As the production demand rises, using multi-cavity injection molding can benefit your company. Plastic multi-cavity moulds offer various benefits that are suitable for the high production volume.
Learning the differences between the multi-cavity injection molding and regular injection molding here:
● Single cavity vs. multiple cavities.
A regular mold usually contains one cavity inside it, which you will use to fill the molten material inside. As with the multi-cavity mold, it has multiple cavities inside. These multiple cavities allow you to create various parts in a single mold.
● Faster production process.
By filling the multiple cavities inside one mold, you can create multiple parts with one mold. It will fasten the production process significantly, which is perfect for high-volume part production. This is why many companies use multi-cavity injection molding to speed up their injection molding production process. During tight deadlines, this production method can benefit your company.
● Great for high-volume production.
The regular single-cavity molding process will only allow you to produce one part per mold or be used in low-volume production. Meanwhile, the multi-cavity molding process will allow you to create multiple parts per mold. Using the multi-cavity mold will allow you to boost your production process and complete high-volume part production much faster than the regular injection molding process.
● Production efficiency.
Multi-cavity mold also offers more efficiency in your production. It works with more or less the same electricity requirement as the regular mold. Also, the production output you will get from the multi-cavity mold will be much higher. You can also save a lot of production costs when using the multi-cavity mold.
● Better part quality and details.
Another thing that multi-cavity mold can do is offer better overall part quality and details. So, you can always create custom requirements for each part you make with the multi-cavity mold. It has the same capability as any regular mold in providing you with a complex geometric design for your part.
How to Design the Multi-Cavity Injection Mold the Best Way
The multi-cavity mold design carries the utmost importance in your high-production processes. It's best to design the multi-cavity mold to ensure the best quality of your produced parts. Here are some tips for designing the multi-cavity injection mold in the best way:
● Accurate mold design.
Accuracy is an essential factor when designing a multi-cavity injection mold. It will make or break the overall quality of your part. How exact your mold design is will determine your production result, which can also affect how you can assemble and use the features later.
● It was fitting the material flow speed.
The design of the multi-cavity mold also needs to work with how the plastic material flows into the cavities. It's best to design a multi-cavity mold by keeping the material flow speed in mind. The multi-cavity mold must allow the fastest flow speed coming into all the mold cavities to facilitate a quicker injection molding process.
● The distance between each mold cavity.
You will also need to apply a reasonable distance between each mold cavity in your mold design. This is important to avoid any problems later on. The length that is too short between each cavity might give a higher chance of damage around the thinner mold area.
● Mold material durability.
Another factor to consider is the durability of the multi-cavity mold material itself. The more durable the multi-cavity mold material, the better it will handle high-volume production runs. Also, you can determine the accuracy and the distance between mold cavities much better when you use a more durable mold material.
Best Practices for Improving High-Volume Multi-Cavity Injection Molding in 2024
● Using sensor-based technology.
In 2024, sensor-based technology for multi-cavity injection molding will become more commonly used. This sensor-based technology can help you detect any imbalances during the injection molding process for the multi-cavity molds. You can determine the root cause of the problem much quicker to adjust your injection molding configurations better.
● Periodical mold maintenance.
Multi-cavity molds are more prone to damage because of their structure. Placing different hollow shapes inside one mold while pressuring it at high temperatures will cause some issues occasionally. The problem can be even more apparent when using a low-quality mold material. Thus, periodic maintenance for the multi-cavity mold is necessary to keep it working at its best.
● Avoid using manual inserts for high-volume production.
For a single cavity mold, using manual inserts can help you create a different shape for the part you produce. However, it is not recommended for you to use manual inserts for the multi-cavity mold when you are running a high-volume production. Using the manual inserts can shorten the lifespan of the multi-cavity mold and cause damage more quickly to the mold.
● Applying the right temperature.
To produce the best result from the multi-cavity injection molding in 2024, you will need to use the proper temperature in your molding process. The right temperature will affect the speed of the material flow into the mold cavities. This will, in turn, give you a smooth molding process when done correctly. Always apply the right temperature for your multi-cavity injection molding process to produce the best plastic parts.
● Balancing between gate pressure and wall thickness.
Remember that wall thickness will greatly affect your successful multi-cavity molding process. The thinner the wall, the less gate pressure you can apply. This is because higher pressure might damage or break the wall at a certain point. So, it would be best if you found a perfect balance between the wall thickness your multi-cavity mold has and the gate pressure you will need to apply during the injection molding process.
Conclusion
In 2024, there will be more demand for the high-volume multi-cavity injection molding method. Companies will use the multi-cavity injection molding production method to quicken their production timeline. Also, it can help them speed up their assembly line and broaden their distribution process. Understanding more about multi-cavity injection molding will help you run a successful production process.
