Guide to Your Plastic Injection Molding Options

 

At Creatingway, we manufacture a big proportion of plastic parts using plastic injection molding. It is usually ideal for large volume production. However, clients should be aware of the options available. We can use aluminum injection molds, 3D printed molds, or steel injection molds to make your plastic parts. Clients often have a desire to have their prototypes made faster, usually at a cheaper price, and looking as good as possible. Therefore, an excellent understanding of your available options will help you know the one most helpful in your situation.

Here is further insight into the factors to look into when deciding for your injection molding options. Factors covered include turnaround time, flexibility, robustness, manufacturing time, and part precision.

Below Are Four Main Factors For Plastic Injection Molding

Turnaround time

The turnaround time is the duration between the beginning of mold development to when the mold is ready to make parts. There variation in the calculations and design for the three mold types. However, the most significant difference is the manufacturing stage of the molds.

• Aluminum Molds

Aluminum injection molds come from aluminum blanks with the help of CNC machining and finishing processes. Other alternatives to produce such molds are the EDM, which makes molds with sharp corners. Generally, the process is mechanical that requires no thermal processing or specialized tooling to create an aluminum injection mold. The average turnaround time is 10 to 15 days.

• Steel Injection Molds

Steel injections molds on the hand are much harder and take longer to the machine. They additionally require specialized tooling to counter steels tough characteristics. These factors only increase the turnaround time of steel molds. To increase mold life, the molds require thermal processing to achieve this. The average turnaround time is 1 to 4 months.

Robustness

Robustness of a mold describes how long a mold can be able to produce plastic parts before being worn out. This factor is important if you are to planning to make numerous parts using the same mold.

• Aluminum Molds

Aluminum injection molds are from a softer material. However, you can have stronger aluminum alloys. This allows the molds to make batches of up to 5000 parts.

• Steel Injection Molds

Steel injection molds are harder through heat treatment. Therefore, they can last a long time. Additionally, they possess a few joints and have very durable steel.

The manufacturing time of Plastic Injection Molding

Manufacturing time is the duration between when we inject the liquid polymer to when we finally eject the final part. It is an important factor to consider the manufacturing time per part for any batch made. The factor varies due to the injection pressure, temperature, and mold material used.

• Aluminum Molds

Aluminum molds are weak and do not handle high pressure and temperatures well. We usually lower these values to up to 20% to 30% for molds to function properly. The approximate manufacturing time is about 30 to 60 seconds. This is great if you are planning to makeover a thousand parts.

• Steel Injection Molds

Steel molds, however, are much stronger. They can handle high temperatures and high injection pressures. It takes only about 5 to 10 seconds to make a part.

• Surface finish and part precision

How a part looks is an important factor that should be considered. The part should appear professional with an excellent finish. It may even be the prototype that you will present to your potential investors.

Aluminum and steel injection molds share a similarity in their finishing capabilities. The finish parts come out with high tolerances maintained.

3D printed molds, however, are dependent on additive manufacturing processes to make. The heat melts the mold and distorts the part hence lowering precision considerably.

The flexibility of Plastic Injection Molding

Flexibility is essential when you are testing out a final product. Especially during the pre-production stage of any prototype, you would want to see how it operates and looks like. Aspects to consider include testing out the manufacturing programs. For instance, a problem may arise that requires modification of the design. Another instance is that the injection process may lead to a porous part forming. Both of these lead to design alterations. However, different mold materials possess different flexibility capabilities.

• Aluminum Molds

Aluminum molds are softer materials. Additionally, their cavities come from separate parts that we can later install. This makes it easier to remove and make design adjustments.

• Steel Injection Molds

Steel injection molds are hard due to heat treatment. It is usually difficult to modify some of the features once the cavity is ready. Therefore, we only assemble the complete mold once you are sure it is the mold that you require.

What Kind of The Plastic Injection Molding We Can Offer?

At Creatingway, we have the ability to make plastic parts at a cost-effective price and while maintaining high quality. Get your parts made by us today for guaranteed success from beginning to finish. Contact us now for any inquiries concerning injection molding services.

• Thermoplastic injection molding
• Insert molding
• Hot runner molding
• Over molding
• Unscrewing molding
• Rubber molding
• Tight tolerance requirements

Creatingway is concentrated on CNC machining manufacturing, prototype machining, low-volume manufacturing, metal fabrication, and parts finishing services, provide you the best support and services. ask us one inquire now.

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