Not all injection mold making is precision injection mold making. Some examples of products that do not require such precise molding would be toys, bottles, combs and other miscellaneous items that do not necessitate a stringent level of quality. Products made for industries such as Automotive, Aerospace, and Government / Military and Ordnance will demand the expertise of a precision mold maker. Experience is Necessary Precision mold makers must be familiar with meeting tight geometric tolerances, as narrow as +/- .001 of an inch. Experience with the plastic injection molding process, especially tooling, is required for a molder to accurately meet rigid tolerances. Some parts for the above mentioned industries are quite complex with several gates and cam action occurring in the mold. Expertise in complex molds is required for precision work. Technology Automation is also a necessity to consistently meet meticulous requirements. A process monitoring system is a software program with sensors attached to each press that monitors things such as the pressure, temperature, cycle time and shots molded. The sensors work with a computer program to keep track of all molding information for each press, contains a scheduling module, and stores all pertinent information for each production run. While molding, If any of the critical settings should falter out of an acceptable level, an alert system would sound and let the process technicians know to check the process and make any alterations before molding defective parts. Material Management With so many different engineering resins to choose from, there are a number of different molding conditions that apply to specific situations. Some materials are molded with water lines cooling the process, and yet other materials require a hot temperature that can only be reached with a hot oil. The hydrolysis (water content) of the material will also affect the molding process. Some projects require a complete drying of the material to achieve optimal results. Controlled Environment The molding environment must be controlled to maintain a consistent process. Temperature affects the molding process in several different ways, and the experienced precision injection molder knows how to maintain consistency with maintaining a controlled environment. Quality Practices Precision Injection Mold Making for demanding industries requires the company to follow necessary quality procedures. Michiana Global Mold is registered to ISO9001:2015, providing assurance that your mold will meet required tolerances. These quality standards dictate how a mold maker performs all day to day operations, not just the mold making process, and are enforced from top management down, practicing a stringent quality policy throughout the entire organization. By practicing quality control procedures such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Michiana Global Mold provides customers with required data to support required specifications. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is performed for optimal efficiency and cost reduction initiatives are shared with customers. If your project requires precision injection mold making, consider partnering with Michiana Global Mold to add value to your supply chain.
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Injection Molding with Thermoplastic Resins
Thermoplastic molding refers to the process of injection molding thermoplastic resins. Thermoplastics is a type of polymer that melts and becomes pliable when reaching a certain temperature, allowing it to be molded into various forms. This type of polymer can also be ground up and reused after hardening, as opposed to thermoset polymers, which cannot be melted and used again. The third type of polymer is elastomer, which can also be thermoplastic, in which case this type of material is referred to as thermoplastic elastomers. Thermoplastic resins are the most common type of material used in the injection molding process. The Molding Process The equipment required for thermoplastic molding is the same: a press, a steel mold, and plastic resin. The resin is poured into a hopper on top of the press, and is then drawn into the press where it is heated in a barrel and injected into a steel mold where cavities carved out by journeyman mold makers form the molten plastic into the shape desired. The steel mold is usually equipped with water lines running through it to cool the parts before the mold opens and parts are ejected. Each time the mold opens, molds parts, and ejects them is called a cycle. The typical injection molding cycle is measured in seconds. Decreasing the cycle time can lead to improvements in efficiency and the bottom line, as long as it does not jeopardize the functionality of the part. The Mold The mold is the steel frame that contains the carved out cavities to actually form the part. Every injection molding job requires a steel mold to form the molten material into a usable functional part. There are different types of molds for different applications, but the most common is a class A hardened steel mold, capable of producing hundreds of thousands or millions of parts without wearing out. For the typical thermoplastic molding process, a steel mold will run in a horizontal molding press, meaning the mold will open and close on a horizontal plane. In this case, when the mold opens and ejects the parts, the runner is also ejected. The runner is the residual molten plastic that hardened in the channel getting the plastic to the cavity in the mold. This is true of a cold runner mold, which is the most common injection mold. A hot runner mold, in contrast, injects plastic directly into the cavity from a nozzle, and therefore has no runner. A hot runner mold can assist with automation, but it is more costly than the more common cold runner mold. Equipment Required for Automation While the necessary equipment is the same, a molder can invest in auxiliary equipment to automate the process and run parts without an operator, and sometimes even in a ‘lights out’ environment. A vacuum conveying system sucks the plastic resin while in pellet form from a drum or gaylord into the hopper on the press. As long as enough resin material is in the drum the conveying system will automatically supply a steady stream of thermoplastic resin into the press. There are ways to regulate the amount of pellets drawn into the hopper at a time. Some molders even have ways to measure the moisture content of material, and dry it accordingly before it enters the press. Some molders use a moisture analyzer when required. Sprue Pickers Assist with Automation When a cold runner mold is used in a horizontal press, the runner will eject with the parts and either drop to a bin below, or be grabbed by a robotic arm called a sprue picker. A sprue is another term for a runner. Sprue pickers assist in the automation process because it separates the parts from the runners, allowing the parts to collect in a tub by themselves and not need to be sorted or separated from the runners. Process Monitoring Adds Consistency and Reliability A Process Monitoring System should be utilized for automated molding as it will monitor, as the name implies, the process as it is happening. If something began to run out of spec, such as temperature or pressure, an alarm would sound to alert a technician. These monitoring systems also function as material resource planning software, allowing the user to input specific job information and schedule production. These are some of the ways a molder can automate the injection molding process. If precision parts manufacturing is required, automation could assist to provide to a consistent and reliable process. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to see how we can reduce costs on your plastic part requirements. Molding With Plastic Resin
Resin injection molding is the manufacturing process of molding raw plastic pellet into usable parts. Thermoplastic resin is the most common type of plastic used in the polymer molding process. The resin, or plastic pellets, is used by injection molders to make parts for a wide variety of industries. Custom injection molding is the process used by custom molders to make parts that are designed by others, typically engineers in the Automotive, Aerospace, Consumer Electronics, or Medical field. Injection molding is also used for the Furniture, Construction, and Toy industries, although precision molding is required for the former mentioned industries requiring a high level of quality with tight tolerances. Each resin has a melt temperature when it becomes pliable, which allows it to flow through an injection molding press, into a barrel and screw, where it is injected with pressure into a steel mold forming the desired parts. After forming, the mold ejects the parts and closes again to prepare for another cycle. Characteristics of Thermoplastic Resins Thermoplastic resins have a unique ability to be strong and durable, yet also lightweight which makes is a desirable material for several functional parts. They can be reinforced with glass filled polymers, or they can have a rubber like appearance, and several variations in between. They can be made into virtually any color, size or shape. This flexibility is the main reason that plastic resins are the material of choice for supplying various industries with necessary functional parts. Some examples:
The experienced molder has all procedures in place to provide full traceability throughout the resin injection molding process up to and including shipment of quality parts that meet or exceed customer specifications, along with proper documentation. Contact Michiana Global Mold today to see how we can help you with your injection molding needs. Industries That Require Precision Parts Manufacturing
Precision Parts Manufacturing supplies several industries with critical components. Aerospace, Automotive, Military / Ordnance, Medical and Consumer Electronics are just a few of the areas where a precision parts molder is a valuable supplier. The majority of molded critical components are made by the precision injection molding process, using thermoplastic resins. Engineering Resins are a group of thermoplastic materials that combine great strength with light weight to be a desirable material in a wide range of conditions, and still be economical. Precision Molding Process The quality of a final critical component from the precision parts manufacturing process depends on several parameters. Three factors that greatly impact the quality of a precision part are the manufacturing parameters, the material characteristics, and the mold design. Manufacturing Parameters When a precision injection molder is presented with a part print, they must determine the best size press to run the parts in taking the press attributes including tonnage, and clamping pressure into consideration. They must also consider the type of tool to build, and the molding conditions that would yield the most optimum processing conditions. Auxiliary equipment must also be considered. When a precision molder can use automation such as sprue pickers and conveyors, they can maintain a consistent process and reliably produce quality accepted parts. Determining the optimal parameters for the molding process is necessary to ensure consistency and reliable product quality. Material Characteristics When choosing the best material for an application, engineers must consider all characteristics of several different thermoplastic resins to choose the most appropriate resin that will meet the strength and durability demands of the functionality of the part. It is also important to maintain a strong relationship with your resin suppliers. Most polymer supply companies have material experts on hand ready and willing to assist with new information, suggestions and/or simulations. Mold Design A quality precision injection molded part requires a quality precision injection mold. A flawless mold is the key to reliably and consistently producing parts to customers’ specification. In most cases, the injection molder will design the mold based on the part print received by the customer. Molds for manufacturing precision parts can be complex and require the skills of a journeyman mold maker. It is helpful to have journeyman mold makers in-house that will lead the tool design and communicate with the customer’s engineers during the design phase. CAD software and mold flow analysis is used, which is an indispensable tool for any plastic injection molded part. Mold flow analysis is an indispensable component of any plastic injection molding design project. Quality Procedures of Precision Parts Molders Precision Injection Molding for demanding industries requires the molder to follow necessary quality procedures. Meeting ISO9001:2008, and compliant to TS/ISO16949, and AS9100 standards and practicing them daily is necessary for success with precision parts manufacturing. Searching for a China injection mold provider can be incredibly difficult and time consuming. There are plenty of blogs and articles that cover different aspects of what you need to consider, but you"ll need a list. This ensures that you look at all of your potential China injection mold source options and the range of questions you need to ask.
Remember, the cost is not your only consideration. Things like shipping time, communication, and QA process play very important roles in determining if a particular China injection mold provider is cost effective. Your Sourcing Options You have three options for finding a provider in China:
However, when you take the following considerations into account, you will see the initial cost for the domestic provider has some distinct advantages, including easier negotiations, design time, and predictable delivery times. Considerations and Questions When you talk to each of your potential sourcing options, the following considerations and questions will help you determine if the source is likely to meet your needs. Communication This is one of the biggest potential issues, particularly during the design phase. You need to be able to talk to the people who are responsible for the designs. There are several potential communication issues to consider:
Planning is one of the most important aspects as it sets the tone for the entire project. Here are the things to consider for the planning phase:
Make sure that you discuss your QA needs and shipping expectations. If you are working on a tight deadline, you need to make sure that the product is high quality and can be turned around quickly. Finding the right China plastic injection molding provider is a difficult decision. With a number of different considerations to make, you want to get it right the first time. You will also need to be prepared to negotiate.
Research Research is essential to avoid making the wrong decision, which can cost you not only money but a lot of time, and potentially customers. There are three sourcing options:
The material used for the China plastic injection molding is one of the most important aspects because it determines the durability of your final product. If you do not specify what materials you want used at the beginning, you may end up with a product that does not meet your expectations. Materials Originating in China Many Chinese mold makers have their own material providers. This means without specifying the type of material, you are almost guaranteed to have a final product made that uses steel produced in China. The Chinese regulations and standards are typically lower than steels made in Europe and North America. As a result, your final product may wear down faster, be more fragile, and require more frequent replacements. Materials Originating in Europe This is easily the most cost effective material. European standards are comparable to the standards of North America, but the product has a much shorter distance to travel. Testing Mold testing often requires the use of a representative to conduct a review at the facility to check the functionality and quality of the product. If you have tune-ins built into the contract, you will have a better product by the time you send your representative to conduct the review. Lead Times The shipping lead times are important because the different sourcing options handle shipping differently. Having excessively long lead times could end up negating cost savings. The following are important to know before you sign anything:
Finding the right China injection molding supplier can be a very time consuming endeavor. You have three different channels to consider:
Direct Chinese Mold Maker Initially, this will seem like the most cost effective method of getting a reliable China injection molding supplier. You won’t have to pay for a middleman, substantially reducing the initial cost. However, it can end up being the most costly. The biggest issues are the language barrier and additional QA efforts. It will be much more difficult to negotiate if you do not have a native speaker who can work with the supplier. While they will surely have an English speaker, you will need someone who speaks their language as well. This can be very costly. You will also need to manage more of the QA to ensure the product meets your needs. China Injection Molding Broker The issues you could encounter with a direct provider can be largely avoided by using a broker. It will also look a bit more expensive up front. This is because they have established connections to help you find the right provider, as well as managing the monetary conversions. Do keep in mind that they are only brokers. You will not be able to discuss specifics with them, only the people at the companies they recommend. This can also create lag time in getting your questions answered. Domestic Providers Domestic providers will appear to be the least cost effective China injection molding provider, but ultimately, they can save you a lot of time. Not only will you avoid having to research companies, they have the necessary experts to answer your questions. This substantially speeds up the design and development process, reducing the amount of time required to complete the project. They also manage the QA aspects, so that you can focus on other projects. Initially, they are the most expensive option. However, cost is the only major drawback, and it usually ends up being far less costly than it appears at first. Because you save time and have the necessary experts to answer your questions, the final cost for domestic providers is a lot more competitive than you may initially believe. The purpose of collapsible core molds is to work with various types of threads so that the parts can be easily ejected. They also come in a variety of types, such as dovetails and spring-loaded designs. As these molds have undercuts, it does take time to get the optimal design. However, when done right, collapsible core molds offer more capabilities to work with undercut molding and to hold parts together.
Overview of the Process Unlike most other molds, when producing collapsible core molds, the mold is made to collapse radially inward, reducing the amount of time required to produce it. It is estimated that this method reduces the production time by 30% as it does not require secondary operations or additional coring once completed. Unique Challenges With its special design and use, this particular type of mold offers challenges not encountered with other mold types. Because it is meant to be used without requiring lubrication, wear and tear can occur faster, which means you will have to determine how often they need to be replaced. The technology is changing quickly, so you will also want to consider regular reviews to redesign your molds to keep them as efficient as possible. Dovetail Design There are several design types, but the newest is the dovetail. It is the easiest and quickest type of core to produce and has the largest range of uses. Their durability and strength have made them a popular choice to lock parts together. |
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