Injection mold designs today must meet tough customer specifications, calling for critical fill areas with precision mold designs. Careful planning must be taken when designing complex molds for critical applications, ensuring consistent packing and filling to tight geometric tolerances. A qualified mold design engineer has several important considerations when beginning a complex injection mold construction, beginning with a carefully planned mold design.
CAD/CAM for Mold Design Computer aided design and manufacturing is a valuable tool for injection mold designers, providing accurate 2D drawings and designs to meet customer specifications. The use of CAD/CAM is beneficial when constructing molds for any industry, especially when designing and constructing injection molds for the automotive industry. Unigraphics and SolidWorks are two of the most technologically advanced software design programs used to satisfy the complex demands of the automotive industry. Mold Flow Analysis is another valuable tool to identify potentially challenging fill areas, especially when using a specialty resin that may be unfamiliar to the molder. These computer simulations are part of a thorough Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) set of procedures which ensure a successful mold launch. APQP procedures are critical to the planning phase as following a detailed set of procedures identifies any issues with resin, geometric challenges such as a thin wall or critical dimensions that must remain within +/-.001” for proper functionality. Michiana Global Mold utilizes CAD/CAM software as part of our thorough APQP procedures, to ensure a quality constructed mold for even the most complex of mold designs. As an ISO registered injection mold making shop, we are experienced with providing a quality mold made to customer specifications, on time and within budget. We work closely with our customers to develop a successful mold launch to meet even the strictest of specifications. Contact us today to speak with a knowledgeable design engineer, and Download our FREE Book on Design Considerations for Different Molds. Michiana Global Mold is an injection mold design and mold making company, constructing precision molds to various industries since 1964. We are an ISO registered injection mold making facility satisfying the strict requirements of the Automotive industry with high quality precision molds. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation.
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The most common type of polymer used in injection molding is thermoplastic resins. There are many different types of resins with various properties to meet part specifications for functionality. When designing injection molds, the engineer must take into consideration all properties of the resin specified for the produce including adhesion, elasticity, resistance to high temperatures, shrink rate, resistance to corrosives, and desired finish whether matte or polished.
The cooling and shrink rate are of the utmost importance, as some parts with a high shrink rate will need the cavity designed accordingly so the finished product will cool and shrink within specifications. Cooling rate is also important for ejection, as the resin must completely solidify prior to mold ejection. When an injection molded part has a critical functionality, mold flow analysis may be helpful in determining resin flow into tight geometric areas. Mold flow analysis clearly shows with computer aided simulation how the resin will flow as determined from its properties. Predicting how thermoplastic resin will flow in the mold and cavities prior to cutting steel can be a valuable tool in avoiding costly mistakes. Conducting the proper advanced quality planning with mold flow analysis can greatly improve lead times. Most journeyman mold makers will already possess the knowledge of hos particular resins flow just from experience. A skilled design engineer with experience in manufacturing molds will have the knowledge to design the tool to produce a part to print specifications, with the chosen resin properties playing a huge role in tool design. At Michiana Global Mold, we have been providing high quality precision molds for over 60 years, possessing more than 500 years of combined experience. Our staff of highly skilled design engineers and journeymen mold makers are the best in the business with vast experience in various thermoplastic resins. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to speak with one of our skilled and experienced mold designers to learn how we can assist you with your injection mold requirement. We are an ISO9001:2015 Registered mold making company with vast experience constructing custom, precision injection molds for various industries. |
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