New Plastic Parts: How the Product Development Process Works

A lot of business startups get intimidated about starting a plastic manufacturing business because of the low quantity they want to make and the high upfront cost. Fortunately, companies like us are here to help small and medium-sized entrepreneurs like you. Even at a small budget and with limited plastic product designs, we will help you launch your business into the market. The plastics industry is booming.

We have prepared the Plastics Production Package in support of small and mid-sized business owners who want to get started in the plastics industry. The package covers the entire plastic product development from designing your plastic products up to the injection molding process before the products reach the final mass production line.

Our Plastic Production Package is designed for business owners to have access to top quality molds to come up with authentic plastic products. These plastics can also be combined with other elements such as garments and electronics which are also covered by our various manufacturing services. We will gladly assist you in every step of the way for you to produce a high quality plastic which you can boast into the market.

The injection molding process along with design creation are the primary focus of any plastic new product development process. If you opt in going for injection molding companies, they often charge a high rate even for simple molds and this would not be beneficial for you most especially if you are only ordering low quantity. Our Plastic Production Package comes in handy as we reduce costs and time needed for plastic product development with the help of our knowledge and expertise in the plastic manufacturing industry.

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Why Choose our Plastic Production Package?

You don’t have to be well adept with plastics manufacturing and the injection molding process to get started with a plastic business. By availing of our Plastics Production Package, we can be responsible for the technical side of things within the plastic product development process. You simply have to provide us your design ideas, sketches and specifications of your plastic product and we can work altogether to produce it from scratch. We will guide you in every step of the way of the plastic manufacturing process.

The initial goal is to create a product prototype of your plastic product design through 3D sampling. We will present this to you and be open for your comments and feedback then improve the design until it is perfect according to your preferences and specifications. 3D sampling is a cost-effective method before we start creating the actual molds needed for your product.

Plastic molding development is a very critical process because even the smallest of mistakes can be detrimental to the outcome of the plastic product. These molds will eventually be yours and can be used forever for your plastic manufacturing business.

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Our Plastic Product Development in Simple Steps

1. Mockup Creation

With a concept and design in mind, we altogether brainstorm and review your design idea in a manufacturing perspective. We materialize the concept through a 2D mockup of the idea and then check on the specifications needed for it.

2. Design Optimization

We will come up with an overview for the parts needed for your plastic product. The materials which will be used for your product will be selected and we always make sure we pick top quality materials yet fitting for your budget and needs before heading into production. As your product design firm, we will make sure that all mass manufacturing aspects are considered early on.

3. Create a 3D Model

Once we have established the dimensions of your plastic product, we will now implement the design and other parts needed by your design and this should be described in details for the manufacturing company to comprehend. The 3D model will serve as your basis for the product prototype.

4. Create a Product Prototype

Prototyping is an integral process in the plastic manufacturing process. The product prototype will serve as the basis for production and it will be your first-hand experience of how your final product will come out the production line. Some issues and flaws to the product can only be determined through product prototyping which makes it necessary before we move on mass production.

5. Mold Creation

If the product prototype passes your standards then we now proceed to building your molds. Unlike traditional injection molding companies, we provide different options along with various quotes in plastic molding development to suit your needs and budget. More importantly, these molds will be owned by your company and exclusively used for your plastic products.

6. On to the Production Line

With your product ready for mass production, we will help you set up the production line through our network of plastic factories and injection molding companies. We intervene in quality control management to make sure each production batch is done right according to our plastic product development process.

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Conclusion

Starting a plastic manufacturing business sounds so complicated and may require extensive knowledge and expertise. Despite that many people worry about the plastics and recycling business, there are many areas where plastics remains best and most environmentally friendly solution. However, with our simplified plastic product development process, the business platform is made easier and more welcoming for those who are interested to enter the plastic manufacturing industry. With the help of our Plastic Production Package, you can dwell into the complex world of plastics like a seasoned veteran as long as you have a potentially strong plastic product in mind.

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Garment Case Study: Coat-Style Jacket

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How to do Low Volume Injection Molding for Plastics?

More and more manufacturing plastic businesses look at low volume manufacturing in order to cater to a much more demanding customer base these days. Customer expectations have reached new heights and going for lower volume allows businesses to explore new products and markets with less risk. How do you do low volume injection molding in today’s plastics manufacturing industry? In this wiki article, let us explore the advantages and disadvantages of low volume plastic injection molding and why it is relevant in this industry.

While 3D printing is getting more advanced, it is still not feasible to affordably make plastic parts with the desired characteristics at a reasonable speed and at reasonable cost. This might be a good option in the future, but for now injection molding remains the best choice. Read here more on possible future trends for small scale plastics production.

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Why Go for Low Volume Injection Molding?

Plastics manufacturing is a fast-paced business model wherein even small up to mid-sized business are expected to release their plastic products into the market at a fast rate. However, plastics production is not a quick process as it is a thoroughly complex process to begin with. The demand of the plastic market totally contradicts the nature of its production which leaves plastic company in the middle adjusting to these factors.

Depending on the plastic custom parts design, each design requires an injection mold customized to achieve the right tolerance, finish and prove its functionality. Injection molds also take time to be created and most small batch plastic manufacturing companies simply order their plastic molds from other companies to cut down on expenses. Depending on the complexity of the mold design, it may take 2 weeks up to 3 months to create the mold which is unacceptable in a fast-paced industry.

Low volume injection molding is the perfect reply to the current problems small batch plastic manufacturing companies face in the industry. This option shortens lead time for quicker production and most importantly, they can now be versatile when it comes to the budget required for their business. Low volume injection molding is a cost-effective method perfect for small up to mid-sized plastic manufacturers. However, even major plastic companies have picked up this option to give their businesses flexibility on other aspects of manufacturing.

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The Process of Low Volume Injection Molding

Much like regular plastics production, low volume injection molding generally follows the same process wherein it requires a mold, a 2D or 3D design and then use processing methods such as wire cutting and polishing in order to create the final mold. It is basically traditional plastic manufacturing except the mold use aluminum or lower grates steel which don’t have to withstand hundreds of thousands times of injection press as production mold. This is not only faster but also significantly cheaper.

Molds made out of aluminum or pre-hardened steel of 10,000 to 100,000 molding cycles which is more than enough for the needs of low volume plastic injection molding. The manufacturing process is greatly shortened since steel do not have to be hardened. Also, working around soft steel is also better compared to dealing with hardened steel, which makes the entire process easier and faster. Low volume injection molding is a cost-effective method also referred to as rapid tooling or plastic prototype tooling.

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Advantages of Low Volume Plastic Manufacturing

The biggest reason on why plastic manufacturers choose low volume injection molding compared to massive manufacturing is the fact they can greatly reduce business costs. Hardened steel production mold is generally a huge investment and small businesses may not be able to quickly adapt to the fast-paced environment they are in if they are locked in on a tight budget. This option gives them better flexibility and allows them to work around their finances yet stay competent.

Another great advantage of low volume plastics manufacturers is the short lead time which leads to quicker production. Unlike massive plastics production, low volume plastic parts may only take 3-4 weeks for them to be ready. This allows companies to take their plastic products on to the market faster and be able to get some returns right away from their business investment.

Last but not the least, there is no disparity at all when it comes to the quality of plastics produced through low volume injection molding compared to harden steel production method. Low volume plastic parts are simply as good as traditional plastics and are not subpar unlike one would normally expect due to the cheaper and conventional approach.

The main drawback of low volume injection molding is that it is a method not designed for large mass production quantities. It is not advisable if your plastics company is expected to produce thousands of units at a fast rate. As the name suggests, low volume plastic manufacturing initially accustomed for small up to mid-sized businesses.

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6 Effective Ways on How to Reduce Injection Molding Cost

Being able to reduce costs is always a priority for all businesses regardless of size and industry. Keeping costs at a minimum is the ultimate goal for any business owner in order to make room for improvements and better profit. In the world of plastic manufacturing, it seems everything is already established on how profits are made, but people often underestimate how expensive plastic molds actually are. However, there are actually tricks to the game which can be used to cut down on expenses particularly with injection mold manufacturing cost. Here are six ways on how to reduce plastic injection molding costs.

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Avoid Excessive Use of Cosmetics on Features

Avoiding the use of cosmetics and features does not mean you are about to lowball on your plastic designs. Aesthetics is a good thing but excessive and too much extras will add up more expenses and require more effort in production. Keeping your plastic designs simple by sticking to what is necessary is key to cut down injection molding costs. Unnecessary hooks and rims should be avoided as well as roundings that are not necessary.

If you want to get to know a concrete example, look at the development of the plastic chair. It was continuously optimised in shape and for injection molding so that its current popular shape can be made just for a few dollars. Read more on this example here.

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Stick to a Lean Design

Your plastic designs should be achieved with less material as possible and such design can be best described as a lean design in the manufacturing industry. Obviously, having less materials means less expenses but this does not mean your plastic product will lose its full functionality by having less materials. A true lean design is efficient in terms of function and will help save less cycle time needed for cooling and molding. Think of structural support in terms of connectors and do rather hollow than massive shapes. Plastic injection molding companies can usually help with that.

Being committed to have a little more extra in your plastic design means extra molding work and additional mold cost. Techniques such as bead blasting, high mold polish, EDM etc. may have to be applied in order to achieve cosmetics and add-on features desired for your plastic design. Unless necessary, these techniques will definitely impact the goal to have a low cost injection molding.

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Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Analysis

DFM analysis helps provide opportunities where you can improve your manufacturing process or overall design of your plastic products which also covers the injection molding process. What makes a DFM analysis handy is its ability to identify problems in your manufacturing system while in its early stages (during prototype manufacturing the latest) such as bad shapes, insufficient angles and miscalculated geometries will help offset financial and cosmetic expenses needed for the project later on.

Most of the time, a DFM analysis can be done with the help of a third-party manufacturing expert who can give inputs on how to improve your system and processes and as well as perfect your injection mold. Their knowledge and expertise will come in handy as a third-party on the outside looking in on to your operations. Lowering the custom injection molding cost will definitely be covered by the DFM analysis. Read more on different parameters here.

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Crafty & Intelligent Mold Designs

Injection molding costs accumulate based on the different parts and materials needed for a plastic design and the injection molding cost per part plays a major role in your product’s budget. In order to cut down on injection molding costs, it is important to come up with crafty and intelligent designs for your plastic products. Factors such as part positioning further optimizes the design so the mold fits perfectly and there will be less scraps out of the molding process.

Intelligent designs will also remove the need for sprue and runners due to right part positioning. You can shed out excess material simply because of an intelligent mold design which leads to reduced injection molding costs. Another smart thing to do is to make sure everything remains intact during the ejection process and that there would be no damage to the end product or mold design whatsoever.

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Mold Modification

You do not really have to purchase new molds for every production batch you make. With smart planning, you can actually reuse molds several times simply through modification and using design tool inserts which can alter the mold design and accommodate different features.

One of the most popular mold modification method out there is the MUD tooling method which creates a smaller mold out of the existing base of the original mold. The smaller mold can be used for other purposes and for other plastic designs. These modification methods are known to help reduce custom plastic molding costs and ideal for plastic manufacturing companies running several designs in their molds.

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Family Mold/Multi-Cavity Mold

Creating a family mold (also known as multi-cavity mold) is an excellent way to reduce injection molding cost. A family mold is capable of including multiple parts within the mold as long as the materials are similar in terms of chemical composition and processing tendencies. A family mold can be more expensive compared to a regular mold but if you include the cuttings and separate tooling for each design within the mold, then there is a huge savings off of injection molding costs.

Having multiple cavities in your mold is best advised for high production plastic companies. The family mold can manufacture plastic designs faster since each cavity is able to produce a plastic design on a single run. This can be more expensive with regards to tooling costs but will ultimately lower injection molding costs per part. Having a family mold is a great option to reduce injection molding costs with mass production.

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Conclusion

Injection molding is an established process wherein one may think there are no longer ways on how to alter the process given its straightforward approach. However, as you dwell deep on to plastic manufacturing, you will realize there are far more tricks to the process which will help in reducing injection molding costs or take advantage of cheap plastic molds at a high level manufacturing process.

By following the six tips mentioned above on how to reduce injection molding costs, you can maximize your profit and be able to earn more out of spending less. You do not really have to apply all of these tips since some of them may not be accustomed to your business format but applying one or two of these tips will already do a lot for your business’ finances.

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7 Common Types of Plastic You Have to Know for Making Any Item

Everything we see and use in our surroundings are all made of partly or entirely plastic material. Almost all home appliances, electronics casing and accessory items are composed with at least one type of plastic material in them. Even though plastic is often described as a general term, there are actually many different kinds of plastic differentiated based on their physical and chemical properties. Here are the 7 most commonly used types of plastic materials that you should know when you want to buy or make your own plastic item.

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Find the Ideal Type of Plastic for Your Needs

1. Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Acrylic is a see-through thermoplastic often used as a lightweight and break-resistant replacement to glass. It is a type of plastic known for its heavy use in manufacturing optical devices and products.  Acrylic or PMMA plastics is often produced in sheets to accommodate products such as mirrors and glass boards. Acrylic glass and boards can be made colored, shaded, abrasion-resistant, shock-resistant, non-glare, UV-resistant and a lot more which is why it is a popular material for different types of products and applications.

2. Polycarbonate (PC)

Polycarbonate is a popular kind of plastic known for different engineering uses and applications in structures and products we see and use today. It is transparent like glass but is five hundred times more break-resistant and flexible but solid and stable. Unlike acrylic or glass, Polycarbonate sheets can easily be molded, cut or cold-formed to achieve different forms retaining the same qualitative properties. This is the reason why polycarbonate is heavily used in a wide range of products such as compact discs, lenses, safety gears and a lot more.

3. Polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene is the most widely-used type of plastic around the world, especially for all kinds of packaging. It is a cheap plastic which can be manufactured in different densities and each density can provide a specific set of physical properties. The versatility is the main reason why polyethylene is used on a wide range of products. You can read more on PE here and these are four are the most commonly used polyethylene densities:

a. Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

This polyethylene density is ductile and used for items such as shopping bags, plastic bags, transparent food containers, disposable utensils and other cheap plastic products.

b. Medium-Density Polyethylene (MDPE)

With greater density than the LDPE, MDPE is typically used in gas pipes, plastic tubes, heavy duty bags and as a packaging material for numerous products and materials out there.

c. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

The HDPE is designed to be rigid through long polymer chains and normally presented as plastic sheets to be used in various products such as plastic bottles, water pipes, skateboards, travel vehicles, tables and household pieces.

d. Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)

UHMWPE has the highest density level among these different kinds of polyethylene. It possesses great density and low abrasion and friction properties mainly due to its extreme length of polymer chains making it more rigid and sturdy. UHMWPE is heavily used in body armour, mechanical accessories, biomaterial products and bone implants.

4. Polypropylene (PP)

Polypropylene is the second-most widely used kind of plastic used around the globe. It is a synthetic kind of a thermoplastic polymer and is the most flexible in all manufactured thermoplastics. Stronger than polyethylene, it still retains the flexibility property which allows it to withstand repetitive stress and friction. This type of plastic material is popularly used as mechanical parts, heavy duty equipment, medical devices and large food containers.

5. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)

Polyethylene Terephthalate is a thermoplastic resin under the polyester family and is the fourth-most widely used type of plastic material around the world. This type of plastic has high chemical resistance against regular substances such as water and is widely popular these days due to its easy recyclability.  PET is durable and shatterproof with an excellent strength against weight ratio. This kind of plastic is used as a clothing fiber, engineering resins, glass fiber, food containers and many other products we use in our daily lives. It doesn’t have a good reputation, but its recycling properties are quite good.

6. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Polyvinyl Chloride is the third-most used synthetic plastic polymer used around the world. PVC is known for being both rigid and flexible which makes it useful to blend with other materials. Most common uses for this kind of plastic are in household materials and structures, construction materials, bottles and as packaging material. When combined with plasticizers such as phthalates, flexible and softer PVC can be used for electrical components, clothing material, plumbing products, medical tubing and a lot more.

7. Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene is produced when styrene and acrylonitrile is polymerized with the presence of polybutadiene. ABS is rigid, flexible and glossy. Its most important feature has to be its susceptibility to processing and molding. ABS can be manufactured in varying thicknesses from 200 microns to 5mm with a maximum width of 1600mm. This cheap plastic is commonly used in simple plastics parts and industry equipment up to regular and daily products such as boxes, clothing and toys. It is very relevant if you’re looking into new product development.

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Conclusion

These seven different kinds of plastics may sound strange based on their proper names but you would be surprised to know all of them are part of your daily life. Differentiated mainly because of their physical and chemical properties, each kind of plastic are accustomed to specific uses and are designed perfectly for sole purposes. Talk to an experienced plastics manufacturing company to learn more.

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Product Packaging Design Basics You Need to Know

There is more to packaging than simply having a pretty box or cardboard all around your product. The product packaging design is sometimes instrumental in turning regular customers into big fans of the product. It could spell a big difference marketing-wise and could prove to be a game changer for the product’s sales and popularity to boost up. The biggest upside to this is that coming up with an excellent product packaging design is not a difficult task at all. Just make sure to talk to your product packaging manufacturer early on.

In the marketplace, it will be difficult to have a unique white or private label product which is rare for its functionality and usage. It will most likely have a lot of competitors and counterparts which are also thriving and doing great on their own in the market. The custom packaging design of your product may be the only way to let your product stand out in a crowded marketplace. Here are a few packaging design guidelines you need to know of.

The Basics of Packaging Products

You do not have to be a product packaging design expert in order to come up with an attractive and fully-functional packaging design since we have packaging design companies who are willing to do it for you at a fair price. However, it is imperative for you to understand the basic elements of product packaging before getting your feet wet with it. This process will make it easier for you in the long run. The most common materials are either paper/cardboard or different custom shaped plastics.

You need to first check out other creative package designs of products in the market and seek inspiration from them to apply on your own. This is a great way for you to gather ideas and have a grasp of design concepts which you can apply for your own custom or standard product. You also need to understand terminologies involved in design conception to make it easier for you to work with packaging design companies. This will be your introduction before getting in depth to the technical aspect of product packaging design.

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Product Packaging Design Glossary

1. Dieline

A dieline is a 2D representation of a packaging design which shows the design on a flat unassembled box. Dielines guide the designers to properly layout the design to be printed on top of each side of the box. This will also serve as a guideline for the personnel to cut, fold and glue the box according to desired structure.

2. Spot Colors

Spot colors are standard ink selections printed on a single run. These colors are normally chosen from a numbered list provided for by the Pantone Matching System (PMS) in the US. There are several systems developed to match spot colors in the packaging design industry.

3. CMYK vs. RGB

The four regular inks used in color printing are cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black) are commonly referred to as CMYK in the industry. These colors are used to mask lighter colors on a light or white background. The CMYK shades reduces the light which would be reflected instead. The CMYK model is a subtractive one since it basically reduces the brightness from light or white color. On the other hand, the RGB (red, green, blue) are additives to produce a wide array of colors for retail packaging designs. You can convert the color on websites like this one.

4. Hot Stamping

This packaging method is commonly used for food, tobacco products, alcohol and other luxury goods but is also conventional for plastics. It is done through a process wherein an image is transferred from a thin layer of foil onto a paperboard or plastic surface. Heat and pressure causes the image to be laminated on to the desired packaging surface.

5. Emboss

Emboss is a packaging method wherein an image, logo or text is pressed onto paperboard from behind. Both a male and female die are required for embossing and the raised area can then be applied with ink or any other substance to highlight the embossed area. On the other hand, there is also a process called debossing which is simply the opposite of emboss since the image, logo or text is pressed onto paperboard from above but only requires one die to complete the process.

6. Caliper/Flute

Caliper, also known as flute simply refers to the weight and thickness of a paperboard or cardboard used for the primary packaging material. The term flute is heavily used when it comes to corrugated packaging.

7. Primary Packaging

This is the layer of packaging which contains the product and comes contact with it. It is rightfully designed according to the product design and serves as an initial protection and storage for it. Common primary packaging used by packaging design companies are blister packs, bubble wrap, shrink wrap etc.

8. Secondary Packaging

As the name suggests, it is a secondary packaging layer and does not come contact with your product. Aside from additional protection and storage, the secondary packaging layer also serves as an advertisement tool and marketing vehicle for brand representation since it is where logos and other brands are already printed. There are important trends you should consider and as of now, minimalism and strong colors are very popular.

9. Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing is a printing method which involves the use of plates. It usually uses simple colors and shades and is a good printing option for massive yet simple printing designs. It is also ideal for mass-production since the only expensive part are the printing plates but you will only spend for them once unless you keep on changing designs.

10. Lithographic Printing

Lithographic printing also involves the use of plates but unlike flexographic printing, this method is more capable of detailed and intricate designs. It is the best printing method for custom packaging designs due to its high image quality but is also the most expensive among printing options.

11. Digital Printing

Digital printing is the most common method for custom packaging manufacturers because of its simple, effective and DIY approach. It is a cost-effective method and is ideal to print product packaging design trials. This method is perfect for small businesses who are still trying out and is not able to afford spending money for a product packaging design.

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How to Design Plastic Products for Injection Molding?

Injection molding is a technology evident in our daily lives but is often overlooked and goes unnoticed. 95% of plastic products are all made with injection molding which means almost all of plastics surrounding us are created through this technology. This wiki article aims to enlighten us on how to design plastic products for injection molding.

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Getting to Know Injection Molding

Injection molding is a manufacturing process used on a wide variety of products from tiny components up to large items. It is popularly used in the plastics manufacturing industry. The process uses a granular plastic gravity fed from a hopper which is dumped into a heated chamber through a screw-type plunger. The plastic is melted while pressed against the mold. The object is allowed to cool and is removed as a solid product. In some aspects of manufacturing, aluminum molds are also being used since they are quick to mass produce while other large manufacturing companies use steel molds of various kinds. It depends on for how long or better for how many pieces the mold has to last.

Injection molding makes it possible to produce plastic product designs in large volumes which is why it is popularly used in large-scale plastic custom manufacturing. Thousands of plastic part designs can quickly be manufactured after several hours of work in a manufacturing production line. The main disadvantage of injection molding is that the process is not suitable for very small-scale production given the setup costs and equipment needed for this type of technology. You can learn a lot more online, for instance here with the free course from BASF.

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4 Stages of Injection Molding

1. Clamping

This is the initial process wherein two sides of the molds are securely held in place by a clamping device. Hydraulic power keeps the mold in place preparing it to be injected with the specific material to be used.

2. Injection

As the name suggests, plastic materials usually thermoplastic are loaded on to the injection molding apparatus subsequently melted and injected into the mold.

3. Cooling

The cooling process lets the molten plastic solidify and follow the shape of the mold. There are different cooling times for each plastic product designs depending on its wall thickness including the thermodynamic properties of the plastic substance used in the injection molding process.

4. Ejection

This is the part wherein the molded part is now taken out of the clamping device. A mold ejection agent will be sprayed on the surface of the mold cavity before the injection process is facilitated to make the ejection easier later on and to make sure the plastic part design remains intact after ejection.

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Advantages of Injection Molding

1. Cost effective

The biggest advantage of injection molding has to be its low production costs as plastic product designs created this way have very low price per unit compared to other plastic production following a different type of manufacturing technology. Its ability for mass production defeats the costs of materials since everything is in a lump amount making it cheaper overall. However, be reminded of the setup’s cost and tooling as well to balance its cost effectiveness.

2. Less scraps

Most traditional plastic manufacturing processes cut out a substantial part of its plastic sheet during production. With injection molding, scraps and wastes only come from overflows in the mold and leaks from runners and sprue. Injection molding follows cuts accurately keeping wastes at an all-time low in plastics manufacturing.

3. Versatile

As a manufacturing process designed for mass production, injection molding can easily be modified to create different plastic part designs as long as the same injection molding design guidelines are being followed. After mastering how to design plastic products and pinned it down, you can always expect to produce the same results for each injection molding batch which can consistently be repeated for maximum production.

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How to Design a Plastic Product Mold for Injection Molding

The biggest challenge in injection molding is the process of designing a mold. There are almost no limits to your creativity (see the MOMA section on plastics here), but you can do the designs in clever and less clever way from a manufacturing point of view. Plastic manufacturers highlight this aspect as the most crucial part of injection molding. There will be no successful plastic part designs for injection molding if there is no perfect mold from where it is formed. The biggest factors to designing a mold are part and tool design. Getting these factors right means faster production, better quality and reduced costs while having them wrong could substantially affect these production aspects in a negative manner. Here are other factors you need to consider with injection molding during the product development and prototyping.

1. Wall thickness

Thin walls are advisable in plastic manufacturing for shorter cycle times and being able to produce more plastic part designs in shorter production lead time. Thinner walls also makes the cooling process faster. Ideal wall thickness from 0.08″ (2mm) to 0.16″ (4mm), but thin wall injection molding can go as thin as 0.02″ (0.5mm).

However, wall thickness also depends on the type of plastic material being used. Here are the recommended wall thickness for various plastic materials; ABS resin is between 0.045 and 0.140 inches, Acrylic is at 0.025 –0.150, Liquid crystal polymer at 0.030 -0.120, Nylon at 0.030–0.115, Polycarbonate at 0.040 – 0.150, Polyester at 0.025 –0.125 and Polypropylene at 0.025– 0.150.

2. Ribs

Adding ribs helps increase the bending stiffness due to the increased moment of inertia. This is a suggested option instead of adding thickness to the wall. Here are recommendations with ribs in plastic production;

• Rib’s thickness should not be more than 60% of the nominal thickness value.
• Height should be three times lower than the wall thickness.
• Draft angle is at 25 degrees.
• The ribs position must be perpendicular to the axis where the bending occurs.
• Corners of the attachment points must be rounded instead of having them pointed.

3. Bosses

Bosses are layers wherein fasteners are attached and threaded inserts are located. Recommended specifications for bosses are the following;

• Bosses’ wall thickness should not be more than 60% of the main wall.
• Base radius should be at least 25% thickness of the main wall.
• Bosses should be supported by ribs connecting to walls adjacent from their position or gussets at the bottom the mold design.
• Ribs should be used to isolate bosses in corners of the design.

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Conclusion

Injection molding is not the one and only perfect plastic manufacturing method. However, it has its set of disadvantages but the benefits clearly outweighs its cons with a huge disparity. All of these information on how to design plastic products through injection molding may seem so sketchy if you are still new to plastic manufacturing. It needs time and experience before you get yourself fully acquainted to injection molding as a method on how to design plastic products. An experienced plastics manufacturing company can help you with the details.

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Eleventh Newsletter

Tenth Newsletter