Plastic Injection Molds for Injection Molding
Plastic injection molding is a process utilized for the production of various plastic components. These include components for automobiles, medical equipment, and various other industrial applications. In addition to skilled mold designers and expensive CNC machines, TEAM MFG utilizes various other components to produce high-quality plastic injection molds. For more information about our injection mold design services, contact us today.
In-House Plastic Mold Building
At TEAM MFG, we have a modern facility in Michigan that houses our customer's mold build area. Our experienced machinists and designers use the latest technology to build robust plastic injection molds. After the customer's part design has been approved, our team will build robust plastic injection mold that can endure harsh conditions.
Injection Molding by High Quality Injection Molds
Getting high-quality plastic parts started with the right built mold. We make sure that our customers are fully informed about the various features and construction methods of injection molded parts. Below we provide you with a valuable understanding of basic injection mold construction types and the benefits of each.
Custom insert molds are used to fit inside of a customized mold base. They allow us to provide our customers with quick turn-around times. The insert style design is great for small and medium size parts that require low quantity part orders or fast delivery of parts. Even though insert molds are cheaper, they are made with the same high-quality materials and components as standard plastic injection molded parts.
● Low cost
● Average lead times from 5 to 15 days
● Good for small parts
● Good for 1 cavity molds and small order quantities
Stand-alone molds are designed to be fully functional without the base and inserts. A properly built free-standing mold is ideal for production inside a standard SPI machine. It's a good choice for multi-cavity injection molding projects and high-quantity orders. A summary of free-standing molds for plastic injection includes:
● Higher cost
● Average lead times of 3 to 8 weeks
● Best method for parts that will not fit into insert molds
● Best choice for multi-cavity molds to reduce part cost
Injection Molding Process
Injection molding is a process that involves three primary components: a machine, a mold, and a raw material. The metal components used in the making of plastic injection parts are typically machined into the machine's halves. The process involves the injection of molten plastic into a mold. It is a complex process that has many variables and requires a skilled operator. The complete process for making custom plastic parts can range from few seconds to several minutes.
Clamping
The clamps on the machine's halves prevent the plastic from entering the mold. This process prevents the mold from opening during the injection step.
Injection
Raw plastic is fed into the machine at the feed zone area using a small screw. The heated zones of the machine barrel provide the plastic with its desired temperature and compression. The amount of melted plastic that's injected to the front of the screw is controlled to prevent it from becoming the final product. Once the proper amount of plastic has reached the feed zone area, the machine will push it into the mold cavity.
Cooling
As the molten plastic hits the internal surfaces of the mold, it cools. This process then sets in to solidify the plastic part's shape and rigidity. The cooling time requirements for different plastic components vary depending on the material's thermal properties and the thickness of the part.
Ejection
The part is then ejected through the machine's mechanical features. These components work together to push the part out of the mold, allowing it to be used on the next part. The process ends once the part is fully ejected. The mechanical features of an injection machine are used to eject a part through its mechanical features. Once the part is fully ejected, the machine's output is finished.
Most of the time, plastic molded parts are fully finished after they are ejected from the machine. However, some require post-operations to be completed.
Why Do Plastic Injection Molds Cost So Much?
People often ask why plastic injection molds cost so much? Here is the answer –
High-quality plastic parts can only be produced by using a custom built mold. Molds made from metals such as aluminum and hardened steels are typically used in plastic injection. These are the skilled and experienced individuals who make the custom molded plastic parts used in plastic injection. They have years of training in making mold making. Aside from the tools and equipment needed to perform the job, plastic injection molders also require expensive software and hardware to complete their work. The time it takes to finish a plastic injection mold depends on the complexity of the project and the size of the end product.
Mold Construction Requirements
Aside from the skilled individuals who make these components, the construction of an injection mold also requires a huge amount of machinery and resources. In total, the machine requires around 40 precision components to operate properly. Aside from the machine's components, there are also numerous precision parts that are used to make each half of the mold. Almost all of the components that come together during the production of a mold are made to tolerances of less than 0.001 millimeter. This means that a mold maker needs to be incredibly precise to produce the parts that you want. This level of complexity is usually referred to as the precision needed to build a proper mold. Imagine, instead of having a standard piece of paper, having three thin pieces.
Mold Design
The design of the plastic injection mold also has a huge impact on the cost of the production. Without proper pressure, the parts could not have nice surface finishes. Without these high pressures the molded parts will not have nice surface finishes and potentially will not be dimensionally correct.
Mold Materials
To withstand the stresses of the injection process, the part should be made with high-quality steel and aluminum grades. It should also be designed to withstand pressure ranges from 20 to thousands of tons.
Lifetime Warranty
Since plastic injection machines are very important to the success of a company, we at TEAM MFG guarantee the longevity of the parts we build for our customers.
This page aims to help you better understand the various aspects of plastic injection mold construction. Remember, the quality of the parts you produce will only depend on the mold's quality. Let us quote your next injection molding project and we will work closely with you to make your project a success!
