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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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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