Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2024-12-02 Origin: Site
How to Build a Mold for Your Custom Plastic Products
Manufacturers use a wide range of different molding techniques to create different components and products, including blow molding, compression molding, extrusion molding, and rotational molding. Injection molding is a popular, versatile, and cost-effective method for producing plastic goods. A heated liquid resin is injected into a mold at high speeds so it fills the entirety of the mold (including any crevices or complex shapes). There, it cools and cures into a hardened plastic form before being ejected for finishing, packaging, and shipping. This process can be used with high-volume and low-volume orders of goods varying in size and complexity.
All of Yixun custom molds are built right here inside of our Dongguan manufacturing facility. Our mold build area is staffed with experienced designers and machinists using the most modern software and CNC machinery. After customer part designs are finalized and approved for manufacturing, our team will design and build robust trouble free plastic injection molds for your production requirements.
Before injection molding can commence, manufacturers need to create a custom mold for the product, addressing the fundamental question of how to make plastic molds. This process focuses on four main considerations:
The part design: Mold manufacturers will need to consider the size, dimensionality, and complexity of the product.
Production quantity: How many parts you anticipate making is important. Molds can feature multiple cavities of basic products to produce many products at once. Molds can also be made from lighter and cheaper materials for low-volume orders and more durable and potentially pricier materials for high-volume production.
Part material: The mold will need particular design features based on the chosen plastic or resin for the products.
Budget: Consider the total budget available for tooling, which will dictate the quality of the mold material and whether it will be a mold for single parts or multiple units.
Whatever type of plastic injection mold you need, we understand that your injection mold purchase will become a significant asset to your business. For that reason, we warranty the production life of molds we build for our customers for the life of their production requirements.
We will help you better understand plastic injection mold construction and their cost. The quality of your custom plastic parts will first depend on the quality of your mold.
This process involves using a copper or graphite electrode to electrically burn the specified mold shape into the mold component. EDM machining is slower and more costly than CNC machining, and it is only used for mold features that are not practical to cut with a CNC machine, such as sharp corners and very thin rib features. The steps of this method include:
CNC machining uses advanced computer technology to cut complex and precise surface shapes into the mold materials. Our mold designers create a 3D model with the required mechanical dimensions and shapes of the mold details using CAD software. Final mold designs that are ready for machining can take one or two weeks to complete.
The 3D CAD models within the final mold design are then used within our CAM software. Our CAM programmers can tell the software how to machine the raw metal into the final mold shape and the software creates the commands to execute in our CNC machines.
There are multiple different resins available for use in injection molded products, and each formula will have unique characteristics that affect both the production process and the finished product. There are two broad categories of production materials:
Thermosets: After heating, curing, and cooling these materials into a set shape, their physical composition is permanently chemically altered. They cannot be reused or returned to their original form. There are multiple polymer materials that fall under the umbrella of thermoset. Popular options include epoxy, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, silicone, and vinyl ester.
Thermoplastics: These materials can be reheated and melted. One key advantage of thermoplastics is that excess material can be repurposed for future production orders. Thermoplastics are also easier to use because the injection molding process starts by heating small pellets of resin or powdered resin into a fluid.
Manufacturers can select their preferred material based on the individual properties of the material once it's cured, the ease of use during the manufacturing process, and the price. Other considerations can include regulatory compliance. For example, plastic goods used in tangent with consumable or cosmetic goods will need to be food-grade, while other plastic goods are less tightly regulated.
Another common consideration, especially in today's market, is the availability of the product. Having multiple sources for your preferred type of resin will make your supply chain more secure during peak seasons or global disruptions.
Moldmaker's choice of finish. Typically SPI B-2, depending on geometry and drafts. Interior, non-cosmetic faces, are typically as-machined.
Range of Society of Plastics Industry (SPI) finishes from Grade 3 diamond / high polish to 320 stone low polish. Finishes include: SPI A-1, SPI A-2, SPI A-3, SPI B-1, SPI B-2, SPI B-3, SPI C-1, SPI C-2, SPI C-3, SPI D-1, SPI D-2, and SPI D-3
Range of finishes including matte, swirls, lines, and patterns. Our most common texture finishes include: MoldTech MT11010, MoldTech MT11020, and MoldTech MT11030. Other textured finishes can be added by request.
VDI 3400 Surface Finish (commonly known as VDI surface finish) refers to the mold texture standard set by Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI), the Society of German Engineers. This is mainly processed by EDM machining, producing fine to coarse matte finishes.
No secondary polishing or grinding. Part will show tooling marks.
We can install most commonly used standard inserts in UNF and metric sizes.
Transfer a 2D image onto a 3D part. All images are subject to review.
Engrave part numbers, logos, and more onto your parts.
Yixun has the ability to assemble and label injection molded parts.
The type of mold and the resin material for the product are two of the top considerations for any plastic production project. However, factors ranging from labor availability to seasonal manufacturing demand can affect the profitability of the project. Some best practices to consider are:
Work with a reliable manufacturer: Choose a plastics injection molding organization that has a long history of reliability and expertise. Ideally, you'll find a partner that offers product design support, mold making, and injection molding services.
Consider where your mold is made: Mold suppliers can be found globally — from the United States to Portugal to China. Opting for a supplier that also manufactures the parts offers distinct benefits, including sole source accountability and a quicker transition from concept to production.
Be flexible: Consider different materials, molding options, and other engineering concessions that can make your product as manufacturable as possible. Injection molding specialists can recommend changes in material and design elements that make manufacturing simpler and more cost-effective without compromising the quality of the product.
Injection molding is a versatile manufacturing process that can accommodate a wide range of designs, materials, and production constraints to create high-quality products. At Yixun Mould, we specialize in injection molding and a host of support services built to create your products at scale. Reach out dgyixun@yixun-dg.com today to learn more or to request a quote to start your order.
