8 Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding

It’s widely known that plastic injection molding can consistently produce thousands or even millions of plastic components or products for OEMs, packaging companies, and consumer goods manufacturers. Plastic injection molding has the ability to produce a wide variety of products varying in size, complexity, and composition.
8 Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding
Plastic injection molding reliably creates a high volume of consistent, high-quality units, and there are several other compelling reasons to consider the process:
1, It enables complex metal to plastic conversions, lowering overall part costs by reducing several machining operations into a single molding process.
2, Plastic components are lower in weight than machined or cast metal parts.
3, When plastic can be used instead of metal, corrosion is no longer an issue.
4, Plastic injection molds allow greater design freedom for parts, because they allow the addition of radii or soft edge areas that would require extra machining (at an additional cost) in metal parts.
5, Another element of design freedom is the ability to create highly detailed parts with complex geometry. Because the plastic material is pushed into the mold under high pressure, it fills the cavity completely and is pressed against the mold harder than in other molding processes. The plastic will thereby conform to even tiny, intricate shapes and details within the mold.
6, It is also possible to combine different materials into the same part for greater utility with fewer assembly processes. With 2 shot molding, you can use a hard and a soft plastic to create a sealing edge or soft-touch edge, or use two different colors. Insert molding allows a non-plastic component to be incorporated, such as a metal screw built into a plastic cabinet knob.
7, There is little to no material waste generated by this process, as leftover scrap plastic can be re-ground and reused.
8, The plastic injection molding process involves a high degree of automation, which can provide significant savings in production costs. Many of the steps can be completed by the machines or robotics controlled by a single operator, reducing labor costs and overhead. The process can also be performed more quickly and efficiently, increasing production output.
Plastic injection molding reliably produces parts and components economically and efficiently. It also gives you a range of material and design options and produces parts that can reduce the overall cost to produce your product and, by decreasing weight of equipment or a vehicle, reduce costs associated with its use. It’s time to reevaluate your processes and see how plastic injection molding can benefit your company.

 Jingwei molding has more than 15 years experience in plastic injection molding and mold making. Your High Volume, Custom Plastic Injection Molding Specialist.Any questions,please feel free to contact us via info@jweimolding.com or visit us at :jweimolding.com

Quotes for Custom Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic Injection Molding is one of the most popular ways to create plastic parts as well as plastic components. This method injects plastic into a mold to generate an inverse form. All sorts of useful products are created with custom plastic injection molding. For the most part, plastic injection molding is quite complex compared to other approaches. It requires a highly nuanced mold so it tends to cost more than other methods.
Obtaining and analyzing quotes from different mold makers for custom injection molding costs is inherently complex. The quote hinges on input such as sample parts, prototypes, drawings and so on. Designers must examine each of these inputs to identify the optimal molding solution. Note that it is possible for the part to be redesigned to enhance efficiency during the manufacturing process and boost the number of parts generated during the molding process.
Costs tend to rise when molds are created with more cavities, especially tight tolerances and an extensive production life. However, the additional upfront cost is almost always worth the money. Such elite molds stand the test of time and require minimal maintenance.
Additional Variables That Impact Custom Injection Molding Costs
The mold base is one of many additional factors that influences custom injection molding costs. The mold base is a case that stores the mold cavities and combines the components with one another. The cost of this base is estimated according to the mold size and the type of steel that makes the base. Even the level of customization desired by the customer plays a part in determining cost. The core metal impacts costs in that long-lasting molds require a metal that stands the test of time. Such core metal is more expensive. Alternatively, short production runs can make use of a metal that does not last as long and costs less.
Part complexity influences custom injection molding costs as well. Whether the final part requires an elaborate surface finish, a tight tolerance or a certain number of undercuts, such specifications ultimately play a part in shaping the total cost. Core/cavity machining matters as well. Every mold must be customized. Customization requires the placement of cavities, cooling lines, ejectors etc. Even the steel used in the part alters the cost. Hardened steel molds that are especially durable are more costly to manufacture. Yet, once these uber-strong steel molds are finished, they have quite the lengthy production life.

ok molding has more than 20 years experience in plastic injection molding and mold making.To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: :okmolding.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business .

Choosing the right plastic injection molding resin

One of the most critical steps in a plastic injection molding project is identifying the right resin for the job. Each material has a specific profile, and different applications require certain characteristics to make sure the product performs well in its environment, is cost-effective, and overall provides the best value.

The properties of the resins themselves are also varied. They span the spectrum when it comes to physical and mechanical properties, reaction to temperature or chemical exposure, strength, and even aesthetics such as color and texture. Some materials work better in applications that require regulatory compliance. When choosing the right resin for your custom injection molding project, these are all considerations that should be thought through at the forefront.

WHAT PHYSICAL OR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES DOES YOUR PROJECT REQUIRE?

The size, thickness, and shape of the part will play a role in the material selection process. Likewise, if the part will be carrying a load, you’ll need to consider how heavy it will be and the type of stress (tensile, flexural, etc.) and the maximum amount of stress the part will need to withstand. Think about whether static dissipation or conductivity is important for the functionality or safety of the product.

Have an idea of the expected lifespan of the product with these considerations to figure out if you’ll need a material with high durability, rigidity, and dimensional stability.

 

WHAT ENVIRONMENT WILL THE PRODUCT BE IN, AND WHAT WILL IT BE EXPOSED TO?  

There are several environmental factors to consider when producing a part. Is it exposed to high heat or extreme cold? Will it be outside in the elements, with wind, rain or sun beating down on it? Is it going to be placed near bodies of salt water or sand that may erode the finish? Will it be subject to fire, and/or need to be flame retardant rated? All of these can affect the integrity and longevity of the material used to make the part.

Chemical exposure, which can occur with plastics used in industries such as gas and oil, will determine not only what type of material to choose, but also which additives are appropriate to include. Additives can literally make or break a product based on its environment.

A major factor to consider is whether or not the product will be exposed to radiation, like equipment used in the medical field. Material selection, in this case, is vital not only for performance but also for the health implications of patients and healthcare workers. Previously, lead was used to protect from radiation, but lead has proven to be toxic. Now, tungsten-filled polymers can be safely and reliably used in place of lead to shield from radiation.

WHAT ELSE DOES YOUR PRODUCT REQUIRE?

Consider things such as color, texture, transparency and other aesthetic features for your product, as well as whether the environment it’s in will impact that appearance when you’re considering which material to use. Longevity in terms of performance is only one factor of quality -- depending on the application, a product’s quality can also be judged on the longevity of its visual appeal.

It’s important to start your project planning by considering the different aspects of your product and what will be required of it, then to choose a material to meet those criteria. To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: enmould.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business face all of the changes and challenges of today’s competitive marketplace.

How to find a custom plastic injection molding manufacturing partner

Before you can begin to work on any custom plastic injection molding project, you need to find a manufacturing partner you can trust whose capabilities match your needs. Plastic injection molding is not a one-size-fits-all process, and your requirements may vary based on your industry, the design of your products, or your production schedule.
For example, medium- to high-volume projects require a partner that can handle fast production on a large scale. Specialized or custom parts require expertise and ingenuity to make sure that your parts are manufactured properly. All projects require access to the equipment, materials, and expertise necessary to create high-quality parts.
Custom molding is all about communication, and that requires buy-in and commitment from you and your manufacturing partner. Sometimes designs need to be adapted, or production changes occur at the last minute. That means that you have to focus on the people that you’ll be working with (not just the products you’ll be working on) to avoid the delays and headaches that come with a communication breakdown.
Here are four steps to find a custom plastic injection molding partner that’s right for you.
STEP 1: PLAN FOR YOUR PRODUCT
Your manufacturing partner should provide the expertise you need to carry out your vision for your project. To begin building this relationship, you need a reasonable understanding of the function you want the part to fulfill, the circumstances in which it will have to operate (i.e., high heat, extreme cold, humidity or wet conditions), and an estimate of the number of custom parts you’ll require.
If you need 10,000 units or fewer — to fill a need in a low-volume market such as highly specialized medical equipment, for example, or to begin prototype testing prior to full market production — then you are looking for a low-volume molder. Larger-quantity jobs that require hundreds of thousands of units should be handled by a high-volume molder who is capable of producing many parts quickly and efficiently.
With your vision in mind, your manufacturing partner should provide services that can help you bring it to life. Look for a manufacturer who can begin providing feedback early and whose expertise aligns with your understanding of the function and volume of your project.
STEP 2: EXAMINE THE COMPANY’S FACILITIES AND MATERIAL AVAILABILITY
The complexity of your project will greatly impact your choice of manufacturing partner. The manufacturer you choose should have experience running the selected material and capabilities to satisfy all requirements. Consider the following when evaluating potential production partners:

• Do they have the proper equipment to satisfy all program requirements (i.e. injection molding machines, material handling, automation, etc.)?
• Do they have experience running the selected resin and materials?
• Do they have qualified team members with experience running similar projects?
• If your program requires value-added services like assembly, do they have experience with similar projects?
• For larger volume programs, do they have systems and processes in place to successfully manage the flow of material

STEP 3: LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE
An experienced manufacturer can help you anticipate problems and offer solutions in advance. Look for a manufacturer who has experience running and launching programs similar to the one you are trying to launch. Not only will this experience bring expertise to your project, but it also ensures that the manufacturer you choose has the equipment and infrastructure necessary to do the kind of work you’re planning.
Personal experience is important as well, so look for a company with experienced professionals at all levels to make sure that you have access to the quality of work that you need.

STEP 4: DECIDE ON THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU WANT TO BUILD
Commodity relationships are typically based on the lowest price due to little or no value-added requirements. Commodity relationships typically have reliable forecasts, objectives and quality requirements (and therefore are easily measured), which makes satisfying customer requirements relatively easy.
For projects that are not super simple and straightforward, you want to build a more complex relationship that allows flexibility to adjust to evolving project demands. In short, complex projects require a partnership built on successful, ongoing communication. These partnerships allow you and the manufacturer to work together to adjust the manufacturing process and determine appropriate quality standards for your unique project. When forming a partnership, look for an experienced manufacturer who communicates clearly and frankly, with minimal personnel shifts. Whenever possible, you want your
contact person to stay the same throughout your working relationship.

It is important to choose a manufacturing partner who you can work with productively, and who can ensure the delivery of high-quality products.ok molding has more than 15 years experience in plastic injection molding and mold making.To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: :okmolding.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business .

Injection Molding Terms Every Engineer Should Know

The plastic injection molding process is extremely complex with thousands of moving parts. As a manufacturing engineer, it’s not critical for you to know every finite detail of mold-closing mechanisms or the difference between every polymeric substance used in injection molding—but understanding the following 10 terms will make a conversation with a potential plastic manufacturing partner much simpler.

1. 3D PRINTING

3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that deposits layers upon layers of material to build up a part. While 3D printing has become mainstream, it still can’t compete with the speed or sheer output of injection molding. However, it does play an important role in the injection molding process, and is often used to prototype a design concept so customers understand what their finished product will look like.
2.RAPID TOOLING
Rapid tooling describes the process of quickly creating a mold with a 3D printer or more traditional machining methods. The issue with rapid tooling lies in part accuracies and tolerances. While a 3D printer can create a mold accurate enough to produce a close replica of a part, the mold won’t have the tight tolerance needed to create hundreds of thousands (or millions) of perfectly shaped plastic parts.
3.PRECISION MACHINING
In injection molding, precision machining refers to the process by which an injection mold is created with very narrow part tolerances. Creating a snug mold with a tolerance of +/- .0005” keeps the liquid plastic from flashing (e.g. seeping into crevices and ruining the final part).
4,THERMOSET
To create a thermoset part, cold material is shot into an extremely hot injection mold. This process cures the part so it can never melt again. This heat resistance is the primary function of thermoset material (most often silicone), but thermoset materials are unable to be recycled.
5,THERMOPLASTIC
To create a thermoplastic part, plastic material is melted and shot into an injection mold. Once this part cools, the mold opens and the part drops out. Thermoplastics like styrene and polycarbonate can withstand warm or even hot conditions—but at certain temperatures they will eventually melt again, and thus are able to be recycled.
6,TWO-SHOT MOLDING & OVERMOLDING
Two-shot molding or overmolding are processes used to create parts that require two different kinds of plastic—like a toothbrush or a computer mouse.
In two-shot molding, the more rigid of the two materials fills the mold cavity. Then the top of the mold shifts and the second, more pliable material is injected. In overmolding, the rigid material is injected into a mold cavity, then removed after it has cooled and put into a separate mold, where the second, more pliable material is added.The primary difference between these two molding techniques is cost, as overmolding takes twice as long as two-shot molding.
7,TRANSFER MOLDING
Transfer molding involves placing a cold, putty-like material inside a cavity in an injection mold. Once the mold is closed, the machine forces the cold material into the hot mold cavity. This transference of the cool material into the hot cavity causes the material to disperse quickly. Once it has cooled, the mold is opened and the part is removed.
8,HORIZONTAL MOLDING
There are two types of plastic injection molding machines: Horizontal and vertical.
In horizontal molding machines, the mold clamps horizontally. Once the plastic part is created and the mold opens, the part drops into a bin and is taken away on a conveyer belt. Or, if the part is sensitive and can’t be dropped, a robot removes it from the mold.
9,VERTICAL MOLDING
Vertical molds lie flat so the part doesn’t fall out once the mold is opened. Because of this, it must be removed by hand or by robot.
The advantage to vertical molding is that parts can easily be added into the mold. For instance, if you want to add a round washer to your plastic part, simply insert the washer and close the mold—because of gravity, the part stays in place.
10,CLEAN ROOM MOLDING
Clean room molding is the process of creating plastic parts in a special room optimized to reduce the risk of contamination by dust or other particles. Clean rooms are used for injection molding projects that require a sterile environment, like medical equipment. The room is devoid of any fibrous or corrugated material, uses only electric machines, and filters air through positive airflow to maintain a certain level of cleanliness.



Plastic injection molding manufacture creates a huge range of products for all industries in a thorough, precise and cost-effective manner. To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: :okmolding.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business .

Why Plastic Injection Moulding is So Popular

Plastic Injection moulding is one of the most popular and versatile methods for mass producing plastic parts, as it has multiple advantages over other methods of plastic moulding.

Injection moulding is used in a huge variety of products, but why is it so popular as a technique?There are 5 Reasons as follows:
Low labour costs
Injection moulding equipment usually runs with a self-gating, automatic tool to keep operations streamlined and production ongoing, requiring minimal supervision.
Details and complex shapes
Due to the huge pressure (more than any other plastic moulding method) that injection moulding causes, the material is pressed excessively hard against the mould, meaning that very specific details and complex geometry can be flawlessly integrated into the design.
Speed
The high output rate of the injection moulding process makes it very popular. Every machine is different, however generally only about 15 to 30 seconds pass between cycle times!
Strength
Fillers within the injection moulds mean that the density of the plastic can be reduced while it is being moulded, helping add greater strength to the finished product. In fields where strength is a vital property to the plastic part (e.g aerospace or automotive), injection moulding offers the best option.
Multiple types of plastic
Through co-injection it is possible to integrate more than one type of plastic into the product simultaneously with its production. This takes away the worry about using a specific type of plastic.

Plastic injection moulding manufacture creates a huge range of products for all industries in a thorough, precise and cost-effective manner. To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: :jweimolding.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business .

What Should Be Consider When You Design a Custom Injection Molded Part

Designing and producing custom injected molded parts is a fairly complicated process. Though there are some fairly obvious components to this endeavor, there are also some less obvious aspects that must be considered and perfected. Let’s take a look at the most important items to consider before diving into the injection mold design process.
Define the Physical Properties
The physical properties of the custom injection molded part must be defined at the outset of the process. Of critical importance is the part’s caliber of strength, amount of stiffness, impact resistance level, electrical concerns, wear/scratch mar and whether it needs to be flame retardant.
Environment
Take some time to think about the types of chemical exposure the custom injection molded part will be subjected to. If it can’t withstand the rigor of such exposure, the design must be revised. Consider the level of warmth and humidity the part will be subjected to. If it fails to function when the temperature and humidity rise, the part’s design must be altered. Perform extensive temperature-failure analyses prior to the production of the injection mold design.
Additional environment considerations include stress cracking, UV-define failure-color and property/material degradation due to wear and tear.
Aesthetic Concerns
Though utility is the utmost concern when it comes to injection mold design, the part’s look also matters. Consider what you would like the surface appearance to look like. The part’s color and decorations should be selected prior to the start of production.
Compliance Issues
Consider compliance concerns before commencing production. The part must be in compliance with regulatory and agency standards.
Mold Ability
Consider whether the part fits injection molding capabilities. Determine if the identified resin is appropriate for the part’s idiosyncratic design. Perform a mold flow analysis.
Cost
Establish a reasonable cost target. You must figure out exactly how much the product will cost to produce. Furthermore, the price of the product for sale should also be defined.
The considerations outlined above all play important roles when deciding on injection mold design. The most successful projects are launched without flaw due to a completion of research during the design and conception stage. Everyone from engineers to resin suppliers, molding vendors and beyond will play an important role in working through the considerations outlined above.Designers, engineers and other relevant team members will prove essential to the successful development and design of plastic injection molded components. The main areas of focus during the design stage should be settling on the proper design for the plastic part, the proper selection of material for the part’s design and the processing conditions necessary for plastic injection molding.

Jingwei molding has more than 15 years experience in plastic injection molding and mold making. Your High Volume, Custom Plastic Parts Injection Molding Specialist. To learn more about our manufacturing capabilities and discover what makes us different, please visit our website: :jweimolding.com . If you’re ready to jump into your next project with us, request a quote . No matter your need,contact us today so we can help your business face all of the changes and challenges of today’s competitive marketplace.