The Ultimate Guide for Injection Mold Design in 2024

Injection mold design is a meticulous process. You must consider various aspects of your design and prepare to ensure the best production result. Also, you will need to employ a product design expert and consult with your manufacturer before performing the tooling process.

Preparations to do Before Designing an Injection Mold in 2024

You can't just design an injection mold without much thought. Remember, a mold can cost you thousands of dollars to make. So, you need to have a solid preparation before designing the mold that you will use in your plastic part production. Here are some preparations to do before you design an injection mold in 2024:

● Get thorough technical information about the injection molding machine you will use. 

It’s important to understand that the mold you create needs to be fully compatible with the injection molding machine you will use. As there are different models and technical specs of various injection molding machines, you will need to match your mold design with the exact machine you will use in your production later. Otherwise, the mold might be incompatible with the machine and the production process might get disturbed by it.

● Get a clear design idea for the plastic parts you want to produce.

Next, you need to put the whole concept of the design you want to make for the plastic part you want to produce. The design idea will contain the general specifications of the plastic part you want to produce and the mold cavity you need to make. Wall thickness and other factors also need to be considered before putting your design idea into action.

● Pick the mold material that can fulfill your production requirements.

Not all mold materials are created the same. They have different capabilities in injection molding operations. Some mold materials are made to be better and more durable than others. It's necessary for you to pick the mold material based on how many part units you want to produce. Use the mold material that can fulfill the production requirements that you have. This is to avoid damaging the mold before your production quota is fulfilled.

● Decide on the geometric aspects of your plastic product.

How complex will your plastic part be? Designing a complex plastic part will also require you to design a complex cavity for the mold. So, it's important for you to decide on the various geometric aspects of your plastic product. At this stage, you can add or remove certain features of the plastic product to avoid overburdening your mold with unnecessary design choices.

● Revise your design ideas before doing your actual mold design.

Revising your design ideas a few times is an excellent way to ensure the best design for your mold. Take your time creating your mold before you get your design ideas fixed.

Essential Aspects to Design the Best Injection Mold in 2024

Various aspects of injection mold design will affect the success of your injection molding production process. Remember that some mistakes in your design might cause irreparable damage to your mold or the part you produce. These are some essential aspects to design the best injection mold in 2024:

● Wall thickness.

Ranging from 1 to 5 mm, the wall thickness of your plastic part needs to be appropriately calculated to avoid any problem with the injection molding process later. The wall thickness needs to be thick enough to accommodate a solid and durable plastic part production. The wall thickness should also accommodate a smooth mold flow during the injection molding process.

● The overall complexity of the design.

The best mold design is the simplest one, without removing the necessary features of the produced part. So, it's best for you to reduce the overall complexity of your mold design. Whenever possible, give some alternatives for the complex design that you have. Always revise your design to make it less complex.

● Parting line.

Designing a proper parting line for the injection mold will ensure that your produced part won't get damaged during the ejection process. It's necessary for you to design the best parting line placement to avoid any problem with the amount you produce. Consider also the shrinking factor of the plastic part when creating your parting line position.

● Draft.

Adding a draft into the mold design will help you to create the best protection for your molded part. A draft can prevent the part from getting damaged after the injection molding process. So, it’s best for you to include a draft in your injection mold design to ensure the best moldability for your plastic part.

● Gate location.

Gate location placement in your mold design is essential to determine the pressure and mold flow you can apply during the injection molding process. Placing the mold gate the right way can help smoothen the entire injection molding process and make it successful for your production.

● Part tolerance.

It would help if you also considered the tolerance for the plastic part you need to have. This way, you can calculate the best design for the mold cavity and other aspects of your parts. The part shrinkage also needs to be considered properly, as it can affect the overall result you can get from your production process.

Mistakes to Avoid in Your Injection Molding Design 2024

● Using different wall thicknesses for different mold areas.

It’s best for you to use the same wall thickness measurement throughout the mold area to avoid any technical problems later.

● Using undercuts in your part design.

Undercuts should be eliminated if possible, as they might only complicate the part design process and cause some issues with the part production result.

● Not thinking about the finishing option.

You also need to incorporate the finishing option you would like to apply. This aspect needs to be included in your mold design process.

Conclusion

Please note that the mold designing process is an essential part of your injection molding process. Failing to design a proper mold can cause you to lose thousands of dollars in production costs, delay your production, and cause damage to both the injection molding machine and the produced part. Follow this ultimate guide for injection mold design in your next production plan in 2024 to get the best result in your plastic part production. TEAM MFG offers  a series of services such as rapid prototyping, CNC machinnig etc to meet your needs, contact us today!