The Importance of Injection Moulding Tool

In order to create a perfect and precise part, mold must get the attention. Building the tool for the process requires high accuracy and is definitely a time-intensive process. Furthermore, it can also be a cost-intensive step in the manufacturing process. Therefore, getting it right is very essential for the successful completion of a project. If you aim to manufacture parts in large volumes with the highest level of precision, tooling becomes even more important. Here you can definitely think of custom tool parts.

Resin in molding

Tools and molding process have to be customized based on the type of plastic used. There are different types of plastics which affect the choice of molding and tooling. When the plastic is amorphous, it is less free-flowing and less likely to shrink than crystalline or semi-crystalline plastics. Later two plastics ensure better flow, but have high-shrinkage. Therefore, many projects require engineering resins for less shrinkage with better melt. The required information about plastic has to be provided by the plastic supplier. The information includes shrinkage rate of the resin along with temperature and melt flow rate recommendations.  

Machining

As manufactures can understand, resin shrinkage has a greater impact on the design and machining of the tool cavities. Cavities should be such that they can accommodate for the shrinkage that occurs during the process. Modern CAD software allows engineers to create cavities that are fit for the project means larger than the actual finished part. The relaxation in size of the cavity is allowed based on specific properties of the resin. Sometimes shrinkage problem can be controlled with the regulation of packing and holding rate in the mold. However, it’s a reality that plastics shrink, even after their ejection from the mold. In worst case, warping can happen if molding takes placed under stressed conditions.

Robust mold design

Precision in custom tool parts are realized only by meeting exact standards in cavities as well as the design of mold components. It includes the proper placing gates for adequate melt flow and optimal pressure. Size and placement of gates are also an important consideration. Gates should be sufficiently large to allow proper packing of the material without increasing the cycle time. At the same time, it should be placed in an inconspicuous location to enhance the appearance of the final part. All these factors are crucial to avoid flaws and determine high-quality part production. Goals are realized with accuracy in tool parts.

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JessicaBeak Joined: April 8th, 2019