylene are plastic sacks, plastic films, compartments including bottles, and geomembranes.

Polyamide (Nylon)

Nylon material is utilized as a part of a vast scope of various applications in view of its electrical properties, sturdiness, wear protection and chemical protection being very noteworthy. Nylon has an abnormal state of strength and is impervious to numerous outer components like scratches, impact, and chemicals. This material produces plastic parts utilized as a part of numerous businesses, for example,

  • Medicinal items
  • Car items
  • Games hardware
  • Attire and footwear
  • Industrial components

High Impact Polystyrene

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) is a prevalent and intense plastic that is in the Polystyrene family. Polystyrene is weak and can be more impact safe if joined with different materials. It is made from modifying crystal styrene with rubber which helps to give it many levels of impact resistance. It is low cost, has good dimensional stability and rigidity. There are FDA grades available since it is non-toxic and used as containers for many food goods.

It is exceptionally flammable, yet there are fire resistant and polished evaluations that are generally utilized for injection molding.

Polypropylene

This is an extremely regular plastic that is known for its adaptability. PP (polypropylene) is an exceptionally unique plastic and has been intensified for an extensive variety of properties. A few attributes of this plastic are its high liquefying point, high protection toward stress and splitting, magnificent impact quality, and does not break down from responses with water, acids, and cleansers.

PP is ok for use as food holders since it doesn’t filter chemicals into nourishment items. It can be generally found in family unit merchandise, for example, utensils, athletic clothing, area rugs, and car parts, for example, auto batteries.

Picking the correct material for your application can bring about expanded performance and decreased cost. At Quality Mold Shop, we comprehend that there is no “one size fits all” arrangement with regards to injection molded parts. If you have any inquiries or worries on what kind of plastic you ought to utilize, contact our group of specialists who can help you at all times.

Learn the benifits of replacing metals with plastics. Looking for a plastic molder?

Choosing the Right Plastic for Your Next Project Part 2

Posted on December 12, 2017 by - Blog

Choosing the Right Plastic for Your Next Project Part 2

With such a significant number of plastic options out there, finding the best one for your undertaking can appear like an incomprehensible errand. More than 85,000 commercial choices for plastic materials are recorded in materials databases. If you’re brave enough to go through the rundown, the result of picking the correct material can enhance the form, fit, and capacity of your parts.

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PP (Polypropylene)

Advantages: PP is a modestly priced resin alternative with higher impact protection in a few grades; propylene homopolymer can be weak in chilly temperatures, with copolymers more impervious to impact. PP is wear-safe, adaptable and can have high elasticity. It’s likewise impervious to acids and bases.

Applications: integral hinges or living hinges, fans, snap-over tops, medical pipette tubing.

Contemplations: Thick areas of the part can void and show bubbles. Shrink and twist may likewise happen in PP parts. In the event that the part has living hinges that require higher firmness, K-Resin is a decent option.

PPSU (Polyphenylsulfone)

Advantages: PPSU is a high-temperature, dimensionally stable material with high sturdiness and heat protection. It has protection from radiation cleansing and in addition alkalis and weak acids.

Applications: Medical instruments, sterilization trays, car wires, high temp water fittings, sockets and connectors.

Contemplations: PPSU is delicate to thick areas to some parts, which could bring about voids, air pockets or sink. Natural solvents and hydrocarbons can likewise assault PPSU material.

PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)

Advantages: PEEK is a high-temperature, superior resin utilized as a part of medical, aviation and car enterprises for an assortment of reasons including heat protection and fire resistance; magnificent quality and dimensional dependability; and great chemical protection.

Applications: Bearings, cylinder parts and pumps; cable protection; good with ultra-high vacuum applications.

Contemplations: PEEK is an elite material, and, subsequently, is extremely costly.

PEI (Polyetherimide)

Advantages: PEI, or Ultem, like PEEK, it’s utilized as a part of medical, aviation and car businesses for its heat protection and fire resistance; fantastic quality and dimensional steadiness; and great chemical protection.

Applications: Medical and chemical instrumentation, flatware, HVAC , electrical and lighting.

Contemplations: Ultem is likewise extremely costly, however not as expensive as PEEK. Take a gander at PPSU as a conceivable option.

If you happen to be looking for a plastic injection molding company to get started with, look no further! Quality Mold Shop has the capacity to build and repair most any mold size. Give us a call today and see how we can help you.

Common Injection Molded Plastics

Posted on December 11, 2017 by - Blog

Common Injection Molded Plastics

The job of a plastic injection molder includes helping the customer select the best accessible plastic material for their application. The choice and accessibility of different polymers has changed in the course of recent years. Today, it can be overwhelming to figure out what the best plastic material is for your project. This slideshow goes over some of the most common types of plastics.

Choosing the Right Plastic for Your Next Project Part 1

Posted on December 5, 2017 by - Blog

Choosing the Right Plastic for Your Next Project Part 1

More than 85,000 commercial alternatives for plastic materials are recorded in materials databases, and, inside those, 45 polymer families can be ordered into two classes: thermosets and thermoplastics.

Narrowing down that broad rundown of materials can appear like an assignment that’s too big, so we’ve arranged this rundown in two parts that framework the advantages and uses of some of our most used materials. By picking the correct material, you can enhance the shape, fit, and capacity of your parts.

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ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

Advantages: ABS is a hard, impact safe plastic that is broadly utilized over a wide range of ventures. It has low shrinkage and high dimensional stability, and it has great protection from acids and bases. ABS is a decent decision for handheld devices. It’s likewise moderately cheap.

Applications: aesthetic parts, handheld gadgets, casings, and moldings for electrical tools, remote controls, PCs, phone parts.

Contemplations: ABS-formed parts will indicate knit lines and can have sink and voids in thick regions. Diminishment of sink can be had by changing to an ABS/PC-mixed material. ABS additionally bonds well to PC parts.

ABS/PC

Advantages: ABS/PC consolidates the quality and heat protection of polycarbonate with the adaptability of ABS. ABS/PC likewise gives enhanced handling amid injection molding, expanded durability and dimensional stability, higher heat protection than ABS, and better low temperature impact protection than PC.

Applications: These mixes are ordinarily utilized as a part of the car, electronic, and broadcast communications businesses among others applications.

Contemplations: ABS/PC materials intermittently can limit thick molding concerns found in ABS or PC materials when molded alone. It is often utilized when improved mechanical properties are required when utilizing ABS or when a lower cost PC is required.

PC (Polycarbonate)

Advantages: PC is solid and to a great degree impact safe with low shrinkage and great dimensional stability. It’s a transparent plastic that is accessible in optically clear grades. PC has great heat protection and acknowledges high aesthetic coatings as well.

Applications: Lenses, indoor and open air lighting, phone cases, electrical parts, therapeutic gadgets, impenetrable glass.

Contemplations: There can be sensitivities in thick areas of parts that may cause voids, air pockets and sink, and PC parts have poor chemical protection. An ABS/PC blend is a good alternative for opaque parts with these issues, and Acrylic (outlined below) is another option for parts with thick geometries.

PA or PPA (Aliphatic Polyamides)

Advantages: There are many sorts of PPAs, or nylons (4, 6/6, 6, 6/10, 6/12, 12, and so forth.), each with its own particular favorable circumstances. For the most part, nylon parts give top strength and high-temperature quality, particularly when strengthened, and are chemical solvent safe, aside from exceptionally strong acids and bases.

Applications: thin-walled projects, brushes, spools, gears and bearings, screws, pump parts, under-hood segments, cameras.

Contemplations: Nylon can be prone to warping due to non-linear shrink, so remember that while picking a particular sort of nylon. In the event that your part will be presented to dampness, you ought to consider maintaining a strategic distance from nylon as it is a hygroscopic material that will retain dampness, causing dimensional and possibly structure issues.

PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate)

Advantages: PMMA, otherwise known as acrylic, has great optical properties, a polished look and is scratch safe. Acrylic likewise has low shrinkage and has less sink in geometries with thin and think segments.

Applications: light pipes, lenses, light shades, optical filaments, signs.

Contemplations: Acrylic can be weak and along these lines more defenseless to pressure breaking. PC is a decent option, if necessary. Draft is constantly required in acrylic parts because of its weakness, and normally double the draft of different materials. Acrylic likewise has poor compound protection.

We don’t want to overwhelm you all at once with too many plastics to think about. Be on the look out for part 2 of this article for more plastics to consider for your next part. And if you have any questions always feel free to call Quality Mold Shop.

Various Injection Molding Equipment

Posted on November 27, 2017 by - Blog

Various Injection Molding Equipment

While most people think of painting, sculpting and carpentry as art forms, few people will look at mass produced plastic goods in the same way. After all, plastic goods are often cheap, and most people only consider something art if it’s exquisite. But while plastic injection molding isn’t necessarily an art form, it’s definitely a process that requires professionals with enough knowledge and skill to get the job done properly. Injection molding isn’t as simple as pouring molten plastics into molds. Many variables can affect the outcome, and mistakes often lead to molding defects.

But qualified professionals who know about using an injection mold isn’t the only thing that you’ll need to mold quality parts. No amount of background in injection molding can compensate for a bad mold. Once you take a moment to consider the process of making a plastic injection mold, you’ll soon start to see the art in plastic injection molding.

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Why Quality Injection Molds Are A Valuable Investment

Imagine trying to produce plastic parts without an injection mold? Even if it were possible, the process wouldn’t be very versatile or efficient. This is the case with plastic injection molding alternatives, like 3D printing, where parts can be produced without molding them in a specially-made mold.

The problem with a process like 3D printing, however, is that it’s remarkably slow compared to plastic injection molding, so even though 3D printing is useful in its own right, it’s not a practical process for mass producing plastic goods. At best, 3D printing is good for prototyping goods before you have an injection mold made, or for making a custom-made product that won’t be mass produced. So although some people hope that 3D printing will one day replace plastic injection molding altogether, this isn’t something that will happen in the near future.

With that that in mind, it’s safe to say that plastic injection molds will remain as valuable to the manufacturing industry as tractors are to the modern agricultural industry. Injection molds are what distinguishes the modern manufacturing industry to make large scale production possible.

And when you think about it, your plastic injection molds are what will define your plastic parts. The part will take whatever shape the mold allows, and if your mold is flawless, your part will be too. However, just like a flawless mold can produce flawless parts, a mold with a critical defect will only be able to mold parts with defects.

Why Cheap Molds Aren’t A Good Option

All too often, plastic injection molders will buy the cheapest mold they can find, only to find that it’s defective upon arrival. This is already bad enough in itself, but to make the situation even worse, the defective molds are often imported from overseas, and so sending them back for repairs can take months. When you consider the fact that those molds should be working to earn money for your business, buying a defective mold from abroad can cost tens and thousands of dollars.

But to make a bad situation even worse, mold owners don’t usually send defective molds back to the cheap plastic injection mold manufacturer for fixing. After all, what hope is there to get a mold working by sending it back to a manufacturer that couldn’t produce a working mold in the first place?

Because of this, plastic injection mold owners often look to American injection mold suppliers to fix imported molds that were defective upon arrival. And make no mistake, buying a cheap mold and getting it fixed isn’t more cost effective than getting a proper mold to begin with. On the contrary, this usually ends up being more expensive than buying a quality American-made injection mold from the start.

Injection Molding Equipment: Maintenance vs Repairs

Getting your injection molding equipment made by a mold maker that has a high quality standard is definitely the first step in effortlessly producing quality plastic parts on a consistent basis. But to keep everything running smoothly, mold maintenance will be necessary, and (in some cases) repairs too.

A mold maintenance schedule will help prolong the lifetime of your molds. And considering how expensive plastic injection molds tend to be, this is a worthwhile investment. The extra life and service you can get from a mold that’s well-maintained by far makes up for the cost of maintenance.

Don’t be too quick to believe financial advisors who suggest that cutting on maintenance can save money. All too often, financial advisors are trying to make immediate savings for a business by neglecting to consider what’s more sustainable in the long-run. This is especially true when the advisors are pressured into setting up reports that show where they were able to save a business money.

As injection mold professionals, we can confidently say that well-maintained molds last longer, perform more reliably and save large amounts in expensive repairs.

Knoxville Injection Mold Suppliers

Whether you want a brand new mold expertly designed and made from scratch, or repair an existing mold, Quality Mold Shop can help you. When it comes to plastic injection molds, there’s little we can’t do. From reverse-engineering a mold to make an exact duplicate, to fixing a defective mold you bought from another supplier. Our team will also gladly service any mold bought from any supplier, including imported molds.