Constructing a prototype injection mold has many advantages to a successful launch of an injection molding program. Prototype tools give a molder a chance to try out a new design, prior to investing in a large multi-cavity full size injection mold. Some prototype tools are even constructed with just a prototype cavity, allowing for additional cavities to be developed later after perfection of the prototype.
Prototype tools are advantageous when using a new thermoplastic resin that the molder may not be familiar with. A prototype gives the advantage of learning how a new material will melt, flow and fill critical dimensional areas. A prototype also gives a molder a chance to try out a new design for a part that may have to fit into another larger assembly. Constructing a prototype tool will give the molder a chance to produce a prototype part to test out functionality, either in larger assemblies or even on an automated assembly line. Constructing a prototype tool is a very inexpensive way to test out new parts without an initial major outlay of cash. Prototype tools are typically constructed with less expensive material than a production tools, therefore are not made to stand up to high volume production but rather a few short production lots for sample testing. While production tools must be constructed with hardened steel, a prototype can be made of P20 or non-hardened steel, or even aluminum, as this is adequate to produce sample parts for testing purposes. Prototypes are used in many industries where an initial small investment into a mold for testing purposes is well worth it prior to constructing a high-volume production mold. Michiana Global Mold has vast experience assisting engineers and designers to achieve their dimensional goals with design assistance and Prototype Mold Construction. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to see how we can assist you with your project development goals.
0 Comments
Staying competitive in the injection mold making industry today takes innovation, along with knowledge, resources and experience. Meeting customer expectations requires using all available assets with the latest technology, combined with innovative thinking.
Michiana Global Mold is a leading injection mold manufacturer, meeting the tight tolerances of demanding customer applications since 1952! We employ a highly skilled staff of journeyman mold makers and experienced mold design engineers to design and construct high precision, custom injection molds for a variety of industries including the demanding Automotive Industry. We are accustomed to meeting tight tolerances within +/- .001”, excelling with precision tolerances that other mold makers shy away from. Recently featured on the “World’s Greatest” television show, our innovative technology and vast experience with manufacturing complex tools set us apart from other mold makers. Michiana Global Mold is conveniently located in the heart of the Midwest, with an offshore location in China. Both facilities are registered to ISO9001, following the same strict quality policy overseas as our domestic location. Customer satisfaction is our main goal with continual improvement projects routinely practiced. We have experience with complicated designs including intricate ejection systems with lifters, specialized CAM action, and tooling constructed unique to your molding environment including custom mounting systems on your presses. Michiana Global Mold has over 65 years of experience satisfying the stringent requirements of demanding industries. If you are looking for an injection mold making company to be a valuable addition to your supply chain, contact Michiana Global Mold. Let us show you how we can assist with your procured mold making costs. Established in 1964, we have the resources, the knowledge and experience to provide the best value with high quality and high-performance tooling, at the lowest available cost to you. Michiana Global Mold is one of the leading injection mold makers in the industry, providing complex precision tooling within your specifications, and on time. Contact us today to speak for a FREE design consultation. Finding the right injection mold manufacturing company to be a part of your supply chain is a very important decision. Mold making companies that want to be on a preferred vendor list need to have a competitive edge, something that sets them apart from other mold making shops. OEMs today need to choose suppliers that can handle large projects, and delivery quality tools on time, regardless of the complexity.
Michiana Global Mold is an experienced injection mold making facility, supplying high-performing precision molds for over 52 years! We are experienced with complex designs for molding of critical components in various industries, including precision Automotive components. We employ expert mold design engineers, and journeyman mold makers with vast experience in all aspects of custom injection mold design. Michiana Global Mold utilizes the latest in technologically advanced equipment and software, using CAD/CAM software integrated with our milling centers. ISO Registered Mold Making Facility We are an ISO Registered mold making facility, that will partner with you from the beginning. Meticulously following a detailed checklist, we are able to identify any critical areas with precision tolerances that may be affected by mold flow or design. We can even assist with reverse engineering, enhancing your design by alerting you to potential issues prior to cutting steel and working together to obtain the optimum design for your application. We are then able to sample your parts and make any necessary final adjustments to your tool, delivering quality parts, on time. We can construct mold inserts, fully functional molds, mold compositions, over molds for insert molding, and tool adaptations including engineering changes. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to learn how our vast experience, knowledge, and technical capabilities will add value to your supply chain. We partner with our customers from the beginning, providing quality, precision molds for a wide array of applications over various industries. Michiana Global Mold is an ISO Registered injection mold construction supplier, providing quality class steel molds since 1952. A plastic injection mold designer must consider many factors when designing injection molds, including the press the mold will run in. Knowing the press specifications is very important in order for the mold to operate properly, and most efficiently during injection molding production.
Vertical Press Clamping System The orientation of the clamping system is of course a very important consideration, as this determines whether the mold will open horizontally or vertically. A vertical molding press is used in over-molding production, also called insert molding because the molten plastic is molded around an object. An example would be an electrical wiring harness with plastic molded around a portion of it, clamps or even something like knives where the handle is molded around the metal. The insert in a vertical molding press can be either steel or even plastic. A vertical press requires molds for the top and bottom, as a vertical molding press has a rotary table which holds at least two bottom (B) sides of the mold, while the top half (A) half comes down to close on the bottom half molding the part. There is usually one top half, and at least two or more bottom sides to the mold, so that when the A side is molding the part on the back of the table, another B side is in front of an operator or a robot loading an insert into the open mold. Once molded, a robot or operator can unload the over-molded part from the mold, prior to loading new inserts into it. Constructing molds for a vertical molding press is quite different than for a horizontal molding press, even though the concept is the same. Horizontal Molding Press The most common type of injection molding operation is in a horizontal press, requiring an A side and B side, closing together on a horizontal plane to mold the parts. When the horizontal mold opens for ejection, parts usually fall into a bin below or are grabbed by a robot and taken to an inspection area. Most horizontal molding operations do not require an operator at the press, as the vertical over-molding jobs do without automated equipment. Horizontal molding presses are very efficient and non-labor intensive, with a top-quality high-performing injection mold, a horizontal molding operation can run for hours in a lights out environment. Regardless of whether the mold is for a vertical or horizontal press, the placement of water fittings and hoses is of the utmost importance in designing the tool. The clamping pressure and press tonnage are also very relevant specifications, in order for the mold designer to calculate the pressure of the molding operation while also considering the material chosen and how it will flow into critical areas. Michiana Global Mold has decades of experience designing tools for various plastic injection molding environments, meeting tight tolerances with high performing, precision custom injection molds. Download a FREE copy of our book “Design Considerations for Different Molds” for more information. Michiana Global Mold has decades of experience designing and building precision custom injection molds for various industries. Contact us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers for a FREE design consultation on your mold building requirements. We can custom design molds for your applications, regardless of your molding environment. Prototype injection molds provide a chance to perfect the design of a molded product, prior to constructing a full size multi-cavity tool. This can be well worth the extra time and expense to make a smooth launch of mass production requirements.
A prototype mold is a very inexpensive method of testing out a new part design for proper functioning. Prototypes are usually constructed with less expensive material such as non-hardened steel or P20, or even aluminum, as the purpose is to mold sample lots of parts, not full production volume. A prototype mold usually has just one cavity, and this can be an easy to way to make sure a part will work as expected, before manufacturing a large multi-cavity tool. One part is all that is needed to verify the part’s dimensions and geometric tolerances. A prototype mold is used in industries where new model parts are always changing such as the Automotive industry. In some cases, new parts are used in existing assemblies, changing a design slightly but still using some existing components. In this case the new parts would have to be tested within the existing assemblies to ensure proper function. Prototypes give automotive design engineers a chance to try out a new part, and alter it if need be, to work properly with other new or existing components. Prototype Mold Advantages In addition to the flexibility to try out new part designs to verify part function, the biggest advantage of prototype tools is the low cost. Made with the less sturdy and less expensive material, a prototype tool cannot support production, it can however provide enough shots to produce sample parts for testing purposes. This is a very worthwhile investment, however, especially if you are uncertain about how the geometric design on one part will fit with your existing application, or if you just want to test part properties prior to building a production mold. With the low cost of prototype tools, it could be a very advantageous place to start here if you have any questions about a new part function. A prototype is also advantageous if the part is molded with a new resin, or a resin that the engineer is not familiar or experienced with. Since all thermoplastic resins contain varying properties for shrink rate, strength and durability, some prototypes are constructed to test the strength of a molded part in different materials allowing engineers to test out different resins. Michiana Global Mold has vast experience constructing prototype tools to customer specifications, giving you a quick turn-around time on sample parts for your testing purposes. We employ skilled design engineers and journeyman mold makers all with in-depth knowledge of prototype mold construction, and properties of varying resins. Michiana Global Mold has vast experience assisting engineers and designers to achieve their dimensional goals with design assistance and Prototype Mold Construction. Contact us today for a free design consultation and to see how we can assist you with your project development goals. A preventive mold maintenance program is a big part of the mold manufacturing process. Right in line with the motto from MoldMaking Technology which is engineer, build and then maintain. Some TLC can go a long way to prevent molding dilemmas.
When using cleaning solvents on a mold, care must be taken to know how the chemical will react with heat. Some cleaning solvents will react differently at different temperatures, and heat will either help or hurt the situation. Some cleaners are used to primarily dissolve grease, oil sometimes rust. A mold polishing compound can be used when polishing the tool is necessary, and some cleaners are used to remove mold release build up even while the mold is still hot in the press. Mold makers are well familiar with the benefits of polishing and maintaining a tool. It takes a quality tool to mold a quality part. The proper method for cleaning the mold can determine the quality of the part. A consistent preventive maintenance program including a thorough mold cleaning is necessary in high-volume production jobs. Preventive Mold Maintenance Program A preventive mold maintenance program is utilized by molders to maintain consistent, quality molded product during injection molding production. This is often achieved with a process monitoring system keeping track of cycle counts. Certain job may require a preventive mold cleaning at particular intervals depending on the material used, and the molding environment. Upon reaching a set number of cycles, the molding job can be stopped and the mold pulled for routine maintenance. Be sure to use the right type of mold cleaner for your environment. Michiana Global mold is an experienced precision injection mold maker, with skilled journeymen mold makers well familiar with the best practices for mold maintenance. Michiana Global Mold has vast experience with engineering, constructing, and maintaining the highest of quality injection molds. Contact us today for a free cost estimate of your next injection mold making project. Copper and brass forgings provide high density parts with very accurate dimensions, achieving a high level of consistency. Brass forgings are used in several commercial and industrial applications such as automotive, aerospace, marine, transportation, plumbing, lawn and garden, heating and cooling and even the medical industry. Brass forgings are also used to provide durable strength in architectural applications. Due to the precision required of brass forgings used in critical applications, you need a brass forging die maker with expertise in tool making skills. Michiana Global Mold is a full-service tool and machine shop with vast expertise in manufacturing various molds and tooling, made with top quality components and precision accuracy. We have a large capacity modern tool making facility located in the heart of the Midwest in Mishawaka, IN, where we have been supplying quality molds and tooling for over 50 years! We specialize in complex, precision tooling and brass forging dies, manufactured to your specification within +/- .001”, and on time. Michiana Global tackles the complex designs and intricate tooling that others shy away from. With confidence and experience, we can manufacture your brass forging dies within your tight tolerances, and deliver high volume projects on time. We manufacture forging dies with a heat treated and polished finish, for single or mass produced production requirements. With a full-service tool shop, we also do engineering changes if necessary, saving you time and money. We utilize a full line of CNC machines manufacturing brass forging dies with cost effective, efficient solutions, giving you the best value. Our expert design an engineering team can provide a free design consultation or provide reverse engineering services with our experience and CAD/CAM software and equipment. We adhere all processes to our strict quality policy as an ISO registered mold and machine shop. Established since 1964, Michiana Global Mold has over 50 years of experience providing custom, precision injection molds, tooling and forging dies. Contact us today for a free design consultation and to see how we can save you money on your procurement of brass forging dies. Injection molding is the mass producing of plastic parts with a steel mold, an injection mold, designed with cavities to mold the desired part. Injection molding uses thermoplastic resins, also called polymers, typically in a raw pellet form, that melt and flow into the cavities in the mold, forming the part, then it is ejected once it hardens. The time that it takes for the mold to close, plastic to flow into the mold, the polymer to set and eject upon mold opening is called the cycle time. Injection molders are always looking for ways to increase the cycle time, as time is money and when you can mold a part faster, you can mold more per hour, per day and per week.
A skilled injections mold maker will have the knowledge to design the mold with the most appropriate attributes to reap the best cycle time while still delivering the desired part to the customer specification. Michiana Global Mold is accustomed to constructing complex, precision injection molds within +/- .001”, which is about the thickness of a human hair. Injection Mold Making Equipment Injection mold makers are well familiar with the precision equipment used to carve out steel cavities, forming a perfect plastic part. Computer aided design, and computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) equipment is a key tool for designing a perfect tool. The designers at Michiana Global Mold use Unigraphics CAD/CAM software to design the mold fit for producing a desired part. This alerts the mold maker and the injection molder to any critical areas such as thin walls or a critical dimensional tolerance that must be met, prior to cutting steel. Milling machines, conventional EDM and wire EDM machines are a necessary tool, along with high speed CNC machines, drill presses and grinders. Michiana Global mold, located in Mishawaka, Indiana with an offshore mold making facility in China, utilizes all of these mold making equipment tools, and more. We have over 50 years of experience constructing complex tooling for demanding industries such as the Automotive industry where 0 ppm (parts per million) defects is the norm. The key to a quality plastic injection molded part, is a quality injection mold. No one understands this better than Michiana Global Mold, your one stop shop for mold making and tooling services. We do everything from constructing insert cavities and prototypes to full service high volume precision production tools. Michiana Global Mold is Registered to ISO9001:2015, delivering custom injection molds to a wide array of industries demanding high volume long lasting performance with the best available pricing. We offer rebates on multi-tool programs and discounts with offshore molding options. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation, and to see how Michiana Global will provide value added services in your supply chain. Consumer products is a very broad industry, encompassing everything from appliances, electronic components, household goods and toys to more complex products used in automotive and aerospace functions. No matter the purpose, all injection molded consumer products must first begin with a quality built injection mold produced with quality steel. As design engineers are aware, a quality part begins with a quality tool. When designing a critical consumer product, involving an experienced mold builder early in the design phase of your project can reap big benefits in time saved developing superior products. An experienced mold designer can utilize CAD/CAM software and simulation designs alerting a product development engineer of critical areas that may succumb to underfill or breakage. Michiana Global Mold is experienced with manufacturing precision tools for numerous consumer product applications including electronics, high end business furniture, skylight frames, appliance parts and assemblies and critical automotive parts. We have vast experience producing plastic and rubber molds of any variation including:
We can provide you with early design consultation, expert mold construction and product sampling. Tool status reports are provided upon request keeping your project on schedule. Michiana Global Mold is a valuable addition to any supply chain, providing high performance, quality tools on time, and to your specification. Michiana Global Mold has been producing high performance plastic and rubber molds used in a multitude of industries including consumer products, electronics and automotive since 1964. Contact us today to learn about our multi-tool discount and for a free design consultation. Constructing an injection mold for small electronic parts requires skill and experience, coupled with quality tools and equipment. Plastic injection molding of electronic components can be tricky with thin walls in tight spaces and intricate critical dimensions. Custom electronic parts are molded out of various materials including thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), polycarbonates (PC), polypropylene (PP), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). When constructing the mold to make these types of parts and components, you need an experienced mold maker that knows the properties of the various types of polymers and how they will flow in your mold. We have the ability to provide mold-flow analysis, identifying any critical geometrical areas prior to cutting steel. Michiana Global Mold has the skill and the experience to provide a class A quality tool on time and within your budget. We specialize in highly complicated electronic part molds requiring a high level of skill and precision. Since precision, custom molds are our specialty, we can provide to you the most value for your investment. We understand the importance quality, timely mold production, to ensure that your project is up and running with quality parts and components when you need them. Our skilled moldmakers have been supplying quality tools for electronics parts and components for over 50 years, satisfying stringent quality requirements for various industries including Automotive, Consumer Electronics, and other various industries requiring precision electrical housings and electro-mechanical switches. Michiana Global Mold utilizes the latest technology with our CAD/CAM software and integration with our milling machines. Our highly skilled staff is comprised of a very experienced cross-functional team, providing exemplary service to each and every customer. Total Customer Satisfaction is our main goal. As an ISO9001:2015 Registered mold making company, we will add value to your supply chain with adherence to our Quality Policy, providing best in class quality tools, on time and in spec. Michiana Global Mold has the experience and the skilled staff to provide a quality tool, on time, and to your specification even in tight tolerance, critical areas. Contact us today to learn how we can work together to produce custom, precision electronic parts and components. |
Archives
August 2017
Categories
All
|