China mold

What is Plastic Mold?

Plastic mold (mould) is a tool or die used in the manufacturing process to create plastic parts and products. The plastic mold is typically made of metal or another hard steel (H13, DIN1.2344, DIN 1.2343, 2083, NAK80, or similar steel) and is designed to hold melted plastic in a specific shape until it cools and solidifies.

Plastic mold manufacturers commonly use this process to make millions of plastic parts. These parts can have complex designs and the same shape. Other methods would find it hard or impossible to create them,Plastic injection molds are used in many industries. These include automotive plastic injection molded products, construction industry, , home application products, furniture industries, electronics industries, plastic molding toys, consumer products, and so on.

Making plastic mold injection is very complex jobs that must be manufactured by a professional injection mold maker. Below are the simple steps to make the plastic molds.

  • First, the part designer must create the model you want. Alternatively, you can hire your injection mold supplier to design the final product based on your needs.
  • Second, when the product design is approved, you need to find your mould maker to come up with a completely mold design. Once the mold design has been created, you can start to manufacture the plastic mold. The plastic injection mold manufacturing process includes drilling, lather machining, wire cutting, CNC machining, EDM, polishing, etc.
  • Third, the last step to making a plastic mold is mould fitting. When mold manufacturing is complete, you need to do the mold fitting. This checks if the components are in the right position. Mold fitting is the only way to check mold quality and improve any possible issues in advance.
  • Fourth, when mold fitting is finished, the actual injection molding process can start. At the beginning of the injection molding process, we called it mold trial. From the mold trial to large-scale production, we still need to fix some small injection molding problems. We must do several mold trials because the first one usually has some issues that need to be resolved.

After two or three mold trials until customer approval of the samples, we could start massive production runs. There is a simple process to follow. It includes part design, mold design, and mold manufacturing. This helps create perfect-looking plastic products.

Plastic mold manufacturing is actually a complex process. You must find a professional plastic mold maker to make your plastic molds.

plastic injection molding tool

What are the advantages of plastic mold technology?

Here are some of the advantages of plastic mold technology:

High efficiency and quick production

There are many good reasons why plastic injection molding is famous as the most common and successful form of molding. The process is quick compared to other methods. Its high production rate makes it more successful and affordable. Speed depends on the size and complexity of the mold, but just about 15–120 seconds pass between each cycle.

Better strength

Strength is one of the important factors that need to be determined when designing a plastic injection-molded part. The designer needs to know if the part should be rigid or flexible. This information helps them adjust the ribs or gussets. Understanding how the customer will be using the part and what kind of atmosphere the part will be exposed to is also vital.

Finding the right balance of design considerations will help address your parts need for stability and strength. Material selection plays another important role in the strength of the part.

Reduced waste

When searching for a high-volume injection molding supplier, it is important to consider their green manufacturing efforts. These efforts show a commitment to sustainability, quality, and safety.

During the molding process, excess plastic is produced. You want to look for a firm that has a system in place to recycle its excess plastic. The best eco-friendly plastic injection molding companies use advanced machines to cut down on waste, packaging, and transportation.

Low labor costs

Labor costs are generally relatively low in plastic injection molding in comparison with other kinds of molding. The ability to produce parts quickly and at a high quality improves effectiveness and efficiency.

The molding equipment usually operates with a self-gating mechanical tool. This keeps operations smooth and production going with little supervision.

Flexibility, material, and color

Choosing the right color and material for a project is key to making plastic molded parts. Due to the large range of both, the chances are almost limitless. The progress in polymers has led to many different types of resins to choose from.

It is important to work with an injection molder who has experience with different resins and uses. This includes resins that meet RoHS, FDA, NSF, and REACH standards.

To choose the best resin for your project, think about a few important factors. These include tensile strength, impact strength, flexibility, warm deflection, and water absorption.

If you are unsure about the best materials for your plastic molds, you can check injection molding materials. You can also contact us easily by emailing info@plasticmold.net.

acrylic molds

What are the disadvantages of plastic mold technology?

Here are some of the disadvantages of plastic mold technology:

High initial investment costs

Quick-production injection molding needs an injection molding machine, injection plastic molds, injection molding equipment, other auxiliary equipment, etc.

The cost of injection molding machines and molds is high. This makes it a big investment. Therefore, it is not ideal for small batches.

High design requirements

To produce parts in large quantities, make sure the design is correct from the start. If you have to replace the mold later because of design problems, it will be very expensive.

High skill requirements: Making mold items depends on many factors. This means the technical skills needed are higher and harder to learn.

Injection molding machine operators need a lot of skill. They usually require 5 to 10 years of experience.

Plastic injection mold design and production workers need more technical skills. They usually require 5 to 10 years of experience.

Longer pre-production lead time is time-consuming.

The main equipment for injection molding is the mold. However, designing the mold takes a long time. Different tool-making methods and mold testing also slow down production.

Depending on the structure and size of the product idea, it generally takes 25–40 days to make the injection mold.

Once the plastic injection mold is ready, it often takes several attempts to adjust the injection molding machine settings. This process happens during the same-making stage. The goal is to find the best settings for fast production. However, this also requires some time.

PMMA injection molding

When do you need plastic molds?

When you have a plastic product design that want to make it in life or sell on the market, you should consider using plastic injection mold technology. It offers great manufacturing options that you might be missing out on. No matter if you worry about accuracy, using plastic instead of metal, or cost, this list can help. We believe it will encourage you to consider plastic injection molding for your product again.

Part standard and accuracy

Plastic injection-molded parts can have high quality and accuracy as required. When using manufacturers in the U.S., accuracy is usually within 0.001 inches. Standard control measures, such as ISO certification, ensure your parts are high quality and accurate. However, the price will be higher than in China.

Volume of production

Once the mold making for plastic parts is made, the volume of production can be scaled up or down as needed.

Cost per plastic part

After the primary cost of the injection mold, the cost per part is extremely low. Choosing the right resin will affect the cost. However, machine wear and labor costs are low. This means that costs per part are lower than other manufacturing options when production volumes are high.

Complexity of parts

Plastics and their inject molds permit greater design freedom than many other producing specs. A skilled plastic mold company can create parts and sets of parts that require less work after they are made. This includes everything from smooth finishes to intricate designs.

Co-injection, overmolding, and double-shot

Parts don’t have to be made of one plastic. Double-shot molding and overmolding allow two types of plastic to be combined in the mold. These plastics can have different qualities, such as hardness and flexibility.

Co-injection molding allows one polymer to be injected as the core of another. This method creates parts that are more flexible and affordable.

double injection

Market-specific materials and standards

Plastic molding technology has been around for a long time and has the tools and standards to meet different markets. For example, if you are making medical parts and need traceability, you have options. These options help ensure that every part can be traced back to its batch.

Injection molding is a process used in most plastic productions and is very preferred by different businesses and firms. This is largely because it is pretty efficient and provides uniformity in all the items manufactured using this process.

To get the best results, it is best to work with a professional injection mold producer. They offer quality plastic injection molding services.

This process requires the use of expertise to make sure that the products meet high standards. Your mold supplier must choose the best material to use. They also need to create a working mould design. Finally, they should make a working prototype to start the production process.

 

Where can I find the best plastic mold company?

Sincere Tech is one of top 10 mold manufacturers in China. We provide custom plastic injection mold and molding services worldwide. Our services can save you 40% on plastic mold manufacturing and production. We have over 18 years of experience in plastic injection mold manufacturing services and fluent technical English communication.

We 100% guarantee that your project will be successful. You will be impressed and satisfied with our quality, price, and services. We are willing to share with you some of our customers to let you verify our quality and service. Send us your requirements for a quotation; you will not lose anything but our competitive price for reference.

To protect your project from copying, we can sign an NDA document to protect your project. In the following, you will find information about plastic injection molding processes, techniques, specialized molding technology, defects, and troubleshooting solutions. Below are some of the molds we made before.

plastic mold technology

Plastic mold structure

Basically, there are two main parts in the plastic injection mold structure: the mold cavity (fixing half) and the mold core (moving half).

The mold cavity (fixing half) is the mold part that forms the outer shape or contour of the plastic part being generated. The feeding system is located at this point as well.

This part of the mold is designed to define the full size and shape of the part. It is made by creating a reverse impression of the part to be molded. This uses high-precision CNC machines, wire cutting, electrode discharge machining, and other machining methods.

On the other hand, the injection mold core (moving half) side forms the inside features and shapes of the plastic part being generated. It creates the inside geometry of the part, such as bosses, holes, ribs, and other specs.

The mold core is made using reverse impressions of the part. This is done with high-precision CNC machining, wire cutting, and electrode machining. Other machining processes are also used.

The two parts of the plastic injection mold, the cavity and core, will be put together in the mold base. This mold base has cooling channels, ejector pins, guiding bushinges, runners, spure bushing, fastening screws, and other mechanisms. These mechanisms include lifters, sliders, and other special actions.

The material for the plastic mold structure depends on several factors. These include the type of plastic, the mold’s lifetime, and the budget. Usually, the mold base is made from S50 C. Sometimes, the A and B plates are made from 1.2311. Normal steel for the mold cavity and core will be P20, 1.2738H, S136H, NAK80, 1.3444, 1.3443, H13, etc.

Plastic injection molding needs a lot of precision and accuracy. The mold structure is key to making a high-quality finished product.

Overall, plastic mold is made of a variety of mold plates, inserts, blocks, sliders, lifters, and other metal components. A plastic injection mold has two main parts: the fixed half, called the cavity side, and the ejector half, known as the core side. These parts include several mold plates and inserts.

The cavity is made using inserts that fit the surrounding frame plates (A/B plates). This makes it easier to machine and replace.

plastic mold

plastic mold injection

The plastic injection mold cavity and core inserts are usually separate blocks. Some of these blocks are made of strong material. They are inserted into pocket plates. These pocket plates are machined into the A and B plates. A and B plates are also called cavity or core retainer plates.

The mold cavity and core inserts are in the pocket plate. They stand above the A/B plate by about 0.1 to 0.5 meters. When both the fix and moving halfes closed, leave a small space between the A and B plates. This will create an excellent fit for the cavity and core inserts.

The mold fixed half includes (cavity side):

a: Locating ring; b: basic plate (top plate); c: guide pin; d: insulation plate (for higher mold temperatures or hot runner mold); e: fasten screw; f: frame plate or A plate (cavity if made in solid); see below picture

fixing half-cavity side

fixing half-cavity side

Plastic mold ejection half includes (moving half/core side):

a: guide bushing; b: locating bushing; c: supporting bar; d: bottom plate; e: frame plate or B plate (core if made in solid); f: support plate; g: support bar; h: upper ejector plate; i: lower ejector plate.

moving half-core side

moving half-core side

Plastic mold materials

There are many types of mold steels that can be used to make injection plastic molds, including aluminum, steel, brass, copper, and many others. The below materials are some of the common mold materials used in the making of plastic molds.

Basic steel, which we use to make plastic molds:

  1. P20 (1.2311): This is a versatile, low-alloy mold steel with HRC 33-38, which is used a lot for the low- to middle-volume injection mold. This steel has good toughness and machinability. Some time used as A and B plates, and ejector plates as well.
  2. H13 (1.2344, 1.2343) or S136: Those are excellent heat resistance steels, These steels are usually used for injection molds. They are needed for high production volumes and should last over 1 million shots. This is a very tough, low-hardness steel used for high-quality cavity and core requirements. The hardness of those steels can be hardened to HRC 48–60 degrees.
  3. 303 Stainless Steel: This material is known for its corrosion resistance and machinability. It’s suitable for molds used in less demanding applications.
    420 Stainless Steel: This type of steel is harder and more wear-resistant than 303 stainless steel. It is used for molds where abrasion is a problem.
  4. Aluminum Alloys: Some aluminum alloys are used for prototype molds due to their lightweight nature and good thermal conductivity. The normally used aluminum alloys are 7075 and 6061.
  5. Beryllium Copper Alloys: These alloys, such as C17200 and MoldMAX, exhibit high thermal conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance. They are used in molds that require rapid heat removal, especially for some of the deep ribs, which are not possible to add a cooling channel to or are not easy to cool during molding.
  6. 718H (1.2738H) and 2738HH: Those are pre-hardened steels that have a hardness of HRC 28–40, which provides moderately high hardness and good machinability. It is used primarily for cavities and cores, as well as stripper plates. The mold life of those steels is around 0.5 million shots or more.

When selecting the steel for a plastic mold, you may wonder which material you should use. Then,  you need to think about some factors, such as the type of plastic material being molded, the expected production volume, the required mold life, and cost considerations. Additionally, the surface finish is also an important factor in selecting the right mold material. When you have a project that requires plastic mold, find professional mold manufacturers in China that will solve your issues quickly, correctly, and at a at a competitive price.

What Is Plastic Molding Technology?

Plastic molding technology is the process of pouring liquid plastic into a mould or die cavity so that it hardens into a customized shape. These plastic molds can be used for a wide range of purposes. and it is a cost-effective process to produce millions of uniform-shaped plastic products.

There are typically five types of molds: compression moulding, extrusion moulding, injection moulding, blow moulding, and rotational moulding. We look at the details pertaining to each of these techniques so that you can decide which one will be the most successful for you to use.

injection molding service

 

Extrusion moulding

With extrusion molding, warm, melted plastic is pressed via a shaped hole to make a lengthy, shaped plastic part. This customizable shape that the liquid plastic gets pressed into is known as a die. This die is custom-made for the particular outcome that is wanted. It is almost like pressing dough through a press to make cookie-shaped cookies.

Compression moulding

This technique involves liquid plastic being poured into a warmed mould and then being compressed to form the desired shape. The high temperature of the full process ensures the best strength in the end product. The process is finished off by chilling the liquid plastic so that it keeps it from being trimmed and removed from the mould.

Blow moulding

With blow moulding, the custom plastic parts come out thin-walled and hollow. This technique is perfect for when the plastic part has to have a uniform wall thickness. This is extremely similar to the process of glass blowing.

Injection moulding

Injection moulding is quite similar to extrusion moulding. The difference here is that with injection moulding, the melted plastic is injected straight into a custom mould. The injection is done under high pressure so that the mould is packed with a powerful force. As with the other technique, after the mould is packed, the plastic is chilled to keep its new shape, then the mould is opened and the ejector system is used to eject the part out of the mold cavity, then the next cycle continues.

Rotational moulding

Also sometimes known as rotomoulding, this technique involves the liquid or resin being placed inside the mould and then being rotated at high speeds. The liquid then evenly covers the full surface of the mould to create a hollowed part with all the walls evenly thick. After the mould is chilled and the liquid plastic has taken on its fresh form, it is taken out of the mould.

The future of plastic injection molds

The industry of making plastic parts continues to grow thanks to the latest ideas and processes. These creative plastic injection moulding techniques give manufacturers and businesses new ways to mass-produce plastic parts. Here are some new innovations in plastic injection molding that may help your business and make production more efficient.

Micro-injection molding

As technology advances, our equipment and devices grow smaller for easier storage and handling. Many firms and industries keep innovating by creating new designs every year with more compact dimensions. Little plastics are famous in many fields, and using micro-injection molding is the best way to fulfill that need.

The phone and computer industries benefit from micro-injection molding since they use smaller plastic molds for newer phones and computer gadgets. The medical field also uses small medical devices for patients, such as portable IV pumps.

Injection transfer molding

Transfer molding process process involves of making similar injection-molded items simultaneously. Injection transfer molding takes it a step further by using the typical injection molding process and a plunger to press the resin into two or more molds.

The mold would cool simultaneously and eject for a quicker rate of production. This process gives the extra benefit of creating a uniform look across different molded items, such as plastic tube plugs.

Structural foam molding

A big innovation for injection molding is structural foam molding. This process gathers injection molding and gas-assisted injection molding by creating foam comprised of gas-like nitrogen and plastic resin. The combination turns into foam upon injection and expands. The result is an interior of foam and a shell of hard plastic material.

This foam combination makes it easier to make hard shapes and reach small portions of the mold. Plus, it creates powerful plastic. The inside of the plastic is hollow, while the exterior is powerful and detailed, depending on the mould.

Gas-assisted injection molding

Certain injection molds have hard designs and little space to fill. These little spaces make molding a full plastic piece hard since the resin may not reach it. Gas-assisted injection molding makes sure that resin reaches the small portions of the mould by injecting pressurized gas into the fluid while the resin cools.

The gas will release after chilling finishes, and the part will eject from the mold. This innovation in plastic injection moulding is a remarkable way to make hard plastic parts and make sure the plastic surface is powerful since the gas causes it to expand.

Polypropylene injection molding shop

 

What type of materials are used in plastic molding technology

Plastic injection molding is compatible with lots of plastic materials, so its products are common in every industry and household. It is virtually impossible to cover all of them in one write-up. We have hand-picked the most famous ones.

Acrylic (PMMA)

Poly, better known as acrylic, is a thermoplastic material that has perfect mechanical strength, is lightweight, and has a clear, view-through look. Although not ductile, it has the best shatter resistance.

Additionally, one of its largest strengths is its ease of mechinability. After injection molding, acrylic parts are easy to finish and alter. go to PMMA injection molding to lear more.

PMMA has a few issues worth noting. Firstly, it is prone to scratching, which not only affects its clarity but also its full look. Additionally, PMMA has a tendency to accumulate greases and oils, further impacting its surface and clarity properties. Lastly, it exhibits bad performance in high-temperature conditions.

acrylic injection molding

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is one of the most famous injection molding materials. It has the best toughness and strength, chemical resistance, impact resistance, oils, and bases. It is fully opaque and can be injected-molded in many colors. On top of this, ABS is pretty cheap compared to other plastic injection molding materials on this list. learn more about ABS injection molding.

what is ABS material

abs platics

Polycarbonate (PC)

PC has remarkable toughness, impact resistance, and shatter resistance. It has a transparent look. Additionally, it has the desirable standard of maintaining its mechanical features and looking for a wide temperature range. Thus, it runs well in high-temperature atmospheres.

It does have remarkable optical clarity, oftentimes better than glass. This makes it a very famous injection molding material for producing helmet visors, goggles, and protective machine shields. learn more about polycarbonate injection molding.

PC injection molding

Polystyrene (PS)

PS is one of the few injection molding materials that is very famous. It is amazingly lightweight, has chemical reactions, resists moisture, and is very perfect for injection molding due to its uniform thermal shrinkage inside the mold.

PS is used to make items like appliances, toys, containers, etc. It also enjoys a unique position in the medical equipment industry as it does not degrade with gamma radiation, the initial technique to sterilize medical equipment. Thus, equipment like culture kits and Petri dishes is injection molded with PS. check more about PS injection molding.

Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)

TPE stands out among injection molding materials in the sense that it is a plastic-rubber blend. It gathers the benefits of both materials. It is flexible, can be stretched to strong, long lengths, and is recyclable.

Additionally, its big benefit is that it’s affordable among most rubber alternatives. Lear more about TPE injection molding.

It is, anyway, not perfect for use in high temperatures as it loses some of its material features. Additionally, it should not be stretched too much for too long, as it is susceptible to creep.

TPE injection moulding

 

What is the cost of plastic molds and plastic injection molding products?

The cost of injection plastic molds and the cost of injection molding products can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of the mold, the type of plastic being used, the production volume, and the lead time for production.

These elements, as well as any additional costs for finishing, packaging, and shipping, have an impact on the price of the finished plastic injection molding product. It’s important to work closely with a manufacturer to understand all the costs involved and to get a clear estimate before beginning production.

Below, we will give you some guides on how to get a plastic mold price and a plastic molding price from your mold supplier.

1. How do I get a price for export plastic mold or tooling?

What is an export plastic mold? Which means you will buy the mold only; once the mold is completely finished and ready for massive production, you will take the mold back to your country or your specified manufacturer to mold the parts.

To get a price for export injection plastic mould, there are a few things that you are going to provide to your mould supplier. In order to make sure that you have given the manufacturer all of the information that they need to check the price accurately, below are some key points for mold price estimating. This is the most important information for export molds.

  • First of all, send the 3D drawing (STP or IGS format is better) to your mold suppliers. If you do not have the drawing, then you need to have some pictures of a sample with an approximate part size and show your supplier that part structure.
  • Second, you need to know how many shots of the mold you require, for example. 0.5 million shots of a lifetime or 1 million shots of a lifetime requirement, because those two requirements will cause a different price.
  • Third. The number of cavities: you need to specify how many cavities you need for your mold. Because one cavity and multiple cavities have totally different prices, the single cavity is cheaper than the multiple cavities mold. Because this will affect the mold price as well, if you are not sure, you can ask your supplier for some suggestions.
  • Forth. Is it a cold runner or a hot runner that you require for your mold? If a hot runner, what brand of hot runners? YUDO, INCOE, etc.—all of that information will have different prices, so you need to specify your requirements. You could still ask your mold supplier for some suggestions as well.

The above items are very import information to get tooling costs for export mold because all of the information will change the mold price. You are welcome to contact us if you need any support.

Plastic Injection Mold

 

2. How to get a price for injection molding products

If you only need plastic molding parts, then you only need to tell us (or another plastic molding company) what the plastics will be, how many parts you need per time, what the surface requirements are, and the colors of the parts, and they will take care of the rest for you.

To get the cost of plastic injection molding products, it is much easier than getting the cost of exporting plastic mold. Simple steps as below make getting the plastic injection molding service price easy.

  • What will plastic be? for example, PP, PA66, ABS, PC, PMMA, PC/ABS, PEEK, PPS, etc.
  • What color do you require for your molding parts? There are lots of colors; you could take a color reference from pantone color.
  • What is the part surface requirement? Texture (graining or matte) or high polishing? The texture code could take references from VDI 3400.
  • 3D part design (STP or IGS format file will be great for all of the companies); if you do not have a 3D part design, then send your sample pictures with part size and part weight, or an idea picture and explain it to us, and we can still get the price for you.
  • How many parts do you need per time?
  • Do you have any special function requirements?

With the above information, you will get a very competitive local mold/tooling cost (at least 40% lower than others) and unit injection molding cost from our side. That information is an important factor in estimating the plastic injection molding cost. Otherwise, any price will not have any references.

Plastic Molds, Molding Defects and Troubleshooting

The quality of the plastic mold is as important as the molding process. The plastic molding company you choose to help you with your product will eventually fight common molding issues. If you have high-quality plastic molds and a good plastic injection molding process, that will bring out the kind of results you expect from the end product.

Molding defects appear in the plastic mold; they can be attributed to the type of raw material used in the plastic injection moulding process, as well as the quality of the plastic mould, injection molding process skill, injection molding machine, etc.

Fortunately, by processing and preventing injection molding defects and using these approaches, mold manufacturers can create high-quality injection plastic molds. Once you have a high-quality mold, all other issues are easy to solve.

To make high-quality plastic mold, you must know how to solve this molding issue. Of course, find good mold suppliers; they will indeed solve this issue for you. Blow are some troubleshooting tips to solve the common molding defects, such as weld lines, etc., and ultimately get high-quality molded parts. There are some key defects that most happened during the mold manufacturing and molding process.

Flow marks

Flow marks

1. Flow Marks

This molding defect normally happens close to the gate area and the joint area (joint line or weld lines), which some people call flow lines, common in narrow sections of components and may be considered minor or serious defects depending on the part wall thickness and expected use.

In order to solve appearance flow line defects, during the molding process we need to increase the injection speed pressure, molten material temperature, and mold temperature. Increasing the gate size or changing the location of the gate is also helpful (last option). Below the right picture of flow mark defects, we increased the gate size to improve flow marks because the wall thickness was too thick (7mm).

Dull areas

Dull areas

2. Dull Areas

The most common is a dull concentric ring that can appear around a halo-like sprue. This usually occurs when the material flow is poor and the viscosity is high. Contrary to what many think, this is not a packaging defect, but a defect that occurs at the beginning of the billing cycle.
To minimize the possibility, the injection rate profile should be adjusted to ensure a uniform flow front speed throughout the filling phase.

It is also helpful to increase the back-pressure and barrel temperature of the screw to reduce dull surfaces resulting from lower melting temperatures. Increasing the mold temperature can also reduce this issue. But there must be a cooling system in the feeding area, especially if it is a hot-runner system; otherwise, it is not easy to solve this issue. For dull surfaces generated by design-related issues, this can be improved by reducing the radius between the part and the gate.

3. Burns Mark defects

The burn marks are defects often seen on plastic injection molding parts and look like a light yellow or black discoloration. This may be a minor defect due to excessive melting temperature, overheating in the presence of trapped air, and excessive injection speed.

Burn marks

Burn marks

Corrective actions for this type of burn mark issu: include reducing temperature, reducing cycle time, and reducing injection speed. Plastic mold manufacturers must also ensure that they have the proper gate size and gas vent gloves to resolve the trapped air problem that leads to this defect.

Because the air trap issue is the most common reason for this burn mark issue and could never be completely solved by adjusting the molding process, To mark defects, adding venting is the best solution, like increasing the venting grove, adding venting inserts to the deep ribs, etc.

4. Gloss difference defects

Gloss differences on textured surfaces tend to be more pronounced, and even if the surface texture is uniform, the gloss of the part may appear irregular. This is a problem that occurs when there is insufficient replication of the mold surface in some areas, and sometimes there are lots of ribs at the core side that can increase the gloss change issue on the textured surface.

It can be corrected by increasing the melting temperature, mold temperature, or holding pressure. The longer the holding time, the more likely the mold surface will be replicated accurately. If the design of the ribs caused this issue, to improve this issue, we can add some radius to all of the ribs. This will reduce the internal stress so that the textured surface can be improved as well.

5. Warping defects (deformation) 

Plastic molding parts have warping defects that are normal, especially the long-size molding parts; distortion defects are hard to solve. Improving the mold design is the mean solution, but it is very limited to solving this issue by adjusting the parameters of the molding machine. The reasons and solutions to improve warping and distortion are listed below for reference.

Deformation issue

Deformation issue

  • When the deformation is caused by the residual stress of the molding process, it can reduce the injection pressure and increase the mold temperature to improve it.
  • If the deformation caused by parts sticking can improve the ejection system or add more draft angle to solve this issue,.
  • If the warping defects are caused by a poor cooling channel or a poor cooling time, we can add more cooling channels and increase the cooling time to improve this. For example, we could add more cooling water to the deformation area to improve the warping defects, or we could use different mold temperatures for the cavity and core.
  • If the distortion issue caused part shrinkage, to solve this warping defect, we must adjust the mold design. Sometimes we need to measure the distortion size from the molding part and do the pre-deformation design on the part. The resin has a large shrinkage rate; usually, crystalline resin (such as POM, PA66, PP, PE, PET, etc.) has a higher warping rate than amorphous resin (such as PMMA, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), ABS, AS, etc.).
    Sometimes the gloss fiber material has more deformation issues as well. This is the hardest solution because you may need to adjust the part design two or three times to completely solve this issue, but this is the only way to solve the distortion issue.

6. Short shot defect

A short shot means not completely filling the mold; this molding defect normally happens at the end of the filling area, the end

Short shot issue

Short shot defects. after adding venting inserts, the defect completely solved

of the rib, or some thin wall area. There are some reasons to cause this defect below.

  • The mold temperature is too low. When material fills in the mold cavity since the mold is too cold, the liquid material is not able to fill to the end of the part or some deeper ribs. An increase in mold temperature could solve this molding issue.
  • The material temperature is too low. This issue could also cause the short shot issue; this reason is similar to the issue of low mold temperature. To improve this issue, we can increase the melt temperature of the material to solve this molding defect.
  • The injection speed is too slow. The injection speed is directly related to the filling speed. If the injection speed is too low, the liquid material filling speed will be very slow, and the slow flow material will be easy to cold. This will cause the material to get cold in advance. To solve this issue, we could increase the injection speed, injection pressure, and holding pressure.
  • Venting issue. This is the most common molding defect we meet during the mold trial; all other defects could be solved by adjusting the molding parameter. If short-shot issues are caused by a venting issue, the best solution is to find a way to release the air out of the cavity. Sometimes reducing the clamping force can help a little, but it is not able to completely solve these defects.
    If the air is stuck in the cavity or in the dead-ending area (the end of the ribs, for example), the short-shot issue will happen in that area. To troubleshoot this issue, we need to increase the venting grooves on the parting line and add a venting insert to the dead-ending spot to guide the air out.

7. Sink mark: It is a sink mark on the molded part caused by unbalancing plastic material shrinking in the mold cavity. It looks like there is a lack of material in that sink area that does not match the part geometry. This issue happens to the thick wall area or lack of cooling system in the mold. The mean reason to have this sink mark issue is the uneven wall thickness on the part design.

  • If some ribs or some area have a thicker wall than the other place (rib thickness should be around 1/2–7/10 max of the mean wall), then this thicker area will be easy to have a sink mark issue. Below are some suggestions to improve this defect.7. Sink mark: It is a sink mark on the molded part caused by unbalancing plastic material shrinking in the mold cavity. It looks like there is a lack of material in that sink area that does not match the part geometry. This issue happens to the thick wall area or lack of cooling system in the mold. The mean reason to have this sink mark issue is the uneven wall thickness on the part design.
Sink mark

Sink mark

  • Change the gate location to be close to the thick wall.
  • Add more holding pressure and holding time, and inject more material into the mold cavity. When using this method, you need to double-check that the part dimension is still within the tolerance requirement.
  • Increase the cooling time and the cooling channels to improve this issue. Plastic shrinkage rate is normal. If the cooling time is too short and the part is still warm after the mold is opened, then the part shrinks quickly without any cooling system. This will make it easy to have a sink mark. Increase the cooling time until the plastic injection molding part completelycoolsl in the mold cavity, and this defect will be solved.
  • If the part design has a serious thick wall on some of the ribs or bosses, to solve this issue, we need to improve the part geometry and add some inserts to the thick area to reduce the wall thickness. This issue could be solved. For this unbalanced wall issue, we could use software to analyze it and prevent it in advance. Before mold manufacturing, we will make a fully DFM report and send it to our customers for approval. Below are sink mark analysis report samples.

Are you ready to start working on your new project and search for your plastic molding facotry? If yes, then let’s go. For your plastic molding project, finding a reliable Chinese mold company is more important. Because this will bring your market up very quickly, and you will win more profits on your project with less cost,

Today, over 80% of big companies are sourcing goods from China. Like the iPhone, some other famous companies buy things from China. So what are you worried about? If you are ready, then speed up to open your market immediately and share your profits.

SINCERE TECH is a one of top 10 plastic injection molding companies in China that offers all in one service worldwide, those service include products development and design, prototype, testing, PCB design and soldering, mold/die casting design and manufacutring, massive production, surface finish, certificate, assembly, final inspection, and packing, we have  manufacutring comapny and compeletely goods assembly facotry. We guarantee you will be 100% happy with our service and quality.

We have a very professional technical team to handle your project very carefully and make the perfect plastic molds and parts for you. Some of our customers have moved the molds to our factory for troubleshooting since their current plastic mold supplier is not as professional as us. We can send you some of our current customers for you to verify our service, quality, and price.

Send us an email at info@plasticmold.net to get a price. We will never share your design with others. We are willing to sign an NDA to protect your project.

Plastic Mold Cost

Plastic injection molding tool making is delicate and intricate, so even a single cavity plastic injection mold can cost up to $5000. This manufacturing process involves using sophisticated tools, modern technology, and skilled mold fabricators. Plastic injection molding tools are mainly applied in the mass production of plastic products. This process uses injection mold and molten plastic to form exact specification parts with varying shapes and sizes. In addition to the process, it starts with heating the plastic, often in the form of beads, and supplies it to the factory.

This molten plastic is transferred to an injection molding machine and injected into the mold cavity. In plastic injection molds, channels allow coolants to flow around the hot plastic in the cavity. This circulation also aids in cooling the plastic, which is vital for increasing the solidification rate and improving production.

To understand how the injection molding process works, you need a basic knowledge of injection mold tools: what they are, how they work, where to get them, and which ones are most effective for specific applications. This article provides all the essential information a reader may need before using an injection molding tool.

plastic injection molding tool

A Brief Overview of Plastic Injection Molding Tools

Plastic Injection mold tools are crucial parts of molding machines. They help produce several parts simultaneously. These simple or complex molds have long lives and can create 1000s of parts during service time.

Moreover, these molds are usually made from high-strength materials like steel or aluminum and have runners that link the injection point to the mold to enable the flow of the molten liquid plastic. Furthermore, coolant holes help cool and solidify the plastic material. Each mold comprises two main central plates: Plate A, which tightly holds the parts in place during the injection molding process, and Plate B, which is usually, used to open and close the mold and eject the final parts or products.

Different Functionalities of Injection Molding Tools

As discussed earlier, the mold tools are a crucial component in plastic injection molding, serving several fundamental functions:

Guiding molten plastic: A channel through which molten plastic can flow from the injection cylinder (barrel) to the mold cavity.

Cooling: It cools the molded part until it sets and solidifies to the desired shape and size. Temperature control of the mold is vital to allow the molding to cool at the right rate to avoid distortion and stress. Usually, water flows through channels made in the mold, as in the case of an automobile engine cooling system.

Ventilation: When the mold is closed, ventilation provides an escape route for the trapped air. If the molded part were not vented, it would have voids (air bubbles or cavities), resulting in a poor surface finish.

Part ejection: Ejector pins help expel the finished molding out of the mold. These functions show the mold tool’s importance in achieving high quality and zero defects or maintaining plastic parts.

Compatible Materials Used for Manufacturing Injection Molding Moulds

Tool steel injection molding mold

The ultimate choice of material for plastic injection molding tools depends on the number of parts to be produced, the type of plastic to be molded, and the tool’s life expectancy. Every material incorporated into these tools has its characteristics. Here are some commonest materials include;

Steel: Steel tools are widely used in plastic injection molding because of their hardness and ability to withstand wear and tear. They are relatively cheap and easy to machine, thus suitable for many uses. From simple features parts to complex shaped components, these tools are invaluable. Their use is indispensable across automotive, aircraft, interior, and exterior parts. However, steel molds may be prone to corrosion, wear under harsh conditions, and require frequent maintenance.

Aluminum: These tools are preferred because they are lightweight and can withstand corrosion. They are easy to machine and produce various medical, electronics, and automobile parts products. Nonetheless, aluminum molds are not as durable as steel molds and may not be suitable for high-thermal and high-pressure applications.

Copper: As many know, copper is solid and electrically conductive. It is used to make molds for electrical parts and other precise products. Copper is also relatively resistant to corrosion, wear, and tear. However, it’s expensive and challenging to use copper in massive sections compared to other metals.

Brass: Brass is a complex, rigid metal made of high traces or % of copper, nearly around 70%. It is widely used to shape molds to produce mechanical parts and other accurate-dimension products. It can withstand high corrosion and wear resistance but is generally more expensive than other materials.

Bronze: Like brass, bronze is rigid and resistant. It’s notably suitable for molds that create mechanical parts requiring high precision and dimensional accuracies. It’s also highly resistant to corrosion and wear but is relatively expensive compared to other molding metals.

Plastic: Plastic molds are used for small, simple parts or prototype designs, and are made of high-strength, heat-resistant materials such as P20 steel or aluminum. They are typically cheaper than metal molds but are not as strong as metals, and thus cannot be employed in large-scale production. Each of these high-quality materials has its advantages and is used based on the requirements of the injection molding process.

Why Is Material Selection Crucial In Mold Manufacturing?

Material selection is vital because it determines the type of material to be used to construct a particular product. It is crucial to select a suitable material for your injection molding tools. The chosen materials determine the quality of your final products, the reliability of your parts, the strength of your tools, and your overall expenses.

Sincere Tech is one of the leading mold manufacturers in China that has been in the technical field for more than a decade. With a team of skilled engineers and technical experts, we employ the best 3D CAD and Moldflow simulation technologies to enhance your part designs to the optimum level. We are proud to work with the most popular polymer and elastomer producers, additives experts, and chemists to rely on their vast experience. This allows us to recommend suitable materials for your application to ensure you get the best performance at the lowest price possible.

Whether you need to do initial design analysis or large-volume parts, our facility provides best-in-class services to meet your requirements. You can send us your drawing,; our engineers will help you analyze and give you the best possible solutions (DFM report) to bring your virtual concepts to reality in minimal time leads.

Relationship Between Tight Tolerance & Tight Tooling Complexity

Precision in plastic injection molding tooling is a delicate balancing act that generally depends upon the intended tool, cavity design, and materials used. Less complicated shape parts can provide better tolerance control than complex parts. Adding more parameters, such as the number of cavities, may decrease the tolerance.

Creating thin-walled symmetrical or cylindrical parts with fine details like threads and undercuts requires sophisticated plastic injection molding tools. In such cases, other mechanical parts, such as rotating gears, may be necessary to deal with the complexities of these geometries. The tooling complexity, precision, and accuracy level needed for plastic injection molding is a delicate balance that will yield optimal outcomes. Plastic injection mold tools are significant in achieving tolerances down to +/- 0.0005x.

Central Parts of Plastic Injection Mold Tooling

Let us explain the significant parts of injection molding tools and their roles.

Guide Pins: These pins are screwed on one mold half and fit into the other half’s holes to ensure proper alignment of the molds during injection.

Runner: Channels in the mold help to convey the molten plastic from the sprue bush to the various cavities, to ensure that they are equally supplied for proper molding.

Tooling gates: The point where the plastic gets into the mold cavity is called a gate and is created as a mold parting line. Injection molds typically feature two primary gate types: 1. In the first place,

Automatic Trim Gates: These gates open autonomously, so there is little or no contact with the walls and consequently fewer damages or scratches. Some examples of these gates include; the hot runner gate, the valve gate, and the ejector pin gate.

Manual Trim Gates: These gates must be operated manually to block the parts from the runners once the cycle is over. Some examples are the sprue, spider, overlap gate, and so on.

Sprue Bush: This is a larger entrance to the mold for the injection of molten plastic, gradually reduced in size to direct the flow of the plastic into the runner system.

Locating Ring: Ensure that the mold is adequately locked on the fixed platen so that the injection nozzle is in the correct position to the sprue bush.

Mold Cavity: The section of the mold that is used defines the final product’s size, shape, and other features.

Ejector Pins: After cooling and solidification, the molded part and the solidified runner should be removed from the mold.

The Shot: The amount of molten plastic injected into the mold at each cycle to form a layer on the cavities, runners, and the sprue.

Sprue: Sprue bar is the solidified plastic left in the sprue bush after molding has taken place. It connects the injection point to the runner system and is usually either removed or recycled.

plastic injection mold tooling

Two Central Phases In Tooling Fabrication

There are typically two phases involved in manufacturing tools for plastic injection molding.

Production Tooling

Firstly, production and development tools are central to plastic injection molding tooling fabrication. The production tooling used in injection molding is made of fully hardened steel with a standard shot life of one million shots. It is ideal for mass production of hundreds and millions of plastic parts. Sincere Tech often uses highly durable stainless steel in construction-related applications, such as high-performance steels in medical injection molding tools.

The integration of conformal cooling technology with metal additive manufacturing optimizes cycle time. The medical mold and the hot runner system are also essential and durable, and engineering-grade medical mold tools are also necessary. As for the class, and strict quality assurance, we adhere to the SPI class 101 standards and implement them in our mold manufacturing. Further, our professionals employ pre-production to in-process and final inspections during mold-making operations.

Mold Tooling Development Phase

Sincere Tech’s recommendation for the development phase is to create a one- or two-cavity ‘development tool’ before a fully hardened multi-cavity production tool. Aluminum is unsuitable for development tools because it is easily damaged on the surface, expensive, hard to machine, and not readily available like P20 steel. P20 steel is a kind of steel that contains carbon, chromium, manganese, and molybdenum and it is ideal for machining, polishing, and plastic injection molding of prototypes.

On the other hand, H13 steel with nickel and silicon has higher heat resistance, strength, and toughness, making it suitable for mass production with constant cooling and heating processes and the production of abrasive plastic parts.

Plastic injection molding tool

Sincere Tech Engineered Tooling Building Approach

When it comes to building plastic injection molding tools, our in-house production department diligently ensures that your mold tooling is produced according to your specifications using quality control measures.

Design and Prototyping

Customers provide us with their mold designs and other details of the product they wish to be manufactured. Then, our experienced engineers carefully study the client designs and employ the mold-making software to create a model. This prototype is then subjected to simulation to assess the plastic flow and defects and validate the final product.

Material Procurement

Once the design and prototype have been finalized, our mold makers utilize materials based on your constrained budget and the expected lifespan of the mold. In contrast, hardened steel is more durable and lasts longer than aluminum. Typically, it’s very costly compared to aluminum, which is not very hard but cheaper.

Machining

These designs are then presented to the project manager, who oversees CNC and EDM programmers and machinists. CNC machines cut the metal into the desired shape and size and drilling machines are used to make passages for coolant and holes for screws. EDM then further refines more complicated patterns like runners and gates to a more detailed level. Benchwork also plays a vital role in achieving a good finish.

Visual Inspection

The final metal parts products are inspected to ensure the plates are correctly aligned. When approved, the mold goes to the next phase.

Assembly

All mold parts are assembled, and the mold is ready for use and can be installed in an injection molding machine.

Testing

This assembled mold is then taken to an injection molding machine to check whether it produces the right products. Once the mold has been run and confirmed to perform its function as expected, it is sent to the buyer.

Choose Us For Your Manufacturing Precision Injection Mold Tools

When you partner with Sincere Tech, a professional mold maker in China, you can benefit from our advanced manufacturing capabilities, and commitment to detail to provide the best products that meet your expectations.

If you are planning a plastic mold project and looking for reliable injection molding tool suppliers to boost your business, please contact us now. Take advantage of our flexible pricing that suits your needs and budget. Send us your design, and get an instant no-obligatory engineering quote.

Allow Sincere Tech to take your vision to the next level and be your partner in attaining the best injection molding tool!

Key Takeaways

In summary, the time needed to manufacture plastic injection molding tooling depends on its design simplicity and complexity. Fabricating a single mold can take a few weeks to several months. The mold-making process is divided into several steps: design, manufacturing, and tryout. Every process is very delicate and needs to be done appropriately by designing molds to the best of one’s ability because any mistake cannot be made in plastic mold making. Nonetheless, it is efficient to invest in this process because it is cheap and time-saving, thus enabling the production of quality pieces.

hot runner with manifold

What is hot runner mold

Hot runner mold is a type of injection molding system that uses heated material feed channels, or “hot runners,” to maintain the temperature of the plastics as it flows through the injection mold. This allows for a more consistent and efficient molding process, as the plastic does not have to be reheated between shots so the cycle time will be reduced and will save the waste runner materials ( sometimes has no any runner with hot runner systems). Hot runner systems are commonly used in the production of large quantities of plastic parts, such as in the automotive and consumer goods industries, or used in the stack mold.

DONGGUAN SINCERE TECH CO.LTD(SINCERE TECH) provides plastic injection mould solutions to industries of all types and sizes. For almost 20 years DST has designed, built, and worked on almost every type of mold existing in the plastic industry.

We are experienced in building custom plastic molds for a variety of hot runner mold systems, from hot runner manufacturers like:

  • Husky hot runner systems
  • Synventive hot runner systems
  • Kona hot runner systems
  • DME hot runner systems
  • Mold-Masters hot runner systems
  • INCOE hot runner systems
  • HOSCO hot runner systems

Our state-of-the-art mold building facilities include High precision CNC machines, automatic CMM measurement machine, and Two heads of EDM Machines to create many types of custom molds, including complex specialty injection molds, insert molds, unscrewing molds, overmolding, hot runner mold, cold runner mold, stack mold, gas-assisted injection molds, double injection molds (2k molding), etc. We can build molds for both cold runner systems and hot runner systems.

Hot Runner Molding: Efficient High Production

Here are some key characteristics and advantages of hot runner molds:

  1. Runner System: In a hot runner mold, the runner channels are heated, allowing the molten plastic to flow freely from the injection unit to the mold cavities without solidifying. This eliminates the need for a separate runner system, which is typically discarded or recycled in cold runner systems.
  2. Material Efficiency: Hot runner molds are more material-efficient because there is no waste generated from runners. This can result in cost savings for materials, especially for high-volume production.
  3. Reduced Cycle Time: Hot runner molds often have shorter cycle times compared to cold runner molds because there is no need for the plastic to cool and solidify in the runner channels.
  4. Improved Part Quality: Hot runner systems can help produce high-quality plastic parts with minimal defects, such as weld lines, since the plastic enters the cavities in a fully molten state.
  5. Complex Geometries: Hot runner molds are well-suited for parts with complex and intricate geometries, as they allow precise control over the flow of molten plastic to different areas of the mold.
  6. Material Compatibility: Hot runner systems are compatible with a wide range of plastic materials, including heat-sensitive polymers that may not be suitable for cold runner molds.
  7. Temperature Control: Hot runner systems require more sophisticated temperature control systems to maintain the desired temperature in the runner channels and nozzles, which can add complexity and cost to the mold design.
  8. Maintenance: Maintenance of hot runner systems can be more complex than that of cold runners due to the presence of heated components.

Hot runner molds are commonly used in industries where high precision, minimal material waste, and fast production are critical, such as automotive, medical, and consumer goods manufacturing. The choice between hot runner and cold runner molds depends on the specific requirements of the molding project, production volume, part complexity, and material selection.

Choosing the system to employ depends on the requirements of the part to be produced. A few of the considerations include:

Hot runner mold structure

Hot runner mold structure

  • Type of material to use – virgin or “regrind”
  • Colour changes during the production run
  • Single or multiple design production
  • Part complexity
  • Colour requirements
  • Physical characteristics of the material

The primary difference between the two systems is that the hot runner eliminates the excess material retained in the feed channels of a cold runner mold. This feature reduces the number of production steps required and saves in material and energy costs.

Furthermore, mostly hot runners use 100% virgin resins; no reprocessed or “re-grind” material is added. This is an important feature for specific applications where regrinding can cause the material to yellow, or detracts from the material properties, such as clarity in light pipe or lens production, where long-lasting transparency is a specific requirement.

Hot runner molding systems normally inject melted material directly into the individual mold cavity. Hot runner is almost always used for large volume production of thermoplastic injection molded parts, or multiple part production using multi-cavity molds and stack-molding technology.

Hot runner molds are two plate molds with a heated runner system inside one half of the mold. A hot runner system is divided into two parts:

  • The manifold has channels that convey the plastic on a single plane, parallel to the parting line, to a point above the cavity
  • The drops, situated perpendicular to the manifold, convey the plastic from the manifold to the part

Hot-Runner Systems: The advantages and disadvantages

Primary advantages of hot runner systems include:

  • Shorter, faster cycle times – most of them have no runners to cool
  • Smaller machines – reduced shot volume into runners
  • Automated processing – runners do not need to be separated from the parts
  • Gates at the best position for economical design
  • Elimination of runners means
  • Materials cost savings – no runner to regrind or reprocess
  • Least expensive cost/piece
  • Reduction of energy costs
  • No runners to remove or regrind
  • Reduces the possibility of contamination
  • Lower injection pressures
  • Lower clamping pressure
  • Consistent heat within the cavity
  • Shorter cooling time
  • Shot size reduced
  • Cleaner molding process
  • Eliminates nozzle freeze

Disadvantages to hot runner mold systems that need to be considered:

  • Hot runner molds are more complex and expensive to build than cold runner molds
  • Higher initial start-up costs than for cold runner systems
  • Complex initial setup prior to running the mold
  • Higher maintenance costs – more susceptible to:
    • Breakdowns
    • Leakage
    • Heating element failure
    • Wear caused by filled materials
  • Risk of thermal damage to sensitive materials
  • Elaborate temperature control required
  • The colors change is more complex than the cold runner, sometime you will spend lots of time and cost to clean up the hot runner systems, especially for transparency and white color parts.

Hot Runner Molds: Applications & Possibilities

Hot-runner systems are almost always used when large runs have to be manufactured in highly automated production. Additionally, technological advances enable us to build molds with gates positioned to yield the best quality molded parts.

Hot runner molds are sometimes connected to needle valve nozzles, which are activated with precise computer-controlled timing. This allows for a number of advanced processes, including:

  • In-Mold Decoration – lamination with a colored film coating
  • Multi-Cavity Molds – cavities with different geometries and/or volumes
    • Parts that belong together produced in one mold
    • Injection valve opening and closing can be adjusted to the conditions of each individual cavity
    • Injection pressure and holding pressure may be adjusted  independently of each other
  • Controlled Volume Balancing – a weld line can be shifted into a non-critical area of the molded part
  • Stack Molding – two or more mold bases in production simultaneously creating multiple parting lines

Partner with Sincere Tech Mould suppliers for your custom injection molding needs, and benefit from our comprehensive capabilities, unwavering commitment to quality and sustainability, and our drive to exceed your expectations at every step of the process. Together, let’s bring your innovative ideas to life.

plastic injection molding surface finish

What is injection molding surface finish

Injection modlign surface finish is the post surface finish process added to the plastic injection molded parts, those include painting, silk-screen, chrome plating, pad printing, thermal transfer printing,water transfer printing, laser engraving, and so on, all of those addtional process we call surface finish process.

When you start a custom plastic injection molding project, at first you need a plastic mold to produce plastic molding parts, after that you may have additional options for your plastic parts, like some secondary process to your plastic molding parts, these secondary processes need to add on after molding.plastic injection molding surface finish

 

There are some of the plastic injection molding surface finish to the molded plastic parts, this will make the plastic injection molding parts look better, or have more information or special surface finished requirement, before doing this you need to know each type of secondary process, to make sure if those process can meet your requirement, let us discuss below some of the most popular secondary processes which will be used to the injection molding parts.

We are not only offering plastic mold/molding service but also offer additional, value-added services to support you get your molded parts finished, assembled, packaged, and shipped directly to your storage house, then you can sort them on the market directly.

Plastic injection molding surface finish include:

Printing

If it is needed to print or pattern on the surface of plastic products, there will be several ways as follows.
1. Screen Printing
This Method is the most common and used method, which is generally suitable for printing with a small plane or radian.
2. Surface Printing
Principle of Curved Surface Printing
Curved surface printing is to first place the printing ink into the intaglio engraved with characters or patterns, copy the characters or patterns onto the curved surface later, transfer the characters or patterns onto the surface of the molded product by using the curved surface, and finally solidify the printing ink by means of heat treatment or ultraviolet light irradiation.
Process of Curved Surface Printing:

A. Debinding of shaped products
B. Surface treatment of molded products (if necessary)
C. Printing
D. Curing process of the printing ink
E. After-treatment such as excessive coating (if necessary)
Simple Process of printing as below
A. To put the printing ink into the intaglio
B. To scrape off excessive printing ink
C. To extrude the curved surface to obtain the printing ink
D. To transfer the printing ink with the curved surface to the surface of the molded product
E. To clean the curved surface and layout (if necessary)

Pad printing

The figure or pattern is printed on a rubber plate or rubber-covered roll by the plate first, and then it is transferred to the surface of injection mold parts on the rubber plate or rubber-covered roll.
Advantages: Several colors can be applied in one operation.
Disadvantages: Low productivity, inability to obtain stronger opaque marks, how to select the appropriate rubber plate or rubber-covered roll and oil quantity first, etc.

Hot Stamping

It relates to a method for manufacturing colorful package embossed patterns or fonts on the surface of the injection mold parts by using colorful foil and a hot mold engraved with patterns or fonts under the control of temperature and pressure. Its operation only needs to apply pressure to the required area of the product through the colorful foil by using the hot mold arranged on a fixed press machine.

Painting

The most common methods for surface treatment (color) of plastic products can be divided into:

A. For a common coloring, this kind of paint is mostly sprayed by hand and does not have strong friction resistance and is easy to drop.

B. For Grade PU gloss oil, this method is to spray a layer of PU gloss oil on the surface to achieve friction resistance and gloss after drying the primer. Many surfaces of general household appliances or daily necessities are treated with PU.

C. UV-grade gloss oil This method sprays a layer of UV gloss oil on the surface after the primer is sprayed, and the gloss, the hand feels and friction resistance can all achieve very ideal effects. This method is commonly used for mobile phone mould products and communication mould products.

Electroplating (Chrome plating)

Plastic Electroplating (Plastic Chrome plating) is just called the process of depositing metal or alloy on the surface of a workpiece by electrolysis to form a uniform, dense and well-bonded metal layer. Its simple understanding is a change or combination of physics and chemistry.

Chrome plating

Chrome plating, Electroplating

Purpose of plastic molding electroplating:
a. Corrosion protection
b. Protective decoration
c. Abrasion resistance
d. Electrical performance: It is provided the coating with conductive or insulating performance according to the working requirements of parts.
e. technological requirements

It is relatively complicated for the process of forming a uniform, dense and well-bonded metal or alloy deposits on the surface of the workpiece by electrolysis, but it has many advantages such as more types of metals deposited, various colors available and relatively lower price compared with similar processes. Go to plastic chrome plating page to know more about this injection molding surface finish.

Cause of Failure Processing method
Insufficient material feed for mold To increase feed
Insufficient amount of melted material Be an appropriate feeding and a moderate increase of back pressure
Injection pressure is too low To increase the process of melting glue metering stroke
Holding pressure is too small To increase injection pressure
Injection time is too short To increase injection time
Injection speed is too slow To increase the firing rate
Unbalance gate size To adjust the size or position of the mold entrance equally
Blockage of nozzle To make demolition and cleaning
Material temperature is too high To reduce the material temperature
Incorrect mold temperature To adjust the appropriate mold temperature
Insufficient cooling time To increase the cooling time
Poor exhaust (venting) To arrange an exhaust hole at the shrinkage part.
The material barrel is too large To replace the smaller gauge material barrel
Abrasion of Screw Non-return valve To make demolition and overhaul
Uneven wall thickness in the part design To increase injection pressure

If you have any platic injection molding project in hand that needs make molds and injection molding surface finish service, you are welcome to contact us. We are one of top 10 plastic injection molding companies in China that offer custom injection molding and surface finish for molded parts, we will offer you the best price in 24 hours.

glass filled PA injection molding

What is Plastic Moulding

Plastic moulding is the plastic work through the Injection moulding machine, The melted plastic will automatically molten after erupting out in all of the plastic moulding methods, injection plastic moulding has been the most widely used. The method comprises the following steps: getting the thermoplastic plastic or the thermosetting plastic imported into the heating cylinder of the injection moulding machine, and when it is completely melted, it will produce heat and frictional heat by the pressure of the plunger or the screw, and is injected into the mould cavity of the closed mould, after curing, and then open the mould and take out the finished product.

Plastic moulding is the principal method of forming thermoplastic materials. Modifications of the plastic injection molding process are sometimes used for thermosetting plastics.

The problem with plastic moulding of thermosetting materials is that, under heat, these plastics will first soften, then harden to an infusible state. Thus it is essential that no softened thermosetting material in the heating chamber be allowed to remain there long enough to set. Jet molding, offset molding and molding using a screw-type machine overcome this problem by liquefying the thermosetting plastic material just as it goes through the injection nozzle into the plastic mold, but not before.

plastic mold technology

Type of plastic molding

There are many type of plastic moulding process, below we will briefly explain each type of plastic mouldings.

Blow Molding

Blow molding is a method of forming hollow articles out of thermoplastic materials.

Blow molding is a process of forming a molten tube of thermoplastic material, then with the use of compressed air, blowing up the tube to conform to the interior of a chilled blow mold. The most common methods are extrusion, injection, and injection-stretch blow molding.

The continuous-extrusion method uses a continuously running extruder with a tuned die head that forms the molten plastic tube. The tube is then pinched between two mold halves. A blow pin or needle is inserted into the tube and compressed air is used to blow up the part to conform to the chilled mold interior. Accumulator-extrusion is similar, however, the molten plastic material is accumulated in a chamber prior to being forced through a die to form the tube.

Injection molding

Injection blow molding is a process of injection molding a preform (similar to a test tube), then taking the tempered preform to a blow mold to be filled with compressed air to conform to the interior of the blow mold. Injection-stretch blow molding can be a single-stage process similar to standard injection blow molding, by adding the element of stretch prior to blow forming. Also, a two-step process is possible, where a preform is made in an injection molding machine, then taken to a reheat-stretch blow molding machine for preform reheating and final blow forming in a blow mold.

Thermoforming molding

plastic moulding

plastic molding company, injection molding machines from 60 Ton to 2000 Ton

Thermoforming of plastic sheet has developed rapidly in recent years. This process consists of heating thermoplastic sheet to a formable plastic state and then applying air and/or mechanical assists to shape it to the contours of a mold.

Air pressure may range from almost zero to several hundred psi. Up to approximately 14 psi (atmospheric pressure), the pressure is obtained by evacuating the space between the sheet and the mold in order to utilize this atmospheric pressure. This range, known as vacuum forming, will give satisfactory reproduction of the mold configuration in the majority of forming applications.

Themoset Transfer Molding

Themoset Transfer molding is most generally used for thermosetting plastics. This method is like compression molding in that the plastic is cured into an infusible state in a mold under heat and pressure. It differs from compression molding in that the plastic is heated to a point of plasticity before it reaches the mold and is forced into a closed mold by means of a hydraulically operated plunger.

Themoset Transfer molding was developed to facilitate the molding of intricate products with small deep holes or numerous metal inserts. The dry mold compound used in compression molding sometimes disturbs the position of the metal inserts and the pins which form the holes. The liquefied plastic material in transfer molding flows around these metal parts without causing them to shift position.

Reaction Injection Molding

Reaction injection molding (RIM) is a relatively new processing technique that has rapidly taken its place alongside more traditional methods. Unlike liquid casting, the two liquid components, polyols and isocyanates, are mixed in a chamber at relatively low temperatures (75° – 140° F) before being injected into a closed mold. An exothermic reaction occurs, and consequently RIM requires far less energy usage than any other injection molding system.

The three major types of polyurethane RIM systems are rigid structural foam, low-modulus elastomers, and high-modulus elastomers.

Reinforced RIM (R-RIM) consists of the addition of such materials as chopped or milled glass fiber to the polyurethane to enhance stiffness and to increase modulus, thus expanding the range of applications.

Compression Molding

Compression molding is the most common method of forming thermosetting materials. It is not generally used for thermoplastics.

Compression molding is simply the squeezing of a material into a desired shape by application of heat and pressure to the material in a mold.

Plastic molding powder, mixed with such materials or fillers as woodflour and cellulose to strengthen or give other added qualities to the finished product, is put directly into the open mold cavity. The mold is then closed, pressing down on the plastic and causing it to flow throughout the mold. It is while the heated mold is closed that the thermosetting material undergoes a chemical change which permanently hardens it into the shape of the mold. The three compression molding factors — pressure, temperature and time the mold is closed — vary with the design of the finished article and the material being molded.

Extrusion Molding

Extrusion molding is the method employed to form thermoplastic materials into continuous sheeting, film, tubes, rods, profile shapes, and filaments, and to coat wire, cable and cord.

In extrusion, dry plastic material is first loaded into a hopper, then fed into a long heating chamber through which it is moved by the action of a continuously revolving screw. At the end of the heating chamber the molten plastic is forced out through a small opening or die with the shape desired in the finished product. As the plastic extrusion comes from the die, it is fed onto a conveyor belt where it is cooled, most frequently by blowers or by immersion in water.

In the case of wire and cable coating, the thermoplastic is extruded around a continuing length of wire or cable which, like the plastic, passes through the extruder die. The coated wire is wound on drums after cooling.

In the production of wide film or sheeting, the plastic is extruded in the form of a tube. This tube may be split as it comes from the die and then stretched and thinned to the dimensions desired in the finished film.

In a different process, the extruded tubing is inflated as it comes from the die, the degree of inflation of the tubing regulating the thickness of the final film.

plastic injection mold tooling

Plastic Moulding Knowledge Guidance

1 The basic knowledge of plastic molding.
1.1 The characteristics and composition of plastic injection moulding.

Plastic Injection moulding is to fill the molten moulding material in a closed mould with high pressure. The pressure that the plastic molding cavity needs to be subjected to about 400 KGF / CM2, approximately 400 atmospheres. With such a high pressure to make a product is its characteristic which is not the only an advantage but also disadvantages. In other words, the mold always has to be made stable, therefore its’ price is always high. So must be mass-produced in order to buckle with high-priced mould costs. For example, the production of each batch must be more than 10000PCS to be reasonable. In other words, plastic molding work surely has to be a mass-production.

A few steps of the plastic molding process :
1.1.1 Closing
Close the security and then start moulding
1.1.2 Clamping mold
Moving forward the moving board in order to get the mould closed. When the mould is closed which means is also locked.

1.1.3 Injecting (including holding press)
The screw is quickly pushing forward, injecting the molten formed plastic material into the mould cavity to full fill it. Keeping the press at the same time after full filling it, this action is particularly named “holding press.” The pressing that the mold has to bear when it just gets full filled, generally called ‘Injection Press’ or ‘one press’.

1.1.4 Cooling off (and the next step of the plasticization project)

The process of waiting for the material getting cool formed in the mould cavity is called “cooling off”, At this time the injection device is also ready for the next step, this process is called “plasticization process. The moulded material is placed in the hopper, inflow into the heated tube to heat, it is based on the rotation of the screw turning the raw material into the molten status.

1.1.5 Opening the mould

Move the moving board to the backward and the mould will be opened.

1.1.6 Opening the security door

Opening the security door, then the machine will be in the standby status.

1.1.7 Picking up

Taking out the product, checking carefully if there is anything left in the mould cavity, and this whole forming operation is called moulding cycle time. The finished product is shaped by the shape of the mould. The mold is composed of the left mould and the right mould, These two sides of moulds are left with voids, and the material would flow into the voids and get compressed to finish the product. There are three main lines of the path of the molding material before it flows into the left side and right side, sprue, runner, gate, and so on.

1.2 Injection molding machine

Injection moulding machine is distinguished from two large projects, they are divided into two, clamping device and injection device.

1.2.2 clamping device

Closing the mould, the molding material would be cooled off and solidified in the mould cavity. Opening the mould cavity and take out the finished product is the action of the clamping device

1.2.3 Injection Device

Injecting the plastic material into the mould cavity called ‘Injection device’

The following describes the ability of the injection moulding machine, there are three provisions to distinguish the ability of it.

A. Clamping force

When the injection is made, the mould won’t be opened by the maximum clamping force, expressed as the number of TON.

B. Injection volume

The weight of a shot is generally expressed in terms of grams.

C. Plasticizing capacity

A certain amount of time able to melt the amount of resin, this is generally expressed in terms of grams. The most important part is the clamping force, the area of the moulded article is referring the mould perpendicular to the shadow of the opening and closing direction (basically the moud’s area). The average pressure within the mold added to the projection area is called the clamping force. If the mold “projection area × average pressure” is greater than the “clamping force” then the left and the right side moulds will be pushed out.

Clamping force = projection area × average pressure within the mold In general, the mold can withstand the pressure of 400KGF / Cm2, so base on this figure to calculate the clamping force, but the clamping force often based on the shape of forming materials and the shape of the product’s vary, the difference between the larger parameters such as PE, PP, PS, ABS materials, these raw materials are used to make the shallow box, the parameter is 300KGF / CM2.

If the depth of the box is deeper then the parameter is 400 KGF / CM2, If it is the small but high precision products. The projection area is about 10CM2 or less, its parameters are 600KGF / CM2. The smaller parameters such as PVC, PC, POM, AS materials, these materials are also used to make a shallow box, the parameters of 400KGF / CM2, if it is a deep box of its parameters is 500KGF / CM2, if it is a small and high precision products, projection area of about 10CM2 below, its parameter is 800KGF / CM2.

To working with Plastic Moulding is not easy, if you have a project that needs plastic molding service you need to find a professional plastic molding company to support you, to reduce your plastic mold and Injection moulding cost, find a Chinese molding company to support you will be one of the best options, plastic mould and moulding parts from China mold company has inexpensive price and short lead time, this is no reason that you do not choose your plastic molding supplier from China, on the world, over 80% or overseas companies that buy products from China, China is the biggest manufacturer country on the world, this is no doubt about this,

Plastic box mold

We are A Plastic Molding Parts Manufacturing Company

Finding the right source for all your injection molded thermoplastic parts is as easy as selecting DONGGUAN SINCERE TECH CO.LTD (SINCER ETECH). If you need quality injected-molded parts from an ISO 9001:2000 Certified supplier, and you need them on time, ACM is the answer.

Plastic Mold & Plastic Molding Parts Service: Your One-Stop Solution

Sincere Tech is a top 10 injection mold companies in China, offer injection mould, plastic moulding service to the world, 90% of our mold and parts are export to American, Europe, and the world, SINCERE TECH is a “one-stop, one-responsibility” company. our skilled, quality-minded thermoplastics professionals are committed to superior service, providing solutions to customers’ needs from concept to finished product. At our modern plastic molding facility you will be guaranteed:

  • Top quality products
  • The latest in technological equipment
  • Cost-effective manufacturing processes
  • Quality assurance procedures

We are capable of producing a wide variety of plastic parts and components, for industries of all types, including:

  • A / C Vents
  • Actuators
  • Bezels
  • Blood Testers
  • Boat Parts
  • Bobbins
  • Bottle Ties
  • Boxes
  • Brackets
  • Buckles
  • Cases
  • Clips
  • Component Boxes
  • Computer Peripherals
  • Connectors
  • Cosmetic Packaging
  • DVD / VCR Faceplates
  • Faucet Extrusions
  • Flower Pot Bases
  • Fuse Blocks
  • Gear Shift
  • Knobs
  • Gears
  • Housings
  • Junction Boxes
  • Key Fobs
  • Knobs
  • Lenses
  • Light Pipes
  • Motor Housings
  • Name Plates
  • Phone Parts
  • Push Buttons
  • Radiator Tops
  • Seat Belt Parts
  • Shields
  • Spacers
  • Spools
  • Switches
  • Tail Lamp Sockets
  • Toys
  • Trim Plates
  • Typewriter Parts
  • Vents
  • Vials
  • Wedges
  • Window Lift Parts
  • Wire Shields

SINCERE TECH’s Capabilitiesplastic mold manufacturing company

SINCERE TECH’s molding machines range from 60-ton to 2000-ton. We are equipped to mold products from many varieties and grades of resin, each with different properties, including:

  • Thermoplastic commodity resins
  • Engineering grade resins (filled and unfilled)
  • Elastomeric materials

Read more details about our Production Facility and Equipment.

Additionally, our facilities can provide a number of secondary operations, such as:

  • Assembly
  • Pad Printing
  • Painting
  • Drilling
  • Ultrasonic Welding
  • Milling
  • Ultrasonic Insertion

Read more details about our Production Facility and Equipment.

You are welcome to send us your new project, we will quote you with 24 hours, we will offer you the best solution for your new project to save you price, not only the injection molding process, but rubber molding, metal parts etc.

 

ustom plastic packaging container

What is Plastic Packaging Containers

Plastic packaging containers are containers that are used to hold something; whether that be food, clothing, or anything else; that are made out of plastic. Many companies use different plastic packaging containers, such as pharmaceutical companies. the food industry, the healthcare industry, the pet industry, and many others.

Plastic packaging containers can be found at most stores you shop at, but what about custom plastic packaging containers? Where would you find an odd-shaped container that you need for a specific project? What if you need 1000 of that same odd-shaped container for your business? Do you want your company logo on those containers? There are many aspects to look at when choosing containers, depending on what you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for clear plastic packaging containers for food, you wouldn’t want containers that contain BPA. go to custom plastic food storage containers pageto know more information.
plastic packaging container mold

Step to order your own Plastic Packaging Containers

The first step in ordering your custom plastic packaging containers would be to determine the size and shape of the container that you need. If you need a smaller container, or a basic plastic mold then you are looking at spending less money. Whereas if you are wanting a plastic packaging container in an odd shape, you will be spending a little more.
Next, you would determine what quality of plastic you need the containers to be. You would need to look at different aspects for this, such as what products are going in the containers, how the custom plastic packaging containers are going to be stored, and what climate the containers will be stored in. This is an important step because you don’t want to order a container that is not going to fit your specific needs.
After you have determined the size, shape, and quality of your plastic packaging container, you will need to decide what you want the product to look like. This means deciding whether you want custom colors or extra design. Then, you will need to determine how many containers you need. If you need the containers for a wedding, for example, you wouldn’t need as many as you would for a business that needs containers for a product. all of those process we called part design and delvelopment.
In addition, you would determine how quickly you need the product. If you need a custom product as soon as possible, you would want to look at companies with in house engineers, that are located in your country. However, if you can wait some time, you could be saving money if you went for a larger manufacture overseas, like finf a plastic molding company to handle your custom plastic mold and massive products production.
Furthermore, you will need to decide whether you need a label on the containers. This is a pretty simple step, but if it’s missed, you could end up with thousands of containers that were ordered incorrectly.
Finally, you would choose the business that you want to order from, let them know your vision, and wait for your arrival. Choosing a business can be a difficult decision, and can be time consuming because you don’t want to make a mistake when mass producing something important. As long as you follow these steps, you are headed in the right direction to getting the custom plastic packaging containers you need.

Are you looking for Plastic Packaging Container mold manufacturer, storage box mold supplier, storage container molding manufacturing companies from China? You are welcome to contact solve your issue.

Sincere Tech is the professional plastic storage container mold manufacturer and storage box mold supplier in china. We offer custom plastic storage container mold, plastic food storage containers mold fro small to big, we can make storage box molds for you based on your design or the samples.

During the last few years, we have been exported different size PP storage container moulds to Turkey, South Africa, Canda, Italy, American, Mexico, Brazil, and so on.
We have accumulated well knowledge about Plastic Packaging Container Mold design and storage container mold tooling. For PP transparent storage container mold, we usually suggest DIN 1.2738H for good polishing and long-time polishing result, and also a long mold lifetime with high-pressure injection molding.

Plastic Packaging Containers

Plastic Food Storage Containers utility

Most of us have a microwave in-house, that’s why choosing plastic food containers that can be used safely in the microwave is very important. Be sure to read the product description before you make the buying decision. You should also select the containers that can be washed with dishwasher as well as can be used safely in the freezer, refrigerator.

One of the most important features of custom plastic food storage containers is the ability to isolate the food completely from the outside environment. If your container is not hermetic, the odour from inside can leak and absorb into other foods. This is, in turn, will make other foods lose their quality.

One more tip that you should keep in mind when choosing plastic food storage containers is always going for the ones that have a clear colour. Don’t be trapped by the colourful items. They may be made from recycled plastic that will do more harm than good to your health. You can also smell the containers to know roughly the quality of the plastic food storage containers. Good containers will have little to no odour while items which were made from recycled plastic will have strange, unpleasant smells.

Glass food storage containers utility

For some people, glass food storage containers are their personal favourite as many features that no other types of food containers can have. Glass food storage containers don’t turn opaque over time, glass doesn’t absorb odour. In addition, the glass container is very safe. You don’t have to worry about unethical manufacturers use low-quality material to make the product as in plastic containers. Such benefits explain why while plastic food storage containers are so popular, glass food containers still have a good place in the market.

plastic food containersWhen choosing glass food containers, you need to select good brands. After that, you should focus on durability. As a matter of fact, glass can easily be broken, this will be very dangerous. However, with the development of material industry, there are now many glass containers have great durability, but compare to plastic food storage containers, plastic food box is still more convenient and safer than glass container, and you will never get broken, this is the main reason that is why plastics food box has more market then glass food containers,

Do you need any Custom plastic storage containers for your business needs, we are a professional plastic mold maker and molding company, we will provide you with the best FDA plastics for any of your custom plastic food storage containers, we never ever save any penny of cost on this material, 100% pure FDA plastics is our minimum requirement for this such of plastic food container box.

When you partner with Sincere Tech as your preferred China mold maker, you can expect the highest level of professionalism, expertise, and innovation. We are dedicated to helping you bring your ideas to life, delivering superior products that excel in performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness.

Our expanded capabilities include:

  1. Rapid Prototyping: We offer rapid prototyping services (3D printing or CNC machining prototypes) to quickly transform your rough design into useable prototypes, and testing, redesign suggestion etc.
  2. Precision CNC machining: Our advanced CNC machines enable us to create high-quality mold components with tight tolerances, this will ensure currently tolerance and precision in the injection-molded products.
  3. Overmolding: We make overmolding for some handle tools, some of overmoling are used in the die casting molds as well, contact for quote for your overmolding project.
  4. Insert Molding: insert molding is similar to overmolding but will be little different, insert molding normally use metal parts as substrate and overmolding use plastic part as substrate.
  5. Two-Shot Molding: With two-shot molding, we can produce complex, multi-material components in a single operation, reducing assembly requirements and enhancing design possibilities. Two shot molding is more complex than insert molding or overmolding, and two shot molding requires two shot injection molding machine.
  6. Value-Added Services: In addition to injection molding, die casting, and machining, we offer a range of value-added services, including product silk-screen, painting, assembly, testing, certificate, packaging, and logistics support, streamlining your supply chain and reducing costs.

Partner with Sincere Tech China mold maker for your custom Plastic Packaging Containers, die casting and machining needs, we will offer you the best quality and fast lead time, contact us for quote in 24 hours.

 

Plastic Injection Mold

Plastic injection mold and molding manufacturing company in China! Here you find information about custom plastic injection mold and molding processes, techniques, and specialized molding technology so that you keep yourself informed with the latest trends and technology.

We offer 30% savings for mold manufacturing and molding production services.

We have over 15 years of experience in plastic injection mold and molding manufacturing services, plus fluent technical English communication (technical English communication is very important when working with foreign customers).

We 100% guarantee that your project will be successful. You will be impressed and satisfied with our quality, price, and services.

Send us your requirements for a quotation; you will not lose anything but our competitive price for reference.

We are willing to sign an NDA document to protect your project, and we could send you our customer’s information so that you can verify our quality and services.

plastic injection molds

What is a plastic injection mold?

plastic injection mold is made of metal steel that has been made with a hollow base apart, as sharp as you want, and later filled with a liquid or any other material that can be used to make your plastic products, which will last millions of cycles. Some of the materials that can be poured into the hollow space of the steel include plastic, metal, glass, and even ceramic materials. The liquid is allowed to solidify, and the block is broken to retrieve the mold that has acquired the shape of the block. A plastic mold is a custom mold that is used for making custom injection molding parts.

 

Plastic mold technology

Plastic mold technology is by far the most popular method to manufacture plastic parts in the world today. This process is used for everything from inexpensive commercial plastic products, like disposable eating utensils and toys, to severe environments and highly stressed technical components, like critical parts for the automotive and aerospace industries.

You’ll find extensive use of injection-molded plastic parts in the electronics world for things like enclosures for cell phones, computers, televisions, and the like, as well as in the medical world, where things like syringe bodies, breathing apparatus, and a wide range of other life-saving devices are employed. No other process has come to dominate modern manufacturing as much as plastic molding, and its use increases every year.

Recently, critical steering components for General Motors cars and trucks were changed from stamped and machined steel parts to a plastic-molded assembly, resulting in a lighter part at a lower cost, quieter, and more reliable.

What is Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding or injection molding is the process of heating thermoplastic resin to a liquid, then shooting it under high pressure into a mold cavity that is the negative image of the desired part, allowing it to cool, and then opening the mold to allow the completed part to be ejected out of the mold.

In most cases, features can be built into the plastic mold cavity to give the part everything it will need when finished so that no other operations are needed once the part comes out of the mold. Textures, or high polishes, markings, screw holes, lens shapes, and any other features needed in the finished part can be built into the mold, so the finished part automatically has these features incorporated.

The advantages of plastic molding

The beauty of plastic molding is that many parts, even millions, can be made in exactly the same way and will come out the same no matter what. Each piece will have identical features, the same dimensions, and the same physical properties. It is the ideal way to make high volumes because of this consistency. Properly maintained, injection molds can last decades, making millions of parts per year. Properly set up and controlled, the 20 millionth part will be identical to the first part in every measurable way. No other manufacturing process has the potential to operate at this level of consistency.

Multiple cavities of each part can be built into the plastic injection mold tool, so that each time the mold opens, you can make 16 or 32 or 48 or some other multiple of parts for each cycle of the injection molding machine to really increase the production rate and greatly decrease the cost of making a part.

In some cases, several different parts—for instance, a right- and left-hand version of an enclosure—can be made in a single mold to reduce the number of machine cycles required to make multiple parts of an assembly, increasing production and lowering the injection molding cost. Injection molding also offers flexibility not possible with any of the other manufacturing processes.

Injection molding also offers one of the lowest scrap rates of any other manufacturing process as well. Since no second operation is generally required, no material is cut off and thrown away. It is possible to use a special technique to completely eliminate even the small pathways the plastic flows through to cut the material scrap rate to virtually zero, or often, any plastic removed in the process can be reused by pelletizing it and mixing it back into the fresh plastic resin in closely controlled proportions. These capabilities mean a higher percentage of the raw material becomes part of the finished part than in any other process. Plastic injection molding is highly efficient.

Sincere Tech has been one of the top 10 mold manufacturers in China since 2005, located in Changping, Dongguan City. Sicnere Tech offers the plastic injection mold and molding manufacturing service. The company has shown promising growth each year; today, it accumulates to over 30 million RMB.

What makes us a unique plastic injection mold manufacturer?

With so many others in the business, what is it that has made us this successful in all these years? Let us take a look at some features that make us unique and a preferred choice for our customers.

It all starts with the plastic injection mold/molding factory.

Our plastic mold company is clean; everything is well ordered and well managed. When it comes to the technology we use, we make sure that at Sincere Tech we use nothing but the most advanced and high-tech available, be it for software or hardware systems around the factory. It helps us take control of the quality of the plastic mold we produce. To make goo- quality molds and parts.

We use a high-speed FUNAC CNC machine that was imported straight from Japan and has over 24,000 rotation speeds. Moreover, we have two big CNC machines with 2-meter strokes and a full automatic three-coordinate measuring (CMM) machine to ensure that our processes are fast, efficient, and precise. That high-tech equipment, plus our professional team, helps us meet our targets.

Professional team

We have over 65 staff members in our factory, and each one is an expert in his field and fully qualified to handle the different aspects involved in the injection mold making processes. From producing to managing the business, the team has been carefully selected to allow growth and give our customers premium-quality products.

All the engineers on our team have a good command of the English language to ensure adequate technical communication and a rich experience in the project. Even if you are not good at plastic injection molds and part design, our team will lead you and think through every detail on your behalf. This will help your project go smoothly and successfully.

Various Plastic Molded products Available

When it comes to plastic injection molds and injection molding parts, we have qualifications in a lot of fields and are experts in each one of them. The molds and molding parts we produce are used by consumers in household appliances, industries, food packaging, electronics, automobiles, interior parts in cars, etc. Our team puts in the same amount of attention and hard work in each one of these molds to maintain our loyal customer base.

OEM contact manufacturer

Customer satisfaction

We realize the importance of keeping our customers happy and thus never compromise on quality. Our plastic injection molds last a long lifetime and always meet every expectation our customers might have of them. The molds and molded products we make pass every test they are put through and are accepted by customers from all fields equally well.

Affordable Price

With the quality we provide, one might expect our plastic injection molds to cost a fortune, but this is not so. All our molds and molded parts are priced very strategically to have market-competitive prices. The quality we produce is available at reasonable rates, and this is what has our customers choosing us time after time.

Customer service

Unlike other brands, we do not forget our customers even after the plastic injection mold has been shipped to our customer side. We provide efficient customer care services, and our staff is always ready to help before, during, or even after the sales have been made.

For us, we are not only the suppliers to the customers. Being on their side, we make every possible effort to ensure customer satisfaction. This is made possible by maintaining transparency in a communication system and ensuring a quick response to all problems they encounter.

So, what are you waiting for? Get in contact with our team right away and have them offer you the best plastic injection molds and molding parts for your project. For us, you are important. Making your business successful is our goal.

Thank you for considering Sincere Tech as your partner for all your plastic injection molding needs. As a leading China mold-making company, we are committed to delivering top-quality plastic injection molds and related services to our customers.

Our experienced team of professionals is dedicated to providing the best possible solutions tailored to meet your specific needs and requirements. With a user-friendly interface, navigating our website to find the products and services you need is easy. We offer a wide range of services, including plastic mold, custom plastic injection molding, rapid prototyping, mold design, post-manufacturing, assembly, and delivery.

At Sincere Tech, we pride ourselves on working with our customers from start to finish, whether you are in need of a single prototype or a large-scale production run. Our team is always available to answer any questions you may have and offer guidance and support throughout the process.

We are confident that our service, expertise, and resources will take your business to the next level. So, why wait? Contact us today if you are looking for reliable, affordable, and high-quality mold suppliers. We look forward to working with you!

I am trying to find out how large manufacturing companies grind precision core pins. As a plastic mold maker, I am aware of the manual methods using a surface grinder and Harig type spin fixture and am also familiar with the Ded-Tru machine.

However, these methods are exceedingly slow, albeit quite precise. There just has to be some kind of OD grinder, tool grinder, centerless grinder or special CNC tool grinder that can grind complex mold core pins accurately and with an excellent finish.

Plastic Mold

But in today, normally the mold maker is not making any pins or insert pins by themselves, you can find some precision components company who specializes in making high precision components, like insert pins and some small inserts, you only need to send them the 3D, 2D drawing and mark the tolerance for each dimension, then they will do the rest quickly and accurately.

But for some other mold components, you may have to do this by yourself.

Another common material for various injection mold components is a beryllium copper alloy also called Mold Max. It has excellent heat transfer qualities, can be polished and is also pre-hardened. All this combines to make it the material of choice for things such as core pins.

However, is beryllium copper/Mold Max safe?

In my experience is depending on which area of mold components you are using for? I made 64 cavities molds which the parts have some small ribs, the customer was a requirement with MoldMax for better cooling, as you know sixth four core inserts made by Mold Max, that is not cheap, but after the second time of mold trial the small ribs start to break, not only one or two but around 10 inserts had broken done, base on my experience on this material, for some small ribs it is not good option to use Beryllium copper, if some deep ribs but have much more space, then that will be better option to use this material, because you will get good cooling to save cycle time.

This covers the topic in detail and my conclusion is that it is basically depending on the part design, Is you have a plastic mold project that may need this service, you are welcome to send me your drawing, we will suggest you some good option for you to make choices this could be safer for your project.