One of the traditional mold making procedures is injection molding. High volumes of intricate designs and shapes can be quickly made through this manufacturing method. There are, however, still many mold making misconceptions being shared. At Kemperle Industries, we would like to clear that up.
Mold Making Misconception #1: Production Cycle Is Short
Depending on the customer’s objectives, the durability of the molds can be tailored to their needs. Steel molds are typically made for long-run productions. Molds that feature other materials are used in short-run productions and prototyping projects. Regardless of the material, most molds are robust, functional and perform well in many cycles.
Mold Making Misconceptions #2: Mold Shapes Are Unlimited
Every component design must be manufacturable, but there are limits as to what kind of shapes and sizes these molds can accommodate. This is a common mold making misconception since plastic components are usually highly moldable. If there is a production fault or the moldability is sub-par, it will affect the overall mold quality. It is also a mold making misconception that plastics of any geometry can be molded with precision. If the designs are not moldable to the 90% limit, the design needs to be changed. The balance of melt flow and heat exchange channels will affect the mold making procedure. If the plastic cannot freeze consistently, the mold will not be useful for the customer’s objectives.
Mold Making Misconceptions #3: Injection Molding Is Irrelevant to Prototyping
Today, injection molding for prototyping has become more relevant than ever before. While other methods can be used for prototyping, these prototypes may not resemble the final product’s specifications. Injection molding is an effective method to create prototypes that closely resemble the final product. In addition, injection molding is typically faster than other conventional prototyping methods.
Mold Making Misconceptions #4: Molding Parameters Can Remove Quality Issues
Molding parameters is one of the ways to solve molding process problems. Molding constraints, such as warpage, specifications inaccuracies, shrinkage, and sink marks can be solved partially through the mold design. Highly functional mold and component designs are needed while setting these molding parameters.
Mold Making Misconceptions #5: Mold Making Produces High Quantities of Scrap
In the past, plastic waste typically flows out of a mold machine’s cavity, sprue, runner, and gates. It was difficult to control the waste in these areas. Fortunately, modern mold making machines are designed to reduce the production of scrap.
Things to Know Before Injection Molding
When it comes to molding, one may incur significant upfront costs due to testing, tooling, and design requirements. Before producing components in large quantities, the product design must be perfect from the get-go. This includes designing, prototyping to desired specifications, designing the injection mold tool, and refining details in the tool. Kemperle Industries offers insights on all of these criteria, so contact us to find out more!
