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.
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Thermoplastic engineering resins are the most common type of plastic resins used in the injection molding process. With many different types of plastic resins each with their own unique properties, it takes great care and consideration to properly design and construct a mold for use with thermoplastic resins. These highly useful polymer resins have varying properties of elasticity, resistance to temperature, corrosives, shrinkage and right down to the exterior finish such as a matte or a glossy finish.
Shrink rate is a very important property of thermoplastic engineering resins used in injection molding, as the cavities must be carved out to accommodate to this shrink rate. If shrink rate is not accounted for properly, a part may shrink too much after cooling and deviate from customer requirements. Knowing the cooling and shrink rate of the polymer resin used for any molding process is of the utmost important to the journeymen mold makers constructing the tool. Cooling rate is also important for the part to become completely solidified prior to ejection. Cooling rate must be configured into the injection molding cycle time, to ensure proper cooling and ejection without damaging the part. Each polymer resin will have a MSD sheet, Material Safety Data sheet along with material specifications clearly defined in each numbered lot of all thermoplastic resins. If working with a new material, a mold designer may prefer to use Mold Flow Analysis, for a computer simulated demonstration of how the plastic material will melt, flow and fill. Predicting the flow of thermoplastic resins prior to cutting steel is vital for accurate geometrical tolerances in the final product. Even with a material spec sheet which is necessary, nothing helps a skilled mold designer more than experience. Skilled mold design engineers are very familiar with the various properties of engineering resins allowing for precise mold construction with even the most specialty of molding resins. Michiana Global Mold is an experienced mold design and construction company, with vast experience with various thermoplastic resins used in injection molding. We employ highly skilled journeymen mold makers and expert design engineers to satisfy even the most demanding of customer requirements. We tackle the complex mold designs that other companies shy away from. For complex, precision molds that must meet tight tolerances, contact Michiana Global Mold today for superior mold design and mold making services. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to speak with one of our skilled mold designers and learn how we can assist you with your next injection mold making project. We are an ISO9001:2015 Registered mold making company with vast experience constructing custom, precision injection molds using various thermoplastic engineering resins. The gate is the mechanism that allows the plastic resin to flow into the mold, and every plastic part design must take careful consideration of the type and the location of gates. There are various styles of gating mechanisms typically used in injection molding, and each style will have an effect on the finished product. The style of gating chosen can affect the visual appearance of the part, the likelihood of warping or sink marks, and proper packing to meet dimensional tolerances.
Avoid Defects from Gate Location To avoid defects when processing, place your gate location at the heaviest cross section for maximum fill and packing to avoid sinks and voids. Experienced mold designers will also know when to consider adding a second gate location, which may be necessary in complex geometrical shapes to obtain proper fill throughout the part. The location of the gate should allow for automatic or manual de-gating, designed with the minimal length of flow path to minimize visual flow marks. In cold runner molds, the part is usually ejected attached to the runner and gate, de-gating removes the part from the runner system. Some processes include automatic de-gating with robotic arms that grab the runner out of the mold separating it from the part or parts. Gates in Hot-Runner Tools There are basically two types of gating systems used in hot-runner tools, where the plastic is injected directly into the cavity to avoid runners altogether. In a hot-runner tool, the gate may be either a thermal (or hot-tip) gate, or a valve gate. The hot-tip gate solidifies the resin at the tip nozzle immediately upon high pressure injection into the cavity, stopping the flow of plastic to the cavity. A valve gate is used when the plastic may not solidify completely upon injection, and therefore a valve slides over to cover the nozzle tip and stop the flow of resin. Either type is effective and cost efficient when used properly in a hot-runner system mold. Michiana Global Mold is experienced with constructing cold and hot-runner tools, with various styles of gating mechanisms involved. We are skilled with determining the optimum gate location for precision molds required to produce complex geometrical parts. Michiana Global Mold has been exceeding customer expectation with high performing injection molds since 1964. We have vast experience with all types of molds and mold base components. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to speak with one of our knowledgeable design engineers. Plastic injection mold designers must consider the resin chosen for the part manufacturing when designing the mold as this plays a very important role in meeting part specifications. One characteristic of the plastic material that requires careful consideration is the cooling rate compared to the geometry of the part.
What is Sink This plays an important role in the likelihood of parts developing sinks or warps, and can have significant consequences on successfully molding parts with consistent results. The cooling rate is extremely important because as the part begins to cool it will always begin at the mold surface and move inward, toward the center. If the geometry of the part is such that the part is too thick, the center area of the part will not solidify quickly enough. This center stays molten long enough for it to cause stress on the area already solidified, pulling downward towards the center and leaving a sink mark on the outer surface. Avoid Sink in Plastic Parts with This Rule of Thumb Ribs are used to add strength to plastic parts in thin wall or critical areas, but can also cause sink marks on the exterior side of the part. When designing plastic parts to avoid sink marks, remember the basic rule to keep the thickness of the rib somewhere around 60% the thickness of the wall. Following this rule of thumb should help to avoid sink marks during the cooling process. What is Warp If a plastic part design includes areas of uneven wall thickness, stress can develop during the cooling and solidifying stage. If this stress is excessive, warps will occur where thinner sections solidify faster than thicker sections. Avoid Warp in Plastic Part Design When undue stresses due to transitions in wall thickness occur, plastic part designers can combat this by using a ramp. Designers also use gussets in corners of some geometric areas to help prevent warping. Michiana Global Mold is an injection mold design and construction company with extensive experience in designing precision tools for complex injection molded parts. Our skilled designers have vast knowledge of injection molding with various resins, and designing a mold to avoid common pitfalls in manufacturing. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers. Injection mold designers must always take into consideration the surface finish required of the finished molded part. The ejection system in the mold that removes the solidified parts out of the mold cavity or cavities has great impact on the part’s surface finish. The most common ejection system uses ejector pins which can leave marks on the part, often referred to as witness lines.
An experienced mold designer will position ejector pins in order to place witness lines in an area acceptable to the part print. The ejection system and ejector pins are housed in the B side of the mold, extending into the cavity during ejection then retracting back into the mold. Restrictions on ejection must be apparent prior to mold design, if ejector pins cannot be used without damaging the part, lifters can be utilized for proper ejection. The injection mold design must correspond to the ejection pattern and stroke of the press. Michiana Global Mold is an experienced injection mold maker with in-depth knowledge of designing various ejection systems to meet customer specifications. We use CAD/CAM Unigraphics software to design and develop a layout for the ejection system prior to cutting steel. In some cases, ejection systems must be designed around robotic arms that reach into grab the parts upon ejection. These robotic systems are called ‘sprue pickers’, as sprue is another term for the runner that is also ejected with the part. Some ejection systems automatically separate parts and runners, so that they do not need to be separated later. Whatever your part design, surface finish, or ejection system is required, Michiana Global Mold will design and construct a superior mold with flawless ejection for the specified part surface finish. We are an ISO registered mold making company with an offshore mold making partner in China. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to speak with a skilled mold engineer. Injection mold designers must use careful consideration when designing a mold for a complex part design. Intricate plastic injection molded parts may contain several critical areas that must be carefully designed to meet part specifications. Parts that contain a very thin wall, for example, would be a critical fill area. It takes expertise in mold design to fill a part completely without any overfill or underfill while still maintaining the integrity of such a thin critical dimension.
Critical areas should be identified on the part print, and throughout the entire mold design phase. Sophisticated CAD/CAM software is used to develop a viable tool design given all part design specifications and other exterior design considerations such as the specified material and press size. With a superior design software program like Unigraphics or SolidWorks, mold designers can develop the entire mold construction phase and test critical areas with computer simulation software. This advanced quality planning phase is crucial to constructing precision molds to customer specification, and within the established lead time. The part print will also contain specific information such as the resin used and the surface finish or texture required of the final part. Any restrictions on knit or parting lines must be identified for proper gating. It takes an experienced mold designer to implement a successful tool design and construction of a precision mold for injection molded parts with a complex design. Download our FREE Book on Design Considerations for Different Molds, and contact us today to learn about our discount and rebate programs. Michiana Global Mold is an experienced injection mold design and construction company, supplying precision tools to various industries since 1964. We are an ISO registered mold shop, satisfying the strict requirements of the Automotive industry with high quality complex molds. Contact us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers for a FREE design consultation. Buyers of injection molded components are continuously faced with pricing challenges, they must provide to their customers the absolute lowest cost for injection molded components, and that begins with the cost of the tool. Investment into the plastic injection mold is often the largest up-front costs injection molders face, and this price can make or break a contract with an OEM seeking the lowest cost world-wide.
Today’s global economy is far different than two and especially three decades ago, prior to NAFTA and the mass sourcing of manufactured parts to overseas companies. The cost difference is not as steep as it used to be with offshore companies rising to the occasion, improving their supply chains and quality systems and their overhead along with it. There are still some attractive cost strategies to be used, however, if you have the right connection and know how to go about sourcing with offshore companies. Where to Begin Sourcing an Off-Shore Injection Mold Maker It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to get started working with an offshore company, specifically a mold making company in China. Without proper planning and implementation, the endeavor can end up costing you more than it should. You are sourcing overseas to save money that you can pass on to your customers, you surely don’t want to invest more into it that you will get in return. In many cases, having an overseas source for molds determines whether you get the contract or not. It is not an option of whether you have a mold maker in China, it is a necessity and the only question is how to go about it. Domestic Sourcing Provides Return on Investment Rather than try to contact a Chinese company directly, or use a broker to help you, working with a domestic mold maker with partnering companies in China gives you quick return on your investment. With a domestic provider, you do not have to worry about the language barrier, currency conversions, lead times and most importantly – the quality of the tools you are sourcing. Michiana Global Mold is a domestic mold making company with a partnership in China, providing full-service overseas injection molds, headache and hassle-free to you. We take care of everything from the language barrier, quality concerns and lead times, giving you one point of contact in our US location to fully coordinate all aspects of your tool build. Both of our mold making facilities in the US and in China are registered to ISO 9001, following a strict quality policy to provide tools to your specification. We use only North American or German steel, and provide sample parts and all final inspections from our US location. We have vast experience with all types of tools including prototypes, insert cavities, three-plate tools, hot-runner tools and shuttle molds. Download our FREE Guide to Sourcing Your Tools in China, and let Michiana Global Mold provide you with domestic support and offshore pricing. Michiana Global Mold is a leader in plastic injection mold making, serving the Automotive and various industries since 1964. We offer high-quality, precision tooling from our domestic or overseas location, on time and to your specifications. Contact us today to learn more about our offshore mold making capabilities. What qualities are you evaluating when searching for a mold making company? How do you qualify a mold builder as a preferred vendor? You probably have a thorough, detailed and organized method of granting vendor approval, including a Quality audit. As part of your formal process, some critical standards stand out as critically important over others, those would be:
Not all mold making companies have kept up with the times and invested in the modern technology available to mold makers today. With computer driven milling centers and workhorse EDM machines humming all day, the modern mold making shop must be well versed in the computer driven equipment. Equipment today can hold several programs, constantly checking for accuracy while doing the work it is programmed to do. Creating these programs takes skill and knowledge of the mold making process from an experienced mold design engineer. Quality of Overall Work Performed Sourcing a mold making company that is registered to ISO9001 standards gives you added assurances that the quality of product and service will be to your specification. ISO9001:2015 standards require measuring performance and implementing continual improvement projects, with quick response time to meet the overall goal – total customer satisfaction. Delivery Performance As part of internal audits with an ISO registered company, delivery performance should have a positive ratio with an explanation for any late deliveries. Mold making shops that use modern technology and perform advanced quality planning procedures delivery quality tools on time, with critical areas planned ahead. Top notch mold making shops like Michiana Global Mold provide all of these services, in addition to sampling and checking parts for accuracy prior to delivery. Michiana Global Mold can assist you with your demanding supply chain requirements with modern engineering capabilities, registration to ISO9001:2015 providing on-time delivery of quality product. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to learn more about our multi-tool discount program. Injection molding companies that manufacture precision parts are often in need of a precision injection mold making company to add to their preferred vendor list. Many quality and purchasing engineers in various industries are searching for a custom mold making company with high precision capabilities to manufacture critical components.
Some industries that require vendors with precision capabilities to produce to high performing parts and components are:
In addition to the molding parameters such as the size of press, and the material used, the mold design has vital impact on the quality of the parts produced in the manufacturing process. Mold Design for Precision Parts Manufacturing Producing precision parts consistently to customer specifications requires a flawless mold. The mold design will be based on the part design, usually provided by the customer. In some cases, an experienced mold designer can assist with reverse engineering for new product design. Experienced mold design engineers will use computer aided design (CAD) software to assist with an injection mold design, providing detailed prints that can be shared with the injection molder for collaboration on critical areas. When necessary, mold flow analysis can show the mold maker, and the injection molder a detailed computer simulation of how the material will melt, flow and fill. Precision parts molders need a precision mold maker in their vendor list, a mold maker like Michiana Global Mold that offer value added services with custom injection molds within specification, and delivered on time. For full service mold making and tooling services from an experienced, professional and high performing mold making company, contact Michiana Global Mold. Michiana Global Mold is a leading mold making company supplying injection molds to OEMs worldwide for critical precision parts manufacturing. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to learn about our multi-tool discount program. 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. |
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