Injection molding programs are only successful if they are backed by a strong design process. Design for plastic injection molding should entail careful consideration over numerous factors including material selection, wall thickness, gate locations, cooling, and much more.
So, what’s the role of a manufacturing company’s engineering team in this pivotal early manufacturing step? Triad Plastic Technologies makes the case by highlighting where strong engineering steers an injection molding program from good to great.
Engineering Support in Design for Plastic Injection Molding
Engineers focus on multiple aspects of the design for plastic injection molding programs. No part of the design is more important than another, as all of these considerations have to work together to form a singular product that’s going to be manufacturable and successfully serve in the real world.
A common starting point for engineers, however, is to focus on material selection. This entails gathering information about the part’s intended environment where it will serve, along with knowing its strength, internal temperatures, chemical exposure, regulation needs, and even the importance of aesthetics. When a broad group of possible materials are selected, part geometry can become the focus. Considerations made on wall thickness and ensuring its uniform throughout is arguably the most vital part of part geometry. Other areas of focus include ribs, bosses, radii, and draft so plastic flows evenly throughout and parts release easily from the mold.
Another part of the design for plastic injection molding process where engineers spend considerable time on is creating realistic tolerances. Tolerances must fit the part’s function and should be limited to keep molds simple and costs down.
With material selection and part geometry in check, moving to tooling considerations is typically on deck for engineers. This can include materials used for dies, as well as defining gate locations, runner style, venting, cooling, ejection, and more so molds are consistent. During this part of the design process, the best practice for maintenance of the specific mold are also devised.
Lastly, validation is performed to ensure all aspects of the design are manufacturable and the identification of any potential defects such as warpage, sink, short shots, and others are caught prior to manufacturing.
Why it Matters
When engineering operations are performed with a design focus, it takes place prior to manufacturing, and that early input from engineers is especially helpful in reducing tooling changes – which lowers costs. But it can also reduce scrap, cycle time, and catch potential part defects, all of which have a positive impact on costs.
Part quality sees an improvement as a result of considerable time and effort spent on focusing on the design.
Contact Triad Plastic Technologies with Design for Plastic Injection Molding Capabilities
Triad Plastic Technologies is a cutting-edge custom plastic injection molding manufacturing company located in Reno, Nevada since 1988. Our commitment to manufacturing excellence starts with our engineering-driven approach to design for plastic injection molding.
We utilize flow analysis software (Solidworks Plastics) to ensure accuracy in predicting optimal gate locations and filling patterns for complex plastic components and family molds, eliminating the need for expensive design conversions. Additionally, our usage of industry-leading CAD-CAM and design software are used to deliver rapid prototyping, computer-aided design, mold flow analysis, and CNC programming—all under one roof.
Triad does more than just advanced design capabilities. We’re also ISO Class 7 Clean Room certified, allowing us to manufacture components in contaminate-free environments, a pivotal anchor for sensitive applications such as products in the medical industry.
When it comes to design for plastic injection molding projects, between our technological advantage and experienced engineers, Triad is here for you. Contact our team today and let’s get your program started.