Mold making is a process of making injection molds that are used to produce hundreds of or thousands precision plastic parts. As one of the most significant production investments, it is critical that the molds are made with a great deal of accuracy. Modern mold making requires extreme precision to ensure that parts can be mass-produced with repeatable accuracy.
This perfection is also required in the creation of the tools used to manufacture, hold, or test products during production. Quality precision molds are built to last and represent an essential investment for any company. Variables that can impact the cost of the plastic injection mold include:
. Core Metal
.Number of Cavities
.Mold Base
.Core/Cavity Machining
.Part Complexity
What Has Changed?
Plastic injection molding first gained prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries. With the Industrial Revolution at its peak, toolmakers had to do most everything by hand. Forming tools, heat treating, sharpening, machining metal, and drilling out the design by hand required a significant time commitment.
Due to the uniqueness of anything made by human hands, conformity problems often arose, and no two molds were precisely the same.Now, Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) milling machines offer so many kinds of tools for cutting that the simple term and concept of “mold making” no longer covers the full gamut of the current capabilities. Today’s technology enables the fabrication of items with much more accuracy and range than ever before. The process is more precise than manual machining, and can be repeated in exactly the same manner over and over again. Because of the precision possible with CNC Machining, this process can produce complex shapes that would be almost impossible to achieve with manual machining.
The use of CNC machines not only speeds up the process but also offers a wide degree of flexibility. Computers can often be programmed to work overnight, providing around-the-clock production. Using computer-generated inputs, CNC machining are able to deliver precision, accuracy, and levels of consistency that manual machining could never before offer.
Working with Jingwei molding
Jingwei molding provides innovative manufacturing solutions that include mold design, mold building, and high-volume parts manufacturing. We are world renowned for the production of injection molded components of the highest quality and precision at highly competitive prices. From concept to completion, we provide all of the necessary resources to promptly and accurately complete your project. We serve industries ranging from consumer products and construction to auto , medical and pharmaceutical, and electronic and other custom plastic parts.
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.
2019年5月28日星期二
2019年3月20日星期三
How CNC Machining Works and Will Benefit Your Production Process
The cost of building a quality stainless-steel mold tool usually constitutes the most significant financial investment in the plastic injection molding process. The cost and quality of manufactured parts rely on the accuracy and speed at which they’re produced. Industrial manufacturing uses plastic injection molding to keep material costs down while maintaining the capability for high-level production. The key concept is accuracy, especially for industries that require intricate or complex parts.
To ensure precision, high tolerances, quality, and long-term durability, manufacturers must use impeccable machine tools. You can build high-quality molds using CNC machining, a process which removes metal accurately.
What Is CNC Machining?
Manufacturers create the high degree of precision using computer numerical control (CNC), replacing manually operated machines, vertical millers, and lathes with a centralized, automated system. CNC machines convert computer-aided design (CAD) models into mass-produced parts with as little as .0001 variation between parts. They operate via advanced manufacturing technology, removing material from a solid block using a variety of cutting tools to achieve the intended design.It’s essential to ace the mold tool design process. The higher the precision and mass-production required, the more complex the tooling can become.
There are three basic types of CNC machining:
Milling: This process mounts the part onto a bed and removes material using rotational cutting tools, creating products in a wide variety of shapes
Turning: This process mounts the part on a rotating chuck and removes material using stationary cutting tools, creating axially symmetric end products
EDM: This process uses controlled electrical discharge to obtain the desired shape
CNC machining operates with many common materials including:
Aluminum
Stainless steel
Brass
Other types of metals
Benefits of CNC Machining
The cost of building a quality stainless-steel mold tool usually constitutes the most significant financial investment in the plastic injection molding process. Because millions of plastic parts are ultimately going to be manufactured through those molds, it is important to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the mold up front in order to not have inaccuracies and faults over time.
Using CNC machining to manufacture molds has many advantages that benefit the end user:
To ensure precision, high tolerances, quality, and long-term durability, manufacturers must use impeccable machine tools. You can build high-quality molds using CNC machining, a process which removes metal accurately.
What Is CNC Machining?
Manufacturers create the high degree of precision using computer numerical control (CNC), replacing manually operated machines, vertical millers, and lathes with a centralized, automated system. CNC machines convert computer-aided design (CAD) models into mass-produced parts with as little as .0001 variation between parts. They operate via advanced manufacturing technology, removing material from a solid block using a variety of cutting tools to achieve the intended design.It’s essential to ace the mold tool design process. The higher the precision and mass-production required, the more complex the tooling can become.
There are three basic types of CNC machining:
Milling: This process mounts the part onto a bed and removes material using rotational cutting tools, creating products in a wide variety of shapes
Turning: This process mounts the part on a rotating chuck and removes material using stationary cutting tools, creating axially symmetric end products
EDM: This process uses controlled electrical discharge to obtain the desired shape
CNC machining operates with many common materials including:
Aluminum
Stainless steel
Brass
Other types of metals
Benefits of CNC Machining
The cost of building a quality stainless-steel mold tool usually constitutes the most significant financial investment in the plastic injection molding process. Because millions of plastic parts are ultimately going to be manufactured through those molds, it is important to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the mold up front in order to not have inaccuracies and faults over time.
Using CNC machining to manufacture molds has many advantages that benefit the end user:
- Requires few steps to produce parts, resulting in high efficiency
- The process is more precise than manual machining and can be repeated in the same manner over and over again
- Provides the ability to produce complex shapes with a high level of precision
- Operates with advanced CAD software to produce outputs and multiple functions that cannot manually be replicated
- Fully automated systems mean that the operator is not exposed to safety risks
2016年11月7日星期一
Injection Molding vs CNC Machining
When moving from design to creating your parts, you must decide how to make the parts. Two common methods are CNC machining and injection molding. Both of these have advantages and disadvantages when choosing between them. Which is the Right Choice?
Let’s look at each process:
CNC Machining:
CNC Machining is a process used in the manufacturing sector that involves the use of computers to control machine tools. Tools that can be controlled in this manner include lathes, mills, routers and grinders. The CNC in CNC Machining stands for Computer Numerical Control.
Injection molding:
Injection moLding process produces large numbers of parts of high quality with great accuracy, very quickly. Plastic material in the form of granules is melted until soft enough to be injected under pressure to fill a mould. The result is that the shape is exactly copied.
CNC Machining is a process used in the manufacturing sector that involves the use of computers to control machine tools. Tools that can be controlled in this manner include lathes, mills, routers and grinders. The CNC in CNC Machining stands for Computer Numerical Control.
Injection molding:
Injection moLding process produces large numbers of parts of high quality with great accuracy, very quickly. Plastic material in the form of granules is melted until soft enough to be injected under pressure to fill a mould. The result is that the shape is exactly copied.
Which process is right for you?
In general, this can be looked at as a trade off between multiple of different characteristics; speed, volume, material,
tolerances/surface finish, and design. Each on of these can be a gating facture in using one process vs. the other and might even require changes to the part in order to manufacture.
In general, this can be looked at as a trade off between multiple of different characteristics; speed, volume, material,
tolerances/surface finish, and design. Each on of these can be a gating facture in using one process vs. the other and might even require changes to the part in order to manufacture.
Volume:
The main focus here is price per part. Which is cheaper changes depending on volume. CNC is cheaper when you need a few parts up to a few hundred. While you do get some benefit of volume in the price, it is typically seen between a few parts and a hundred. At larger volumes, you do not get any additional benefit of volume. This is from distributing the setup cost over the number of parts made.
The main focus here is price per part. Which is cheaper changes depending on volume. CNC is cheaper when you need a few parts up to a few hundred. While you do get some benefit of volume in the price, it is typically seen between a few parts and a hundred. At larger volumes, you do not get any additional benefit of volume. This is from distributing the setup cost over the number of parts made.
The actual cost per part of injection molded parts is significantly cheaper that machined parts. Unfortunately, for injection molding, the creating of the mold can be a large upfront cost. This is spread out across the number of parts made to determine the cost per part. At a certain volume, even with the large upfront cost of the molds, injected parts become cheaper than machined. As more parts are created, the gap in cost becomes greater. This crossover can occur from as little as 100 parts up to about 5000.
Speed:
This is the simplest. For low volume of parts, CNC machining is the fastest. If you need 10 parts in 2 weeks, CNC machining is probably your only solution. If you need 50,000 parts in 4 months, injection molding is the way to go. Injection molding requires time to make the mold and ensure the parts are in tolerance. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Once this is done, creating parts using the mold is a very fast process. The up front time investment of injection molding will pay off at high volumes.
Speed:
This is the simplest. For low volume of parts, CNC machining is the fastest. If you need 10 parts in 2 weeks, CNC machining is probably your only solution. If you need 50,000 parts in 4 months, injection molding is the way to go. Injection molding requires time to make the mold and ensure the parts are in tolerance. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Once this is done, creating parts using the mold is a very fast process. The up front time investment of injection molding will pay off at high volumes.
Material:
CNC machining offers a greater selection of materials that can be used to create the parts. This can be very important deciding factor if a high performance plastic or a specific plastic is required.
CNC machining offers a greater selection of materials that can be used to create the parts. This can be very important deciding factor if a high performance plastic or a specific plastic is required.
For injection molding, the material selection can be more limited.
Tolerance / Surface Finish:
The advantage of CNC machining. With most materials, a tighter tolerance can be held and a better surface finish can be obtained. One advantage of injection molding is the repeatability from lot to lot. Molds can last for millions of parts with minimal wear. This allows for the parts from one batch to the next to be almost identical. With CNC machining, each part is put on the machine to be created and more variability will be seen.
The advantage of CNC machining. With most materials, a tighter tolerance can be held and a better surface finish can be obtained. One advantage of injection molding is the repeatability from lot to lot. Molds can last for millions of parts with minimal wear. This allows for the parts from one batch to the next to be almost identical. With CNC machining, each part is put on the machine to be created and more variability will be seen.
Design:
Machining allows for great flexibility in the design. Many features can be easily made with machining that would be very difficult or cost prohibited in molding. Some of these include, overhangs, large walls with no drafts and variable wall thicknesses.
Machining allows for great flexibility in the design. Many features can be easily made with machining that would be very difficult or cost prohibited in molding. Some of these include, overhangs, large walls with no drafts and variable wall thicknesses.
On the other hand, injection molding allows for deep features, square holes and living hinges to be produced easily that could be difficult and expensive with machining.
As you can see, the decision between machining vs. injection molding is not straightforward. You need consider the advantages of both from tolerances, price and design features to perform the final desicion.
Jingwei industry has served the injection molding and CNC machining industry for over 15 years and has a team dedicated to providing you with the most cost effective solutions for design and manufacturing your new products.To know more,Please visit us at :jweimolding.com or via info@jweimolding.com.
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